"We clearly have the finding...": Drosten dares to predict great hope for Easter

Created: 2022-02-09Updated: 2022-02-09 11:10 am

By: Felix Durach

In the "Coronavirus Update" podcast, virologist Christian Drosten draws a comparison between the omicron subtypes and gives an outlook on how the situation will ease.

Berlin – While the omicron variant of the corona virus has established itself as the dominant virus mutation in Germany, experts are looking with concern to Denmark and Great Britain, where the subtype BA.2 of the omicron variant is currently spreading.

The virologist Christian Drosten from the Berlin Charité also commented on the developments in the podcast “Coronavirus Update” from NRD-Info, in which he acts as an expert.

Omicron: Drosten on subtype BA.2 - "has a few more horsepower"

With a view to the dominant omicron subtype BA.1 in Germany and the new type BA.2, the virologist once again used an auto example to distinguish between them.

“One Mercedes somehow looks stuffy and the other Mercedes has spoilers on it.

But it's still a Mercedes and it's still the same model," explains Drosten, looking at the Omikron subtypes.

However, a look under the hood would show: "The BA.2 engine has a few more horsepower."

In his assessment, Drosten referred primarily to the data from Denmark and the findings of a newly published preprint study.

The latter would suggest that BA.2 could spread even more easily than the already highly contagious BA.1 subtype.

The risk of passing on the virus is therefore also greatly increased in infected unvaccinated people, but reduced in vaccinated contact persons, according to the 49-year-old.

Coronavirus: Drosten on omicron subtype BA.2 - "considerable growth advantage"

“Within Omicron, this BA.2 virus doubles every five and a half days.

That is quite significant, a significant growth advantage over the other omicron viruses, ”said Drosten with a view to the number of new infections in Denmark.

However, this development could only be determined in the last seven-day evaluation window, the virologist restricts the observation. 

According to Drosten's forecast, the subtype will also continue to spread in Germany, where the proportion of BA.2 is currently around 2.3 percent according to the RKI.

However, due to the current infection control measures, the spread in Germany could be slower than in Great Britain or Denmark.

Drosten calls "planning horizon" for relaxation - hope for the Easter holidays

With a view to the general corona situation in Germany, Drosten is also focusing on the Easter holidays.

According to the expert, this could well be seen as a "planning horizon" for an easing of the pandemic situation.

“We have clearly found that the transmissions are currently being fed from school operations.

The Easter holidays will put a stop to that at the latest, ”explains Drosten his assessment.

In addition, there would also be the rising temperatures in spring, which could lead to a flattening of the incidences.

It is still too early for any relaxation of corona measures in Germany: “There is one thing that has not changed at first.

This is the vaccination gap in Germany.

We're not really making any headway there." Recently, the vaccination rate has even fallen again.

The situation here is not comparable to Denmark, where the corona measures are largely omitted, especially in view of the high vaccination rate.

"That's why there is no all-clear for Germany," said Drosten.

Drosten: After three vaccinations, you can become infected without risk and develop strong immunity

For Drosten, the “ideal immunization” is complete vaccination protection with three vaccine doses.

With this basis, one can then become infected with the virus once or more often and thus develop strong immunity “without having to accept severe courses”.

Anyone who has gone through this path, “at some point they will really be resilient for years, immune and will not reinfect themselves again,” explained Drosten.

Drosten also repeated his warning against allowing an infection due to the large number of unvaccinated people.

He also criticized the thinking of some that omicron variant infection could be substituted for vaccination.

The virologist referred to the high probability of being infected again.