German experts assess corona rules
That’s how effective masks and school closures were
During the corona pandemic, governments had to act quickly and adopt measures to combat the virus. German experts have now analyzed how successful and effective the individual rules were.
An 18-strong panel of experts in Germany assessed the measures adopted by the government during the corona pandemic.
Specialists such as virologist Hendrik Streeck (44) or sociologist Jutta Allmendinger (65) explain which rules have had an effect on containing the spread of the virus.
Die «Bild» publishes some excerpts from the 165-page paper.
Lockdown works in the beginning
The lockdowns classify the professionals as a positive measure. However, only in the early stages of the pandemic. In the long run, the measures would be “less accepted by the population and lose their effect”.
A lockdown also has some “unintended” consequences that increase with the length of such a lockdown. These include the “increase in domestic violence against women and children”, the “increase in mental illnesses” and “existential needs”.
Certification obligation counterproductive
According to experts, the 2G and 3G rule in pubs and shops only has a highly positive effect “in the first few weeks after the booster vaccination or recovery”. “However, the protection against infection decreases significantly over time.”
The committee members consider the certificates that had to be shown at the entrance to be of little use. In addition, a certificate requirement on a psychological level could be counterproductive. Surveys in various countries have shown that this tends to reduce the desire to be vaccinated. Only in younger people could the vaccination rate be increased somewhat with this measure.
Immense consequences of school closures
The experts are also harsh on school closures. Although the exact effectiveness of school closures in curbing the spread of the corona virus is “still open”, the unintended effects are all the more fatal. “The consequences of this measure on the psychological well-being” of the students are “immense”.
The experts say it is not true that children are super spreaders and pass on the virus particularly frequently. Children are less likely to infect adults than vice versa.
The supposedly high incidence values among schoolchildren would only come from the fact that schools were tested more often.
False security through a mask
It doesn’t look so clear with the masks either. The effectiveness of the mouth and nose protection could be proven in the laboratory. But in practice the situation is different. “An ill-fitting mask has no, possibly even a negative effect.”
Bearded men are also less well protected with a mask than clean-shaven comrades because it doesn’t fit snugly. (man)