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The RKI writes that a further increase in the variant is expected in the coming weeks.
Photo: Carol Yepes/Getty Images
The proportion of the Omikron sub-line XBB.1.5 has continued to increase in Germany.
In the past week, the subline was detected in nine percent of the samples examined, as the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) wrote in its Covid 19 weekly report on Thursday evening.
"XBB.1.5 is now the second most frequently detected variant in the sample."
However, the values are based on low absolute numbers, because the complete virus genome is only examined in a very small proportion of positive samples.
The RKI writes that a further increase in the variant is expected in the coming weeks.
According to the local health authority, the variant is already dominant in the USA.
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The virologist Christian Drosten had already said in mid-January that the subline was likely to become predominant in Germany.
But that doesn't mean that a huge new wave is threatening this winter.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the new sublineage has no mutation known to alter disease severity.
According to the RKI, "no increase in the severity of the disease" was observed with the increasing spread of the subline.
The nationwide seven-day incidence increased by around 14 percent in the past week compared to the previous week - but at a "comparatively low level", as the RKI announced.
A week ago, the RKI downgraded the corona risk from high to moderate.
The institute had previously spoken of a high risk for a long time.
However, a re-upgrading if the situation worsens cannot be ruled out.
The number of acute respiratory diseases in Germany fell slightly in the past week compared to the previous week and, according to the RKI, is therefore in the range of the pre-pandemic years.
In addition to corona and influenza, the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which is dangerous for children, also put a strain on the health system this winter.
According to the RKI, the RSV wave began in October last year, and the institute now sees the wave as over.
According to the RKI definition, it ended in the third week of this year.
According to the RKI, the flu wave had already come to an end two weeks earlier.
Nevertheless, the RKI warned on Thursday: "The infection pressure from acute respiratory infections generally remains high in the winter season, since the spread of acute respiratory pathogens such as Sars-CoV-2, influenza viruses and RSV is favored by the more frequent and longer stay indoors." It stays It is therefore still very important to stay at home with symptoms and avoid contacts.
jae/dpa
