Status: 04/01/2022 07:20 a.m
According to the Robert Koch Institute, the peak of the current corona wave in Germany has probably been passed. The infection pressure is still high. The seven-day incidence has fallen again.
Despite the first signs of a somewhat weakened infection rate in Germany, the Robert Koch Institute considers the further behavior of people to be crucial.
The further course of the pandemic also depends on whether larger parts of the population continue to behave prudently and considerately even when state-ordered measures are relaxed, writes the RKI in its weekly report. The extent to which contacts increase also plays a role.
The nationwide seven-day incidence of new corona infections has fallen to below 1,600. As the RKI announced, the value is now 1586.4. On Thursday it was 1625.1, a week ago it was 1756.4. As the RKI further reported, citing data from the health authorities, the absolute number of new infections reported within 24 hours was 252,530 – after 274,901 the day before and 296,498 new infections a week ago. The total number of registered cases of infection in Germany since the beginning of the corona pandemic has increased to 21,357,039. According to the RKI, 304 further deaths related to the corona virus were registered within 24 hours. The total number of corona deaths recorded in Germany rose to 129,695.
In view of a slight decrease in the number of cases in a week-to-week comparison, the authority notes the development: “The peak of the wave has probably been reached, but the infection pressure remains very high with more than 1.5 million Covid-19 cases transmitted to the RKI within a week.” The summit may already have been passed.
Proportion of the omicron subtype BA.2 further increased
Meanwhile, according to the report, the proportion of the omicron subtype BA.2 in a sample, which has been growing for weeks, has continued to grow: according to the most recent available data for the week before last to around 81 percent (week before: around 73 percent). The current value should therefore be even higher.
The spread of BA.2 was considered a driver of the current wave. The subtype is arguably more transmissible than the previously predominant one. Which variant could follow next – and when – seems open.
RKI recommends second refresher for certain groups
The RKI continues to observe different developments in the age groups: the incidence is declining in a weekly comparison among younger people between 15 and 34 years of age, but increasing among older people between 60 and 85 years of age. There was a further increase in outbreaks in old people’s and nursing homes.
In particular, the RKI called on risk groups and very old people over the age of 70 to protect themselves against a serious illness with the second booster vaccination recommended by the Standing Vaccination Committee.