Coronavirus pandemic: incidence over 90 for the first time since May

For the ninth day in a row, the seven-day incidence in Germany increased – in the morning it was 95.1. For the coming weeks, the RKI warns of a rapidly increasing number of cases. Intensive care physicians are also sounding the alarm.

The seven-day incidence in Germany continues to rise rapidly. The Robert Koch Institute gave the value of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants and week in the early morning as 95.1. This is the first time he has exceeded 90 since mid-May.

A week ago the incidence was 68.7. The health authorities reported 19,572 new corona infections to the RKI within one day. According to the new information, 116 deaths were recorded across Germany within 24 hours. A week ago there were 65 deaths.

The number of corona patients admitted to clinics per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days – the most important parameter for a possible tightening of the corona restrictions – was given by the RKI on Thursday at 2.45. With the indicator it must be taken into account that hospital admissions are sometimes reported with delay.

In many places there is a lack of nursing staff

A nationwide threshold, from when the situation can be viewed critically, is not provided for the incidence of hospitalization, among other things because of large regional differences. The previous high was around 15.5 around Christmas last year.

According to the RKI, the number of cases could continue to grow dynamically in the coming period. “It is to be expected that the rise in the number of cases will accelerate in the further course of autumn and winter,” writes the institute in its new weekly report on the pandemic.

Even intensive care physicians are sounding the alarm because many intensive care beds could no longer be operated due to a lack of nursing staff. The German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (DIVI) announced that “a noticeable restriction in the care of the population can be expected” in the coming period.

“The actual 4th wave has now begun”

Currently, 22,207 intensive care beds are reported as operable, at the beginning of the year there were 26,475. According to DIVI, the past few months have led to a deterioration in mood and further dismissals of regular nurses. “A foreseeable heavy autumn and winter wave” with many Covid-19 patients, but also those with other respiratory infections such as flu, could bring intensive medicine in Germany “again to and beyond its limits”, Stefan Kluge, director of the Clinic for Intensive Care Medicine, was quoted as saying at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf.

“The actual 4th wave has now started and is still picking up speed,” wrote DIVI expert Christian Karagiannidis on Twitter. There is still a very close correlation between incidence and new admissions to intensive care units. According to the DIVI intensive care register, the number of Covid 19 patients there has now risen to around 1540 (as of Thursday).

RKI: More vaccination breakthroughs “expected”

According to the RKI report, more and more outbreaks have become known in medical facilities and in old people’s and nursing homes. For the first time since the week of May 3rd to 9th, the seven-day incidence in people over 90 increased last week to over 50. With hygiene measures and increasing vaccination coverage, such outbreaks have decreased significantly, but they continue to occur and also affect vaccinated people, it said. Very old people are particularly at risk of suffering severe and fatal courses in the event of a corona infection.

In general, the RKI writes that it is “to be expected” that more vaccination breakthroughs will be recorded over time, diseases in completely vaccinated persons with corona detection by a PCR test. This is due to the fact that more and more people are vaccinated and the virus is currently spreading again. “This increases the likelihood of coming into contact with the virus as a fully vaccinated person.” According to the RKI, severe disease courses are very rare in vaccinated people.