Corona numbers are increasing rapidly: Streeck speaks of “double leadership” – the phenomenon could already be seen last year
Created: 03/18/2022 05:03
By: Max Darga
In March, the number of new corona infections reached new records after falling at the beginning of the month.
Virologist Streeck is not surprised by this development.
Bonn - At the beginning of March, the development of daily new infections with the corona virus looked promising.
After record values in February, the numbers fell and hopes for a quiet spring with an even more relaxed Corona summer spread.
But then the numbers rose again - and are now breaking records again.
For the virologist Hendrik Streeck, this so-called double leadership is not a big surprise.
In an interview with
ntv
, he talks about spring, what developments he expects and what he thinks of some federal states sticking to the containment measures.
Not surprising for Streeck: "We had that last year too"
The high incidences in Germany are not a big surprise, explains Streeck in the interview.
After all, there was also a double peak in the number of infections last year.
These would “then go down again and go down very sharply.” The virologist does not want to give an appointment: “Of course, you can’t predict exactly when that will be, but we had that exactly last year.”
According to Streeck, the seasonal effect of warmer weather will also ensure that the number of infections decreases again.
The focus should also be less on the pure infection numbers: “The important thing is that we look at the hospital occupancy.
How many people actually have to be treated in the hospital or even have to be treated in the intensive care unit. ”A slight increase can be seen here, but “not as dramatic as we have with the number of infections”.
Everyone needs to remind themselves how to avoid infection.
However, Streeck does not currently see a situation that could lead to an overload of the health system.
Extension of the measures in some federal states for Streeck "not so wrong at this moment"
With regard to the corona measures that may soon end, Streeck notes that it is initially up to everyone to wear an FFP2 mask, for example.
This is - according to his assessment - "really more of a self-protection." In some federal states he refers to very high incidences, "where you don't really want to do without the mask".
Streeck describes the 2G or 3G regulation as difficult to assess. It is not known exactly how effectively these actually help to contain the virus.
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In view of the option of the federal states to extend the measures if the worst comes to the worst, he says: “Some states have meanwhile announced that they will extend the wearing of masks or some of the measures until April 2nd – which is possible.
So I think working with a bit of different approaches isn't all that wrong at the moment."
According to the virologist, two factors ensure a double peak in new infections
Streeck sees two factors as an explanation for the renewed increase in the number of new infections.
On the one hand, the dual leadership in the spring is not a new phenomenon: "We also had the second and third waves last year, which alternated." This is often the case with respiratory diseases.
As a second factor he names the new omicron subtype BA.2, which according to current knowledge is even more contagious than BA.1.
"In addition, we have the BA.2 subvariant, which is becoming more widespread at the moment and also has a slight transmission advantage over the other BA.1 subvariant, so that's something to watch out for." Repeatedly, this isn't alarming Streeck, you just have to focus on the hospital occupancy.
Virologist Streeck on the wrong picture of the vaccination: a flu-like course can still be mild
With regard to symptomatic courses despite immunization with one of the vaccines available in Germany, Streeck believes that communication was not optimal.
Many people would think of an asymptomatic course if the course was mild.
The vaccines primarily offer protection against a severe course - a course that has to be treated in the hospital.
The assumption, which Streeck says was incorrectly communicated, is that vaccination protects against infection.
That is of course wrong.
The vaccines have never been tested for this, he explains.
The severe course, which leads to necessary treatment in the hospital, is what the vaccines protect against.
Even a corona disease with flu-like symptoms that you can cure at home is still a mild course.
(mda)
