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Covid patient at the Rostock University Clinic during a lung examination
Photo: Jens Büttner / dpa
According to the corona expert Lars Kaderali appointed by the federal government, the Omicron virus variant could be the beginning of the end of the pandemic in Germany.
"I would actually see it that Omicron could be the door," said the bioinformatician from Greifswald.
However, he does not consider a more relaxed approach to the corona virus, as is being considered in Spain, to be advisable in this country.
"Even if that goes well in Spain, you can't conclude that that would be a good strategy for Germany."
According to Kaderali, there is hope that by the summer everyone in this country will have “seen the virus before” – either through vaccination or an infection, with the former being preferable.
Then the virus could lose its terror for the coming autumn.
He hopes that restaurant closures or 2G rules will no longer be an issue next winter.
First of all, however, the omicron wave should be flattened by taking measures to avoid overloading the intensive care units.
Because although the omicron variant probably entails less hospitalization than other variants, this effect is compensated by the high infectivity and many cases.
Figures from the USA also suggested this.
Relaxation plans in Spain
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said in a radio interview that one must take into account that Covid-19 is developing from a pandemic to an endemic disease.
Experts have been working "for weeks" to treat Covid-19 like the flu.
It is therefore planned to relax the monitoring of infections to relieve the overwhelmed health care system.
Spain has a significantly higher vaccination rate and a significantly higher number of infections, says Kaderali.
"That means Spain is closer to this endemic situation." According to Kaderali, very roughly, over 90 percent of the Spanish population carries corona antibodies.
"And we're in Germany, I would say, a lot far away." In Germany, the proportion is at least ten percent lower.
kig/dpa
