In an interview, Charité chief virologist Drosten says that the pandemic is over. His statements get FDP politicians on the scene: they demand an immediate end to all corona measures. Minister of Health Lauterbach disagrees.
Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach rejects a quick lifting of the corona measures that still exist. “An immediate end to all measures would be reckless and is not demanded by Christian Drosten either,” said the SPD politician.
Drosten, the head of virology at the Berlin University Hospital Charité, said in an interview with the “Tagesspiegel”: “We are experiencing the first endemic wave with Sars-Cov-2 this winter, in my opinion the pandemic is over”. After this winter, the immunity of the population will be so broad and resilient that the virus will hardly be able to get through in the summer. The only restriction the virologist named was another mutational leap. “But I don’t expect that anymore at the moment.” In response, Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann had asked the FDP to end “the last corona protection measures”.
“Christian Drosten is right that we have entered the endemic state of the corona waves, the waves only affect parts of the population,” said Lauterbach. Nevertheless, it is now still important to protect the people who are particularly at risk, for example by using masks in care facilities or by isolating at work. “The clinics are full, the staff is overwhelmed, the excess mortality rate is high and the winter isn’t over yet.”
Within the traffic light coalition, the Greens and FDP have different views on how the corona virus should be dealt with. The Green health politician Janosch Dahmen warned of caution for the winter. “At the moment there is much to suggest that the corona virus is hardly changing and that its currently widespread distribution will finally decrease significantly at the end of this winter,” he told the “Tagesspiegel”. From Dahmen’s point of view, one should “continue to be considerate and therefore wear a mask indoors, observe hand hygiene and ensure regular ventilation” because of the current widespread spread of the virus, the associated staff shortages and the burden on the health system.
In view of statements by the virologist Drosten, the deputy FDP chairman Wolfgang Kubicki no longer sees any reason for corona protection measures. With this statement by Drosten, “the basis for any restriction of fundamental rights to contain the corona virus is withdrawn,” Kubicki told the newspaper. He expects the coalition partners in the federal government to come together as soon as possible and tackle a corresponding legal change to the Infection Protection Act. “This is constitutionally required.” The federal states would also have to end their respective measures now, the FDP politician demanded.
