Omikron baffles science
France’s laissez-faire, German caution, or Portugal’s typical vaccination quota: what’s the right way now? An international overview of the situation.
Infection numbers are relatively low, although many people were out in the lead-up to Christmas. Pedestrian zone in Giessen, Germany.
Photo: Frank Rampenhorst (Keystone)
Germany
Shortly before Christmas, Viola Pressman complained on Twitter about her struggles as the designer of the wreath: “No matter what we expect, we’ll be wrong in our scenarios,” the physicist wrote. “If we do not warn, Omikron will come unchecked. If we are very careful, he will be very careful and, in the best case, the wave will slow down.” It is clear that the Federal Government’s Assembly of Experts, in which Breezmann also sits, chose the latter option.
In its December 19 statement, the 19-member scientific committee stated that Omikron is spreading faster than all previous variants. If this trend continues, “a relevant portion of the population will be ill and/or in quarantine at the same time.” This will not only put severe pressure on the health system, but will also put “the entire critical infrastructure of our country”. For a long time it looked as if the scenario would not materialize: while neighboring European countries have reported record values for days, the rate of virus infection in Germany is steadily declining.
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