According to a study, at least 5.2 million children and young people worldwide lost a parent or guardian by last fall in connection with the pandemic. This means that their number exceeds the five million corona deaths recorded in the 20-month investigation period (March 2020 to October 2021), as international researchers from various universities found out. They have their results on Thursday in the specialist magazine Lancet Child Adolescent Health published. According to the researchers, the numbers mentioned could also increase retrospectively if the data quality improves. In many regions, an extremely high number of unreported cases is expected.
Two in three minors who lost a parent or guardian in the pandemic were aged 10 to 17. The data also shows that men died more frequently from Covid-19 than women: three out of four affected children and adolescents lost their father.
There were also regional differences: while in India around 1.9 million children suffered a loss and in Mexico 192,000, in Germany it was only 2,400. 1,800 of them lost their father and 600 their mother. (02/25/2022)
The nationwide seven-day incidence falls slightly to around 1260
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reports 210,743 positive tests within 24 hours. The nationwide seven-day incidence falls to around 1260 from around 1265 the previous day. 226 people died in connection with the virus. This increases the number of reported deaths to 122,371.
So far, around 14.4 million corona tests have been positive in Germany. Experts assume a high number of infections that are not recorded in the RKI data. Test capacities and health authorities are therefore at the limit in many places, and contacts are only tracked to a limited extent. In addition, there is likely to be a larger number of people who no longer have their infection confirmed by a PCR test – the infection is therefore not included in the official statistics. That is why we use the SZ Corona Dashboard to show an average value from the reports of the past seven days, which is intended to compensate for fluctuations from day to day. You can find more information on this in the transparency blog, further data and graphics on the pandemic here.
Despite the peak of the omicron wave, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) continues to see a very high infection pressure in the population. This is also shown by the continued high proportion of positive PCR tests, writes the authority in its weekly report on Thursday evening. This was the case with almost every second such test last week. The report assumes that an estimated 1.4 to 2.3 million people in Germany contracted acute respiratory symptoms from Covid-19 last week. In this context, the RKI calculates around 380,000 doctor visits.
As analyzes of virus variants show, the omicron sub-variant BA.2, which is probably even easier to transmit, is continuously spreading in Germany. According to the most recent available data for the week ended February 13, the proportion of BA.2 in a sample of positive findings was just under 24 percent, according to the report. The development in the weeks before went from 5 to 11 to 16 percent. Modelers expect the trend to continue. (02/25/2022)
Ema approves Moderna vaccine for children
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has given its approval for the booster vaccination of children from the age of twelve with the corona vaccine from the manufacturers Pfizer and Biontech. This was announced by Ema in Amsterdam. The experts also agree on the basic vaccination of children from six to eleven years with the vaccine from the manufacturer Moderna. The EU Commission must make a final decision. This is considered a formality. However, Ema emphasized that the EU member states themselves decide whether a booster vaccination should be offered to children.
According to Ema, the booster vaccination with the Pfizer preparation has a lower dose for children than for adults. The vaccine is already approved as a basic vaccination in two doses for people aged five and over. However, the approval for a booster vaccination was previously only available from the age of 18. A booster is given after the primary immunization, which usually consists of two vaccinations. According to Ema, this increases protection against infection and serious illness. The authority’s experts had previously checked data from the manufacturer and studies. No new security risks have become known.
The Moderna vaccine is also to be approved for children aged six to eleven. The effectiveness and safety of the preparation is just as high as in adults. For children, the dose should be reduced by 50 percent, as the Ema announced. Studies have shown that the immune protection in children is as high as in adolescents aged 18 to 25 with the high dose. Possible side effects include pain and redness at the injection site, fatigue, headache, nausea, fever or joint pain. (02/24/2022)
Italy lifts state of emergency at the end of March
The Italian government wants to lift the Corona state of emergency on March 31st. This is announced by Prime Minister Mario Draghi. “We will continue to monitor the situation closely and stand ready to intervene in the event of an outbreak,” explains Draghi. “But our goal is to fully reopen as soon as possible.” The state of emergency was introduced on January 31, 2020 to circumvent bureaucratic hurdles in the fight against the corona virus. Since then it has been extended repeatedly. (02/23/2022)
83 percent in Africa still without a corona vaccination
The Director General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Ghebreyesus, draws a bitter balance of the corona vaccination campaign in Africa. A year after the first delivery under the Covax initiative, 83 percent of the population are still waiting for the first dose, he said in a video contribution at a conference in Abuja, Nigeria.
