According to the scientist, there is a risk that the public’s awareness of the dangers of the pathogen and their willingness to vaccinate will dwindle. “We still have 200 to 300 corona deaths every day. In almost nine out of ten, Covid is also the cause of death.” In the USA, more people died from an infection with Omicron than with the predecessor variant Delta. The scientist called for a smart balance “between sensible, multi-layered infection prevention that is appropriate to the risks, which above all also protects vulnerable people, and a new normality.”
The omicron variant of the pathogen has two important subforms, the original BA.1 form and a new one called BA.2. “This second form is even more contagious than BA.1 and is certainly one reason why the number of infections is currently rising sharply again in many countries. “In combination with the planned further easing, this will greatly increase the number of infections in our country. It will take longer this summer for us to get to low incidences, if at all.”
Covid-19 means a chronic burden on the healthcare system. “We have to show the entire medical staff more appreciation and understanding in the current discussion. Masks in public interiors, meaningful testing and an increase in the vaccination rate are still urgently needed,” said Keppler.
The Long Covid aspect is often neglected. “On average, five to ten percent of those infected suffer from this complex of symptoms for more than three months, some for almost two years.” These included severe exhaustion and lack of resilience, poor concentration, shortness of breath and chronic headaches. Unfortunately, the loosening of the discussion and “partially the downplaying of the omicron wave have led to the fact that both the initial vaccinations and the booster vaccinations are hardly making any progress.” These are of decisive importance for protection against serious diseases. Keppler named a vaccination rate of over 90 percent as the desired goal for the fall.