Full beard ban at German university causes a stir: "disproportionate" or "unavoidable"?
Created: 2022-02-10Updated: 2022-02-10, 10:20 am
By: Franziska Schwarz
"Beard off!" is the motto now because of Corona for medical students at the University of Greifswald (symbolic image).
© Sergiy Tryapitsyn/Imago
From a full beard to a Frank Zappa beard because of Corona?
In the university town of Greifswald, the medical faculty has now received a special message.
Greifswald – The comedian Felix Lobrecht recently stated in his podcast that a full beard under an FFP2 mask makes people look like birds.
But apart from aesthetic considerations: does facial hair also affect the protective effect of the mouthguard?
According to a report, the University of Greifswald now answers this question with a clear yes.
As the Ostsee-Zeitung (OZ) reported earlier this week, the university medicine crisis team sent a circular email to the students of the faculty.
The concern: What kind of facial hair is allowed when showing up in the clinic.
Among others, the
picture
and the
editorial network Germany (RND)
took up the anecdote.
The circular was illustrated with the following graphic:
It is an illustration that the national US health authority CDC, according to the US broadcaster NBC, already circulated in 2017 - i.e. before Corona.
As you can see, according to the specifications, a mustache with a mouth and nose protector is safety-compliant.
A full beard doesn't.
Shaving obligation because of Corona?
"Majority of students understanding"
“We wear the FFP2 mask to protect ourselves.
And that is only possible if it is close to the face,” quoted the
OZ
crisis team leader Klaus Hahnenkampf.
And further.
"In the clinical area, encroachments on personal rights are unavoidable when it comes to the safety of patients and medical staff.".
According to Hahnenkampf, the majority of those affected show understanding for the measure.
But not all.
According to OZ
, criticism comes
from a student (who presumably does not have a full beard to shave): "I just find it disproportionate."
Most of the medical students have been vaccinated or boosted and have been tested before practical use.
If they do get infected, the viral load is then low.
Incidentally, in February 2020, NBC wrote in a fact check on the CDC infographic: “The authority did not publish it in connection with the fight against corona.
At that time (editor's note: 2017)
, she also did not recommend
removing the entire facial hair to protect it." If you study the above graphic, it becomes clear: Only the mustache remains.
(frs)