Corona summer wave in Munich: tens of thousands apparently infected without knowing it

Created: 2022-06-23Updated: 2022-06-23 05:12

By: Nina Bautz

Have little to do at the Deutsches Mueseum test site: Ljubov Zubets (left) and Anna Tijanic.

© Markus Goetzfried

In Munich, fewer and fewer people are being tested for the corona virus.

A high number of unreported cases is suspected and an increase in infections is expected.

Munich – waiting.

Always waiting.

This is currently one of the main tasks of Ljubov Zubets and Anna Tijanic.

You work in the Corona test center at the Deutsches Museum.

Where long queues formed a few months ago, there is a yawning emptiness.

This is what it looks like at many test sites in the state capital.

Hardly anyone can be tested for the corona virus.

At the same time, the city is reporting more and more infected people.

The assumption: tens of thousands are infected without even knowing it!

Corona test stations in Munich: "Demand is falling massively"

"At the beginning of the year we had over 10,000 tests a day in our test centers, now it's under 1000," reports Dr.

Michael Schleef, who operates five test sites, including the large PCR stations at the Deutsches Museum and the Verkehrszentrum.

The positive rate used to be less than 10 percent, now it is over 50 percent.

“That indicates a high number of unreported cases.

I have the feeling that the corona virus is no longer taken so seriously.” Sure: PCR tests are only free of charge in certain cases.

But many, according to Schleef, don't seem to know: "People with symptoms can still be tested for free with us."

A look at the free quick test stations shows that it can't just be the money: there's hardly anything going on here either.

"Demand has fallen massively," says Alexander Spierer, who after his stations at Pacha and the Freiheitshalle will probably also close the Hofbräukeller at the end of the month - although the test regulation is expected to be extended by politicians.

"Testing is no longer economically viable."

Corona summer wave in Munich: high number of unreported cases, increase in the number of infections expected

The incidence for Munich rose by 23 points to 327 from last Thursday to yesterday.

How does Munich's health officer Beatrix Zurek (SPD) assess the situation?

The test demand is “constant at a low level”.

A study by the Robert Koch Institute in Kupferzell (Baden-Württemberg) has shown that significantly more infections could be detected there than were previously known.

"Overall, it can be interpreted that the number of unreported cases is not insignificant." The more contagious omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5 would currently make up around 66 percent in Munich and the surrounding area.

Zurek: "In this respect, we suspect a further increase in the number of infections in the next few weeks."

Infectiologist Christoph Spinner from the University Hospital Rechts der Isar is not very concerned.

"Many people now do self-tests at home and then isolate themselves." That is a pragmatic approach.

He warns of "hyper alarmism".

“Increasing numbers of cases were to be expected.

With the much more infectious omicron variant, it is no longer possible to break through chains of infection as consistently as at the beginning.

Rather, it is important to protect risk groups.

That is why I urgently advise the chronically ill and people over the age of 70 to have the fourth vaccination.”