As Austria slides into the next corona wave, the scientists’ warnings have hardly changed even after two and a half years of the pandemic. Leading corona expert Christian Drosten now fears that politicians are still not drawing the right conclusions from the pandemic. According to the researcher, there is a risk of an “unbearably long winter with a lot of absenteeism due to illness.
Once again, experts are concerned that politicians will sleep through the coming Corona summer. He does not yet see the current increase in the number of infections as a particular threat, but he is concerned about the development that is currently visible in Portugal, because the number of deaths there is also increasing again due to the ommicron subvariant BA. 5.
Portugal as a warning signal
“There are no clear explanations for this, as other European countries also have BA.5 elevations without an increase in mortality,” said Drosten. For more clarity, you have to wait a little longer: “In a month we will know if something similar happens to us,” he explained to the dpa.
The situation then becomes explosive, especially in autumn and winter, according to the virologist. In the FAZ “podcast”, Drosten saw the example of the monkey pox that has now emerged as proof that nothing had actually been learned from the ongoing corona pandemic.
Investment because “research saves the future”
In the case of a pandemic problem, much faster studies and patient registration would be needed – at least he sees “not too much improvement” in the case of monkeypox, he also insists that despite all the setbacks not to forget enough money for science when it comes to government spending.
In America, for example, “very large programs” for pandemic or vaccine research are already being launched. During the latest economic crisis, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel decided not to cut back on research, “because that will save us in the future,” Drosten said.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
