Omikron variant: hospitals sound the alarm - are new contact restrictions coming?

Created: 12/18/2021 Updated: 12/18/2021, 6:48 AM

From: Tobias Utz, Lukas Rogalla

The Corona variant Omikron could already be dominant in Germany at Christmas.

Both the virologist Drosten and the hospitals warn.

Update from Saturday, December 18, 2021, 6.30 a.m.:

According to an assessment by the clinics in Germany, the situation in the hospitals could worsen significantly if the corona forecasts for the Omikron variants come true.

If it is confirmed that these are much more contagious than Delta and the severity of the courses are comparable, in the worst case one will have to deal with a large number of seriously ill patients at the same time, said DKG boss Gerald Gass.

"For the hospitals, this would be a further aggravated situation that goes beyond everything that we have experienced so far."

The Corona variant Omikron is considered more infectious than other Sars-CoV-2 mutations.

(Symbol photo) © National Institute of Infectious Diseases / Imago Images

Gaß called on politicians to weigh up and analyze "very carefully".

In addition, it is necessary to think about further contact restrictions.

Omikron variant: Drosten warns - "There is no wave coming"

+++ 10:50 p.m.:

Christian Drosten warns of a devastating corona wave in Germany. "Omikron is an optimal post-pandemic virus," wrote the virologist on Twitter on Friday. Germany is "not yet ready for the endemic situation because of the vaccine picking". This describes the continually increasing occurrence of the disease.

Drosten shared a graphic that the data journalist Christian Endt had previously posted. Ended fears that the Omikron variant could dominate at Christmas. The number of corona cases would then rise very quickly. "There is no wave, but a wall," wrote Endt. In view of the sparse data on the Omikron variant in Germany, the graphic is "somewhat speculative," he said in a detailed statement. “We don't know exactly how much Omikron is in Germany today, when it becomes dominant and how steep the curve then rises. But if we wait for certainty, we will be too late. "

According to Christian Endt, there is nothing to suggest that the Omikron variant will behave differently in this country than in South Africa, Great Britain and Denmark.

“We therefore have to prepare for a massive wave of new infections, steeper than any before.” The incidence could approach the 1000 mark by the end of the year.

According to the Robert Koch Institute, the number of cases in Germany is currently falling far too slowly.

The RKI called the development of Corona in the weekly report "worrying".

Omikron variant: RKI classifies France and Denmark as high-risk areas

Update from Friday, December 17, 2021, 8.40 p.m.:

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) and the Federal Government are classifying France and Denmark as high-risk areas from Sunday (December 19, 2021) due to the high number of corona infections. From the same day on, Norway, Lebanon and Andorra are considered to be countries with a particularly high risk of infection. On the other hand, Albania, Estonia, Latvia, Bulgaria, North Macedonia and the Republic of Moldova have been removed from the list of high-risk areas.

High-risk areas are countries or regions in which a particularly high risk of infection is assumed due to high infection rates.

Anyone entering Germany from high-risk areas without having been fully vaccinated or recovered must be isolated for ten days.

This quarantine can be ended with a negative corona test after five days at the earliest.

Omikron variant: Lauterbach assumes a “massive fifth wave”

First report from Friday, December 17, 2021, 3:15 p.m .:

Frankfurt / Berlin - The spread of the Omikron variant of the coronavirus * worries the federal government. B.1.1.529 is considered to be significantly more contagious than previous Corona variants. In addition, it is feared that the currently approved corona vaccines * do not protect against Omikron as well as against the Delta variant. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday (December 14th, 2021), the Omikron variant has already been detected in 77 countries and is likely to spread in almost all other countries.

Germany must prepare for a “massive fifth wave” because of the Omikron variant, said Health Minister Karl Lauterbach * on Friday (December 17, 2021) in front of the press in Hanover.

If infections with the omicron variant actually had a milder course, as some researchers suspect based on initial findings, this would perhaps keep the number of deaths low for two or three weeks.

Due to the strong growth in new corona infections, this advantage was quickly used up, said the SPD politician *.

The upcoming wave will be a "massive challenge" for hospitals, but also for society as a whole, emphasized Lauterbach.

Omikron variant: "Biggest current threat to global public health"

An attempt must therefore now be made to push back the wave.

In this context, Lauterbach reiterated his call for a comprehensive booster campaign.

Corona vaccines are not a “miracle weapon”, explained Lothar Wieler, President of the Robert Koch Institute, on Thursday.

Not only Germany, but also Great Britain * and Denmark, which had previously abolished most of the statutory corona rules, are now re-introducing measures *.

The omicron variant of the coronavirus is spreading worldwide.

(Symbolic picture) © Rüdiger Wölk / Imago

The Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced due to the Omikron spread, to close cinemas, theaters and concert halls. Accordingly, a new all-time high of more than 11,000 new corona infections within 24 hours was registered in Denmark on Friday (December 17th, 2021). According to British experts, Omikron surpasses anything that has so far been observed in the entire pandemic.

The health ministers of the G7 countries have classified the Omikron variant as the "greatest current threat to global public health," as they announced on Thursday.

The EU countries rely on rapid booster vaccinations in the fight against B.1.1.529.

Also in the USA * President Joe Biden * warned of a "very rapid" spread of Omikron.

He urged citizens to get vaccinated or boosted.

He predicted "a winter with serious illnesses and death" for the unvaccinated.

Omicron variant: Corona vaccinations probably prevent further serious illnesses

In South Africa, where the Omikron virus variant was first discovered *, the health authorities recorded the highest number of new infections every day since the pandemic began. The number of hospital admissions is growing "not at such a dramatic rate," said Michelle Groome of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) at a press conference. "We're starting to see a few increases, but relatively small increases in deaths." The number of patients who need oxygen is also lower than before. In addition, they seemed to have to stay in the hospital for a shorter time than during previous corona waves.

But the observations did not mean that Omikron was less dangerous, but rather that the corona vaccinations prevented serious illnesses, said Health Minister Joel Phaahla.

The lower hospitalization and death rates are "likely to be due to significant vaccination coverage," especially among the elderly.

In South Africa, only around 31 percent of the population are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.

For people over 60 years of age, however, the vaccination rate is 66 percent.

(lrg / tu with AFP / dpa) *