With sharp words Klaus Stöhr turns against the Corona course of the federal government. The virologist makes clear demands.
Berlin – At the last Corona summit, easing was decided. However, these should run according to a phased plan. At the subsequent federal press conference, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach again urged the federal states not to decide on additional relaxation of the decisions of the Corona summit. “It’s all sewn on the edge,” explained Lauterbach, adding a warning: “That’s the maximum we can afford to relax.”
Virologist Klaus Stöhr now vehemently contradicts this. In the podcast series “Corona Strategy with Prof. Klaus Stöhr” he mainly shoots against Karl Lauterbach.
Corona: Virologist Stöhr finds communication about omicron subtype B2 “misleading”
The cautious easing steps were also justified at the federal press conference with the fact that too little was known about the danger of the omicron subtype B2. This justification is simply “unsatisfactory communication that urges panic and fear,” says virologist Stör. That has to be scientifically classified.
Although the transmissibility and thus the risk of infection of the omicron subtype is higher, that does not mean that the burden of the disease is also changing. “I think it is extremely misleading to present this variant as a particular threat, as a reason why you don’t want to open it,” emphasizes Stöhr. It is clear that the variant is coming, and it could also become a dominant corona variant in Germany, but nothing would change in the “overall disease burden”. Only “it might go faster with the natural immunization of the rest of the population.”
Germany with cautious corona loosening: virologist thinks that is wrong
The virologist also criticizes the reasons for wanting to be more careful about loosening up because of Long Covid or the lack of vaccinations in Germany. He thinks that the federal government must now take a completely different path. “I think it is very important that the federal government is now really proactive in communicating the future and the end of the pandemic. Namely: Everyone gets infected, everyone should get vaccinated if possible, for whom vaccination is a better way than infection”.
These are “at least everyone over the age of 18, marginally also the 12 to 17 year olds. Those who have previous illnesses, children between the ages of 5 and 11 should also be vaccinated, for everyone else the infection is the better way and inevitable for everyone anyway and you have to communicate that.”
Fourth vaccination against the corona virus: Virologist Stöhr sees another possibility
When asked who the virologist thinks a fourth vaccination is necessary for, Stöhr replies: especially for those over 70. Because in this group of people the vaccination protection falls off faster and this group is also more vulnerable. Furthermore, the expert opposes vaccination with one of the corona vaccines in summer, because the corona virus circulates less strongly during the season, a refresher cannot be scientifically justified.
Finally, Stöhr takes a look at a possible end to the pandemic. As previous work from the USA has shown, the protection against corona infection is particularly high in those who have been vaccinated and who have recovered at the same time. Stöhr refers to a cohort study from Great Britain that supports this result. The virologist concludes from this: “The most important conclusion that was not made in the press conference is that ultimately only the infection replaces the boosters at the end and no longer makes them necessary. Without infection you would have to constantly boost.” However, this is only a theoretical consideration, because Omicron will ensure that everyone ultimately becomes infected. “This is the normal end of the pandemic.” (Sophia Lother)
List of rubrics: © Sebastian Gollnow/dpa
