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Virologist Sandra Ciesek: "I would not have thought that so many people would not be vaccinated"
Photo: Sebastian Gollnow / picture alliance
The Frankfurt virologist Sandra Ciesek looks back on 2021 with mixed feelings - and worries about the motivation to continue fighting the pandemic in 2022. On the one hand, a lot of new knowledge about the virus has been gained, said the director of the Institute for Medical Virology at the University Hospital Frankfurt: "In addition to the monoclonal antibodies, other new antiviral agents will be available for treatment in the next few weeks." Nevertheless, it worked Year worse than Ciesek would have expected at Christmas 2020.
“The drugs are helpful, but they are not a substitute for a vaccination.” At the beginning of 2021, she assumed that the start of vaccinations would herald the end of the pandemic. "I did not think that so many people would not be vaccinated," says the virologist today. "I think that's a shame because with the vaccine we have a good tool in hand to end this pandemic."
In addition, in 2021 the response to the new waves of infections was sometimes too late.
If you wait too long to take countermeasures, “we run the risk of running out of instruments”.
Ciesek does not consider the demand that politicians should draw up a long-term, fixed plan for how to live with the virus in the long term to be expedient: »The situation is too dynamic.
You have to stay flexible - the new Omikron variant recently showed us that.
Ciesek expects a further high workload
One lesson from almost two years of pandemic should be: "Unfortunately, you can't make promises or rule anything out." Will 2022 be better?
"My impression is that many people no longer have any motivation to continue dealing with the pandemic." Ciesek expects "a very high workload" to continue, both for research and in the clinics.
However, she hopes that the activity of the pathogen - despite the increasing spread of the omicron variant - will weaken in the spring.
However, she expects the next wave in autumn, especially if it is not possible to close the existing vaccination gaps by then.
"But I hope we're better prepared this time," said Ciesek.
nil / dpa