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Coronavirus: RKI boss Wieler's incendiary speech on the corona situation

2021-11-18T11:22:12.826Z


RKI boss Wieler describes the corona situation in dramatic words. The intensive care units are full and the number of infections is rising dramatically. A reckoning with the hesitation and hesitation of politics.


Read the video transcript here

Michael Kretschmer, Prime Minister Saxony


"Thank you for taking your time tonight ..."

An online discussion event with the Saxon Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer, streamed live on Wednesday evening on YouTube.

The format is intended to bring citizens, politics and experts together - with the opportunity to ask questions about the coronavirus situation and to hear the assessments of scientists.

Lothar Wieler, head of the Robert Koch Institute, has a say.

Lothar Wieler, President of the Robert Koch Institute


"First of all, I would like to thank you very much for the opportunity to do that ..."

Wieler first points out that the actual infection numbers are likely to be two to three times higher than those officially reported, as most health authorities are overburdened.

And then finds unusually clear words for the expected situation in the coming weeks.

Lothar Wieler, President of the Robert Koch Institute


“But what is important to me here: We have had a case fatality rate in the last few weeks, that is, a rate of reports of deaths of around 0.8 percent. That means that of these 52,000 there will be - and there is nothing left to be changed - 400 about to die. At the federal press conference, I said that a little more cautiously, at least 200, but if we have 0.8 percent, that's almost exactly 400 people. And what is important to me, everyone who listens now has to understand very clearly: there is nothing more that can be changed! We can't change that anymore. These people are infected. 3,000 of them go to the hospital, a few hundred of them go to intensive care, and so and so many of them die. We can't change that anymore. None of us sitting here can still help these guys.It's a bucket of water that's been poured out. They can't get it in anymore.

I would like to make it clear again: If three million of the over 60-year-olds are not vaccinated at the moment - three million Germans over 60 - if all of them were infected, then all of our intensive care beds would be occupied by them alone if they because all of them still come to intensive. There are still too many not vaccinated. 15 million adults not vaccinated, that's too much. If we allow ourselves to be vaccinated again, then we will have a similar problem next winter. Because you can't get a virus out of the country with a test.

Something that you must not forget is that the Covid patients actually lie longer in the intensive care units, which of course makes the capacity even tighter. And something that is forgotten again and again in the discussion: If someone has a traffic accident today, they also need an intensive care bed. Stroke patients are already being searched for an hour and a half or two hours to find where they can be driven because the beds are no longer free. Heart attack patients, operations are postponed. There are children - because we also have a lot of respiratory infections outside of Covid - children are also sometimes transferred to intensive care units for over an hour and a half.

As you can see, the prognoses are super bleak, they are really bleak. We think they are quite resilient over the course of ten days. They all go up steeply. You are in the East Shamrock, but that doesn't matter. We see them everywhere. And here is an important lesson: if patients are being transferred, please as early as possible! Because patients who are seriously ill and have to be ventilated, of course, relocating them is a much greater effort. You know that Bavaria is already moving patients to Italy, for example. Sometimes it is of course not that easy to relocate. This is extremely logistically demanding. They talk about Medivac, about airplanes. This is really ... Well, there is an emergency in our country. If you don't see that, you're making a very big mistake.

I will now say it very clearly: It must now be the end of the story that someone is not allowed to vaccinate any other professional group due to any circumstances. We are in an emergency and in an emergency one has to be generous with certain things. That is why I am clearly in favor of pharmacists, among others, to vaccinate. We need everyone to vaccinate now. The booster vaccinations are so extensive. We have many millions of people in need of vaccinations. The faster they were vaccinated, the better. And those who haven't been vaccinated, too. We need every offer, every low-threshold offer. Every man and mouse who can vaccinate should kindly vaccinate. Otherwise we will not be able to get this crisis under control.

Regarding old people's and nursing homes: Again to everyone who is listening now - it is naive to believe that these people can be protected in the event of high incidences. That will not do! This virus is so contagious. The so-called R-value is as high as that of the delta variant. If you want to lock people away and no longer have any contact with the outside world, then you may succeed. But of course this is totally unacceptable for a variety of reasons. But if the incidence is too high, you won't be able to keep the virus out of nursing homes and old people's homes. I ask you to forget these naive thoughts. We have to lower the incidences. "

Wieler concluded his lecture by saying that the scenario that had now come about with a vaccination rate that was too low had been known since July.

Contrary to the recommendations of the RKI, many areas were opened too quickly, especially hot spots such as clubs and bars.

Lothar Wieler, President of the Robert Koch Institute


»We are currently facing a serious emergency.

We are really going to have a very bad Christmas if we don't take countermeasures now.

And that's my admission.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to say that.

That is clear language, but after 21 months I simply can no longer bear the fact that it is not recognized, what I say, among other things, like many other colleagues.

Thank you very much!"

Michael Kretschmer, Prime Minister of Saxony


"Thank you very much, Professor Wieler, ..."

The number of infections in Germany is currently increasing by almost 40 percent every week.

On Thursday, the federal and state governments want to discuss how to proceed in the corona pandemic.

Source: spiegel

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