Corona rules in autumn and winter: expert advice warns and has three scenarios - Lauterbach reacts promptly

Created: 06/09/2022, 09:04

By: Bettina Menzel

Karl Lauterbach (SPD), Federal Minister of Health, pictured in his office in the temporary building of the Ministry of Health on Mohrenstraße, shortly before his participation in the video conference of the Federal Government's Expert Council on the Corona Pandemic.

(Archive) © Michael Kappeler/dpa

The government takes the recommendations of the expert council as the basis for its corona measures.

Now the committee has commented on the necessary preparations for the autumn.

Update from June 8, 4:42 p.m .:

Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) reacted to the recommendations of the Federal Government’s Expert Council on Wednesday afternoon.

“The Expert Council did an excellent job.

Once again, the Council made important scientific recommendations for political decisions.

This will form the basis for the federal government's Corona autumn plan," the minister said.

“Even the expert council cannot say how high the corona wave will be.

But it is relatively certain that even in the best-case scenario, the healthcare system will be heavily burdened.

We must and will be prepared for all scenarios: with adapted test, vaccination and treatment strategies and with a solid legal framework," Lauterbach continued.

The Federal Government's expert council publishes recommendations for the autumn

Update from June 8, 3:15 p.m .:

The Federal Government’s Corona Expert Council published a statement on Wednesday about the necessary protective measures in autumn and winter.

The current version of the Infection Protection Act ends on September 23rd.

According to this, the experts from the federal and state governments are urging them to prepare early and comprehensively to combat new waves of infection in autumn and winter.

Because the "relevant vaccination gap" in society could again put a considerable strain on the health system and critical infrastructure.

" Proactive

times to changing infection situations reduces the (secondary) damage caused by the pandemic and is most effective in reducing morbidity and mortality," says a comprehensive statement by the committee.

A

should be created in order to guarantee a quick ability to react.

A rapid response is necessary, particularly when the healthcare system is at risk of being overwhelmed and a worrying new virus variant emerges.

Corona Expert Council of the Federal Government: Which measures apply depends on three scenarios

According to the expert council, three different scenarios are conceivable in autumn and winter.

In the best scenario, protective measures would only be necessary for people at risk.

In the "baseline scenario" there could be nationwide measures such as wearing masks indoors, distancing and contact restrictions.

In the "worst case scenario" there would be an additional vaccination for fully vaccinated people in addition to the measures in the base scenario.

Only in the spring of 2023 do the experts see the possibility of lifting protective measures such as the obligation to wear masks in this third scenario.

In general, from the point of view of the experts, vaccination and infection protection measures continue to be the most important means in the fight against the corona pandemic.

Corona Expert Council of the Federal Government: The committee proposes these measures

In its statement, the Expert Council also addressed the expectations of people in Germany.

"The population has been shaped by the two-year pandemic," the statement said.

"There are understandably high expectations of politicians to make effective preparations for autumn and winter in the third year of the pandemic."

also read

Car crashes into a crowd: Scholz speaks of a "cruel amok act" - driver apparently mentally impaired

Omicron subvariant BA.5 is spreading in Portugal – is there a risk of a summer wave in Germany?

• In the third year of the pandemic, there should therefore be

  good communication

  .

  The regulations and recommendations should be announced nationwide via a central communication office and should be as simple as possible but binding.

• From the point of view of the expert council, the

  mask requirement

  is an "effective and quick instrument for infection control." Especially indoors, this is a good way to appreciate yourself and others, "with little individual restriction" and without lead time.

  The population should therefore be "more informed about how sensible it is to protect yourself and others as much as possible."

• In addition, there is a need for

  uniform indicators

  that are to be defined and communicated at an early stage.

• In

  the view of the Expert Council, a federal agency should be set up to

  fight false information .

• A

  better database

  is needed to better assess the situation.

• Better access to early

  antiviral medication

  .

• The nationwide

  cloverleaf concept for the efficient transfer of patients

  is to be consolidated.

• Worrying variants

  of the virus should be determined, especially in the context of travel, and entry restrictions should be limited to these variants.

  
  
  

  It is also necessary to

  intensify the vaccination campaign

  , especially taking into account low-threshold, outreach vaccination teams and vaccination centers as well as an information campaign for all people over the age of five.

• With regard to children and young people, the top priority is “

  ensuring social participation through school and daycare attendance

  as well as sporting and cultural activities”.

