Omicron: Crisis team chief names time for the ebb - but expert does not rule out "further waves".

Created: 2022-01-14Updated: 2022-01-14, 10:46 p.m

By: Christina Denk

In many European countries, the number of infections is skyrocketing because of omicron.

So also in Germany.

But for how much longer?

Experts see an end.

Berlin - The Omicron wave is currently rolling over countries like Germany, Italy and Austria.

The incidences are skyrocketing.

Germany recently recorded two incidence records.

In Italy, more and more people are in intensive care units.

In other areas, however, the situation seems to be easing again.

Great Britain saw the number of infections fall again for the first time after the country was badly plagued by omicron.

The island reported 218,705 new coronavirus cases on January 4.

On Jan. 13, after a steady decline, it was down to 105,679.

Similar tendencies can be seen in major American cities such as Washington and Chicago.

But how will the omicron wave continue in Germany?

Will the wave be over in a few weeks?

- Estimates of the length and spread of omicrons

Two to five weeks - that's how long the Omikron wave will keep the number of infections in Germany high, according to estimates by the head of the crisis team, Carsten Breuer. "We can't predict it more precisely at the moment, we don't know the force either," said the major general in Potsdam on Friday. However, he is confident that a bulwark can be built against the omicron wave - even with more vaccinations. "The wave - one must now actually speak of a wall that we are preparing for - is manageable." One preparation would be vaccination. In Germany, however, there is further discussion about compulsory vaccination.

Andreas Gassen, head of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, is certain that almost every citizen will come into contact with the omicron variant in the next few months: "It would be illusory to assume that we could prevent large parts of the population from becoming infected with omicron .

The virus is too contagious for that,” explained Gassen.

Most vaccinated people would hardly notice an infection.

RKI boss Wieler and Christian Drosten also gave an assessment of the omicron wave at a PK.

More waves to omicron: epidemiologist gives outlook on the pandemic

If the omicron wave dominates Germany for another two to five weeks, what are the forecasts for the future? The Bremen epidemiologist Hajo Zeeb does not rule out further waves of the corona virus. "We always have to be prepared for variants that throw a spanner in the works for us," Zeeb told dpa. The current infection of many people at the same time is particularly unfavorable. "So the probability is statistically higher that new variants can develop." Rapid infection is an "accelerated path to the endemic situation" and even more contagious variants are unlikely, "but variants with the same infectivity and then less favorable clinical parameters , that can happen," said Zeeb.

Zeeb Genesene also urged caution given the rapid succession of delta and omicron waves.

"It is definitely the case that they have the risk of getting sick again." Omicron is "almost another virus".

A high vaccination rate with regard to future variants is therefore necessary.

Both mandatory vaccination and widespread, low-threshold vaccination offers could contribute to rapid vaccination.

"We see that we probably need more vaccinations," said Zeeb.

In a guest article for

, he recently called for a comprehensive reorganization of the pandemic precautions.

However, data on a fourth peak had recently dampened hopes.