News that moves us in January: More and more bars, restaurants and cafés are closing voluntarily +++ New Omikron variant “not as a vaccine substitute” +++ Researchers discover damage to organs.
The most important news in the BRIGITTE ticker
What is moving the world? What motivates the BRIGITTE editors? In this ticker we summarize the most important news in January for you.
January 10, 2022
Sylt is sending itself into a Corona break
Sylt is now taking a Corona break – many pubs, bars and pubs are already closed, some are still to follow. It all began with the corona outbreak on Christmas Eve, when around 100 guests celebrated in the “Red Cliff” under 2G-Plus conditions. At least 23 people subsequently tested positive because they had contracted the Omikron variant.
On Sunday afternoon, the North Friesland district’s health department responsible for the island reported 476 Sylter sick with Covid-19 – on Christmas Eve there were just 30 sick people, according to the “Welt”. Projected, the incidence is said to have risen to more than 1,500 after the holidays. But also on the mainland, where many of the Sylt workers live, the number of infections rose dramatically.
The result: the responsible health department is completely overloaded. Infected people currently only receive an SMS with their test result and a link with further information. Your contact persons must inform those affected themselves, the health department no longer has any capacity.
Sylt has become the new Corona hotspot in Germany. Numerous cafés, pubs and restaurants already closed last week – many do not want to reopen until February. Hotels like the “Miramar” or the “Stadt Hamburg” also voluntarily close their doors. Some of them had to struggle with corona outbreaks within the team themselves. The Schleswig-Holstein parliament is currently discussing new, tightened measures to curb the spread as far as possible – these are expected to take effect from Wednesday, January 12, 2022.
January 7, 2022
New study shows: Unvaccinated people are not adequately protected by an Omicron infection
A study from South Africa has now shown new insights into immunity to renewed corona infection after being infected with the Omicron variant. Leif Erik Sander shared the most important results via Twitter: Vaccinated persons would show very good immunity against Omikron itself, but also against the Delta variant, after an Omicron infection. Unvaccinated people show poor immunity to Delta after an omicron infection.
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) shared the tweet from the internist and eye specialist who heads the research group on infection immunology and vaccine research at Charité Berlin. For Lauterbach it is clear that Omikron is “not suitable as a vaccine substitute”. That plays a role in the debate about compulsory vaccination, he wrote on Twitter.
January 5, 2022
Despite the mild course, there can be long-term consequences after a corona illness
Hamburg researchers discover damage to organs – even with a mild corona course. These findings are particularly important for the new Omikron variant, as it usually only leads to a slight progression or the sick do not experience any symptoms at all. An extensive study at the University Clinic Hamburg-Eppendorf shows that the heart, lungs, kidneys and legs can be affected.
For the series examinations, a total of 443 people between the ages of 45 and 74 years were examined from mid-2020 after a SARS-CoV-2 infection with only milder symptoms. The findings were compared with participants in the ongoing “Hamburg City Health Study”, whose test subjects had never been infected.
In a direct comparison with the non-infected study participants, the infected test subjects showed signs of medium-term organ damage. In a communication from the UKE it is said: “In the lung function test, a lung volume reduced by around three percent and a slightly increased airway resistance were documented in the participants.”
The heart examinations would have shown an average decrease in pumping power of one to two percent, “as well as a 41 percent increase in a marker protein in the blood that provides information about the load on the heart.” According to the UKE, an ultrasound examination showed signs of a leg vein thrombosis two to three times more often. The kidney function has also decreased by about two to three percent.
On the positive side, there has been no deterioration in the performance of the brain. In addition, the test subjects stated in a questionnaire that they would not feel the changes in the body themselves. The results of the study were published early Wednesday morning as a so-called fast-track publication in the “European Heart Journal”.
Vaccination mishap: Children get too high a dose of the Biontech vaccination
In the vaccination center at the zoo in Hanover, 21 * boys and girls were injected with the Biontech vaccine with the higher concentration for adults. Actually, the children should receive the vaccine for five to eleven year olds, as a spokeswoman for the Hanover region announced on Monday.
According to the leading specialist in the health department, Marlene Graf, however, no serious consequences are to be expected. According to our findings, possible side effects should be limited to local reactions and fever reactions.
The parents of the children concerned had been informed directly by the regional administration by telephone and email, it said. The exact age of the children is not yet known.
“Even if no serious health consequences are to be expected, something like this should not have happened,” says regional president Steffen Krach (SPD). “This must not be repeated under any circumstances, we have to check all processes again.” The error will be analyzed immediately.
*Editor’s note: The first reports mentioned 42 affected children. The investigations have now shown, however, that fewer children are affected, according to a spokeswoman.
January 4, 2022
New mutation exposed: is it more contagious than Omicron?
In the south of France, researchers have now registered a new mutation in the coronavirus. It does not yet have a name and is therefore currently under the designation B.1.640.2. With 46 mutations it shows significantly more than the wild type of the virus – the original variant. That goes from a Preprint study published by scientists from the IHU Mediterranée Infection research institute in Marseille. For comparison: The Omikron variant has 37 mutations.
Apparently twelve people in southern France were infected with the new variant. According to the preprint study, an outbreak occurred after a person returned from Cameroon. According to the Johns Hopkins Institute, the vaccination rate in Cameroon is currently 2.4 percent. The tests showed an atypical combination of mutations in the infected, the researchers write. The variant was discovered at the beginning of December. The study is based on data from the twelve infected people. This is a study that has not yet been reviewed by specialist colleagues at this point in time.
According to initial findings, the increased number of mutations could result in a significantly higher infection. It contains, among other things, two already known mutations: N501Y and E484K. The latter is a so-called “escape mutation” that could bypass the effectiveness of vaccines. It is important to know, however, that the sheer number of mutations does not make any statement as to whether a variant is more dangerous or not. No further statements could be made in the preprint study due to a lack of data.
Supplement to the authors of the study: Among them is also the medical doctor Didier Raoult, who is known for his controversial theses on the pandemic and who has campaigned for the use of the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, so the “mirror”. In addition, the Dutch microbiologist Elisabeth Bik accused him of manipulating several publications. Numerous scientists then expressed their solidarity with Bik in an open letter.
January 3, 2022
Now it’s getting more expensive: Possible increase in health insurance contributions
“If nothing happens, a premium increase of 0.3 percentage points will already be necessary in the first half of the year to ensure funding,” said the deputy chairman of the board of directors of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds, Gernot Kiefer, of the “Rheinische Post” on Monday. In view of a billion deficit in the past year, the contributions to long-term care insurance would increase in the first half of 2022.
The reason: The total expenditure for 2021 was around two billion euros higher than the income. This would start the long-term care insurance “sewn on edge” in the new year, Kiefer continued. It has reached its statutory minimum reserve and there is an urgent need for political action to stabilize the financial situation.
A look into the future shows that the wage increases for nursing staff are of course entirely justified, but that they could also result in additional costs. “This is well founded in the matter, but there are up to around five billion euros in additional expenditure per year – depending on the speed at which you do it. According to the current construction, this increases the self-contributions of those in need of care.”
More news?
That was the news from December 2021.
Sources used: dpa.de, rnd.de, augsburger-allgemeine.de, morgenpost.de, medrxiv.org, spiegel.de, welt.de, twitter.com