• The Federal Government’s Expert Council also expects sustainable concepts from business and trade to minimize transmission in times of high infection rates.

  The experts cite home office concepts and hygiene measures in the workplace as examples.

Corona Expert Council of the Federal Government: These are the topics

First report:

Berlin – The Robert Koch Institute put the number of new infections with the corona virus on Wednesday (June 8) at 84,655, with a nationwide seven-day incidence of 238.1.

A week ago, the incidence was 199.9.

Experts warn that the next corona wave is imminent in autumn and are calling for appropriate preparation.

The Federal Government's expert council will meet on Wednesday - these are the topics.

Corona virus: Expert council talks about the necessary preparation for autumn and winter

In the fight against the corona virus, the government decided on December 2, 2021 to set up a scientific expert committee in the Federal Chancellery - the Expert Council of the Federal Government.

The committee began its work on December 14, 2021 and is intended to inform the Federal Chancellery about "infection-biological, epidemiological, health-system, psychosocial and societal developments" based on current scientific findings.

A total of 19 experts from various scientific disciplines belong to the committee.

The expert council has issued ten statements so far, most recently at the end of May on the corona situation in Germany.

The experts emphasized the need for infection protection for people in need of care in care facilities.

On Wednesday, the press conference scheduled for 3 p.m. will deal with the necessary preparations in Germany for autumn and winter 2022/23.

The opinions of the following experts are expected, which will provide information for further political steps:

• Prof. Cornelia Betsch, Health Communication at the University of Erfurt

• Prof. Christian Karagiannidis, ARDS and ECMO Center Cologne-Merheim, University of Witten/Herden

• Prof. Heyo Kroemer, Chairman of the Corona Expert Council and Chairman of the Board of Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin

• Prof. Leif Erik Sander, Medical Clinic with a focus on infectiology and pneumology at the Charité

Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) and RKI boss Lothar Wieler at a Corona press conference in May.

Lothar Wieler is also a member of the Federal Government's Expert Council.

© IMAGO/Chris Emil Janssen

Coronavirus preparations for the fall: These measures could come

With regard to the preparations for autumn and winter, the federal and state governments had already agreed on the preparation of a new vaccination campaign at their summit meeting last week.

They also assured that in the event of another corona wave, nationwide closures of schools and daycare centers should be avoided.

The German counties, meanwhile, are demanding a speedy adjustment of the Infection Protection Act with a view to autumn: “The instruments to be provided include compulsory masks indoors and on buses and trains, as well as contact restrictions if these should become necessary,” said the President of the German District Association, Reinhard Sager , the newspapers of the Funke media group in the Wednesday edition.

Before the summer break, the legal framework should be created in order to adapt the regulations in good time.

"It would be too late to start working on the content in September," Sager continued.

The federal and state governments repeatedly refer to the recommendations of the expert council in their decisions.

On Tuesday evening, however, FDP leader Christian Lindner made it clear that, from his point of view, "there should no longer be any restrictions on freedom", said the politician on the ARD program "Maischberger".

Corona virus: These scientists sit on the Federal Government’s Expert Council

• Prof. Reinhard Berner (University of Dresden)

• Prof. Cornelia Betsch (University of Erfurt)

• Prof. Melanie Brinkmann (TU Braunschweig, Helmholtz Center for Infection Research)

• Prof. Alena Buyx (TU Munich, German Ethics Council)

• Prof. Jörg Dötsch (German Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine)

• Prof. Christian Drosten (Charité)

• Prof. Christine Falk (Hannover Medical School)

• Prof. Ralph Hertwig (Max Planck Institute for Human Development)

• Prof. Lars Kaderali (University of Greifswald)

  
  
  

  Prof. Christian Karagiannidis (ARDS and ECMO Center Cologne-Merheim)

• Prof. Heyo Kroemer (Charité)

• Prof. Thomas Mertens (Standing Committee on Vaccination)

• Prof. Michael Meyer-Hermann (Helmholtz Center for Infection Research Braunschweig, TU Braunschweig)

• dr

  Johannes Niessen (Cologne Health Office)

• dr

  Viola Priesemann (Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization)

• Prof. Leif Erik Sander (Charité)

• Stefan Sternberg (District Administrator Ludwigslust-Parchim)

• Prof. Hendrik Streeck (University Hospital Bonn)

• Prof. Lothar Wieler (Robert Koch Institute)

The preparations for autumn "are in full swing", Health Minister Lauterbach recently said - and was confident.