The prescribed isolation for corona infected people is to be reduced to five days. This was announced by the Ministry of Health in Saxony-Anhalt on Thursday evening, which is currently chairing the Conference of Health Ministers. In a video link by the heads of federal and state departments, the Federal Ministry of Health announced that the recommendation of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) with regard to the duration of isolation and quarantine should be adjusted at the beginning of next week.
The countries want to revise their isolation and quarantine regulations accordingly. The health ministers justify the step with increasing immunity in the population and milder disease progression with the omicron variant. It is gratifying that “all states have agreed on a uniform approach based on the scientific expertise of the RKI,” explained Saxony-Anhalt’s Health Minister Petra Grimm-Benne (SPD). A quarantine for contact persons of infected people should only be urgently recommended, as it was said on Thursday evening after the deliberations of the department heads.
Several countries are already making headway in shortening the isolation period. In Baden-Württemberg, too, it should only last five days, as the German Press Agency learned from coalition circles. From the beginning of May, a final free test after five days will also be omitted for most people if they have had no symptoms for two days. There are exceptions for staff in clinics or nursing homes. Baden-Württemberg follows the example of Bavaria, where such a regulation has been in effect since mid-April. Rhineland-Palatinate and Thuringia had also announced that they would go this route.
So far, isolation and quarantine have usually lasted ten days and can be ended prematurely with a negative test after seven days at the earliest. Federal Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) had withdrawn an initially planned end to the obligation to isolate. (04/29/2022)
Seven-day incidence drops to 758.5
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reported 101,610 new infections within 24 hours on Friday. That is 60,108 fewer cases than on Friday last week, when 161,718 corona infections were reported. The nationwide seven-day incidence drops to 758.5 from 826.0 the previous day. 214 other people died in connection with the virus. This increased the number of reported deaths to 135,292.
The number of infections is currently only of limited significance. Experts have been assuming for some time that there will be a large number of cases not recorded by the RKI – due to overworked health authorities and because not all infected people have a PCR test done. Only these count in the 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. (04/29/2022)
Omicron subvariant BA.2 at 97 percent, other variants rare
According to data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the omicron subvariant BA.2 is now likely to cause the vast majority of corona infections in Germany. According to the latest findings – a sample from the week before last – their share was 97 percent, according to the RKI weekly report on Thursday evening.
BA.1, the previously predominant subtype, comes to just under three percent. According to the data, the relatively new omicron sublines BA.4 and BA.5 have not played any particular role so far: BA.4 is listed with a share of 0 percent, BA.5 with 0.1 percent. Mixed variants have so far only been detected in isolated cases, writes the RKI. In Germany, the genome is only completely examined in a small proportion of positive samples. (04/29/2022)
Drosten leaves the Corona committee
The virologist Christian Drosten is withdrawing from a commission for the scientific assessment of the state corona restrictions in Germany. Unfortunately, Drosten informed him that he would no longer accompany the evaluation of the Infection Protection Act for the Federal Government and Parliament, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) said on Twitter. “This is a heavy loss because nobody could do it better.” The head of the Institute for Virology at the Charité Berlin remains a member of the Federal Government’s Corona Expert Council.
The Bundestag had stipulated in the Infection Protection Act that there should be an external evaluation of the requirements in the context of the epidemic situation of national importance that had been in place for several months. A committee of experts was set up for this purpose, which according to the law is supposed to submit a report by June 30th. Scientists from various disciplines belong to the committee.
A Charité spokeswoman confirmed on request that Drosten had informed the committee of his withdrawal. He had come to the conclusion that the equipment and composition were not sufficient to be able to guarantee a scientifically high-quality evaluation. In addition, in the past few weeks, the content of the consultations has repeatedly become the subject of misleading and incorrect reporting. “From Prof. Drosten’s point of view, this stands in the way of constructive, goal-oriented cooperation in the committee.” After all, the members are bound by strict confidentiality. (04/28/2022)
Tens of thousands of vaccination violations
According to a media report, more than 47,000 violations of the corona vaccination requirement in the healthcare sector have been reported to the health authorities in the 20 largest cities in Germany. As the editorial network Germany reports as a result of its own survey, this has not had any consequences for those affected so far. There have not been a single case of fines or bans on entry.
According to the report, the most reported violations are in the cities of Berlin (6541), Munich (5330) and Dresden (4821). In relation to the number of inhabitants, Dresden has by far the most unvaccinated health workers. There are 867 reported cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Bonn follows Dresden with 531 and Hanover with 498 reported cases per 100,000 inhabitants.
According to the report, the cities do not want to impose fines or issue bans on entry and activity until mid-May. Since mid-March there has been a nationwide facility-related corona vaccination requirement for employees in hospitals and in care. Without proof, there is a risk of a ban on employment, which the municipal health authorities can issue. A general obligation to vaccinate did not find a majority in the Bundestag in April. (04/28/2022)
Before the meeting of health ministers: Doctors’ representatives are demanding nationwide uniform isolation rules
Doctors’ representatives are calling for nationwide uniform rules for the isolation of corona infected people. It needs “clear regulations that do not differ from country to country,” said the chairwoman of the doctors’ union Marburger Bund, Susanne Johna, the newspapers of the Funke media group. This Thursday, the federal and state health ministers want to discuss the new regulation of the obligation to isolate.
Bavaria and Saxony have already reduced the previously applicable period of ten days to five days. However, this only makes sense if the test result is negative and there are no symptoms for 48 hours, said Johna. The evidence should come from a testing site, such as a testing center or doctor’s office. (04/28/2022)
In Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, too, masks are no longer compulsory in supermarkets
After the end of most state corona requirements in Germany, the last, even stricter requirements in Hamburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania will no longer apply. The Senate of the Hanseatic city and the cabinet in Schwerin decided to end further protection rules such as additional mask requirements. For several weeks, both countries were the only ones nationwide to use a controversial “hotspot” clause for regions with a critical pandemic situation. There are still strong fluctuations in the official numbers of new infections in Germany after the Easter holidays. From the expert’s point of view, there is a risk of further uncertainty if tests are not carried out in schools.
In view of the current infection situation, the measures imposed under the so-called hotspot rule should not be extended beyond next Saturday, said Hamburg’s First Mayor Peter Tschentscher (SPD) on Tuesday after consultations with his red-green Senate. There is no reason for an extension. “We are now taking big steps towards normal life again.” (04/27/2022)
More than half of the US population has had Corona
According to a study, more than half of the population in the USA has now been infected with Covid-19 at least once. In the general population, the proportion is 58 percent, and in children up to the age of eleven it is even more than 75 percent, according to a study published by the US CDC. The figures relate to the months of December to February.
Before the omicron virus variant began to spread in the USA at the beginning of December, only a third of all Americans could be proven to have survived the corona infection. For the younger children it was a good 44 percent. In the study, scientists looked for special antibodies in the blood of test subjects that are only produced after an infection but not after a vaccination. According to US officials, 66 percent of Americans are fully vaccinated, and 46 percent have also received a booster shot. (04/27/2022)