2024-09-19 10:28:38
As the temperatures become colder, corona infections are increasing. An expert explains who this can be a problem for, what needs to be considered when vaccinating – and how the new variants are contagious.
Autumn and winter are around the corner and with the start of the cold season the number of corona infections will rise again. It should be expected that there will be a wave of infections in the coming weeks, said the scientist Sandra Ciesek of the German Agency for Disease Control.
But the situation is not threatening and cannot be compared with 2020 or 2021, the doctor said. There is no threat of congestion in hospitals and intensive care units. “Basically it’s the same as last year, only the differences and the letters are called differently.” However, a number of questions arise – for example about multiple infections, vaccination recommendations or the risk of infection from new virus variants.
According to a report from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the slight increase in corona cases in recent weeks does not continue soon. According to experts, 600 Covid-19 cases are estimated per 100,000 inhabitants for the week starting on September 9th. So far, just over 5,640 corona cases have been spread to RKI. Serious infections are diagnosed primarily in adults.
For whom are many infections a problem?
It is not unusual for people to continue to be infected with the virus again and again, said Sandra Ciesek, director of the Institute for Clinical Virology at Frankfurt University Hospital. “You don’t have respiratory diseases once in your life, but again and again, some every year, some every two years.” again attack.
However, Corona should not be a small thing. According to the scientist, more infections also mean more difficult cases. People with weakened immune systems are especially at risk. “Anyone who belongs to risk groups who do not have a healthy immune system or who can expect a severe course would be wise to get vaccinated now so they don’t get infected during the wave,” recommends Ciesek.
People are still suffering from Long Covid, as Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) said at a round table this week. Because basic immunity is now present in the population, the risk of contracting Long Covid is lower than at the beginning of the pandemic.
What do you need to consider when it comes to vaccines?
The Standing Immunization Committee (Stiko) recommends that people aged 60 and over and the elderly with underlying diseases receive a strong vaccination in autumn.
According to Ciesek, those wanting to get vaccinated should make sure they get a vaccine that matches the currently circulating strain. According to RKI, the JN.1 variant, a descendant of the Omicron variant, is currently dominant in Germany.
KP.3.1.1 subline is the most recently found. According to the RKI, this accounts for 62 percent when analyzing samples from the last two weeks of August.
Are new virus types more helpful?
KP.3.1.1. is read more helpful than previously suggested. That’s not surprising, Ciesek said. The virus continues to change and is always looking for new ways to infect people.
In the end, a variant prevails that has some advantages and is, for example, more contagious – as in the case of KP.3.1.1. But that doesn’t mean the difference makes you sick, the scientist said. “There is no evidence of that at this time.”
dpa/mali
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