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New coronavirus outbreak following baby shower in northeast Germany

A coronavirus outbreak followed a baby shower in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania with 35 guests, reported local administrators late Wednesday evening.

Published: 30 July 2020 13:43 CEST
New coronavirus outbreak following baby shower in northeast Germany
Archive photo shows children's dishes and cuttlery on display in Nuremburg. Photo: DPA

Of the now twelve positive cases, eleven were reported in the Ludwigslust-Parchim district where the event took place, and one in the northeastern state’s capital of Schwerin. 

According to a report in the local newspaper Schweriner Volkszeitung, the party mostly took place outdoors, but due to stormy weather continued inside of a garage.

Ludwigslust-Parchim's District Administrator Stefan Sternberg (SPD) appealed to local residents to pay attention to the social distancing regulations as well as to wear a face mask. Those who feel ill should not attend festivities, he added. 

“This situation shows us once again that the coronavirus pandemic is not over,” Sternberg announced on the district's homepage. “It is still a serious situation. If we are not careful now, we will have rapidly increasing numbers.”

READ ALSO: 'The situation is worrying': Germany sees rise in coronavirus infections

Approximately 200 contact people are in quarantine, and further tests are planned for Thursday afternoon.

Among the infected is also an employee of a job center in Hagenow, which has temporarily been closed.

Outbreaks around the country

The outbreak is one of several which has occurred around Germany over the last few days. 

On Monday, 174 harvest workers at a farm in Mamming in Bavaria were confirmed to be infected with the coronavirus. Community members then received free testing for the virus.

Last week, authorities tried to track down contact people following an outbreak at a bar near Berlin's Alexanderplatz.

An outbreak was also reported on Wednesday in the district of Herzogtum Lauenburg in Schleswig-Holstein. A married couple were infected following visit with an acquaintance. Six other cases have been reported so far.

Throughout Germany, there have also been several reported cases originating from returning travellers, the majority of which come from southeastern Europe.

As of Thursday July 30th, Germany reported a total of 208,892 cases since the beginning of the epidemic, 191,287 who have recovered, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. There have been a total 9,137 deaths.

READ ALSO: Which countries are Germany's imported coronavirus cases coming from?

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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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