"I'm almost not wearing a mask at the moment": Drosten nevertheless warns of new waves of infection in autumn
Created: 09/10/2022, 22:54
By: Nadja Zinsmeister
According to Drosten, the pandemic has not been overcome, and a new corona wave is expected before December.
How does the virologist feel about the Oktoberfest and contact restrictions?
Munich – At the moment things seem to be a little quieter in Germany with regard to Corona.
Some hope that the pandemic may even be over now.
Virologist Drosten disagrees - despite the fact that he is currently not wearing a mask himself.
In an interview behind payment barriers, Christian Drosten revealed to
the
SZ that he is currently not wearing a mask himself due to the low number of infections.
"Yes, I'm almost not wearing a mask at the moment - because the infection numbers are relatively low, because it's not imposed and because it's a social consensus," he told the newspaper.
However, if he meets people in his environment for whom carrying is important, he naturally joins in.
Drosten expects a new corona wave before December
By winter at the latest, the virologist will also be using the mask again.
Because, in contrast to other scientific opinions, he definitely expects a new corona wave in autumn.
While some scientists consider it likely that the wave in summer this year could have given us a little more time until the next one, Drosten expects the number of infections to increase sharply before December.
Christian Drosten, Director of the Institute for Virology, Charité Berlin, expects a new wave of infections before December.
(Archive photo) © Michael Kappeler/dpa
For example, "data from prisons in California, but also our own laboratory data, would support the fact that the protection against further transmission in the case of an infection with omicron does not last long." This means that if an infection was more than three months ago, a person can reinfection can be just as contagious as a first-time infected person.
It also doesn't matter if you've already been vaccinated.
The new Infection Protection Act was passed in the Bundestag on Thursday (September 8th).
It again provides further rules for masks and tests.
Corona: Why, according to Drosten, we cannot simply ignore a new wave
Overall, according to Drosten, the vaccination helps immensely against severe courses, but society cannot automatically ignore and simply carry out new waves of infection.
"The absence from work becomes a problem," he continues in the interview.
Fortunately, the problem is no longer primarily that people are dying, but from a societal perspective, the mere absence of numerous people at the same time due to a course of symptoms is a problem.
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In Drosten's opinion, how should politicians react in the fall?
First of all, the virologist is confident that contact restrictions are not necessary on the part of politics, but will take place automatically in the case of numerous cases of illness.
"With the high incidences that we will probably have in winter, you can see that the disease really exists," he predicts and therefore relies on personal responsibility.
However, it is still important for politicians to monitor the situation closely and intervene if necessary.
And: "Wearing a mask indoors will certainly become necessary again."
Virologist Drosten on the risk of corona infection at the Oktoberfest
Meanwhile, he adopts a somewhat critical tone about the risk of infection during the upcoming Oktoberfest.
"Many people without masks in poorly ventilated rooms will promote infections, which has already been shown at other folk festivals," he told the
SZ
.
In the long term, according to Drosten, the corona situation could develop in several directions.
"Over time, it can be assumed that protection against transmission in the population will improve." That would mean that only children would become ill because their bodies were not yet properly acquainted with the virus.
According to the expert, it is also possible that Corona develops in a similar way to the seasonal winter flu.
(
nz
)
