Senior German virologist wants 1G if new measures don’t work: ‘Omikron rewrites the rules’

That’s what he says Friday in an interview with the Southgerman newspaper. According to Drosten, the omikron-variable coronavirus is rapidly becoming an epidemic, which means that it is a disease that will continue to spread among the local population, like influenza, for example.

Drosten, who is also director of the Institute of Virology at the Charité Hospital in Berlin, believes there will be two more waves of infection before the coronavirus reaches an endemic state. “From Christmas to Easter, many people will be infected again,” he predicts for the newspaper. Then a restful summer follows. And then there will be another wave of infection in the fall, which may require another booster shot to keep it under control. Then you can say: the endemic stage has been reached.

According to the German virologist, this is a good thing, “but until then it will be difficult and we will face great challenges.” So he calls for the introduction of the 1G meter, which means that only people who have received a booster injection can access, for example, museums, entertainment centers and many stores.

In Germany, the 2G rule has been in effect for a few weeks now, with access only to people who have been vaccinated or recovered, and those who have not been vaccinated need a negative test result to be allowed to go to work or by train, for example.

lock light

From December 28, Corona measures will be tightened in Germany to prevent a new wave of Corona injuries. There will be a so-called “closure light”, where vaccinated people with a maximum age of 15 or older are allowed to congregate, either indoors or outdoors. Strict contact rules have already been applied to unvaccinated people.

If these new measures don’t help, the German government should consider 1G, Drosten says. “With the delta variant, 2G or 3G may be enough, but now omikron is rewriting the rules.”