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Corona test in Hanover (archive image)
Photo: Julian Stratenschulte / dpa
The nationwide seven-day incidence of new corona infections has risen to 72.7.
For comparison: the previous day the value was 70.8, a week ago it was 66.1.
The health authorities in Germany reported 8,682 new corona infections to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) within one day.
This is evident from the figures that reflect the status of the RKI dashboard at 4:05 a.m.
A week ago the value was 7612 infections.
According to the new information, 17 deaths were recorded across Germany within 24 hours.
A week ago there were 24 deaths.
The number of people who died with or with a proven infection with Sars-CoV-2 rose to 94,618.
The RKI has counted 4,373,789 detected infections with Sars-CoV-2 since the beginning of the pandemic.
The actual total number is likely to be significantly higher, as many infections are not detected.
The RKI stated the number of those who had recovered at 4,147,000.
"There will be a significant increase in the numbers again now."
RKI boss Lothar Wieler assumes an increase in the number of corona infections this autumn.
"On the one hand, we have fewer infections for a short time due to the closed schools," he told the newspapers of the Funke media group.
Due to the holiday traffic during the autumn holidays, however, "there will again be more infectious entries from abroad".
The "severity and duration of such a wave" is difficult to predict, however.
In the summer, up to 20 percent of the reported corona infections originated abroad, said Wieler.
"There will be a clear increase in the numbers again now." The more life moves indoors in the coming weeks, the greater this increase will be.
"How high the wave is then depends primarily on the vaccination rate."
Virologist does not expect a major flu epidemic
Oliver Keppler, head of virology at the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich, makes a similar prognosis.
“In the autumn and winter that lie ahead of us, we must assume that the infection rate will worsen significantly.
Our life is shifting inward, ”said the scientist from the news agency dpa.
The virologist does not recommend a renewed tightening of the corona measures: "Basically, in this phase of the pandemic we have to try easing in various areas in order to see what is justifiable and where we still have to maintain hygiene measures or tests to safeguard."
Contrary to some fears, according to Keppler, Germany is not facing a major simultaneous flu epidemic.
"I don't expect a severe flu season," said Keppler.
"The flu moves alternately from the southern to the northern hemisphere and back again" - always in the respective winter half-year.
But worldwide influenza viruses have been pushed back in the population by the corona hygiene measures.
“In the southern hemisphere, there were hardly any infections for two winters in a row.
I therefore consider it unlikely that the virus will enter us efficiently in the coming winter, ”said Keppler.
"Covid-19 must also be our main focus this winter."
Nevertheless, according to Keppler's opinion, the presumably relatively relaxed situation with the flu should not be a reason for carelessness for people at risk: "All people to whom the Standing Vaccination Commission recommended the flu vaccination in previous years should be vaccinated as before." other people over 60 years of age, pregnant women, previously ill and medical staff.
Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn (CDU) had called on people in Germany to be vaccinated against flu in particularly large numbers this autumn.
Because there was almost no flu in Germany last year as a result of the partial lockdown, the risk of a flu epidemic this year is all the higher, he said recently.
According to the Robert Koch Institute, our immune system could be less well prepared for the coming influenza viruses because of the failed flu epidemic.
wit / dpa / AFP