The corona numbers in Germany seem to be falling again. The RKI reports an incidence of 661.3 on Thursday. Lauterbach has a simple explanation for this.
Berlin – The third Corona winter is imminent. It’s still October. But the infection situation in Germany is currently extremely dynamic. On Thursday (October 20, 2022), the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reported a nationwide incidence of 661.3 (previous day: 670.5, previous week: 793.8; previous month: 258.8). Within the last 24 hours, the health authorities reported 116,806 new corona infections (previous week: 145,213) and 223 deaths (previous week: 176).
Corona in Germany: RKI case numbers from October 20, 2022
| Corona incidence | 661.3 |
|---|---|
| Corona new infections | 116,806 |
| deaths | 223 |
| Covid patients in intensive care | 1,801, of which 566 are artificially ventilated |
Lauterbach: “After the autumn holidays, a marathon against the virus begins”
However, the downward trend in corona values should be treated with caution. Data comparisons are only possible to a limited extent. Not everyone does a PCR test, and late reports are common. Experts assume that the number of unreported cases of corona is high. In addition, school holidays are currently in many federal states.
“The increase in the number of corona cases is initially slowed down, an effect of the autumn holidays,” tweeted Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) on Wednesday. “After the autumn holidays, a marathon against the virus begins. Now would still be a good opportunity for the corona vaccination and the flu vaccination.” Lauterbach has made a name for itself as a reminder since the beginning of the corona pandemic.
But a booster vaccination – for many the fourth corona vaccination – protects against a severe course of Covid 19 and also against hospitalization, emphasize corona experts. The omicron variant BA.5 is still driving the current infection process in Germany. But this Omicron variant is evolving and has already done so. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 300 different omicron sublines circulate worldwide. Most of these are BA.5 sublines. Among them the new omicron subtype XXB and BQ.1.1. Both corona variants are highly contagious. So far there is no data on whether these variants cause a more severe course of the disease.
Rescue association warns of overload due to increasing corona numbers
The emergency services in Germany are again afraid of being overloaded in view of the increasing number of corona infections. “There are currently fewer ambulances on the road because the increasing number of Covid-19 is causing more and more staff shortages. And we are only at the beginning of the wave, ”said the chairman of the German professional association for rescue services, Marco König, the world.
To ensure that the rescue services do not reach or exceed their capacity limits again due to future corona waves, König called for comprehensive reforms in rescue services and control centers. “Too many ambulances and ambulances are being sent out when it is not necessary at all. Only 10 to 15 percent of emergency doctor calls are really justified,” he said.
König sees a major problem in the specifications for the control centers that receive the emergency calls. “The computer program determines when an ambulance is dispatched. Even if an employee is convinced that this is not necessary at all, the car is sent out and the responsibility shifted to the program,” said König.
The chairman of the association admitted that there would be wrong decisions if control center employees were able to disregard instructions from the programs. But that cannot be avoided. “We can no longer afford the prevailing fully comprehensive mentality.” (ml/afp)
