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Isolate the elderly and infirm to allow others to lead normal lives? This is increasingly demanded in the crisis of the Crown. But experts vehemently disagree.
Berlin virologist Christian Drosten and other colleagues are staunchly opposed to demands to lift crown restrictions while focusing on protecting particularly vulnerable people. “It is with concern that we note that voices are growing again that are focusing on the natural contamination of a large part of the population with the objective of herd immunity as a strategy to combat pandemics,” says a statement from the Society of Virology (GfV ), in which Drosten also participates He was involved.
Herd immunity means that a large part of the population has become immune after infection or vaccination, and as a result, the virus can no longer spread as well.
Experts warn of many deaths
“An uncontrolled infection would lead to an increasing increase in deaths,” write the virologists. Even with strict isolation from older people, there are still other risk groups that are too numerous, too heterogeneous and, in some cases, also undetected to be actively protected. “An increased risk of a severe course of Covid-19 arises, for example, with obesity, diabetes, cancer, kidney failure, chronic lung disease, liver disease, stroke, after transplants and during pregnancy.”
According to GfV, it is also not clear how long an immunity acquired through infection will last. Striving to achieve herd immunity without vaccination is unethical and presents a high medical, social and therefore financial risk.
Experts disagree with the “Great Barrington Declaration”
In their text, virologists refer to the so-called Great Declaration of Barrington, written by three researchers from the United States and Great Britain. According to its website, hundreds of thousands of people have already signed the declaration.
The text states, among other things: “The most empathetic approach, which balances the risks and benefits of achieving herd immunity, is to allow those with a minimal risk of death to live a normal life so that they can obtain immunity through infection natural can build up against the virus while protecting those most at risk. “
In the statement from the virologists, who in addition to Drosten also include Melanie Brinkmann and Isabella Eckerle, he says: “We strongly reject this strategy, although of course we recognize the enormous burden on the population due to the drastic containment measures.”
