The number of infections and hospital admissions are rising, and the federal government is sounding the alarm. There is talk of new lockdowns, measures at schools and nationwide 2G rule.
But: What does Germany need to get through the Corona winter? What role do children play in the pandemic? How secure is the 2G regulation really?
BILD spoke about this with Prof. Detlev Krüger (71), who headed the virological institute at Berlin’s Charité until 2016.
BILD: Politicians like Markus Söder, Michael Kretschmer and Karl Lauterbach want to massively expand the 2G regulation in order to curb the increase in hospitalizations and deaths. Unvaccinated people then have to stay outside. Is that the right step?
Detlev Krüger: “The hope of these politicians is certainly to be able to control the spread of the virus more tightly through ‘2G’. But it is not that simple because it is becoming more and more apparent that even fully vaccinated people can pass the virus on. We do not achieve sterile immunity through vaccination. It is as Hendrik Streeck put it: The vaccination is above all self-protection, not external protection. In this respect, I doubt that the 2G rule is an improvement on 3G. In the end, 2G just means more lack of freedom without offering more security. That is why testing continues to be important. “
“We have a pandemic of the unvaccinated AND vaccinated”
Where is testing particularly important?
Kruger: “We have to continue testing, especially people who work with vulnerable groups of people, for example in old people’s and nursing homes or in clinics. It is good if these workers are vaccinated, but that alone does not provide complete protection for residents and patients. Vaccination will have some impact on virus circulation, but thorough testing remains important. The vaccination should not make you feel safe. “
Are we in a “pandemic of the unvaccinated”, as Markus Söder says, for example?
Kruger: “No, I don’t see it that way. We have a pandemic of the unvaccinated and vaccinated because people who have been vaccinated can pass the virus on and even get sick. I am a big advocate of vaccination, especially for older and previously ill people, because vaccination largely protects against severe courses. Since the vaccination protection decreases in a very short time, I also advocate booster vaccination for these groups. It is the best way to protect the elderly and vulnerable, the most seriously ill and most likely to die. “
“You should take the children out of the line of fire!”
The federal government wants the booster vaccination for all citizens. Do you think that is right and necessary?
Kruger: “The booster vaccination is definitely right for the elderly and those with previous illnesses. Otherwise, I wonder whether the vaccine might not be in better hands in other countries where there has been almost no immunization so far. “
The incidences are currently highest among children. Should that worry parents?
Kruger: “These are not incidences of illness, but incidences of infection. So people who tested positive. This level of incidence depends on the epidemic situation, but also on how many tests are carried out in a group. Testing has increased significantly in schools and daycare centers in recent months. Therefore, it is clear that in the fall the incidence is highest in the group that is tested the most – among children. I consider it counterproductive to use it to produce headlines every day, as it is the population group that fortunately falls ill least often. “
Is there too much talk about the supposed influence of children on the pandemic?
Kruger: “Children are not drivers of pandemics. The Robert Koch Institute also says this. Most importantly, you rarely get sick. And anyone who demands of children that they should be vaccinated just so that Corona is pushed back in the population has not understood: Even vaccinated people carry the virus on. You should finally take the children out of the line of fire. “
Virologist Krüger: Child vaccination usually “not necessary”
What do you mean by that?
Kruger: “Enable you to have a normal life! The contact restrictions in schools were exaggerated because children are not a vulnerable group. What has made children sick in the last year and a half was the collateral damage from the corona measures. “
Why did politics, media and parts of science deal so intensively with the infection process in children – and so little with the collateral damage?
Kruger: “I ask myself the same thing. But it shows that children don’t have a lobby. Children cannot defend themselves. And that is precisely why they deserve our special care. There are politicians who understand welfare to close schools and vaccinate the children. In my opinion, care means: enabling children to lead a free life – and good education and development. “
Vaccinate children and adolescents: yes or no?
Kruger: “I do not think it is necessary – except when certain underlying illnesses are present. Older and previously ill people should definitely get vaccinated, also for the third time. But when you weigh up the benefits and possible harms of vaccination in children, it looks very different. “
“The influence of the measures was never properly proven”
There is currently no vaccination for children under the age of 12. Good this way?
Kruger: “Yes. However, the companies are working to ensure that the vaccine is also approved for increasingly smaller children. It will come. I trust the Standing Vaccination Commission, which weighs up and decides sensibly. Attempts by politicians to rush ahead and put the Stiko under pressure, I consider to be completely wrong. “
What do you think of the traffic light parties’ plan to get through the winter with mask requirements, distance rules and personal responsibility – and without lockdowns?
Kruger: “Yes, without lockdown, especially since the effect of the individual measures on the infection process was never properly proven in previous lockdowns. And personal responsibility is always the right way to go. We all know this from the flu times. But you have to be factually informed. Stirring fear and panic doesn’t help. “
What has to happen now so that the intensive care units do not fill up so quickly?
Kruger: “The most important thing is to protect the elderly and those with previous illnesses, with tests and vaccinations. It is precisely in these groups that the vaccination rate has to be increased further. It would certainly be best to vaccinate the population aged 50 and over as completely as possible, instead of arguing about immunization of children.
The second task is of a fundamental nature and has been overdue for a year and a half at the latest: those involved in nursing and care for the elderly need decidedly better pay, appreciation and working conditions. Last year, the creation of additional intensive care beds was funded with a lot of tax money. But if the staff runs away and there is no one to look after these beds, all of this is unfortunately of no use. What we need here are less Sunday speeches and, finally, sustainable measures that are really noticeable. That also affects the overall problem of financing our clinics. “
The so-called “NoCovid” movement wanted to eradicate the virus. Was that realistic?
Kruger: “There is only one human virus that has been eradicated so far: the smallpox virus. In the case of Corona, the favorable framework conditions that existed with the smallpox virus do not objectively apply. The coronavirus remains, it is changing. Stricter measures are not a suitable antidote in the long run. They just mean: more and more damage to the economy, culture and people’s physical and mental health. Regardless of what measures we take, the virus will remain part of our lives and we have to be prepared to protect the elderly and those with previous illnesses without harming our society. “