Status: 09/22/2021 7:30 a.m.
According to Health Minister Spahn, the corona pandemic could be overcome in spring 2022. Then the herd immunity would be achieved, he said in an interview. The only question is whether this is done through vaccinations or infections.
Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn expects herd immunity to the coronavirus by next spring and thus the end of the pandemic in Germany.
“If no new virus variant emerges against which a vaccination does not protect, which is very unlikely, then we will have overcome the pandemic in the spring and can return to normal,” said the CDU politician of the “Augsburger Allgemeine”.
Spahn: vaccination is “the safe way”
The only question is whether herd immunity can be achieved through vaccination or infection. “The vaccination is definitely the safer way to get there,” said Spahn. “And when I look at the hospitals, I have to say: It is a path that not only means less stress for you, but also for many others, for example for the nursing staff.”
The higher the vaccination rate and the lower the infection rate, the better one can protect children who have not yet been vaccinated, said Spahn.
Incidence continues to fall
A lifting of the corona measures, as it did Great Britain on so-called “Freedom Day”, on the other hand, again rejected Spahn. “The vaccination quota is not yet high enough for that. But when I am out and about in the country, I already have the feeling that a lot of ‘freedom’ is possible again,” said Spahn. One should not forget that the vaccine has already made a lot of normal life possible again.
Meanwhile, the seven-day incidence in Germany continues to decline. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) gave the value as 65.0. Yesterday the value was 68.5, a week ago it was 77.9.
More than 10,000 new infections
The health authorities in Germany also reported 10,454 new infections to the RKI within one day – a week ago there were more than 12,000 infections. Throughout Germany, 71 deaths were recorded within 24 hours.
The number of corona patients admitted to clinics per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days was given by the RKI on Tuesday at 1.63. A weekly or monthly comparison is not possible due to the high number of late registrations. 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 time.