imago
In the past week, the number of infections by the coronavirus literally exploded. With more than 37,000 new infections within 24 hours had been reported on Friday even the absolute maximum value since the start of the pandemic, Here now answers to the currently most important questions about the pandemic.
Why have the infection figures risen sharply recently?
The high infection numbers of the last days could apparently also be related to the behavior of the people. Because as the
“Covid-19 Mobility Project” of the Humboldt University in Berlin shows, German citizens had a lot of activities, especially during the Halloween weekend with All Saints’ Day on Monday (a holiday in five German states). In the process, the number of contacts between people had risen sharply. Especially at indoor celebrations, a lot of people could have been infected. Coronavirus spreads much more easily indoors than outdoors.
Which vaccines are seeing the most vaccine breakthroughs?
As reported by the Robert Koch Institute, a large proportion of patients in intensive care units in German hospitals are still unvaccinated. In the last 3 weeks, the proportion of unvaccinated patients is 74 percent. So currently about 26 percent of intensive care patients are vaccinated. The highest proportion of vaccinated ICU patients is in the age group above 60 years. “Clinical trial data shows that antibody levels begin to decline around the seventh, eighth or ninth month after vaccination, so infection can also occur. We also observe that when infection does occur, disease courses in vaccinated individuals are usually moderate, and severe courses are rare. And we have study data showing that a booster restores vaccine protection. This also applies to the delta variant,” confirms Biontech CEO Ugur Sahin. For this reason, the Stiko also advises older people and patients with pre-existing conditions to undergo booster vaccination. Most vaccination breakthroughs are observed in relation to Johnson&Johnson. After that comes the vaccine from Astrazeneca. Biontech and Moderna provide the safest protection.
When will there be a drug against Covid-19?
Just this week, the drug molnupiravir had been approved in the UK. Developed by the US pharmaceutical company Merck, the drug in pill form is said to be able to halve the number of severe courses and deaths. Most importantly, it is convenient that the drug does not have to be administered by infusion.
“You can do that at home,” explains German immunologist Prof Carsten Watzl, 50. “But you have to take these drugs very soon after a positive test. If I wait until I am in hospital with a severe course, these drugs no longer work,” Watzl describes the best possible application. In addition, the U.S. company Pfizer had also just published positive results of a new Covid drug, which is supposed to work even more effectively than Merck’s drug.
According to available data, it is said to prevent up to 90 percent of deaths and severe courses of disease.