In a video with Deutsche Welle, the leading virologist classifies the current figures as worrying. The currently rising incidences could accordingly ensure significantly higher incidences in autumn and winter than during the severe third wave at the end of last year.
Widespread vaccination as the only way out of the pandemic.
It is true that more younger people will become infected, as their risk of a severe course of the disease is significantly lower than that of older people. However, if the number of cases were to rise extremely sharply during the fourth wave of corona, more younger people would also have to be admitted to intensive care units. In addition, there could be long-term consequences such as long-COVID.
The only way out of this pandemic is therefore universal vaccination. Everyone who has not yet been vaccinated must realise that without vaccination he or she is also contributing to this pandemic picking up speed again in the next Corona wave after the incidence flattened out a few weeks ago.
Positive incentives should convince people to vaccinate.
The delta variant is much more contagious than the previous variants. Therefore, more people need to be vaccinated in order to achieve herd immunity in Germany. Professor Schönrich speaks here of more than 90% of the total population that would have to have immune protection. However, the willingness to be vaccinated is currently too low.
Therefore, positive incentives must be created to encourage more people to vaccinate. However, whether to introduce different rights for vaccinated and non-vaccinated people is not only a scientific question, but also a legal-ethical question that has to be weighed up. However, in the long run, he sees no other way to persuade those who want to be vaccinated to vaccinate after all, if positive incentives do not have any effect.
Vaccination rate among schoolchildren still too low.
The group of 12 to 17-year-olds played a much larger role in the transmission of the delta variant during the fourth Corona wave than in the variants before. Therefore, one has to think about publicly recommending vaccination of this age group. Vaccination would remain voluntary, but it would strengthen parents who want to have their children vaccinated. According to Professor Schönrich, a new study from the USA shows that the advantage of vaccination in adolescents outweighs the side effects or non-vaccination.
