Lauterbach expects hundreds of thousands of new infections per day
Created: 2022-01-20Updated: 2022-01-20 12:27 AM
Nurses and a doctor take care of a patient in the intensive care unit for corona patients.
(Archive image) © Sebastian Gollnow/dpa
After the record of more than 100,000 daily new corona infections in Germany, Health Minister Lauterbach dares a gloomy forecast.
Mainly because of the situation in the intensive care units.
Berlin – Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) expects several hundred thousand new corona infections a day by mid-February.
With a view to realistic scenarios, it can be assumed “that the wave will peak around mid-February and that we will then have to expect several hundred thousand cases a day,” said Lauterbach on the ZDF program “Markus Lanz”.
It is not said that the scenarios will come about, but "they have the greatest probability".
more on the subject
Lauterbach defends general vaccination
Over 100,000 new corona cases - call for stricter rules
Lauterbach: Corona course no reason for more mental disorders
There are countries that could cope with such numbers with a view to the intensive care units, but the situation in Germany is different.
"Since we have a high number of unvaccinated among the elderly in Germany, things can turn out very differently here than in Italy, France or England, for example," said Lauterbach.
In England, for example, the number of unvaccinated people over the age of 50 is one to two percent.
"These are values that we cannot reach."
Wave is approaching Germany
Regarding the falling hospitalization rate in Germany despite the currently high number of new infections, Lauterbach said that this was an “irrelevant snapshot” because the wave that is currently running in England and France is still coming in Germany.
"I would expect the right load in the intensive care units in mid or late February, that's still a month away and then I hope it will still look good," said Lauterbach.
"That will be the endurance test, not what we are seeing now." dpa
