For now the last NDR podcast with Drosten and Ciesek | to know

BERLIN In the latest regular episode of the NDR “Coronavirus Update” podcast Right Now, scientists Christian Drosten and Sandra Ciesek take a look at the future of the pandemic and underline the continuing huge importance of masks.

“The numbers will certainly remain relatively high, at least until the Easter holiday or a week or two later,” virologist Drosten said on the podcast. At present, one benefits from the main effect of vaccination and from the mitigation of disease in Omicron.

Drosten expects a full intensive care unit

We can already say that the situation has improved significantly as a result. The expert from Berlin Charité pointed out that it was not completely resolved. There is currently a linear increase in hospitalizations and shifts to older age groups. That is why it is assumed that intensive care units will soon be filled up again and more deaths may be recorded until around mid-May.

And virologist Ciesek from the University Hospital Frankfurt am Main added that if the number of infections rose again, as it currently is, it would be “obviously bad if you then raise the additional measures and thus increase them.”

Recommendation: wear a mask

It explicitly recommended the continued wearing of masks, for example in confined spaces, in poorly ventilated indoor spaces and on local public transport. Drosten advised: “All at-risk patients should definitely continue to wear masks for themselves, if no one else does.” It’s possible that at some point, with a drop and a shortage of requirements, there will be an “Asian compliment” when wearing masks.

It was over two years ago audio notation I started. Recently, Ciesek and Drosten can be heard alternately in coordination, and now it’s over for both. They made it clear that they wanted to devote more time to their research areas again. The broadcast should continue at the moment: according to the NDR, special episodes are planned after this.