Drosten said it was important that quarantines did not turn into effective closures. “It’s no use having all kinds of school classes, all kinds of workplaces, quarantined for weeks,” he said, explaining that shorter quarantines would be more enjoyable for the public.
Germany’s response to American Anthony Fauci, at least in terms of pandemic celebrity, made the recommendation shortly before Health Minister Jens Spahn ruled out the need for another national shutdown like the one seen in the early stages of the pandemic but Spahn said Wednesday that the outbreaks could be managed regionally.
Instead, he said, there should be tests after the quarantine to see if the person was actually infected and if the person is still infectious.
Mask debate
Drosten also spoke out on other issues related to the pandemic, including the usefulness of the masks and reports that have emerged of people being reinfected.
The doctor said that “poorly fitting” masks do not stop the spread of the aerosolized coronavirus (there is a growing scientific consensus that exhaled air is an important infection vector), but insisted that the masks hinder the spread of the virus, especially if they are used a lot.
He dismissed as “striking” a recent study in Hong Kong that confirmed the reinfection of a 33-year-old man with the new coronavirus. Drosten said such cases were “rarities” that should not be construed as bad signs for vaccine development, arguing that they probably have no impact on the spread of the pandemic due to lower concentrations of virus upon reinfection.
Drosten’s podcast is extremely popular, and this was the first episode after a couple of months of hiatus. The virologist said he had taken only two weeks off during that time, with the rest dedicated to developing faster coronavirus tests.
The doctor built his career on the study of coronaviruses, developing the first diagnostic test for SARS in 2003.
A skeptical demonstration about the coronavirus took place in Berlin over the weekend, which made international headlines when some far-right protesters attempted to storm the Reichstag, the German parliament, while brandishing Nazi-tinged flags.
More broadly, however, the protest was characterized by the participants’ refusal to wear masks, a decision that led Berlin authorities to announce on Tuesday that masks would be mandatory at all outdoor gatherings of more than 100 people. Previously, masks were only required on public transportation, in stores, and in some school settings.
