Instead of an isolation obligation, countries want to rely on protective measures in the future. This means that a limited mask requirement could then apply to people who test positive. Details are currently being finalized. So far, people who test positive in Germany have had to be isolated for five to 10 days, depending on whether and for how long they have symptoms.
Infectiologist: “Corona is no longer as dangerous as it was at the beginning”
Infectious disease specialist Christoph Spinner of the Munich Klinikum Rechts der Isar told BR24live that medically there were “many good arguments” for the step. Corona “is not as dangerous as it was at the beginning of the pandemic”. Mortality fell below 0.1%. 95 percent of people in Germany now have antibodies. However, he has promoted the second booster vaccination, especially among the elderly and the chronically ill.
“Technically justifiable” deletion
According to Professor Christian Weidner, chairman of the Bavarian State Office for Health and Food Safety, the corona situation has changed significantly. “The immune situation of the population is now good.” Omicron infections often lead to symptomatic, but usually not serious, courses. Virologist Professor Oliver Keppler of the University of Munich said the lifting of the general isolation obligation was “technically justifiable”.
Virologist Hendrik Streeck is of the opinion that the isolation obligation cannot be used to contain the infection process given the high number of unreported cases. It should “pass to an isolation requirement. Those who feel sick should stay at home”, he told the “Fuldaer Zeitung”.
Bavaria has announced that it will continue to protect vulnerable groups of people who are unable to develop sufficient immunity protection. For example, the activity and entry bans for corona-infected people have remained in place where vulnerable groups are found, for example in the cancer wards of hospitals.
Virologist Protzer: Corona virus now like a flu virus
The virologist Ulrike Protzer of the Technical University of Munich also believes that the end of the isolation obligation is the right step. In an interview with Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR24, topic of the day), Protzer said that the corona virus is now behaving in much the same way as the flu virus: “Then you just have to treat it the same way.”
In the meantime, a “wall of immunity in the population” has been set up. According to Protzer, the number of people who have to be hospitalized or even ventilated due to a severe course of the disease has decreased significantly. The situation is therefore different than at the beginning of the pandemic. So it makes sense to readjust. “The end of the isolation obligation does not mean that someone with an infection can and should go to the next party,” Protzer emphasizes. Anyone who has tested positive for the corona virus should stay at home in the future. But it is right to hand it over to the personal responsibility of the people.
Lauterbach criticizes countries’ mandatory isolation plans
Federal Minister of Health Lauterbach, on the other hand, criticized the plans of the four federal states to lift the isolation requirement for corona-infected people. “This comes at an inopportune time and does not find approval from the federal government,” the SPD politician said on Friday in Berlin. He spoke of a mistake and warned of a “patchwork” with different isolation rules in the federal states.
“Furthermore, there is no medical reason to waive the isolation obligation now,” Lauterbach said. There are about 1,000 deaths a week from Covid, one is facing a “probable severe winter wave” and is “on the eve of a more contagious variant”. He is therefore not really responsible to remove the obligation of isolation. He added that the workplace must remain safe and infected people must be prevented from being pushed into work.
