Corona: Lauterbach sends Christmas warning - and thanks health workers: "You are deeply indebted"

Created: 12/25/2021, 06:05 AM

By: Antonio José Riether

The corona situation in Germany is still worrying.

The number of cases could be deceptive, especially over the holidays.

The news ticker.

• The Omikron variant is on the advance, just in time for the turn of the year, new measures were decided at the Corona summit *.

• Health Minister Lauterbach issued an urgent Christmas

  warning (update from December 24th, 12.20pm) -

  and thanks the healthcare workers for their commitment

  (update from December 24th, 9.17pm)

  .

• In Duisburg, a doctor starts a Christmas vaccination marathon over 81 hours

  (update from December 24th, 2:29 p.m.)

  .

• This news ticker is continuously updated.

Update from December 24th, 9:17 p.m

.: Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) thanked the healthcare workers for their commitment to the corona pandemic.

"The ongoing pandemic also means an ongoing burden for you," said Lauterbach in a video message sent to the medical and nursing staff on Christmas Eve via Twitter.

"I know exactly how difficult your work is and I also know what you owe - more than what we can currently offer," emphasized the minister.

Lauterbach emphasized that the challenge posed by the pandemic would not be manageable without the work of health care workers.

The whole of society is "deeply in your debt".

Lauterbach described the vaccination gaps in Germany as still "far too big".

With the booster campaign, politicians are trying to take countermeasures and push back the delta wave.

However, due to the Omikron variant, a new "big, important wave" is already waiting

Steinmeier calls for solidarity in the corona pandemic

Update from December 24th, 3:08 p.m

.: Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has placed a call for social cohesion in the corona pandemic at the center of his Christmas address. When fighting a pandemic, it depends on each individual. "The state cannot put on the protective mask for us, nor can it be vaccinated for us," he said in the pre-recorded speech. Leading clergy of the Evangelical Church also called for solidarity.

Steinmeier said: “In a democracy we don't all have to be of one opinion. But please let us remember: We are one country! ”Of course there are uncertainties and fears in the pandemic. After two years, frustration, irritability, alienation and, unfortunately, open aggression spread, said the head of state and at the same time warned that one must still be able to look each other in the eye after the pandemic.

The decisive factor is how different opinions are spoken about, in the family, among friends and in public,

said Steinmeier.

In his address, which will be broadcast on television on Christmas Day, the Federal President thanked the citizens for their considerate actions to avoid infections.

The often silent majority has been acting prudently and responsibly for months, he said.

Corona in Germany: Doctor starts Christmas vaccination marathon over 81 hours

Update from December 24th, 2:29 p.m.:

A team of doctors in Duisburg now wants to vaccinate a whopping 81 hours in a train station hotel.

The syringe marathon should immunize as many people as possible before Christmas and thus slow down the spread of the virus.

Neurologist Ahmad-Mujtaba Mostakiem brought 15 employees into the team on Friday morning, who provided him with support during the show of strength.

In addition, he organized several thousand vaccine doses from various manufacturers - including children's vaccines, said the doctor of the German Press Agency.

Already in the morning a queue of around 30 people willing to be vaccinated formed.

Vaccination should take place in three shifts around the clock.

Many families meet at Christmas.

If still unvaccinated people were persuaded to take the spades, you could get straight to the point in your vaccination center - without registration, said Mostakiem.

Together with his team, he offers vaccinations continuously until December 27th at 6 p.m.

He couldn't predict how many people would come.

It is about him to further increase the vaccination numbers.

According to him, the doctor has been vaccinating in the hotel lobby since November.

Update from December 24th, 12.20 p.m

.: Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) turned to the Germans on Christmas Eve with an urgent warning.

On Twitter, he wrote: “The percentage of Omicron cases will increase VERY sharply in the next few days.

Health authorities report late on public holidays.

We still keep an eye on developments.

Please avoid / avoid contagion at the party.

Even vaccinated people should test themselves. "

Current figures: Corona infections are falling slightly

Update from December 24th, 8:05 a.m.:

The seven-day incidence in Germany has decreased again compared to the previous day.

As the RKI announced on Friday morning, the value is currently 265.8.

For comparison: the previous day the value was 280.3.

A week ago the nationwide incidence was 331.8 (previous month: 404.5).

Within one day, the health authorities reported 35,431 new infections to the RKI (beach December 24, 4.54 a.m.).

Exactly one week ago there were 50,968 infections.

According to the new information, 370 deaths were recorded across Germany within 24 hours.

A week ago there were 437 deaths.

The RKI has counted 6,959,067 detected infections with Sars-CoV-2 since the beginning of the pandemic.

The actual total number is likely to be significantly higher, however, since many infections are not recognized.

The number of corona patients admitted to clinics per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days was given by the RKI on Thursday as 4.55 (Wednesday with 4.57).

The RKI stated the number of people recovered on Friday at 6,048,800.

The number of people who died with or with a proven infection with Sars-CoV-2 rose to 110,119.

Corona in Germany: Second Corona drug approved in the USA

Update from December 23, 7.41 p.m.:

In the USA, a second drug against the coronavirus was approved in an urgent procedure, as

reported by

.

The American Medicines Agency (FDA) cleared the way for the drug Molnupiravir from the US manufacturer MSD.

In Europe, the active ingredient is known under the name of Lagevrio and is already approved in Great Britain and Denmark.

Like paxlovid, molnupiravir is an antiviral in pill form, so it is supposed to prevent the virus from reproducing in the body.

Approval is available for high-risk patients aged 18 and over.

