Interesting point Drosten raised in the podcast: he hasn’t seen any data from Sweden yet. That’s an unique opportunity for research which doesn’t exists in other places.
Interesting arguments he discussed in the podcasts, right? Especially, that the (statistical) population positively tested children is still not enough to support the virological assumptions we have (also based on their own data). In fact, I would say the jury is still out on the explosive re-emergence. an I am not known for “positive” or wishful thinking. I just don’t know, and while I assume as much, I could be wrong. As with the Bluetooth tracing tech, I WANT to be wrong.
Anyway, we are going to test this assumptions, kind of. Many more variables, but the fact remains: we are re-opening schools.
Some byzantine background: Germany (mostly) has a schooling system from 1st to 12th or 13th grade. 1-4th are primary school. 10th is the final year of lower secondary education. Depending on state, 12th or 13th is the final year of higher secondary education and qualification for university education. 13th grade already had their abitur. So, 12th is ‘last-year pupils’ now.
Long story kind of short: the state where I live opened schools for last-year pupils last week. Today, they opened for fourth-graders and (basically) 10th grade onwards. (Some 9th graders on different school forms included.)
Pre-kindergarden daycare already opened in the city I live, which is the worst idea I can think of on the one hand and OTH I can very much relate to the parents who do send their child there because they cannot bear it any more, and/or fear a massive developmental lag or even damages in social behaviour for their child.
Locally, we didn’t have any newly diagnosed case today in an the area where I live. Around 600 tested positive, around 500 are currently counted as ‘recovered’. Around 30 died. The area is an agglomeration of around 330k people. However, with easing of restrictions, people start working and travelling again. And, as stated way up in this topic’s thread, epidemiologists now expect that a diffusion process took place throughout society, so new clusters could form anywhere.
Generally speaking, we are well off. But then, right now, we are experimenting. Politicians are weighing arguments, and while you and me would tend to try to keep the numbers down, they have other issues at hand. Like a tanking economy. And leagues and clubs demanding their right to sell Fußball matches to advertisers, etc. (Sorry for the spin. I don’t even. You know. I can’t. Fuck them.)
