Lauterbach sees the corona "catastrophe" coming in the fall - an expert criticizes him sharply
Created: 07/22/2022, 11:58 am
By: Patrick Freiwah
The number of corona cases in Germany has been increasing for weeks.
Health Minister Lauterbach warns of a possibly "catastrophic" autumn.
Kassenärztechef Gassen contradicts.
Berlin/Washington - Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach is acting as the republic's chief warner in the never-ending coronavirus pandemic.
Judging by the current course of the infection curve, Germany could again drastically increase infection control measures by autumn at the latest.
"If we went into autumn like we are now, without further protective measures, without masks, without anything, then that would mean that the number of cases would rise sharply, but the intensive care units would also be overloaded," explained the Federal Minister of Health.
Lauterbach warns of "catastrophic" corona development in autumn
The German Press Agency (dpa) quotes Karl Lauterbach as follows: "It's like a candle that burns at both ends: the staff burn away below and the patients above." If appropriate measures were not taken soon, the population is threatened with a “catastrophic” pandemic development.
What are the plans in the Ministry of Health now?
Lauterbach and ministry colleagues are planning for the period from September 23, when the current Corona regulation in Germany expires.
The SPD politician explains: "We need measures, that's clear.
But that is not in dispute either, we will be prepared.” There would be “confidential negotiations” especially with the FDP-led Ministry of Justice.
Lauterbach paints a gloomy corona scenario - the head of the panel doctor contradicts
However, Lauterbach has received criticism from the medical community for his initiative: Andreas Gassen, Head of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, rejects the Minister of Health’s warnings of such a scenario as excessive: “For the ‘killer mutant’ feared by Mr. Lauterbach, which is as contagious as Omicron and as dangerous as Delta there are currently no signs,” explains the chairman of the board of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) in an interview with the
Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung (NOZ).
"I'm not worried about the current corona development, but about the calls for renewed excessive protective measures, including a new lockdown," says Gassen.
World Medical Director Frank Montgomery recently called for a lockdown option to be included in the Infection Protection Act.
Nevertheless, Gassen is also calling for a new infection protection law to make it easier for districts, municipalities and cities to apply a hotspot rule.
In his opinion, this would be helpful for the purpose of avoiding complicated coordination processes with the federal and state governments: "In the end, measures are only needed if a virus variant that has been proven to be more dangerous appears and, as a result, the number of seriously ill people increases significantly and there is a risk of overcrowding in the intensive care units.
Otherwise not.”
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In the summer wave, the BA.5 virus mutation had a firm grip on Germany - as the RKI weekly report (July 21) shows.
Meanwhile, a new Corona variant (BA.2.75) has appeared that is causing concern.
This is known about "Centaurus".
(PF)