The drug reduces the risk of hospitalization and death by 30 percent.

Corona high-risk areas: Spain, Portugal and USA on risk list

Update from December 23, 5:55 p.m.:

The list of countries that are considered high-risk areas will change from Saturday. The federal government is adding the popular holiday countries Spain and Portugal, as well as the USA, to the list of high-risk areas. After the situation in Spain and Portugal relaxed, also thanks to the high vaccination rate of 80 and 90 percent respectively, the number of infections there skyrocketed again. The governments in both Spain and Portugal are again taking stricter measures. The US is struggling with the Omikron virus variant in particular. Finland, Cyprus and Monaco are also on the risk list from Saturday.

On the other hand, the neighboring country Austria is deleted from the list.

That should especially please the skiers.

In Austria, the number of new infections is falling, even below the value in Germany.

For those returning from high-risk areas, the following applies: Anyone who has not been fully vaccinated or recovered has to be in quarantine for ten days and can only get rid of it with a negative test after five days at the earliest.

In addition, a travel warning from the Federal Foreign Office applies to high-risk areas.

Corona virus: Virologist worries about a lack of motivation

Update from December 23, 10:21 a.m.:

The Frankfurt virologist Sandra Ciesek is concerned about the motivation to continue fighting the pandemic in 2022.

Despite vaccines and medication, the year went worse than Ciesek would have expected at Christmas 2020. “The drugs are helpful, but they are not a substitute for a vaccination.” At the beginning of 2021, she assumed that the start of vaccinations would herald the end of the pandemic. "I would not have thought that so many people would not be vaccinated," the virologist tells the dpa today. Which she thinks is a shame. The vaccine is a good tool to end this pandemic. In addition, they reacted too late to the waves of infections in some cases in 2021.

Ciesek does not consider the demand that politicians should draw up a long-term, fixed plan on how to live with the virus in the long term to be expedient: “The situation is too dynamic. You have to remain flexible. "One lesson from almost two years of pandemic must be:" Unfortunately, you can't make promises or exclude anything. "

Will 2022 be better?

"My impression is that many people no longer have any motivation to deal with the pandemic any longer." However, she hopes that the activity of the pathogen will weaken in spring - despite the increasing spread of the omicron variant.

However, she expects the next wave in autumn, especially if it is not possible to close the existing vaccination gaps by then.

"But I hope that we are better prepared this time," said Ciesek.

It would then be the sixth corona wave in Germany.

“That will change”: Lauterbach mentions the point in time when the Omikron wave will strike in Germany

Update from December 23, 8:35 a.m.:

Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) expects a large wave of the more contagious Coronavirus variant Omikron in Germany at the turn of the year. “We don't have a big, fast wave yet. That will change at the turn of the year and in the first week of January ”, Lauterbach warned on Thursday on WDR 2 in the program“ Morgenmagazin ”.

Lauterbach assumes that the booster vaccinations that are currently being forced will not be enough.

"Personally, I would expect a fourth vaccination," he said.

However, this has not yet been scientifically proven.

“What we know for sure is that we need a booster vaccination.” With the booster vaccinations, “70 to 80 percent of symptomatic cases of illness can be prevented,” emphasized the minister.

“Later in the year”, a fourth vaccination is likely to be necessary, which is specially tailored to the Omikron variant.

Corona in Germany: Uncertainty threatens into the new year

First report from December 23:

Berlin - Before the Christmas holidays and the turn of the year, the representatives of the federal and state governments met for the summit, at which future measures against the spread of the coronavirus * - especially the Omikron variant - were decided. In view of the upcoming holidays, a deceptive drop in the number of corona cases, which is currently falling every day, is expected, experts fear a trend reversal.

As the latest government decision shows, there are new contact restrictions with a view to New Year's Eve - also for vaccinated people.

From December 28th, private meetings of vaccinated and convalescent people are only allowed with a maximum of ten people, children up to 14 years are excluded.

If an unvaccinated person takes part, the rule is tightened: In this case, the meeting would be limited to your own household and two other people from another household.

In addition, there is a ban on gatherings on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, and the sale of fireworks is also prohibited this year so as not to further burden hospitals.

Corona in Germany: case numbers in Germany are falling - contact restrictions for the New Year decided

On Thursday, the nationwide seven-day incidence fell again compared to the previous day, the RKI gave the value in the morning as 280.3.

In addition, 44,927 new infections with the virus were registered within 24 hours, during this time 425 further deaths were recorded.

However, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) points out that the correct interpretation of the numbers must be observed during the turn of the year.

Due to the "lower test and reporting activity", only an "incomplete picture of the epidemiological situation" is presented. Other experts also warn, especially of the impending uncertainty into the new year.

RKI boss Lothar Wieler (left) and Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach at the Corona summit.

© Jürgen Heinric / Imago

Corona in Germany: Experts warn against misinterpretation of the numbers - "The virus does not sleep"

The head of the medical association, Ute Teichert, also assumes that the number of cases is under-recorded. "The figures should only be reliable again at the beginning of January." This is how the assessment of the situation in Germany is made more difficult, said the chairwoman of the board of the Federal Association of Doctors in the Public Health Service. The board of directors of the German Patient Protection Foundation, Eugen Brysch, also warns: “On weekends and public holidays, data collection by the public health system goes into sleep mode. But the virus doesn't sleep. So the political measures lag behind the infection rate. "

As Brysch thinks, the downward trend could continue until Christmas, but here “it must be doubted whether this effect is primarily due to the corona regulations.” Since the broad test obligation has been overturned, Germany “is still in the paper age”.