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Germany records more than 400 coronavirus deaths within a day

Germany has logged a record number of Covid-19 deaths within one day, new figures show.

Published: 25 November 2020 08:52 CET
Germany records more than 400 coronavirus deaths within a day
People wearing face masks next to a sign in Bonn. Photo: DPA

Health authorities reported 410 new coronavirus-related deaths within 24 hours, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) said on Tuesday.

This is the highest number of daily deaths recorded in Germany since the start of the pandemic. The highest number to date was in mid-April, when 315 deaths within one day were logged.

The total number of people who have died in connection with Covid-19 in Germany now stands at 14,771, according to official figures.

One of the reasons for the increase in deaths is likely down to more older people contracting the virus.

“The proportion of outbreaks with over five people within the settings of nursing homes has continuously and considerably increased since week 38 (week beginning September 16th 2020),” said the RKI in its Tuesday situation report.

Meanwhile, the number of patients being treated in intensive care units in Germany for Covid-19 has also reached record levels this month, raising fears that health care providers will become overwhelmed.

“Since mid October, the number of Covid-19 patients requiring intensive care has strongly increased, from 655 patients on October 15th to 3.770 patients on November 24th,” the RKI said.

Within a day, 18,633 new infections were recorded – about 1,000 cases more than a week ago. Last Wednesday, the number was 17,561.

READ ALSO: What is Germany's new coronavirus test strategy for winter?

According to the latest figures from the RKI, a total of 961,320 cases of infection have been registered in Germany since the beginning of the pandemic. The number of people to recover stands at 656,400.

According to the RKI, the so-called seven-day reproductive number (R0) was 0.97. This means that 100 infected persons will go on to infect on average almost 100 more people. The number reflects the level of infection 8 to 16 days ago.

According to experts, an R number of 0.7 or lower would be ideal to get the infection situation under control.

Last Friday November 20th, there was a record number of Covid-19 infections reported in Germany, with 23,648 cases within 24 hours.

On Wednesday Chancellor Angela Merkel and state leaders were expected to meet to discuss how Germany will deal with the situation in the coming weeks, including over Christmas and New Year.

READ ALSO: What will Christmas 2020 be like in Germany?
 

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HEALTH

Could there be a new wave of Covid-19 in Germany this autumn?

It’s back again: amid sinking temperatures, the incidence of Covid-19 has been slowly rising in Germany. But is this enough to merit worrying about the virus?

Published: 20 September 2023 12:05 CEST
Updated: 20 September 2023 22:22 CEST
Could there be a new wave of Covid-19 in Germany this autumn?

More people donning face masks in supermarkets, friends cancelling plans last minute due to getting sick with Covid-19. We might have seen some of those familiar reminders recently that the coronavirus is still around, but could there really be a resurgence of the virus like we experienced during the pandemic years?

According to virologists, the answer seems to be ‘maybe’: since July, the number of people newly infected with Covid-19 has been slowly rising from a very low level.

According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), nine people per 100,000 inhabitants became newly infected in Germany last week. A year ago, there were only around 270 reported cases.

Various Corona variants are currently on the loose in the country. According to the RKI,  the EG.5 (also called Eris) and XBB.1.16 lines were each detected in the week ending September 3rd with a share of just under 23 percent. 

The highly mutated variant BA.2.86 (Pirola), which is currently under observation by the World Health Organisation (WHO), also arrived in the country this week, according to RKI. 

High number of unreported case

The RKI epidemiologists also warned about a high number of unreported cases since hardly any testing is done. They pointed out that almost half of all registered sewage treatment plants report an increasing viral load in wastewater tests.

The number of hospital admissions has also increased slightly, but are still a far cry from the occupation rate amid the pandemic. Last week it was two per 100,000 inhabitants. In the intensive care units, only 1.2 percent of all beds are occupied by Covid-19 patients.

Still, a good three-quarters (76.4 percent) of people in Germany have been vaccinated at least twice and thus have basic immunity, reported RKI. 

Since Monday, doctors’ offices have been vaccinating with the adapted vaccine from Biontech/Pfizer, available to anyone over 12 years old, with a vaccine for small children set to be released the following week and one for those between 5 and 11 to come out October 2nd.

But Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has so far only recommended that people over 60 and those with pre-existing conditions get vaccinated.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: Who should get a Covid jab this autumn in Germany?

“The pandemic is over, the virus remains,” he said. “We cannot predict the course of coming waves of corona, but it is clear that older people and people with pre-existing conditions remain at higher risk of becoming severely ill from Covid-19”

The RKI also recommended that people with a cold voluntarily wear a mask. Anyone exhibiting cough, cold, sore throat or other symptoms of a respiratory illness should voluntarily stay at home for three to five days and take regular corona self-tests. 

However, further measures such as contact restrictions are not necessary, he said.

One of many diseases

As of this autumn, Covid-19 could be one of many respiratory diseases. As with influenza, there are no longer absolute infection figures for coronavirus.

Saarbrücken pharmacist Thorsten Lehr told German broadcaster ZDF that self-protection through vaccinations, wearing a mask and getting tested when symptoms appear are prerequisites for surviving the Covid autumn well. 

Only a new, more aggressive mutation could completely turn the game around, he added.

On April 7th of this year, Germany removed the last of its over two-year long coronavirus restrictions, including mask-wearing in some public places.

READ ALSO: German doctors recommend Covid-19 self-tests amid new variant

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