Virologist Klaus Stöhr: "Wearing a mask and keeping your distance is not necessary"

Created: 06/25/2022, 06:37

By: Max Mueller

In the IPPEN.MEDIA interview, virologist Klaus Stöhr attacks Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach.

His accusation: scaremongering.

However, they agree on one point.

Berlin – Klaus Stöhr renewed his criticism of Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD).

“The federal government is currently in panic mode.

To put it bluntly: wearing masks and keeping your distance is currently not necessary,” he said in the IPPEN.MEDIA interview.

A few days ago, Lauterbach was already the focus of criticism from the 63-year-old virologist.

In principle, important data on the corona situation in Germany would be missing, said Stöhr.

There have been corresponding inquiries from research groups.

But the Ministry of Health rejected it.

You have to know how many vulnerable people have no vaccination protection.

"They have the greatest risk of falling seriously ill in the fall and burdening the common good," said Stöhr.

Other countries are better informed about their immune gap.

Klaus Stöhr advocates a reduction in rapid corona tests

Lauterbach's proposal to reduce the offer for free quick tests, however, supports Stöhr.

“We should return to normality in testing.

The normality is: You carry out a test on sick people if the result is relevant for the therapy.

An exception are hospitals and nursing homes, where it is also about avoiding infections and protecting vulnerable groups.”

You don't need the mask at the moment, says virologist Klaus Stöhr.

© Frank Rumpenhorst/Sven Hoppe/dpa (Montage)

Stöhr complained that not everyone should be offered a fourth vaccination.

Not everyone can get the vaccine they want - it's also a question of cost.

“Vaccine protection is about protecting the common good.

In my opinion, the question of what a measure costs also plays a role here.

Because it affects the common good.

It is not without reason, for example, that you have to pay for the influenza vaccination yourself if you are under 60 years old,” he said.

Klaus Stöhr on corona infections: "It won't be possible to prevent them"

With a view to winter, Stöhr said: "The fact that respiratory diseases increase in winter, with increasing stress in the intensive care units, has not only been the case since 2020.

In severe winters, patients sometimes have to be transferred to other hospitals.

That will also be the case this winter.” That is why it is all the more important that the vulnerable groups are vaccinated beforehand.

"In the next year, most people will have natural immunity if they inevitably get infected a few times after being vaccinated."

You will not prevent people from becoming infected.

The timing is secondary, as Stöhr explains on his own person.

“I have been vaccinated three times and have been infected twice.

I'll get infected again, it's inevitable.

When I become infected is almost irrelevant for the course.

Because I have a certain health status and an immune system that are already determining the course of the future infection.” It is important not to overload the health system, otherwise “the risk of the peak getting bigger in winter increases”.

(Max Mueller)