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Man doing the quick test (symbolic image): Tens of thousands are still infected with the corona virus.
Photo: Julian Stratenschulte / picture alliance / dpa
According to the Association of Medical Officers, the actual corona numbers in Germany are significantly higher than those officially registered.
He estimates the number of unreported cases to be about two to three times as high, said the chairman of the Federal Association of Physicians in the Public Health Service (BVÖDG), Johannes Nießen, the editorial network Germany (RND).
The official number of corona cases results from the reported positive PCR tests.
Increasingly, however, "people undergo an antigen test and no longer carry out a PCR test," said Nießen.
"This leads to an under-recording of infections." The corona monitoring of wastewater and antibody studies of blood donations would give indications of this under-recording.
"Only some of those who have a positive quick test also do a PCR test to confirm it," confirmed the national chairman of the German Association of General Practitioners, Ulrich Weigeldt.
"For that reason alone, a high number of unreported cases can be assumed."
According to the report, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) only registered 890,000 PCR tests in the week beginning July 18.
At peak times in January and March of this year, there were around 2.5 million tests per week.
The RKI is currently recording tens of thousands of corona infections every day.
The seven-day incidence is more than 400.
Weigeldt: "No switch is flipped on the 70th birthday"
The family doctors are meanwhile promoting the fourth corona vaccination in accordance with the recommendation of the Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko).
She advises people over 70, those with previous illnesses and nursing staff to get a second booster vaccination.
Of these, "far too few" have decided to have the fourth vaccination, said association head Weigeldt of the "Rheinische Post".
The doctor added that the individual situation of each patient must always be considered.
"Of course, whether someone is 69 or 70 is not the all-important question, because no switch is flipped on their 70th birthday." .
However, the Secretary General of the German Society for Immunology, Carsten Watzl, advised waiting for the vaccines adapted to the new corona variant.
However, he also said that the fourth vaccination with the current vaccines brings benefits for everyone - but not everyone needs them.
Risk patients, on the other hand, should actually have already received the fourth vaccination.
"Since the adapted vaccines will hopefully come next month, you can now wait if you haven't had the fourth vaccination yet," he told the newspapers of the Funke media group.
"Because if you are now being vaccinated for the fourth time with the previous vaccines, you should wait at least three to six months before the next vaccination."
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) announced at the end of July that adapted vaccines would be available in September.
These would “significantly” reduce the risk of corona infection.
bbr/AFP