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While proactive school closures cannot interrupt transmission on their own, they can reduce peak incidence by 40-60% and delay the epidemic

Drosten: Superb new study: Risk of infection upon exposure in children may be about 1/3 that of adults (sorry for the simplification). Important counterpart to yesterday´s viral load data (http://bit.ly/SARS-2-load) Article: Changes in contact patterns shape the dynamics of the COVID-19 outbreak in China (30 April 2020) From here. See also: Children may be as infectious as adults (29 April 2020)

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Children may be as infectious as adults

Drosten: Viral loads by PCR as seen in our laboratories. No significant difference between children and adults. Age categories: Kindergarten (KG), Grade school (GS), Highschool (HS), etc. with age ranges and (counts). Paper: bit.ly/SARS-2-load

From here. (29 April 2020)

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Merkel on preventing a second wave of infections

Drosten quotes chancellor Merkel:

"I have the impression that since last Wednesday there has been a discussion that insinuates a security that is not there at all today."

"Preventing a regression - that we no longer have to go back to stricter measures - is also in the interest of the development of our economy."

"It would be a pity if we were to relapse with our eyes open."  "The situation is deceptive."  "Another shutdown would be unavoidable if exponential growth resumed." Vídeo (in German): Statement Bundeskanzlerin Merkel + Nachfragen

Translated by Kathi from here (1, 2 and 3). (20 April 2020)

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Awards of the German Research Foundation and the Association of Donors for German Science

Drosten: I am very pleased about the special award of the DFG (Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft, German Research Foundation @dfg_public) and the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft (Association of Donors for German Science - @stifterverband).  Thanks to early detection and education of the population, Germany is in a unique position today.  Let us not squander this now!

Translated by Kathi from here. (20 April 2020)

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Down R to 0.2 and make more opening possible

Retweet of Karl Lauterbach: Prof. Meyer-Hermann describes the 2 alternatives in #AnneWill. Now decided: R (basic reproduction number) about 1, and then severe restrictions for up to 2 years. He would have preferred the alternative, just like me: Now down R to 0.2, then follow every new case. More opening possible then.

Translated by Kathi from here. (19 April 2020)

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Reply on the danger of a second wave

Drosten: When I spoke this passage last week, it was not yet clear to me how much the current distancing measures are now being questioned by all sides.  At R = approx. 1 the virus continues to spread under the cover of the measures. Even now. In reply to @AscotBlack: Imagine the #Coronavirus would start all over Germany at once.  "Of course, it's a completely different kind of impact that a wave of infection would have." Says Drosten and means the danger of a 2nd wave as there was with the Spanish flu. Translated by Kathi from here. (19 April 2020)

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Coronavirus antibody tests are still not reliable

Drosten: Very interesting and correct statements from @fennerlabor on the current antibody detection rate. Thank you, Thomas, for this insight into your data!

Zu früh, um wahr zu sein (Too soon to be true), in Der Spiegel

Translated by Kathi from here. (17 April 2020)

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"Gangelt Study" by Bonn-based virologist Hendrik Streeck

Drosten: the colleagues at Uniklinik Bonn are currently working on their interesting data. Soon we will certainly see more clearly!

In reply to @maybritillner: The head of virology at the Charitè hospital in Berlin Drosten believes that the "Gangelt Study" by Bonn-based virologist Hendrik Streeck, which has come under criticism due to interim publications, will be "an extremely solid, robust study.

Whole programme (video in German): http://kurz.zdf.de/0xu/

  Translated by Kathi from here. (17 April 2020)

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About false negatives after COVID-19 testing

Question by @RenateKuenast: Dear Drosten if you could make a small abstract for us laymen?

Drosten: Sure: Towards the end of the course the PCR (Polymerase chain reaction) is sometimes positive and sometimes negative. That's a matter of chance. If patients are tested negative twice and released as cured, positive test results may well be obtained again at home. Therefore, this is by no means a reinfection.

Reference: Puzzled about re-infection, re-activation, or recurrence after recovery?

Translate by Kathi from here. (13 April 2020)

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Puzzled about re-infection, re-activation, or recurrence after recovery?

