Heidrun Peltroche: Unfortunately no. I have to say that honestly. We see it in some other countries too. We also have an increased number of cases, above all variants are spreading. Nevertheless, I think you can still be relatively carefree here on site for a few weeks. I am also always one of those who say: masks and respiratory protection are the simplest and one of the most effective measures. This should continue to be maintained in rooms and public transport.
Vaccinated and unvaccinated, you have to take that apart. It’s an eerie mix-up. There are the questions of what vaccination, when was the last vaccination, how often was it vaccinated, what contacts did I have, how old am I and what is my immune system like? The situation is such that these securities are more likely to be derived individually.
Getting vaccinated three times is a good requirement, but some Germans don’t meet it. We have about 50 million immunized three times. You can certainly add a few more who had two vaccinations and one infection. I would consider that equivalent. But we are over 80 million German citizens. There’s a large proportion that haven’t had a third vaccination yet, but I think that’s very important for our immune memory and for whether we get seriously ill. Security is never 100 percent.
Can a “last-minute vaccination” before the flight still help those who have not yet been vaccinated?
A single vaccination will not make a difference here. You don’t do that, I hope, because it doesn’t do much good. The two vaccinations, or better three, are what I wish for and that is also what creates highly reliable protection for the individual against serious courses, even if not against infections. Unfortunately, the vaccines are not doing what we wanted and hoped for. There is no so-called sterile immunity. However, we do know that the unvaccinated are more likely to spread the virus than the vaccinated. And regardless of whether you are looking at your own protection or the protection for others: vaccination beats everything and is always better than no vaccination.
So how should you behave on vacation? The mask is still mandatory on the plane, but should you test yourself regularly when you are on holiday, for example?
I say, from my personal experience, the differences in the countries you travel to are huge. At our airport, BER, for example, masks are only compulsory on the plane. That is certainly reasonable, there are large rooms and air conditioning. But you also have to stand in line at some point and if you are wise, I would also put on my FFP2 mask. This is very different in the countries. I don’t think that you absolutely have to travel to Portugal now, although the number of cases is now going down. In Spain, I experienced that masks are worn very consistently on public transport, much more consistently than here, and that there are really controls. In the evenings, the Spaniards also meet in bars, there is no protection against infection. You really have to deal with the measures in the individual countries in advance.
There are new subtypes of the omicron variant that are thought to be more infectious. What symptoms should I look out for?
The BA.4 and BA.5 variants are omicron subvariants, but they did not emerge from BA.1 and BA.2. They arose separately and are fitter and more infectious. The disease-causing properties are again more on the deep respiratory tract. That means you’ll have problems there again, not just a bit of a headache. But some also have gastrointestinal problems. There are so many symptoms of Covid-19 disease that you just have to be careful. Of course, when in doubt, a rapid antigen test is always best. From my point of view, however, one is not enough, you should repeat it after two days at the latest. Then I can be relatively sure.
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What if I’m infected in the middle of vacation?
Then you really don’t do much anymore. You will not be able to travel back, instead, depending on country regulations, you will be separated at the hotel, for example. In European countries it will be even more extreme. You must then stay in the hotel room. This is not a nice holiday experience, as I know from colleagues. In Asia it would be even stricter. We know that China is running this zero Covid strategy. And that restricts personal rights very aggressively.
How many days do I have to isolate myself if the test is positive?
There are legal requirements for this, but they are currently not uniform in the federal states. But you always have to take your immune status into account. In particular, those who have been vaccinated three times no longer have to be in quarantine unless they are sick. There’s the whole gamut, from a positive test that the person doesn’t even notice, to one that ends up in the hospital. Unfortunately, also because the vaccination does not promise 100 percent protection and unfortunately also for those who have already had three vaccinations. BA.4 and BA.5 escape our vaccine response.
To whom do you recommend the fourth vaccination?
First of all, I am very clearly in favor of all three immunizing themselves. It can also have been infected once, but three times is important for immune memory. The fourth is a matter of balance. How long ago was the third event, what group of people do I belong to, how old am I, all of this I need to include. You can’t say four times is better for everyone than three times. But the fourth vaccine creates a risk reduction for those over 60. But even a fourth vaccination does not provide 100 percent certainty that nothing will happen to you if you get a Covid infection.
Should you wait until autumn to get vaccinated or should you do it now?
That is the crucial question at the moment, which is also answered differently. It’s also being debated at the moment. The general recommendation cannot be given here with a clear conscience. This really has to be weighed up on an individual basis and discussed with the general practitioner. We are all waiting for vaccines that include the variants – but the new variants are here. And we don’t know which variants will come in the fall either. Anyone at risk should definitely consider the fourth vaccination.
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The incidences are relatively low – but much less testing is done. How meaningful are the numbers, are we in the middle of the summer wave?
The incidence number, considered alone, still gives a direction. So the virus is spreading. The incidences have weak points, but at least we have a trend. Should we orientate ourselves on the hospital stays, will that increase again? How busy are the intensive care units and how many deaths are there? The hospitals are now also to be connected to an electronic reporting system so that not too much time elapses. I think that’s very important so that we can take a quick look at the critical infrastructure. However, one should not lose sight of the incidence.
Thank you for the interview!
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The interview was conducted by Iris Wussmann for Antenne Brandenburg. The online version has been shortened and edited for reasons of better readability, but the content has not been changed.
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What you need to know now
Broadcast: Antenne Brandenburg, June 21, 2022, 3:40 p.m
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