RKI reports incidence just below record level - virologist warns of "dramatic numbers due to vaccine picking"

The fourth wave of the corona pandemic is rolling, the numbers continue to rise.

Virologist Melanie Brinkmann warns against large vaccine pickings in Germany.

Berlin - The Corona * numbers continue to rise.

Last Friday (November 5), with 37,120 new infections, a record since the beginning of the pandemic * was reached.

On Sunday morning (November 7th) the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) reported 23,543 new corona cases - that is 6656 new infections more than a week ago.

Corona numbers are increasing in Germany: incidence close to record level

The nationwide seven-day incidence * has also increased significantly. The RKI gave the value on Sunday morning as 191.5. The previous day the incidence was 183.7, a week ago it was 149.4 (previous month: 62.6). This is getting closer and closer to the pandemic's peak. During the second wave, the nationwide incidence on December 22, 2020 was 197.6.

The number of corona patients * admitted to clinics per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days - the most important parameter for a possible tightening of the corona restrictions - was last stated by the RKI on Friday at 3.91 (Thursday: 3.73).

With the indicator, however, it must be taken into account that hospital admissions are sometimes reported with delay.

A nationwide threshold value from when the situation can be viewed critically is not provided for the incidence of hospitalization, among other things because of large regional differences.

The previous high was around 15.5 around Christmas time.

Virologist Brinkmann: "Vaccine picking so big that it can lead to dramatic numbers"

Even if the numbers are as high as a year ago, the situation cannot be compared one-to-one.

Virologist Melanie Brinkmann also explained this.

“Because we have a vaccine.

The majority of the population is vaccinated, ”she explained

.

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Virologist Melanie Brinkmann speaks of a large "vaccine pick".

(Archive image)

© Michael Sohn / dpa

“Nevertheless, the vaccination gaps are still so large that there can actually be dramatic numbers when it comes to the occupancy of the intensive care beds in the hospitals,” warned Brinkmann.

"The people in the intensive care unit are mostly people who are not vaccinated," said the virologist.

That is good news.

"We have the means in hand to protect ourselves and to keep the number of sick and dead low," said Brinkmann.

57.9 million people in Germany - i.e. 69.7 percent of the total population - have been vaccinated against the coronavirus * at least once.

This is based on figures from the RKI on Saturday (November 6th).

55.8 million (67.1 percent) are fully vaccinated.

In addition, 2.7 million people received a so-called booster vaccination *.

List of rubric lists: © Michael Sohn