For some time now, a particularly high number of infections have been found in school children. The situation is now calming down, but in some regions the numbers continue to explode. An overview of the current data from the RKI.
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) registers a particularly high number of corona infections among children and adolescents in individual regions of Germany. In eight districts, the seven-day incidence is currently more than 500 among 10 to 19-year-olds, the RKI tweeted on Thursday evening for an evaluation in the new Corona weekly report. More detailed information on the districts and their respective numbers were not given, but on a map, the districts were colored accordingly.
Three of the districts are therefore in Bavaria, four in Thuringia and one in Brandenburg.
Nationwide, the seven-day incidence last week in the age groups under 20 years, however, decreased slightly compared to the week before, it was said in summary. In contrast, the values for people over 20 rose slightly. The RKI also spoke of 636 school breakouts transmitted for the past four weeks – due to possible late registrations, however, the past two weeks in particular cannot yet be assessed.
Low vaccination rate, regular tests
For some time now, numerous corona infections have been found, especially in children from school age and in adolescents. The virus is tested regularly at daycare centers and schools. The Covid-19 vaccines have so far been approved for ages 12 and up.
The vaccination rate for 12 to 17 year olds is much lower than for adults. Children and adolescents are significantly less likely to get seriously ill with Covid-19 than older people, but there are still unanswered questions about long-term consequences.
“Incredible and irresponsible!”
On Twitter, users reacted in part shocked and indignant. In Baden-Württemberg, the mask requirement in schools will fall from Monday, wrote one user. “Incredible and irresponsible!” For a year and a half, the children had kept their feet still and endured all the hardships – now they are partially contaminated, commented another user. “Real satire.”
Others pointed out that the high incidence could be due to increased testing in schools and that the courses in children are often milder than in adults.
Plateau in case numbers in intensive care units
The RKI continues to write that there has been a plateau in the number of cases of patients with Covid-19 in the intensive care units over the past few weeks. At the moment, almost 1,400 adults suffering from it are being cared for there. The Divi Intensive Register indicates the proportion of underage people affected at 0.7 percent (as of October 14).
In the groups over 70 years of age for which the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) now recommends a booster vaccination, the increase in incidence is largely slight, according to the report. It is larger, especially among the very old over 90 years – the value rose from 39 to 48 from the week before last to last week. In older age, the immune response after vaccinations is generally lower and vaccination breakthroughs could more often lead to a more severe course, according to the Stiko justification for the booster vaccinations.
Overall, the RKI currently rates the situation in terms of the number of infections as stagnating. The developments in the individual federal states differ. In a comparison of the past two weeks, Saxony, Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt, Brandenburg and Saarland recorded significant increases, according to the weekly report.