Virologist Streeck: “the Previous measures were right!”

The land government in North Rhine-Westphalia receives the first interim results of the Heinsberg-study of the Coronavirus. The unique project is carried out by a Team of renowned virologist Professor Dr. Hendrik Streeck. The first results of the study show that the existing mitigation measures were correct.

In the research project “Covid-19 Case-Cluster-Study” of the state government of North Rhine-collected Westphalia data to the Coronavirus and measures checked. The special feature of the project is that it is directly in Heinsberg takes place, the German epicenter of the COVID-19-epidemic. In this way, important insights about the ways of Transmission should be collected under real-world conditions. The first results of the study have now been presented to the Prime Minister, Armin Laschet.

A roadmap from the Corona-crisis

“In addition to the Understanding of the routes of infection and the further containment of the spread of the Corona Virus is also crucial to find a way out of the crisis”, – said Laschet, in a press release, the first interim results. To create a roadmap out of the crisis, it is important to have more scientifically-based findings and facts. Such data Professor Streeck will deliver in his research project in Heinsberg. Now there is the first important intermediate results.

Streeck: “The Virus is to be taken seriously.”

Research head, Professor Dr. Hendrik Streeck, who is also the Director of the Institute for Virology at the universitätsklinikum Bonn, stresses that the Virus is a serious concern and the measures taken so far were correct, in order to limit spread. “We have to learn to live with SARS-2, and the dangers in perspective,” explains the virologist.

Streeck interviewed with his Team of 80 medical assistants, Doctors, Physicians, scientists, citizens learning there continuously, in order to capture possible causal chains with pre-existing conditions, from prevention to derive recommendations for the entire German and European population.

The district of Heinsberg narrowly escaped disaster

“We had a huge blessing in disguise”, signs of the Landrat of the Kreis Heinsberg, Stephan Pusch. If you would not have responded so early, that would become the district of Heinsberg is a disaster, with many dead.

The preliminary results

From the previous results of the Heinsberg-study shows that about 14 percent of the district of Heinsberg has an existing immunity against SARS-Cov-2. Two percent of the samples tested persons in Heinsberg showed an acute infection. On the whole, and are around infected 15 percent of the entire circle. In the municipality of Gangelt, the mortality rate among the Infected 0.37 percent.

Mortality rate is thought to be lower than in the past

Taking into account the asymptomatic gradients in Gangelt, the researchers calculated a mortality of 0.15%, based on the total population in Gangelt. The Johns Hopkins University, is currently speaking of a calculated lethality of 1.98 per cent. This discrepancy can be explained, according to the research team from the different reference size of the Infected. In Gangelt all the Infected were detected by random sampling, even those with asymptomatic and mild gradients. So the mortality could be shown more realistic.

Hygiene measures keep the mortality small

The researchers also showed that the compliance with stringent hygiene measures can reduce the virus concentrations in the case of an infection event so far is that it is the degree of the disease to a lower severity. At the same time, this will lead to a training of the immunity. It is expected that the measures taken cheap, to the total mortality impact.

Such measures could be in the so-called “super-spreading events”, so unusual outbreak events, such as carnival, parties, discos, concerts, soccer, etc.are not complied with.

The four stages for normalization

The research team of Professor Dr. Streeck strongly recommends to follow the four phases of the strategy of the German society for hospital hygiene (DGKH). This is according to the following model:

• Phase 1: social Quarantine with the objective of curbing and slowing down the pandemic, and preventing Overload of the critical supply structures, in particular, of the health care system (current Phase).
• Phase 2: beginning of the end of the withdrawal of the Quarantine, while securing hygienic conditions and behaviors.
• Phase 3: lifting of the Quarantine, while maintaining the hygienic conditions.
• Phase 4: state of public life as it was before the COVID-19 pandemic.

More information about how an exit from the crisis can succeed, you will find in the article: Corona: Plan to return to normality, submitted.