Germany hits a new record in the spread of Covid-19 with new 80.430 cases in 24 hours. The weekly incidence per 100,000 inhabitants is now at 407.5, up from 258.6 a week ago. A month ago, 390.9 was reached. However, this is probably not a reversal of the trend, the increase would rather depend on the fact that fewer tests were carried out on holidays and there was no communication of the results of the surveys carried out. (the rise of cases, on the other hand, has probably been constant, first massively affecting the north where omicron first spread). There are large regional differences and in the north of the country the Omicron variant has spread earlier.
Land Bremen, which initially led the vaccination campaign, now has the biggest impact: 1.296,8. Berlin follows at 856.4. Above 500 there are then Schleswig-Holstein (633) and Hamburg (568.9), all the other Länder have lower values. The lowest is recorded in Saxony at 239.5. Until recently, the region recorded the highest values but particularly strict measures to contain personal contacts have been applied here. A line implemented despite heated protests and plans to assassinate the governor Michael Kretschmer (CDU) for which seven people are now under investigation and in which a US neo-Nazi group is also involved.
The index of hospitalizations per hundred thousand inhabitants also reflects the same trend: Bremen is at 29.99 in the other Länder it is under 10. The Bremen figure reflects the fact that vaccines do not stop omicron infections while ensuring a defense against the most serious complications of the disease. The values are therefore explained by the more rapid diffusion of the variant in the North and the greater ease of contagion in the big cities. It should also be borne in mind that no particularly strict measures were applied in Bremen as was the case for example in Bavaria, an area previously hard hit by the delta variant.
The European drug agency (Ema) speculates that the rapidity of diffusion could lead to one state of virus endemic that would have the effect, according to the department’s director of health threats and vaccination strategies Marco Cavalieri, of an “booster naturale”. If many people developed strong immunity from vaccines it would open the way to endemia. For the CEO of BioNtech Ugur Sahin the transition from a pandemic to an endemic state is still far away. Considering its global spread, the coronavirus retains an enormous potential to develop new variants. The German company announced that it already has production of a new vaccine started calibrated on omicron which will begin testing at the end of January and which expects to be able to commercialize, if there is approval from the EMA, from the end of March. The preparation of the Pfizer-BioNTech group last December covered about 80% of the European market and with the new product could ensure estimated revenues of up to 17 billion euros this year.
In Germany, the spread of omicron appears to be proceeding more slowly than elsewhere thanks to social distancing measures. However, the data are unreliable as molecular tests do not always provide information on the type of variant responsible for the infection. In 24 hours they were registered 384 deaths a week ago it was 346. The virologist Martin striker, director of the interdisciplinary medicine laboratory in Frankfurt, warns that this it’s just the beginning, further action will have to be taken by strengthening the measures, but above all with uniform measures throughout the country. In Saxony-Anhalt and Bavaria for example, it has been excluded the application of 2G + in the catering sector decided by the other Länder.
The president of the Republic Frank-Walter Steinmeier (Spd) attended a debate on live television with representatives of professional categories in Berlin on Wednesday to discuss the hypothesis of a compulsory vaccination. A response to the protests that are mounting throughout the country. Over the weekend 20,000 people took to the streets in Thuringia alone and 15,000 in Mecklenburg-Pomerania; between 14 and 16 thousand in Hamburg. Many protesters they did not keep their distance and they wore no masks. One of the attendees is under investigation for showing up at rallies with one yellow star of David with the words “not vaccinated. Three cases of military invitation to revolt also emerged and a 60-year-old armed man threatened a colleague with a gun who would not let him return to the office according to health rules. The Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (Spd) on Wednesday at the Bundestag he reaffirmed a willingness to dialogue but also determination to pursue violent demonstrations. Faeser stressed that the first emergency is the rise of the far right. Despite the radicalization of the protests, the majority of Germans, according to polls, are in favor of compulsory vaccination.
Among the arguments against the obligation to vaccinate are the reports of side effects and deaths sent to the EMA, higher than those related to influenza vaccines. However, it was highlighted that the difference is due to the fact that the anti-covid vaccinations are significantly higher than those for influence. Another point raised was that the nano lipids used as a transport medium for the m-Rna vaccine could accumulate in the body e lead to vaccination hepatitis, but it was argued that the EMA has also analyzed and authorized the vaccine transport tool. The known side effects must be weighed in increased risk of death or serious course. The pandemic has caused 114,735 deaths in Germany to date. Chancellor Olaf Scholz, replying for the first time to the free questions of the deputies to the Bundestag, he reiterated his position in favor of the vaccination obligation, but deeming the decision to be the responsibility of Parliament and not of the government.