Corona-PK with Lauterbach and RKI: Expert describes dangerous delta scenario

Created: 02/19/2022 13:07

By: Momir Takac, Katharina Haase, Jennifer Lanzinger

On Friday, the RKI and the federal government will report on the corona situation in Germany.

Federal Minister of Health Lauterbach advocates easing, but with restrictions.

News ticker.

• The corona situation in Germany has been easing noticeably for days.

• At a press conference, Health Minister Lauterbach and RKI Vice President Schaade provided information.

• All information here in the news ticker.

Corona-PK: Is the Delta variant flaring up again?

Expert describes grim scenario

Update from February 18, 8:45 a.m.:

“There is light at the end of the tunnel,” explains Michael Meyer-Hermann, head of the Systems Immunology department at the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, at the press conference on Friday.

It is important to know when which opening will be permitted.

Easing would have to be done slowly in order to register the effect of the easing in the meantime.

It is not yet clear how contagious the omicron subtype B2 actually is.

Relaxation could therefore lengthen or even increase the corona curve.

The omicron variant could put the world in an endemic situation, Meyer-Hermann continued.

This point has not yet been reached, since there is also a probability of infection in the vaccinated.

Vaccination is a key factor here.

Meyer-Hermann also explains that the more dangerous delta variant could rise again in the fall if the majority of people had only had the omicron variant so far.

Long Covid also plays a major role, many people would have massive long-term consequences.

Long Covid symptoms are also significantly milder if the patient has previously been vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Update from February 18, 8.40 a.m .:

RKI Vice President Lars Schaade also spoke at the press conference, representing RKI boss Lothar Wieler.

The reason for the replacement is not yet known.

The virus is slowly being slowed down, says Schaade.

Slow easing is possible under observation of the situation.

Clinics and intensive care units are still heavily burdened.

It cannot be ruled out that the numbers will increase again in the future.

Outbreaks in nursing homes, for example, are currently occurring more frequently again.

There it is important to continue to comply with the protective measures.

It is therefore important to do a corona test before visiting nursing homes, even if you have already recovered or been vaccinated.

"We have to be prepared for the fact that there will be further corona waves," Schaade continued.

It is therefore important that as many people as possible have immunity to the corona virus.

Corona press conference: Health Minister Karl Lauterbach warns of extreme relaxation

Update from February 18, 8.30 a.m .:

The omicron wave remains at a strong level in Germany.

Health Minister Karl Lauterbach explained at the press conference that protecting individual groups that were particularly at risk was particularly important.

"So far we've managed to get through the omicron and delta waves well."

The number of deaths per million inhabitants could be maintained.

From his point of view, the cautious approach was important.

"I'll continue to stand for that," explains Lauterbach.

"Thank you to everyone who behaved fairly and carefully here," said Lauterbach.

However, the danger has not yet passed completely.

The focus is currently on the subtype of the omicron variant B2.

This is more contagious than omicron B1.

The subsequent hospitalization in particular is still a risk, since this number could only be reflected up to 14 days after an infection.

However, Lauterbach does not currently see the health system being overloaded.

Moderate easing is therefore possible, but Lauterbach does not advocate excessive easing.

"This is a slow exit from the measures that we have decided";

the Minister of Health continued.

"If we open too quickly, the numbers will increase again," said Lauterbach at the press conference.

This would not only lengthen the wave, it could also cause the curve to rise again.

In the press conference, Karl Lauterbach therefore appealed to politicians not to go beyond the easing that has been decided.

"It's all sewn to the edge."

Corona in Germany - What is the current pandemic situation?

Update from February 18, 6.35 a.m .:

This Friday at 8.30 a.m. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, RKI Vice President Lars Schaade and Michael Meyer-Hermann, Head of the System Immunology Department at the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, will report on the current corona situation.

The nationwide seven-day incidence fell again on Friday.

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) gave the value of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants per week on Friday morning as 1371.7.

For comparison: the day before the value was 1385.1.

A week ago, the nationwide incidence was 1472.2 (previous month: 553.2).

The health authorities in Germany reported 220,048 new corona infections to the RKI within one day.

This is evident from numbers that reflect the status of the RKI dashboard at 5 a.m.

A week ago there were 240,172 infections.

Corona in Germany: Incidence has fallen again - but the omicron subtype is a cause for concern

At a joint conference on Wednesday, the federal and state governments decided on an easing roadmap for Germany, which was to end with the lifting of all far-reaching social measures on March 20th.

Still, there is cause for concern.

The BA.2 variant from Omikron, which can be transferred even more quickly according to initial findings, has increased noticeably in Germany according to the Robert Koch Institute.

The proportion of corona cases examined in a sample has recently risen to 14.9 percent, the RKI stated in its weekly report on Thursday evening.

This information refers to the week up to February 6th - for the week before, the RKI gives the share as 10.4 percent.

New omicron subtype BA.2: What do Lauterbach and Schaade say about the new findings?

There is not yet enough data to be able to assess the characteristics of the subtype with regard to the severity of the disease more precisely.

However, due to the progressive spread and easier transferability of BA.2, "a slower decrease or a renewed increase in the number of cases cannot be ruled out," it says.

The planned relaxation of the corona measures and an associated increase in contacts could therefore also contribute to such a development.

Experts have recently increasingly pointed to BA.2 as a possible uncertainty factor.

In countries like Denmark, the subtype has already spread rapidly.

This is therefore also possible in Germany and, according to many, could ensure that the omicron wave is extended.

Recovered status: court declares shortening by the RKI to be illegal

First report from February 17:

Munich – The corona situation in Germany seems to be on the way to relaxation.

Shortly before the federal-state consultations on Wednesday (February 16), Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach had declared the peak of the omicron wave to be over.

Shortly thereafter, the Prime Ministers of the federal states and Chancellor Olaf Scholz agreed at the Corona summit on a relaxation schedule until March 20th.

The positive trend is also reflected in the latest figures.

The nationwide seven-day incidence* fell for the seventh day in a row – albeit only slightly at first.

Even if the RKI always warns that the value is only conditionally meaningful due to "under-recording", a trend can be guessed at.

Experts want to give a detailed report on the current corona situation in Germany at the federal press conference on Friday.

In addition to Health Minister Karl Lauterbach*, Michael Meyer-Hermann will speak.

He is head of the Systems Immunology department at the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research in Braunschweig.

However, there will not be a familiar face.

RKI boss Lothar Wieler is missing and will be represented by his deputy Lars Schaade.

PK on the corona situation in Germany: convalescent status should become an issue

In addition to the current corona numbers, the recovered status should also be an issue.

A regulation that came into force in mid-January gave the Robert Koch Institute the power to decide who is considered recovered from the corona pandemic, under what circumstances and for how long.

The RKI promptly decreed that the duration of the recovered status was reduced from 180 to 90 days.

Lawsuits from citizens followed, which were now successful.

In addition to other courts, the Berlin administrative court decided in summary proceedings that it was not the RKI, but the federal government* itself that had to decide on the validity of the convalescent status.

In the meantime, the Robert Koch Institute had specified that the reduction in the status of those who had recovered only affected those who had not been vaccinated.

At the most recent Corona summit, it was also decided that the RKI would no longer be allowed to make decisions independently in the future.