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Lauterbach warns and contradicts RKI: Omicron subtype BA.5 "not only contagious"

2022-07-13T04:20:12.682Z


Lauterbach warns and contradicts RKI: Omicron subtype BA.5 "not only contagious" Created: 07/13/2022, 06:08 By: Michelle Brey Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) took a position on the omicron subvariant BA.5. This dominates the infection process in Germany. (Archive image) © Fabian Sommer Health Minister Karl Lauterbach contradicts the RKI on one point. The SPD politician also takes a clear


Lauterbach warns and contradicts RKI: Omicron subtype BA.5 "not only contagious"

Created: 07/13/2022, 06:08

By: Michelle Brey

Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) took a position on the omicron subvariant BA.5.

This dominates the infection process in Germany.

(Archive image) © Fabian Sommer

Health Minister Karl Lauterbach contradicts the RKI on one point.

The SPD politician also takes a clear position on the second booster vaccination.

Munich - Germany is in the middle of the summer wave: the corona indicators are still at a high level.

On Tuesday (July 12), the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) gave the nationwide seven-day incidence as 702.4 (previous day: 661.4; previous month: 333.7).

The omicron subvariant BA.5, which dominates the infection process in this country, is responsible.

Corona: Omicron variant BA5 - Lauterbach and RKI contradict each other

How dangerous is BA.5?

Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) commented on a question that worries many in a post on Twitter.

"The data so far show that the omicron BA.5 variant is not only more contagious, but also brings more viruses into the cells," wrote the epidemiologist and SPD politician.

"That also speaks for a more difficult course," he concluded.

Lauterbach referred to a paper by the American physician Eric Topol.

With his tweet, Lauterbach now contradicts research results from the RKI on BA.5.

The Covid-19 weekly report of July 7th said: There is no evidence that BA.5 itself causes more severe courses or is more deadly than previous variants of the corona virus.

However, the RKI added: “Nevertheless, the sharp increase in cases of infection alone also means that a correspondingly higher number of severe courses of COVID-19 diseases can be observed, which leads to an increasing number of hospitalizations.

The number of deaths is increasing in connection with the high number of infections or late registrations, but so far only slightly.”

Fourth corona vaccination: how useful is the second booster?

Against this background, Lauterbach described the new EU recommendation for a fourth corona vaccination or a second booster as “useful and overdue”.

On Twitter he wrote: "Everything speaks for a 4th vaccination for over 60 because waiting for adapted vaccines takes too long."

On Monday (July 11), the EU urgently advised people over 60 to get a second booster vaccination.

"In view of the renewed increase in cases and hospital admissions at the beginning of the summer, I urge everyone to get vaccinated and boosted as soon as possible," said EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides, according to a statement by the EU Health Agency ECDC and the EU Medicines Agency EMA .

Looking at the Corona wave, she warned: "We have no time to lose." Lauterbach had previously explained who needed the fourth vaccination.

Frank Ulrich Montgomery, chairman of the World Medical Association, also backed the EU recommendation.

"The virus is clever, it changes - and the vaccination protection decreases," he told the newspapers of the Funke media group on Tuesday.

"Vaccination is not absolute, but it is very effective." Montgomery urged vaccination.

“Incidences are increasing, now even in summer.

We are seeing many illnesses, especially among airlines, transport companies and in the healthcare sector.

We all suffer from that,” he said.

Virologist Klaus Stöhr, on the other hand, contradicted the recommendation of a second booster for people over 60 years of age.

(mbr with dpa)

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2022-07-13

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