A case of the new Coronavirus variant Omikron has been detected in Hesse. The sequencing had confirmed the variant in the suspected case announced on Saturday, said Hessian Minister of Social Affairs Kai Klose on Sunday afternoon on Twitter.
The person concerned is said to be a returnee from South Africa. The people come from the Rhine-Main area. On Saturday, the authority announced that virologist Sandra Ciesek had identified several typical features of the Omikron virus variant, which the WHO has classified as worrying.
According to the ministry, the person had already arrived in Frankfurt from South Africa on November 21. At that time, South Africa was not classified as a high-risk or virus variant area. She was reportedly fully vaccinated, then developed symptoms and had tests over the week.
The Max von Pettenkofer Institute in Munich had already announced on Saturday that it had detected the virus variant in two travelers who had arrived on a flight from South Africa on November 24. According to information from the virologist Oliver Keppler, full genome sequencing was initially still pending in these cases. But it is “proven beyond doubt that it is this variant”.
The omicron variant (B.1.1.529), which was first detected in southern Africa, was classified as “worrying” by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday. The EU health authority ECDC speaks of serious concerns that the variant could significantly reduce the effectiveness of the corona vaccines and increase the risk of reinfections. The exact effects of the new variant have not yet been determined. According to the WHO, it may take weeks until there is clarity. (11/28/2021)
Three quarters of the clinics postpone operations
Due to the large number of Covid patients in intensive care units, normal operations can no longer be maintained in more than three quarters of all hospitals in Germany – these houses have to postpone operations that can be planned. This is reported by the German Hospital Association. The nursing staff required to care for Covid patients is missing for the follow-up care of patients in an intensive care unit after a predictable operation. The hospital company expects a further increase in postponements due to the continued high number of new corona infections.
“The situation is really increasingly dramatic and, with some of the discontinued treatments, also leads to physical and psychological stress for the patients concerned,” said the hospital company’s CEO, Gerald Gass, in Berlin. From the past waves one knows about the serious consequences for the patients. The typical operations that can be planned include, above all, orthopedic operations. In the second wave of pandemics from October 2020 to February 2021, 22 percent fewer hip prostheses were operated on. But restrictions would also have to be made in cancer treatments, it said.
Evaluations showed, for example, that the number of cases in cancer operations decreased by six percent for breast cancer and by as much as 18 percent for colon cancer. A later surgery appointment could definitely have an impact on the findings or the chances of success of a patient, warns Gerhard Achatz, Deputy Clinical Director at the Bundeswehr Hospital in Ulm. This is especially the case with cancer patients, as studies have shown.
As Achatz reports, the majority of Covid patients are not vaccinated. He is convinced that the current situation of the clinics need not be like this: “With the vaccine, we now have a way of getting the pandemic under control. But the vaccination rate is still too low.”
From the point of view of the chairman of the Patient Protection Foundation, Eugen Brysch, patients are also exposed to a legal gray area. The definition of predictable operations is legally indeterminate and practically intangible, he criticizes. There is no official list of medical interventions that could be postponed in the event of an impending overload. That also leads to great uncertainty among patients, according to Brysch. (11/28/2021)
Seven-day incidence increased to 446.7
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reported a new high of the seven-day incidence on Sunday morning: 446.7. The number indicates the number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants per week. The previous day the value was 444.3, a week ago it was 372.7 (previous month: 130.2). The health authorities in Germany reported 44,401 new corona infections to the RKI within one day. This is evident from the numbers that reflect the status of the RKI dashboard at 3:52 a.m. Exactly one week ago there were 42 727 infections.
According to the new information, 104 deaths were recorded across Germany within 24 hours. A week ago there were 75 deaths. The number of people who died with or involving a proven infection with Sars-CoV-2 rose to 100,883. The RKI has counted 5,761,696 detected infections with Sars-CoV-2 since the beginning of the pandemic. The actual total number is likely to be significantly higher, as many infections are not recognized.
The number of infections remains high, especially in the south and east of Germany. In Saxony, the seven-day incidence rose to 1205.5, which is still the highest value among the 16 federal states. This is followed by Thuringia with 878.4 and Saxony-Anhalt with 719.7. In Brandenburg the value has risen to over 700 and is now 709.4. Bavaria has an incidence of 632.2. Schleswig-Holstein continues to have the lowest value with 150.8. The district of Erzgebirge is the only one with an incidence value of over 2000 (2021.9). Nationwide there are only five districts with a value of less than 100.
The number of corona patients admitted to clinics per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days was given by the RKI on Friday at 5.97 (Thursday: 5.79). The value is not reported on the weekend. It plays an essential role in assessing what is happening in the infection. If limit values 3, 6 and 9 are exceeded in the federal states, stricter measures to combat the pandemic can be imposed there. The RKI stated the number of people recovered on Sunday as 4,823,700. (11/28/2021)
Leopoldina recommends immediate contact restrictions
The National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina recommends immediate comprehensive contact restrictions in view of the dynamic corona infection. “From a medical and epidemiological point of view, it is immediately effective to significantly reduce the number of contacts for a few weeks from the beginning of next week,” said a statement published on Saturday.
“Due to the decreasing immunity, these measures would have to apply temporarily to vaccinated and convalescent people who have to receive a booster vaccination during this time.” The vaccination campaign must be massively strengthened and mandatory vaccination introduced in stages. In total, around 30 million third vaccinations should be made possible by Christmas in addition to first and second vaccinations, according to the Leopoldina.
With a view to children and young people, the Leopoldina recommends early Christmas holidays and regular corona tests at least three times a week. Teachers and students of all grades should wear masks throughout their entire stay in schools. “A suspension of compulsory attendance and alternating classes in schools as well as the closing of day-care centers should be avoided as far as possible.”
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier took the scientists’ request to heart and canceled his three-day trip to the Gulf region because of their appeal. He actually wanted to fly to the United Arab Emirates with his wife Elke Büdenbender that Sunday. A visit to Qatar was planned on Wednesday. (27.11.2021)