Spinner does not believe in “killer variant” – and contradicts Lauterbach

1:17 p.m: Munich-based infectiologist Dr. Christoph D. Spinner does not expect a “killer variant” of the coronavirus, as feared by German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach. “The probability that an even more dangerous variant will emerge that can also reproduce better than current variants is relatively low,” the senior physician at the University Hospital rechts der Isar of the Technical University of Munich told the news site ntv.de.

To do so, the virus would have to combine characteristics that make it more dangerous and transmissible. “This is already very unlikely due to the significant increase in immunocompetence in the general population,” the Corona expert said. The virus no longer encounters an immunnaive population. It is therefore more likely, he said, that the virus keeps changing a little bit so that it can spread to a much more immunocompetent population. Only one thing is certain, according to Spinner: “We’re going to have to live with coronavirus! It will stay with us.”

Lauterbach had said in late July that it was conceivable that a virus could combine the infection of the BA.5 variant with the severe course of a delta variant, resulting in a “killer variant.”

Vaccinations and recoveries have succeeded in noticeably increasing immunocompetence in the general population, Spinner said. This is because vaccinations continue to protect against severe courses of disease, which have become significantly less frequent as a result. That’s also noticeable in clinics, he said. “Significantly fewer people with severe courses need to be hospitalized.” Nevertheless, he said, it is important to continue to protect at-risk groups in particular: “Unfortunately, with Sars-CoV-2, as with other respiratory diseases, there is no sterile immunity that permanently protects against infection – even if we initially hoped for it.”

World Medical Association chief in favor of booster recommendation for under-60s

09.11: The Standing Commission on Vaccination (Stiko) should recommend the second Corona booster vaccination even for those under 60, according to World Medical Association Chairman Frank Ulrich Montgomery. The fact that the Stiko now recommends the second booster for everyone 60 and older is a good thing, he said. “Even significantly younger people should have access to the second booster vaccination, for example if they come into contact with many people in their jobs and therefore have a higher risk of infection,” Montgomery told Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (Monday). “The fact that it is legally possible to be vaccinated is not enough for many. The Stiko should consider that in its decisions.” In addition, many doctors and hospitals would only vaccinate if there was a positive decision by the Stiko.

The Stiko recommends the second booster vaccination since last week also for people aged 60 and older. The condition for the booster from this age is usually that the first booster vaccination or the last Corona-infection had been at least six months. Previously, the panel had recommended the second booster only for people older than 70 years, people in long-term care facilities, people with immune deficiencies and at increased risk for severe covid 19 courses five years or older, and workers in medical and long-term care facilities.

School starts for more than 300,000 students with Corona-Tests

Monday, August 22, 05:01: After just over six weeks of summer vacation, classes will start again Monday for about 303,000 students. In the first week after the summer vacations, non-immunized students, teachers and other school employees are subject to three tests. After that, there will be no more Corona restrictions and classes will be held in attendance in all classes without masks.

School attendance will also be compulsory from the new school year for children and young people from Ukraine who fled the Russian war of aggression. The Ministry of Education will not know how many students this will affect until after the start of the school year. Before the summer vacations, around 4,500 students from Ukraine were registered at Brandenburg schools.

The Brandenburg police announced controls at the school ways to the start of school on Monday. Because a total of 24,000 first graders are starting classes. The police are therefore asking road users to be particularly considerate, because the ABC pupils now have to find their way around the traffic on their way to school.

Divi-Report: Number of Covid-19 intensive care patients back below 1000 after weeks

Sunday, August 21, 2022, 11:30 am: For the first time since early July, the number of critically ill patients treated with Covid-19 in intensive care units in Germany has fallen below 1000. This is according to the daily report of the intensive care register of the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (Divi). According to the report, 988 Covid-19 patients were in intensive care units nationwide on Saturday – 54 fewer than the previous day. 363 of them, 37 percent, were receiving invasive ventilation – that is, through a tube into the windpipe. The last time the number of Covid ICU patients had been below 1,000 was July 2.

Also declining on Saturday was the nationwide seven-day incidence. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reported the value of new Corona infections per 100,000 population per week at 302.9 on Saturday morning. On Friday, it had been 312.5 (previous week: 342.2; previous month: 740.1).

Corona warning app apparently to cost another 70 million euros by year’s end

Saturday, 08/20, 08:07: The federal government’s Corona warning app is expected to cost up to 70 million euros more by the end of the year, according to a media report – 20 million euros more than predicted in February. The costs would mainly be incurred for the project to further expand the app as a “building block of digital contact tracing and to integrate additional functionalities,” reports the “Welt am Sonntag” with reference to the Federal Ministry of Health.

In February, the ministry had put the additional cost of the Corona alert app at 50 million euros by the end of the year, according to the reports. According to the health ministry, the increased costs are for example for the “connection of additional testing sites” or for the “improved display” of the current status proof, which now “enables test administration for family members.” In addition, provision has been made for the extension of technically expired certificates and other “minor improvements and adjustments” have been made.

A spokeswoman for German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) told “Welt am Sonntag” that the total costs paid out so far would amount to “circa 160 million euros.”

Lauterbach: Omicron vaccine “enough for everyone”

06:39 PM: German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) assures that in the fall there will not be another situation in which there are felt first and second class vaccines. “We have ordered so much adapted Omikron vaccine that it will be enough for everyone,” Lauterbach told the news portal t-online. Of course, however, not everyone interested could be vaccinated at once on the first day.

