Coronavirus illustration Photo: picture alliance / Zoonar
From BZ/dpa
Corona outbreak in a retirement home in the Eifel, the home management advises against visits. The first politicians are calling for masks. And in Israel, clinics are now checking new patients for the virus using a PCR test. Is it really starting again?
Outlook for autumn.
Are there new virus variants?
The latest is called BA.2.86, also called Pirola. According to British scientists, the “most striking new corona strain since the emergence of Omicron” at the end of 2021. The variant has not yet been detected in our country. But it’s only a matter of time, suspects virologist Sandra Ciesek from the University Hospital of Frankfurt (Main).
The new variants didn’t worry her too much. Nevertheless, she expects that many will experience another corona infection in the fall and winter. This could be stressful for hospitals. Not least because of the lack of staff.
What is the situation in the clinics?
In fact, there are already more cases. Around 180 Covid patients are being treated in intensive care units. That is around three times as many as at the beginning of August, but significantly fewer than in all previous Corona waves (peak value in January 2021: over 5,700).
In addition, according to intensive care physician Stefan Kluge (UKE Hamburg), most of these patients are being treated for other medical problems.
One thing is clear: In autumn we will not only face Corona, but also other respiratory infections with flu, cold and RS viruses.
Should you be vaccinated?
The Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) considers that no further vaccination is necessary for healthy adults up to the age of 60 who have already had three contacts with the virus (through infection) or parts of the virus (through vaccination). There are no longer any explicit vaccination recommendations for healthy children either.
For people at risk, such as the elderly or those with previous illnesses, booster vaccinations are recommended in the fall. Ideally with vaccines adapted to new variants in addition to the flu vaccination! The latest Biontech vaccine is scheduled to arrive in practices on September 18th.