He blamed “vaccine nationalism” and preferential delivery to rich countries for the vaccine shortages in the first half of 2021. “This is not only a moral failure, but also an epidemiological failure that creates ideal conditions for the emergence of new variants,” said Ghebreyesus.
At the same time, he spoke of a positive outlook for this year. With 1.2 billion cans delivered to date, Covax has helped overcome many of the supply bottlenecks of the past year. The vaccines that have now been secured were sufficient to cover 45 percent of the need by the middle of the year. Thanks to other sources, the global vaccination target of 70 percent can be achieved by mid-2022, said Ghebreyesus. (02/23/2022)
Partial tax exemption applies to helpers in vaccination and test centers
As early as 2020 and 2021, the volunteers in the vaccination and test centers were able to use the flat rate for trainers or volunteers. That means: Income of 2400 euros at that time or 3000 euros from 2021 and 720 or 840 euros did not have to be taxed.
This year is no different: according to a decision by the finance ministries of the federal states and the Federal Ministry of Finance, the regulation will also be applicable in 2022. “The tax-free flat rates only apply if the client or employer is a non-profit organization or a public employer, for example the federal state or a municipality,” explains Daniela Karbe-Gessler from the Taxpayers’ Association.
The amount of the lump sum is differentiated according to which activities are carried out. For helpers who are directly involved in the vaccination or testing, the trainer flat rate of 3000 euros will also apply in 2022. Volunteers who work in the administration and organization of vaccination or test centers can leave their remuneration tax-free thanks to the volunteer fee of 840 euros. The flat rates also apply to mobile vaccination and test centers.
Study: Two infections with omicron possible
According to researchers from Denmark, in rare cases it is possible to contract two different subvariants of the omicron variant of the coronavirus one after the other. An infection with the BA.2 subtype can occur shortly after an initial BA.1 infection, the Danish health institute SSI wrote in a study published on Tuesday. In general, however, it is assumed that this occurs relatively rarely and then especially in younger, unvaccinated people.
According to the SSI, the scientists involved found 47 cases in which the same person became infected first with BA.1 and then with BA.2 over a period of 20 to 60 days. Most of them only experienced mild symptoms, none of them had to go to the hospital. In Denmark, the BA.2 subtype currently accounts for by far the largest proportion of new corona infections, at 88 percent according to the study. According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), BA.2 has also increased noticeably in Germany. The proportion of corona cases examined in a sample has recently risen to 14.9 percent, the RKI stated in its weekly report last Thursday. This figure is for the week ending February 6th. For the week before, the RKI gave the share as 10.4 percent. (02/22/2022)
Those who have not been vaccinated are allowed to enter Austria again
Austria is relaxing its entry requirements. As of this Tuesday, the 3-G rule applies again when crossing the border. This means that people who have not been vaccinated can also come back into the country if they can show a negative test. This is an important step for the tourism industry in order to be able to welcome as many guests as possible, not least from Germany, for the rest of the winter season.
The relief is part of a broader easing strategy. From March 5th, practically all corona restrictions should be lifted in Austria. Then there will only be an FFP2 mask requirement in certain parts of public life. The exception is Vienna, which initially wants to partially retain the 2-G rule, for example in gastronomy.
The seven-day incidence, which was last at around 2,200 cases per 100,000 inhabitants within a week, shows a downward trend. The situation in the clinics – especially in the intensive care units – is stable. (02/22/2022)