The eighteen experts make it especially clear that the effectiveness of the measures is difficult to assess because often several measures were taken at the same time and there is too little reliable data and research results.
The committee is positive about the usefulness of face masks, although according to the experts there is insufficient scientific basis to make FFP2 face masks mandatory. Lockdowns help best if they are deployed early and briefly, the experts say. They also believe that contact investigation is especially effective in the early phase of a corona wave. With limited access (2G and 3G), it will probably be better in the future to only allow people with a very recent test. A vaccination certificate works well in the first weeks after a vaccination, but after that the risk of infection increases despite vaccination and a test gives more certainty, the experts believe.
The advisory committee is not without controversy. The well-known virologist Christian Drosten left the committee because he felt that the choice of the members was political and not scientific. He criticized that there was no epidemiologist on the committee, but several lawyers.
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has announced that he wants to ensure that the states have a ‘full toolbox’ to contain the virus in the autumn. The current corona legislation expires in September. Lauterbach constantly points out that it remains important to prevent infections, partly because of the many people who have long-term complaints after being infected and because of the vulnerable who can still become seriously ill from the corona virus. Read more at Tagesschau
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