With the more relaxed pandemic situation in the warm months, it’s one of those things this time: Most of the requirements are gone, infections are increasing again. What does that mean for the citizens and the Corona course?
In view of the higher number of corona infections, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach is counting on everyone being cautious in the summer – and then on further protective measures for the autumn.
“It is not the case that we can face this summer wave carelessly and without countermeasures,” said the SPD politician on Friday in Berlin. But it is also “no alarm necessary”. He appealed to people to voluntarily wear masks indoors. Then he expects an autumn “where we won’t get back to normal. But we won’t be as limited as we were limited either.”
The summer wave: The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) expects the number of cases to continue to rise in the near future, as Vice President Lars Schaade said. Each wave started with young and middle-aged groups. “It’s the same this time.” It then reproduces, and more people from risk groups with Covid would come to clinics and intensive care units again. The reasons for the trend are the end of many protective requirements and that the BA.5 variant is spreading even faster than previous ones. “The good news is that there is currently no evidence that BA.5 leads to more severe diseases than the other omicron variants,” explained Schaade.
Lauterbach warns of infection
Lauterbach nevertheless warned against risking infection. “The careless infection in summer is not a promise,” he said, also with a view to longer-lasting impairments (Long Covid). Vaccination is always the better way.
The RKI now gave the seven-day incidence as 427.8 – after 480.0 reported new infections per 100,000 inhabitants in seven days the day before and 318.7 a week ago. However, the value is not very meaningful in several countries due to the Corpus Christi holiday – authorities reported only very limited numbers of cases on Thursday or not at all to the RKI. In addition, experts have been assuming that many unrecorded cases have been going on for some time – mainly because by far not all infected people have PCR tests done. But only the PCR test results count in the statistics.
The autumn preparations: With a view to a tense situation again, Lauterbach wants to implement a seven-point plan. “The goal is very clear that we want to start the autumn better than we were able to do last year and the year before.” This includes another major vaccination campaign, but without a new attempt for the general vaccination that failed in the Bundestag. Other points are faster use of medication for sick people and more precise responsibilities for corona protection in nursing homes. Lauterbach said he assumes that citizen tests could continue to be used in the summer. So far, the free offer is fixed until the end of June.
The minister made it clear that six of the seven points could be addressed directly. The last one is trickier. It’s about changes to the Corona regulations in the Infection Protection Act, which expire on September 23rd. And in the coalition, the FDP rejects quick decisions. Lauterbach announced that he and Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) are aiming for key points before the summer break – they could then be decided after the summer. He has not yet given any details. «Winter tires» should be prepared. And more is needed than is now raised on “summer tires”.
Adjusted new vaccines to variants
Vaccine for everyone: Lauterbach again advised for the summer to handle fourth vaccinations “more generously” – i.e. a second “booster” after the basic protection with usually two syringes. Four out of five people over the age of 60 have not yet had a fourth vaccination – although this protects against infection for a few months and almost always against severe courses. “The specific decision must be made by the individual in agreement with his doctor.” The Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) recommends this, among other things, generally only from the age of 70. Chairman Thomas Mertens told the “Rheinische Post” (Friday) that a new statement on this would “only make sense after the summer”.
In autumn, three vaccines should be available – in sufficient quantities. In addition to one for the classic virus, two adapted to new variants are expected. “We have procured so much vaccine that we can offer everyone any vaccine,” said Lauterbach. When it comes to the question of who receives which vaccine, what counts is the individual doctor-patient conversation. For the future, Lauterbach thinks it is likely that there will be vaccines “that can prevent the actual infection”. That is “light at the end of the tunnel”. Some scientists expected this, others considered it intangible at the moment. It could be vaccines that act immediately through the mucous membrane.
Source: Stern
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