Politicians abroad are increasingly warning that the pandemic is not over yet. In Great Britain, Prime Minister Boris Johnson (56) is wrestling with the decision to postpone planned easing by a month after a sharp rise in new infections and death rates.
US President Joe Biden (78) does not expect the more contagious Delta mutant to lead to a new lockdown. But he warns that the virus variant is more easily transmitted and more deadly. Biden calls again on the US population to get vaccinated.
In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel (66) warns that the number of infections could rise again if the Delta virus variant spreads completely. The variant is too aggressive to keep the current so-called R value of 0.7 permanently low. The R value indicates how many people an infected person infects on average. Merkel: “I can only say: We cannot pretend that Corona is over. Even if on such a summer evening the feeling is that there is nothing left. “
“Have to take this really seriously now”
As is well known, the virus does not stop at borders, despite travel restrictions. The aggressive Delta mutant is also catching up in Switzerland. According to the virologist Christian Drosten (49) from Berlin Charité, the Delta variant should be taken seriously from now on. “I’m now ready to say that we are now in the running with the Delta variant,” said Drosten with reference to Germany at the online congress for infectious diseases and tropical medicine. “We have to take this really seriously from now on.”
The infection process reminds the Charité virologist of the beginning of the B.1.1.7 epidemic, also known as the alpha or British variant, which also drove Switzerland into the third wave of pandemics towards the end of winter. “From the feeling I can say that more and more people are calling us who describe outbreaks, more and more laboratories.” That reminds him “of the beginning of the B.1.1.7 epidemic in Germany, where it was the same,” said Drosten on Friday evening at the congress.
However, a possible fourth wave in autumn would be “no longer pandemic, but endemic,” said Drosten this week in the NDR. If a disease spreads across countries and continents, it is referred to as a pandemic. An endemic is the temporary and local occurrence of a disease. “Of course, the number of cases will go up again in winter,” says Drosten. “That can happen as early as autumn. But that will happen every winter from now on. ” However, what can be viewed as the fourth wave of pandemics is more the beginning of an “endemic phase”.
Hope for summer vacation
In Great Britain, too, so Drosten, the contagious Delta variant took over the predominance in May within a few weeks despite advanced vaccination rates. Therefore, easing was stopped. Young adults in particular were infected – for example at parties or in pubs.
According to Drosten, if the number of infections doubles every week, as is the case with the British, the number of reports will rise again in early July. The virologist welcomes the approaching summer school holidays: “What could also help are the school holidays. In England it started in schools. There is a clear difference. “
It should be borne in mind that travel is likely to increase the spread.