Berlin – Normally you know Lothar Wieler, the head of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), as a matter-of-fact person. Someone who soberly speaks in a suit about the corona situation in Germany. One who never loses his balance. Now viewers of an online discussion with the Saxon Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) experienced the 60-year-old’s statements unusually drastic.
In a simple blue sweater, the doctor said: “That’s a clear language, but after 21 months I simply cannot bear it any longer that it may not be recognized what I say and many other colleagues, among other things. “
Boom! What he means by that: how alarming the corona situation is in Germany!
“We are in dire straits at the moment. We will really have a very bad Christmas if we don’t take countermeasures now, ”said Wieler. The number of new infections is rising steeply, and in fact it is likely to be far higher than known: “The under-reporting of the true numbers is increasing.” Behind the more than 50,000 infections that are currently registered every day, “are at least one more thing twice or three times as many, ”said the RKI boss.
Most recently, 0.8 percent of the sick died.
But Wieler warns that of the more than 50,000 people infected each day, 400 would die in the next few weeks. “There is nothing more that can be done about that.”
The 60-year-old even corrected himself: At the federal press conference, he recently spoke a little more cautiously about 200 deaths per day, but the number is actually higher. Nobody can help these people, not even with the best medical care.
A concerned Prime Minister of Saxony during the online discussion: Michael Kretschmer (46, CDU)
The situation in the hospitals is also getting worse and worse, according to Wieler. “We have never been as worried as we are now,” said the RKI boss. The number of seriously ill Covid patients is increasing, and people with a stroke and other seriously ill people have to search for a free intensive care bed for up to two hours in some places. “The supply is already no longer in accordance with the rule in all federal states.” And that will increase.
“As you can see, the prognoses are extremely bleak. They are really dark, ”said Wieler. “There is an emergency in our country. If you don’t see that, you’re making a very big mistake. ”The RKI made very clear recommendations for action at an early stage and warned that the fourth wave could clearly surpass all previous ones if no“ population-related measures ”were taken and the vaccination rate did not increase significantly. In fact, the modeled scenarios have now arrived.
Accusation of mistakes and negligence of the policy
Wieler accused politics of serious errors and omissions. “We opened too quickly in too many areas,” he criticized. “Clubs and bars are hotspots, from my point of view they have to be closed.” Major events would have to be canceled. There are far too many contacts among the population, and they already know from the first corona wave that contact restrictions are effective.
This is how RKI boss Lothar Wieler usually appears: in a suit and without emotional languagePhoto: Wolfgang Kumm / dpa
At the same time, Wieler pleaded for the consistent implementation of 2G rules, i.e. access to many areas only for vaccinated and convalescent people. “We really mustn’t give those who don’t get vaccinated the chance to bypass the vaccination, for example by getting tested,” he said. In order to increase the vaccination rate, vaccination should also be carried out in pharmacies.
“I’ll be very clear: It must now be the end of the story that someone does not allow any other professional group to vaccinate due to any circumstances. We are in an emergency, ”emphasized Wieler. “Every man and mouse who can vaccinate should kindly vaccinate now. Otherwise we won’t get this crisis under control. “
Wieler called on politics to finally act. “We don’t have to keep inventing something new. All of these concepts and recipes are in place, ”he said.