Drosten: Puzzled about re-infection, re-activation, or recurrence of PCR-positivity after revovery from #COVID19? Look how PCR toggles between positive and negative toward the end of courses. Yellow = throat swab; red = sputum; grey = stool. Dotted line = detection limit. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2196-x_reference.pdf

From here via Kathi.

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On scientific opinion-forming

Drosten: Dear #taz, when a scientist asks for a manuscript to be submitted, this is not a "snub" or "dispute". There is no accusation against the colleagues, only a request.  Discourse enables scientific opinion-forming. Even if some would like a scholarly dispute.

In reply to: @tazgezwitscher One of them has great news from the research in #Heinsberg, a district particularly affected by the #Coronavirus.  The other one tears these news to pieces.  #COVIDー19 (in German) https://taz.de/Corona-Epidemie-in-Deutschland/!5677835/

Translated by Kathi from here.

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Response to Niko Härting

Drosten: No, that's not what I mean. I wonder what you intend to do with such falsifications. I find it impossible.

In reply to Prof. Niko Härting: Note this sentence. As if - as Christian Drosten seems to think - scientific proof is needed to allow us to exercise our basic rights again unhindered. The opposite is true: whoever restricts basic rights bears the burden of proof.  #Corona in #theConstitutionalState

Zeit Online: The #Corona study from #Heinsberg does not yet give any reason to loosen contact barriers all over Germany - unlike what was often reported on Thursday. Some of the results are considered by experts to be incomprehensible. #COVID-19 (in German) https://www.zeit.de/wissen/gesundheit/2020-04/heinsberg-studie-coronavirus-hendrik-streeck-storymachine-kai-diekmann

Translated by Kathi from here.

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Simple medical face masks reduce the release of coronavirus and influenza virus by the infected mask wearer

Drosten:  Published today: Simple medical face masks reduce release of coronavirus and influenza virus by the infected mask wearer.  Less virus in droplets and aerosol. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-0843-2

By the way: fabric masks can also be cleaned by ironing.

Translated by Kathi from here.

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Patients may ‘shed’ the virus at high levels during the first week of symptoms

Drosten: Congratulations Victor @vmcorman and Marcel @MarcelAMller! This study by one of the strongest clinical virology teams working on #Covid19 will influence clinical practice and public health. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2196-x?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_content=organic&utm_campaign=NGMT_USG_JC01_GL_Nature In reply to @vmcorman: Our latest contribution #ChariteVirology @ChariteBerlin @MarcelAMller @J_Schneider__ @bundeswehrInfo @c_drosten

@natureA Nature paper shows that there is active replication of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in the upper respiratory tract of a group of German patients and suggests that patients may ‘shed’ the virus at high levels during the first week of symptoms. #COVID19 https://go.nature.com/2waaG9y

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Germany is testing a lot

Drosten: Age median in Germany: 48 years. https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/InfAZ/N/Neuartiges_Coronavirus/Situationsberichte/2020-03-28-en.pdf?__blob=publicationFile

In reply to @alexandreafonso: Here is a distribution of recorded Covid-19 cases in Iceland (which tests broadly, even people with no symptoms) and the Netherlands (which tests narrowly, only those with severe symptoms)

From here.

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Virology to the layperson in times of pandemic

Drosten: This was nothing - believe me! Today we just took a look under the hood. In the laboratory, our extremely good scientists are taking the engine apart; and the gearbox as well!

In reply to Gregor Sedlag:

"This is turning into a lecture now. Christian Drosten intensifies the virological nerd level to the max.” (Poscast by Drosten in German) https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/info/podcast4684.html

Translated by Kathi from here.

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Exaggeration and shortened statement by the Stern about football stadiums

Drosten: Christian Drosten in Stern: No full football stadiums in the next twelve months https://www.stern.de/sport/virologe-christian-drosten-im-stern--keine-vollen-fussballstadien-bis-maerz-2021-9191854.html

This exaggeration and shortened statement by the Stern is embarrassing and does not correspond to the context of the interview. I am shocked.