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Indian corona mutant: RKI warns of spread in Germany - what we know so far about variant B.1.617

2021-05-19T14:37:03.662Z


The RKI warns of the spread of the Indian corona mutant B.1.617 in Germany. The federal government has declared Great Britain a risk area.


The RKI warns of the spread of the Indian corona mutant B.1.617 in Germany.

The federal government has declared Great Britain a risk area.

Munich - Corona infections in Germany are falling, the number of people vaccinated is increasing.

Confidence in a carefree summer is growing every day.

But now there is cause for concern again - the reason for this is the spread of the new virus variant B.1.617 in Great Britain, which was first detected in India.

Therefore, the federal government will classify Great Britain as a corona risk area again from Sunday - despite the low number of infections.

According to experts, the variant from India is considered more contagious than previous mutations.

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) also observed an increase in the Indian variant in Germany. 

Coronavirus: Mutant B.1.617 is increasing in Germany - RKI warns of spread

According to the RKI, the proportion of detected infections with variant B.1.617 is still around two percent - "but their proportion has increased steadily in recent weeks," as the RKI reports.

Research in the UK also showed that the number can double within a week.

SPD politician Karl Lauterbach also issued a warning.

A fourth wave is therefore not automatically imminent in Germany, believes the doctor and medical journalist Dr.

Christoph Specht.

"I don't see it that way because we now have a completely different situation," said the doctor.

"We vaccinate like the world champions!" Although the current corona vaccines do not match the Indian variant one hundred percent, they still offer a certain protection, especially against serious infections.

What is known about the mutant so far:

  • Variants B.1.617.1 and B.1.617.2 have appeared in India since December 2020 and are grouped together to form B.1.617.

  • It has been classified as "worrying" by the RKI and the WHO.

    That is, it is observed whether it is more quickly transferable and more dangerous.

  • Together with the lifting of protective measures and poor medical care, it contributes to the situation in India, where several thousand people continue to die every day.

  • The variant has mutations at three structurally important points - whether these make the virus insensitive to vaccines has not yet been clarified - mainly because so far only contaminated substances have been tested outside of Europe.

  • A study from Göttingen (Hoffmann and Pöhlmann) and observations in English retirement homes suggest that vaccinated people can also become infected, but the course is milder.

  • The virologist Ulrike Protzer (TU Munich) summarized on Twitter: The vaccines should still protect well!

Coronavirus: Mutant B.1.617 is spreading in the UK

There are 2,323 confirmed cases nationwide, British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said in Parliament on Monday. That is a good 1000 more than on May 12th. The central English cities of Bolton and Blackburn are particularly affected. There are indications that the variant is more contagious than the previously known forms. But the extent is still unknown. Hancock pointed out that early analysis suggested that the vaccinations protected against the variant.

In Bolton and Blackburn, a total of 27 people are treated in clinics because of the variant. These patients were not vaccinated, said Hancock. "Vaccinations save lives," said Hancock, calling on everyone to get an injection. There was a great rush for vaccinations in Bolton at the weekend. To date, more than 20 million people in the UK have been fully vaccinated against the virus, just under a third of the population. From this Tuesday onwards, everyone over the age of 37 can make an appointment.

The opposition blames the government for the spread of the “Indian” variant.

For weeks she hesitated to put India on a “red list”, just because Prime Minister Boris Johnson had long held on to an ultimately canceled visit to the South Asian country in order to negotiate a free trade agreement.

During this time, around 20,000 people from India entered Great Britain.

Johnson wants to hold on to easing on the island despite the new variant.

(ck / dpa)

List of rubric lists: © Michael Kappeler

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2021-05-19

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