Published
A German panel of experts sees a devastating wave of omicrons coming. Swiss experts warn against scare tactics, but at the same time call for preparation for the worst-case scenario.
A German panel of experts now fears that it will continue to increase due to Omikron.
20min / Simon Glauser
The Expert Council was set up by the new German Health Minister.
Moritz Frankenberg / dpa
The newly founded Corona Expert Council of the German government paints a gloomy picture in its first report and calls for rapid contact restrictions.
In Switzerland, too, experts see in Omikron the potential to once again present the country with major challenges.
But they also warn against panic now. “In this pandemic, forecasts have often turned out to be wrong and too catastrophic,” says public health expert Antoine Flahault.
The German Covid 19 Expert Council (see below) paints a gloomy picture in its first report on the corona situation. The 19-member committee therefore demands that tougher measures will be needed in the coming days, in particular “well-planned and well-communicated contact restrictions”. Not least because of this report, a lockdown is already being discussed again in Germany.
Antoine Flahault, Director of the Global Health Institute at the University of Geneva, emphasizes that little can be said with certainty about Omikron at the moment. Since the beginning of this pandemic, predictions have often turned out to be “very unreliable, catastrophic and wrong”. The report from Germany must therefore be viewed as the worst possible scenario. “This can be useful in order to act more proactively and not just react.”
“There is reason to hope”
Nevertheless, Omikron’s high transferability could lead to certain strategic functions being blocked. This can currently be observed in the UK: “Health care workers who have to stay at home sick are exacerbating the congestion in hospitals.” The stagnating case numbers in Switzerland at a high level are certainly unfavorable for the appearance of a new, highly contagious variant. Especially since the vaccination rate is still not high enough and the booster campaign is progressing too slowly.
According to Flahault, however, there is also reason for hope: “If Omikron actually does less often lead to severe gradients, that is definitely good news despite the high transferability. The latest news about the effectiveness of the vaccines when given three doses is also cause for hope. ”
The SPD politician Karl Lauterbach was recently appointed German health minister. One of his first steps was to convene a scientific committee with 19 members on the subject of Covid-19. Lauterbach justified the step by stating that health policy should better listen to science on corona issues.
“Mustn’t panic now”
Jan Fehr, infectiologist and head of the Public & Global Health Department at the University of Zurich, also says: “We mustn’t panic now. If you lose your head, there is a lack of calm and coordination in the fight against the crisis. ” Nevertheless, Fehr also says: “We shouldn’t downplay the fact that Omikron has the potential to challenge us even more.”
Fehr repeats himself, because since the beginning of the pandemic he has said: “The key is to have strategies and a timetable and to think in scenarios. The Federal Council reacted to the dynamic with the measures announced on Friday. I can only hope that despite the holidays, he has a plan up his sleeve should the situation quickly come to a head. “
“We move on thin ice”
For Fehr, FFP2 masks would be an option: “Using them more often would be an attractive and useful measure that hardly hurts anyone.” But preparations now need to be made for this: “The stocks have to be queried and the logistics organized. It is essential for timely deployment that these steps are initiated now. ” The expansion of 2G + to other areas would also have to be checked for Fehr now. And very important: “There has to be a solid communication concept based on a step-by-step plan.”
“In the past, we have sometimes missed thinking in scenarios and being prepared,” says Fehr. He cannot say what the Federal Council is planning now. “But he let it be known that he is aware that the situation is delicate.” Fehr illustrates his expectations with a picture: “We are currently walking on very thin ice, which is now also cracking because of Omikron. Nobody knows whether the ice cover will hold. But we have to see where the ladder is now in case we break in. “
Do you or does someone you know have problems with the corona time?
As a member, you become part of the 20-minute community and benefit from great benefits and exclusive competitions every day!