[ad_1]
Leopoldina considers strict contact restrictions for three weeks absolutely necessary
| Reading time: 2 minutes
That’s what the “breakwater closure” is all about.
Before the prime minister’s meeting with Angela Merkel, the question arises of how tough Corona’s measures will be. Apparently the Chancellor prefers the so-called “breakwater closure”.
In the opinion of the Leopoldina National Academy of Sciences, accidental contacts in the country should be reduced, and drastically: even if only every second meeting took place, this would not be enough. Researchers call for swift action.
reThe German National Academy of Sciences, Leopoldina, and five other research communities are calling for a drastic reduction in social contacts during the Corona crisis. Given the increasing number of infections, it is necessary to reduce the number of contacts without precautionary measures to a quarter of the previous level. This means all contacts that take place without the hygiene and precautionary measures in force.
In a joint statement by Leopoldina, the German Research Foundation, the Fraunhofer Society, the Helmholtz Association, the Leibniz Association and the Max Planck Society, it is stated that contact restrictions should be uniform throughout the country.
“According to scientific simulations of the possible course of the pandemic, halving the number of contacts without taking precautionary measures by each individual is currently not enough to reduce the number of new infections per week,” the experts continued.
The increase in the number of infections is no longer controllable in many places in Germany. “The sooner the consequent reduction in contacts without precautionary measures occurs, the shorter the duration and the less collateral psychological, social and economic damage they will cause,” they write.
Any contact that escapes the health authorities is the germ of a new chain of infection, which then escapes control. “If the number of undetected virus carriers continues to rise significantly, more and more people are transmitting the virus unknowingly, driving the exponential growth in the number of infections,” the statement said.
After three weeks of a corresponding reduction in the number of contacts, it is crucial to maintain the low number of cases achieved with protection measures at the national level and consistently applied. According to the scientists, this includes meeting the distance requirement, hygiene, wearing daily masks, regular ventilation, and using the Corona warning app.
