Even if the number of corona cases continues to fall, serious infections will continue to cause deaths at Omikron. This emerges from an RKI report.
Frankfurt – Even if the corona situation eased in the summer and numerous measures were relaxed or lifted, an endemic is still not in sight. This emerges from the current RKI management report.
The incidence is falling, but it is still at a high level. According to the RKI, the 7-day incidence is 230.6 (as of September 10, 2022). The RKI assesses the situation as follows: “Despite the overall further decline in the number of cases, the infection pressure in the general population remains high in all age groups.” Virologist Christian Drosten also warns of a wave of corona infections before December.
Corona incidence in Germany still high: RKI warns
Most cases of the omicron variant are mild, but serious courses can also occur, which can also be fatal. The RKI therefore recommends keeping your distance, observing the hygiene rules and staying at home and isolating yourself if you have symptoms. It can also be worthwhile for those who have recovered to stay at home for a few more days, as one could still be infectious after recovery.
The death rate for severe corona infections remains the same
The RKI report shows that there is hardly any difference between the death rate of the last two years and the death rate of this year. This means that no fewer people died of Corona this year than in the past two years, even if the omicron variant is in most cases milder than its Alpha and Delta variants, which had been dominant up to that point.
The report positively emphasizes that fewer and fewer people need artificial ventilation. According to the RKI, the proportion of inpatient corona patients who had to be artificially ventilated fell from 22 to 11 percent.
New Corona rules from October
New corona rules apply for autumn, which were decided by Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, among others, and the Federal Council still has to approve them. The mask requirement in public transport should continue to exist. Nationwide, doctor’s surgeries should be obliged to wear an FFP2 mask from October. The federal states can also impose further corona regulations. On the other hand, the situation is different on airplanes, where the mask requirement is to be omitted.
The new rules are looser than last autumn, Lauterbach also emphasized. Last year, restaurateurs in Frankfurt, for example, acted on their own initiative and switched back and forth between 2G and 3G, to the chagrin of the guests.
A promising development of the pandemic is a discovery by researchers in Tel Aviv, who discovered antibodies to the coronavirus that may also protect against other corona variants such as delta and omicron and could possibly make a booster vaccination unnecessary. (Kilian Baeuml)
