Corona situation: Lauterbach warns of an autumn wave

Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach warned of rising corona numbers in Berlin on Friday.

"We are clearly at the beginning of an autumn and winter wave," he said.

This can be observed not only in Germany but also in other European countries, says Lauterbach in Berlin.

Corona is currently no longer so much in the foreground of the public.

However, everything must be done to avoid an “additional stressful situation”.

On Thursday evening, the RKI reported in its weekly report that acute respiratory diseases such as Covid-19 are currently affecting more people in Germany than in previous years at the same time.

"The infection pressure is now increasing again significantly in all age groups of the general population in autumn," says the report, which also refers in part to other respiratory diseases.

In the RKI weekly report, the number of people infected with corona for the past week is estimated at 500,000 to 1.2 million.

The RKI gave the nationwide seven-day incidence on Friday morning at 466.0.

This is a significant increase on the previous day, when the number of new corona infections per 100,000 inhabitants and week was 409.9.

(previous week: 294.7; previous month: 247.1).

However, this information only provides a very incomplete picture of the number of infections.

Experts have been assuming for some time that there will be a large number of cases not recorded by the RKI - mainly because not all infected people have a PCR test done.

Only positive PCR tests count in the statistics.

In addition to Sars-CoV-2, rhinoviruses are among the predominant viruses that lead to visits to the family doctor, for example, the weekly report said.

These pathogens trigger colds.

In the case of severe respiratory diseases - meaning hospital treatment - there has not yet been a significant increase, the RKI notes with a view to the past week.

Because people spend more time indoors again in autumn and a further increase in illnesses must be expected, the RKI reminds: "Regular correct ventilation (shock ventilation) with high air exchange and low heat loss" is very important to reduce the risk of infection.

The background is that it is easier to get infected indoors than outdoors through droplets that the sick emit when sneezing or coughing.

In general, the RKI warned to continue to comply with the recommendations for avoiding infections in order to protect vulnerable groups.

As in the weeks before, according to a random sample, almost all corona infections in this country can be traced back to the omicron subline BA.5.

According to the RKI, according to the latest data from the week before last, the BA.2.75 subline, which is under observation because of some mutations, has so far only made up a very small proportion: it is less than one percent.

Several scientists have recently expressed the assessment that this variant is unlikely to pose a major risk for autumn and winter - but new ones could still emerge.

Immunologists are of the opinion that there is now good basic immunity in Germany.

This does not necessarily mean permanent protection against corona infection - but in this case the majority of people should have memory cells through vaccinations and/or infection that prevent worse things from happening.

You could have a fever for two or three days or maybe feel really bad, but in the end you could cope very well with the infection, said Christian Bogdan, a member of the Standing Vaccination Committee (Stiko), recently.

"We wouldn't call that a serious infection."

With a virus like Sars-CoV-2, it is not possible to prevent these harmless infections through further vaccinations, emphasized the scientist.

Reducing incidences is also not a vaccination goal: "It's not about us somehow continuing to play this number game of incidences," said Bogdan.

The focus is rather on avoiding serious illness in vulnerable people such as the elderly and those with previous illnesses.

Accordingly, the Stiko has so far not recommended second booster vaccinations to the entire population, but, for example, to citizens aged 60 and over.

This is currently the only group in which, according to another RKI report on Thursday, there is still a relevant increase in Covid 19 vaccinations.

The general downward trend continued even after midsummer: "In September 2022, the previous low of the Covid 19 vaccination process was reached with around 636,400 vaccinations in around 24,900 vaccination centers," says the monthly vaccination report.

The RKI appealed that the upcoming flu vaccinations “absolutely” had to be taken as an opportunity in long-term care facilities in order to complete the Covid 19 vaccination protection.