Status: 07/07/2022 9:00 p.m
The Robert Koch Institute reports significantly more respiratory infections than usual in summers before the pandemic. According to random samples, adults are mostly affected by corona diseases, while children are mainly affected by other pathogens.
In Germany, significantly more people are currently suffering from respiratory infections than in the summer months before the corona pandemic. For the past week alone, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) is assuming 1.2 million visits to the doctor for respiratory diseases and 4.5 million cases, according to the RKI’s weekly report. These values are significantly higher than those of the pre-pandemic years.
Samples showed that Covid infections are primarily responsible for the increase in adults. In children, on the other hand, other pathogens are the cause, such as parainfluenza and rhinoviruses.
The Frankfurt virologist Sandra Ciesek also pointed out on Twitter that diagnostics is currently showing a colorful picture of pathogens.
If you have symptoms and a PCR test for Sars-CoV-2 is negative, “then it is very likely that you are infected with another pathogen”. Of course, there are false negatives, but they are rare.
RKI: Millions of people with a “vaccination gap”
In a monthly report published on the same day, the RKI also states that many millions of Germans have vaccination gaps. 9.2 million people alone would have to update their vaccination protection with at least one booster vaccination. Another 9.2 million adults have not been vaccinated at all.
The RKI experts confirm that booster vaccinations work well overall against admission to the hospital because of Corona. The incidence of hospital admissions has generally decreased in the omicron wave. Recently, however, it was highest in all age groups in the unvaccinated population.
Lauterbach assures precautions for the fall
In view of the large number of active infections at the moment, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach assured that comprehensive preparations would be made for autumn. The fight against the pandemic will not go into the summer break: “We must not and we cannot afford not to go into autumn well prepared a third time,” said Lauterbach.
A first draft law by the government factions is now being discussed in the Bundestag. Among other things, this should enable a targeted vaccination campaign for people over 60. The drug Paxlovid, which can significantly reduce the risk of death and the likelihood of having to go to a clinic in Covid sufferers, should also be allowed to be used more quickly. A so-called “pandemic radar” should also provide better data on bed occupancy in the clinics and on PCR tests.
New corona rules in the Infection Protection Act, which are due to expire in their current form on September 23, are not yet included in the draft law.