Everyone has to prepare for corona infection

Virologist Hendrik Streeck thinks that every German has to be prepared for a corona infection. His outlook for 2022 is still positive, but we have to expect more waves in autumn and winter.

Bonn – According to the Bonn virologist Hendrik Streeck, every citizen should prepare to be tested positive for the corona virus in their life. “We have – I believe – to come to terms with the fact that everyone in Germany will come into contact with the virus again and again in the next few years,” said Streeck German press agency: “However, infections that occur in people who have been vaccinated, recovered and especially in the summer months, should not cause any major problems.” Even if it is not possible to prevent every severe course, said Streeck.

Streeck blames politics for fourth corona wave: “There was also more election than vaccination advertising”

“An infection after a vaccination puts the immune response against the virus on an even broader basis,” explained the virologist. This should not be a call to get infected. “But everyone has to prepare to be tested positive for Corona in their life.”

Despite the vaccines, 2021 didn’t expire as many had hoped. Streeck sees politics as being responsible: “I do believe that we have not prepared adequately for autumn and winter. With the vaccination came the feeling that the pandemic was over. That was how it was communicated. The message was: Get vaccinated, then Corona will be over for you. That was a fatal signal. It was not made clear that vaccinated people are still in the pandemic. And: There was also more election advertising than vaccination. “

Streeck believes in a good Corona summer 2022 – autumn and winter waves will remain anyway

Despite the fact that everyone will be infected with Corona at some point, Streck’s outlook for the next year is positive: “We will have a quiet summer again. In March or April the numbers will fall again significantly. ”However, he assumes that we“ will continue to have our waves for the time being in the autumn and winter months. ”How exactly these will look depends on many factors,“ for example the variants that are yet to come. “

According to the virologist, we would have to develop a summer tire and a winter tire mode. “In summer you can deal with a lot of things in a more relaxed manner, in autumn or winter masks or similar protective measures are important – you have to be aware of that. But I have no way of predicting whether it will continue to be the case next winter, ”he explains. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach is expecting many Omikron infections at the turn of the year. (md with dpa)