In view of the increase in corona cases, Health Minister Lauterbach once again warned of the danger of the pathogen. Gassen, head of statutory health insurance physicians, said in an interview that the urgency of these appeals was excessive.
The head of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV), Andreas Gassen, has accused Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach of making disproportionate appeals in view of the current Corona situation.
“Karl Lauterbach can’t get out of his skin. I think his warnings and appeals are excessive in terms of urgency. After all, we no longer have a pandemic situation,” Gassen told the “Rheinische Post”.
Gassen regrets skepticism about vaccines
He doesn’t want to deny that the numbers are currently rising sharply. “But we didn’t previously advise everyone to wear masks and avoid Christmas parties indoors because of colds or the flu. What makes sense is vaccination against corona and flu for all older people and risk groups,” emphasized Gassen.
At the same time, he expressed regret that there was now increased skepticism towards vaccines. “The flu vaccination rates have never been satisfactory. But at the moment they feel particularly low. However, it doesn’t surprise me that more people are hesitant today,” Gassen told the newspaper.
“Because when the corona vaccines came, concerns about their safety and tolerability were brushed aside by doctors and politicians. Of course, there were and are vaccine injuries in individual people, which, just like Long Covid cases, are part of the overall picture,” emphasized the KBV- CEO.
Lauterbach advises working from home
In view of the current Corona wave, Lauterbach once again called for caution and more vaccinations in the run-up to Christmas. “Corona remains dangerous. It is not a cold that you can safely catch every season,” said the SPD politician to “Bild am Sonntag”.
Rather, Corona often also affects the blood vessels or weakens the immune system and therefore far too often cannot be completely cured. The minister also advised “it’s better to wear a mask on buses and trains.” If possible, you should “stay in your home office rather than enjoy office company”.
There have been signs of an increase for weeks
The so-called Ministry of Health pandemic radar had noticed a sharp increase in viral loads in wastewater in recent weeks. Because fewer and fewer people are reporting positive corona tests, measurements in wastewater are considered an indicator of spreading infections.
In the data, which is always published with a significant delay, the viral load increased by 54 percent in the week from November 23rd to 29th compared to the previous week. There had already been a significant increase beforehand. The number of sick people being admitted to hospitals and the number of Covid patients in intensive care units are also increasing.
According to the Robert Koch Institute, the seven-day incidence is currently 35. Lauterbach himself recently estimated that there were around 1,700 new infections per 100,000 inhabitants in seven days.