Pandemic control
Health system on the verge of collapse: Medical associations are calling for mandatory vaccinations and contact restrictions
A corona intensive care patient from Thuringia arrives by helicopter at a hospital in Hildesheim (Lower Saxony)
© Julian Stratenschulte / DPA
The spread of the coronavirus is pushing hospitals to their limits in many places. Intensive care patients are now being transferred to other federal states. Virologists and immunologists are now jointly warning of a collapse in the health system.
In view of the corona situation, the Hamburg Senator for Social Affairs Melanie Leonhard (SPD) has instructed the hospitals in the Hanseatic city to cancel operations that can be planned in order to continue to secure free capacities in the intensive care units.
This indicates what medical professionals are already afraid of: the associations of virologists and immunologists warn in an urgent, common appeal before a collapse in hospital care in Germany in view of the corona pandemic. “If it is not possible to rigorously reduce the number of infections, it will not be possible to prevent the inpatient health system from collapsing,” says the joint text. Among other things, the doctors are calling for “extensive contact restrictions”.
“The Society for Virology and the German Society for Immunology are of the opinion, together with the Leopoldina, that, after careful consideration of all social values, immediate and consistent measures are necessary to protect citizens in Germany from the severe consequences of the pandemic and an escalation of the current wave of infections preserve “, the statement continues. “The fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic is once again presenting Germany with a major challenge that requires consistent and rapid action.”
Societies are calling for a corona vaccination
Specifically, the Society for Virology (GfV) and the German Society for Immunology (DGfI) are calling for extensive contact restrictions as well as “increasing the vaccination rate, if necessary through the introduction of mandatory vaccination and consistent booster vaccination”. The overriding goal must be “to reduce the number of infections and thus the number of hospitalizations to such an extent that regular patient care and the implementation of elective – that is, interventions that can be postponed – are unrestrictedly possible in the hospitals”.
The experts call for particular attention to the situation of children and adolescents. “It should be emphasized here that closings of schools and daycare centers should be avoided as far as possible due to the consequences for children, families and society,” the text says. Instead, other measures such as wearing FFP2 masks, testing and, if necessary, vaccinations should be implemented consistently. It also appeals to the responsibility of adults to “protect themselves and others from harm by vaccinating themselves”.
Tests probably also show the omicron variant
Regarding the currently spreading omicron variant of the coronavirus, it is said that “according to the current state of knowledge” the common PCR methods for their detection would work. “Rapid antigen tests should also be suitable,” it continues. The extent to which this applies is still being examined.
“PCR-based methods for the real-time detection of the variant should be used across the board as far as possible in order to enable quick contact tracking and quarantine of infected people,” demand the virologists. Further research questions in connection with Omikron would have to be clarified immediately, especially with regard to “the effectiveness of the vaccines used so far”.