Christian Drosten doubts the 3G rule. The corona expert explains why he thinks that way.
Berlin – In the future, a 3G rule will apply at work and on public transport. This was decided by the Bundestag and Bundesrat in the new Infection Protection Act to combat the corona pandemic. The well-known virologist Christian Drosten, however, has doubts whether the measure actually makes sense. Now he confirms his skepticism.
Employees and passengers must be vaccinated against Corona, recovered from Covid-19 or tested negative for the virus. The new resolutions stipulate that only a rapid antigen test has to be carried out. A PCR test, which has a higher accuracy, is not required.
Corona expert Christian Drosten skeptical about 3G regulation
“Before symptoms begin, rapid tests are simply not sensitive enough. Hence my doubts about 3G ”, wrote Christian Drosten on Saturday (November 20th, 2021) on Twitter. He had previously criticized the 3G rule. On Monday (November 15, 2021) he said in an expert hearing in the Bundestag that testing as a prerequisite for access does not prevent corona infection of unvaccinated people.
Germany is in a “high incidence time”. One must assume that vaccinated persons present would each have a “substantial risk” of being infected with corona undetected. The goal of protecting unvaccinated people from infections is thus not achieved. In stable social groups, for example in the workplace, the 3G rule could still achieve something – for example with tests every other day. However, logistical requirements stand in the way of this.
“In vaccinated people, the sensitivity seems to be even worse,” wrote Drosten in relation to corona rapid tests on Twitter. The head of virology at the Berlin Charité told the Bild newspaper: “According to my preliminary assessment, it looks as if infections in vaccinated people cannot be detected so well by the rapid antigen test, especially in the first days of infection. Unfortunately, the study situation is not yet sufficient for this. “
More important than 3G in the Corona crisis: “Close vaccination gaps”, says Christian Drosten
Drosten noted that a significantly faster vaccination campaign is more important than the 3G rule. You have to “close vaccination gaps, boost and reduce contacts until then,” he wrote on Twitter. The corona expert told the news magazine Spiegel: “In order to reduce the really alarming high incidence, from a scientific point of view, contact restrictions are urgently required.”
In the corona pandemic, it is particularly important that people take responsibility for themselves. Responsible action “has already bailed us out in the previous waves,” said Christian Drosten. “Everyone should check whether they can consciously restrict their own contacts again for a few weeks.” (Tvd)