RKI registers 46,724 new Corona infections on Friday – incidence at 312.5

Friday, August 19, 2022, 06:34: The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) has reported the nationwide seven-day incidence as of Friday morning at 312.5. This is according to figures that reflect the status of the RKI dashboard as of 05.00. On Thursday, the figure for new Corona infections per 100,000 population per week had been 314.2 (previous week: 345.9; previous month: 702.4). However, these figures provide only a very incomplete picture of the infection figures. Experts have been assuming for some time that there is a high number of cases not recorded by the RKI – mainly because by far not all infected persons have a PCR test done. Only positive PCR tests count in the statistics. In addition, subsequent reports or transmission problems can lead to a distortion of individual daily values.

Health offices in Germany most recently reported 46,724 new Corona infections (previous week: 49,839) and 169 deaths (previous week: 167) to the RKI within one day. Comparisons of data are again limited due to testing behavior, late reporting or transmission problems. In general, the number of registered new infections and deaths fluctuates significantly from weekday to weekday, since many German states do not transmit to the RKI, especially on weekends, and subsequently report their cases in the course of the week.

Stiko recommends fourth vaccination for over-60s

3:58 PM: The Standing Commission on Vaccination (Stiko) recommends the second booster vaccination against the coronavirus already from the age of 60. This should protect particularly vulnerable people even better from severe Covid 19 disease and deaths caused by it, the Stiko announced on Thursday in Berlin. Previously, a second booster vaccination had been recommended to people only from 70 years.

Researcher warns of high number of unreported cases after vacation end: “Incidence probably at 2000”

07.08: In the first federal states, the summer vacations are now over. According to statistician Christian Hesse, this means that the infection figures can rise again. The peak of the summer wave is therefore still far from over. And the number of unreported cases is also increasing.

RKI: New infections decline – incidence rises slightly

Thursday, August 18, 2022, 06:53 hrs: The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) has reported the nationwide seven-day incidence ofCorona infections at 314.2 on Thursday morning. This is according to figures reflecting the status of the RKI dashboard as of 05:00. On Wednesday, the value ofCorona new infections per 100,000 inhabitants per week had been 311.8 (previous week: 354.5; previous month: 708.6). However, these figures provide only a very incomplete picture of the infection figures.

For some time, experts have been assuming a high number of cases not recorded by the RKI – mainly because by far not all infected persons have a PCR test done. Only positive PCR tests count in the statistics. In addition, subsequent reports or transmission problems can lead to a distortion of individual daily values.

Health offices in Germany last reported 58,685Corona new infections (previous week: 59888) and 184 deaths (previous week: 153) to the RKI within one day. Comparisons of the data are again only possible to a limited extent due to testing behavior, subsequent reports or transmission problems. In general, the number of registered new infections and deaths fluctuates significantly from weekday to weekday, as many German states do not transmit to the RKI, especially on weekends, and subsequently report their cases in the course of the week.

The RKI counted 31,725,160 confirmed infections with Sars-CoV-2 since the beginning of the pandemic, but the actual total number is likely much higher because many infections are not detected.

RKI registers 67390 new Corona infections on Wednesday morning – incidence at 311.8

Wednesday, August 17, 2022, 07:46: The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reported the nationwide seven-day incidence of corona infections at 311.8 Wednesday morning. This is according to figures reflecting the status of the RKI dashboard as of 05:00. On Tuesday, the figure for new Corona infections per 100000 inhabitants per week had been 313.6 (previous week: 366.8; previous month: 725.1). However, these figures provide only a very incomplete picture of the infection figures.

For some time, experts have been assuming a high number of cases not recorded by the RKI – mainly because by far not all infected persons have a PCR test done. Only positive PCR tests count in the statistics. In addition, subsequent reports or transmission problems can lead to a distortion of individual daily values.

Health offices in Germany most recently reported 67,390 new Corona infections (previous week: 72,737) and 192 deaths (previous week: 213) to the RKI within one day. Again, comparisons of data are limited due to testing behavior, late reporting, or transmission problems. In general, the number of registered new infections and deaths fluctuates significantly from weekday to weekday, as many German states do not transmit to the RKI, especially on weekends, and subsequently report their cases in the course of the week.

The RKI counted 31,666,475 confirmed infections with Sars-CoV-2 since the beginning of the pandemic, but the actual total is likely to be significantly higher, as many infections are not detected.

RKI registers 63,745 new Corona infections on Tuesday – incidence at 313.6

Tuesday, August 16, 2022, 08:45 AM: The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) has reported the nationwide seven-day incidence as of Tuesday morning at 313.6. This is according to figures that reflect the status of the RKI dashboard as of 05.00. On Saturday, the figure for new Corona infections per 100,000 population per week had been 342.2 (previous week: 381.5; previous month: 752.7). However, these figures provide only a very incomplete picture of the infection figures.

For some time, experts have been assuming a high number of cases not recorded by the RKI – mainly because by far not all infected persons have a PCR test done. Only positive PCR tests count in the statistics. In addition, subsequent reports or transmission problems can lead to a distortion of individual daily values.

Health offices in Germany most recently reported 63,745 new Corona infections (previous week: 78,698) and 140 deaths (previous week: 170) to the RKI within one day. Comparisons of data are again limited due to testing behavior, late reporting, or transmission problems. In general, the number of registered new infections and deaths fluctuates significantly from weekday to weekday, since many German states do not transmit to the RKI, especially on weekends, and subsequently report their cases in the course of the week.

The RKI counted 31,599,085 confirmed infections with Sars-CoV-2 since the beginning of the pandemic, but the actual total is likely to be much higher, as many infections are not detected.