Corona incidence and R-value increase again – virologists are expecting new mutants

Updated: 07/15/202111:05

• OfFranziska Schwarz

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The corona incidence in Germany is tending to increase. The delta mutant is found in three quarters of the samples. It will probably not be the last. The news ticker.

• The 7-day incidence * has been increasing for days, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) *.
• According to Delta, virologists expect further mutations * of the pathogen.
• This news ticker on Corona * in Germany * is updated regularly.

Berlin – The 7-day incidence has skyrocketed again. According to RKI information from Thursday morning (July 15) it was 8.0 nationwide – the previous day the value was 7.1, and before that it was 6.5. At the latest low on July 6, the value was 4.9. In addition, 1642 new corona infections were recorded. A week ago the value was 970 infections. There were 32 new deaths from or with Covid-19 within 24 hours.

The incidence has so far been the basis for many corona restrictions in the pandemic, for example as part of the federal emergency brake that expired at the end of June. In the future, other values ​​such as hospital admissions are to be taken more into account.

New RKI figures for Germany: R-value exceeds critical mark

The reproduction number (R value) was 1.18 on Wednesday (July 14th) and has thus been above the value of 1 for more than a week. The value is decisive for the spread of the pathogen. If it is below 1 for a long time, the infection rate subsides. The R-value was previously well below 1 for around two months.

Delta mutant was not the last: Virologists expect more corona variants

According to experts, the corona virus will mutate a few more times. However, the President of the Society for Virology, Ralf Bartenschlager, assumes that the number of variants will remain “manageable”. “But you can’t really say whether we have already reached the end of the flagpole or whether relevant mutants are still following.”

The better viruses adapt to the host, the less damage is usually to the host, explained the professor of molecular virology at the University of Heidelberg. “But you can’t always say that.”

The delta variant is considered to be significantly more contagious than the previous virus variant. In several other countries, for example Great Britain, it has massively increased the number of infections. According to the RKI, the proportion of mutants in this country is already 74 percent of the samples examined. Laboratory experiments, however, indicated that those who were vaccinated even with Delta had a high level of protection against the course of severe disease.

Corona in Germany: The number of corona vaccinations per week is falling

The number of corona vaccinations per week has continued to decrease in Germany. The total number of weekly vaccination doses has decreased since the third week of June, according to the current RKI management report.

From the RKI’s point of view, at least 85 percent of 12 to 59 year olds and 90 percent of people aged 60 and over should be fully vaccinated in the fight against the delta variant. Then a pronounced fourth wave in autumn or winter seems “unlikely”. In Germany, 43.7 percent of people are currently fully vaccinated against Corona.

In children and adolescents under the age of 18, fewer than 2 percent are fully vaccinated. The Standing Vaccination Commission (Stiko) has not given a general vaccination recommendation for children from the age of twelve for the time being. There is currently no approved vaccine for children under the age of 12. * Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA