Incidence in Essen continues to fall
The corona numbers in Essen are still falling. For the first time, the incidence is back to what it was before the current corona wave in January. It stands at 266 on Wednesday. It was above 1,800 at the peak of the last wave. The numbers have been falling continuously for three weeks now.
Dr. medical Andreas Grundmeier, Director of the Clinic for Emergency Medicine & Internal Intensive Care Medicine in Essen. He continues to expect that the corona numbers will fall here in Essen. The advantage is that the corona virus spreads via the respiratory tract. This works particularly well in closed rooms. At the moment, however, many prefer to stay outside – this gives the virus poor chances of spreading. In addition, many have already been infected or are even still infected, so that the virus hardly finds anyone who can be infected, according to the intensive care doctor. That’s the good thing about the omicron effect. With other variants it would look different. Grundmeier does not want to say that the wave has broken, “after all, we have been taught better too often in the past.” He refers, among other things, to new variants that can go into circulation.
The Corona operations manager and clinic director for emergency and intensive care medicine at the Essen-Mitte clinics, Dr. Andrew Grundmeier
© Radio Essen–
How will the Corona winter be?
In the summer, when many are outside, we can count on a relaxation. How will the numbers develop when it gets colder and many people are spending more time indoors again? “Like the flu virus, the corona virus is a winter virus,” explains Dr. Grundmeier. We must therefore expect the numbers to rise again after the summer. One can also be prepared for the fact that a renewed vaccination, perhaps adjusted annually, as with the flu virus, would then be advantageous.
Depending on how the pandemic situation develops, the intensive care doctor suspects two scenarios:
- A new variant develops, of which we do not yet know how it behaves. Therefore, Grundmeier does not want to give a concrete outlook in this case.
- The delta variant is coming back and we have to reckon with several difficult courses again. The doctor again points out the protection provided by a vaccination. It does not protect against infection, but against courses that are usually more difficult with Delta than with Omikron.
However, these scenarios are only assumptions and are not backed by any figures, emphasizes the director of the clinic. He is certain: “Corona will continue to keep us busy.”
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