Advisement Issued to Leaders for Enhanced Lockdown Measures by Scientific Community
In an effort to reduce new infections, a group of scientists have proposed that the expansion of home office work is an essential step. This suggestion is part of the "No-Covid" strategy, a public health approach aimed at completely eliminating SARS-CoV-2 transmission within Germany.
The No-Covid strategy involves strict measures such as extensive testing, rigorous contact tracing, local lockdowns, quarantine enforcement, and international travel controls. The ultimate goal is to reduce infections to zero or near zero, thereby stopping the virus's circulation and preventing further outbreaks.
This approach contrasts with strategies that accept low-level virus circulation and instead focus on protecting health care capacity and vulnerable populations. The No-Covid strategy emphasizes a proactive and strong suppression of the virus, seeking to achieve long-term virus freedom rather than intermittent mitigation.
Regions that achieve this goal should become "green zones" that can gradually return to normality. However, the impending danger of the mutated virus is a concern, as it could spread rapidly in Germany. Therefore, the scientists' paper demands reducing infections to zero, creating virus-free zones, and rigorously combating new outbreaks to maintain the status of "green zones".
The paper, written by thirteen authors including virologist Melanie Brinkmann, physicist Michael Meyer-Hermann, Ifo Institute President Clemens Fuest, sociologist Heinz Bude, and physician Michael Hallek, has sparked controversy among state premiers regarding night-time curfews and school closures.
Despite this controversy, the scientists warn against underestimating the potential rapid spread of the mutated virus in Germany and overestimating the current decrease in infection numbers. They predict that the current tough measures could lead to a significant reduction in numbers by March.
Further reduction of contacts and restriction of mobility are seen as helpful consequences in reducing new infections. The scientists caution against becoming complacent and emphasize the necessity of reducing infections to zero as a primary goal. They urge rigorous combat against new outbreaks to maintain the status of "green zones" and restore societal and economic normality.
- The No-Covid strategy, as proposed by a group of scientists, extends beyond public health measures, encompassing policy-and-legislation related to work, advocating for an expansion of home office work as a means to curb new infections.
- Besides the health-and-wellness implications of the No-Covid strategy, it also has broader societal and economic ramifications, with the authors of the aforementioned paper urging for the maintenance of "green zones" to gradually return to normality in general-news.
- The scientists writing the No-Covid strategy paper emphasize the importance of keeping abreast of other scientific advancements, particularly in medical-conditions related to the virus, ensuring their strategy remains applicable and effective in the face of potential mutations.
