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According to several experts, Germany is facing a third wave of the corona pandemic.

Christian Drosten, chief virologist at the Berlin Charité, is even of the opinion that the next wave has already begun.

He said that in a podcast of the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung".

Drosten was referring to the rapid spread of the new virus mutations that have already shown up in other countries.

“That's why you just have to believe in this data and also believe in this modeling, and that's why we are now at the beginning of a new wave of dissemination,” says the doctor.

However, he was confident that vaccinating many particularly vulnerable groups would have positive effects on mortality.

However, the vaccinations are not yet far enough to noticeably curb the spread of the coronavirus in Germany.

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According to calculations by Saarbrücken pharmacy professor Thorsten Lehr, the third corona wave will be as strong as the second.

"I am already assuming that we will get the same conditions as before Christmas," said the expert for corona forecasts from the dpa news agency in Saarbrücken.

He reckoned that seven-day incidences of around 200 could be reached again in the first half of April.

Two developments are responsible for the renewed increase in the corona numbers.

On the one hand, the British mutant, who is probably 35 percent more contagious, is on the rise in Germany.

"Here, too, it will gain the upper hand and continue to rise up to the 90-plus range," said Lehr after analyzing the latest figures from the "Covid Simulator" at Saarland University.

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On the other hand, he has seen more contacts again since mid-February, which would have led to higher numbers.

“I'm afraid this has a bit to do with lockdown fatigue.

And maybe with a restart of normal life in certain areas. ”Now openings are imminent - like those of the hairdressers and other businesses from March 1st or further steps from March 8th.

"Even if the easing is moderate, it will have an impact."

The effect of the vaccinations can hardly be seen at the moment.

This is due to the fact that over 95 percent have not yet been vaccinated.

Effects can only be seen when 30 percent of the population has been vaccinated.

"In an optimistic scenario, I would expect that we might have done that in June."