Ernst Kuipers: mutated virus can prolong pressure on hospitals | Inland

According to the latest information, the chance of getting onto the IC after being infected with the new variant of the virus is not higher, says Kuipers, because it does not necessarily make you sicker. He is, however, concerned about the persistently high infection rates. More than 11,000 new cases were reported Monday. “And the new variant can also have an effect on that.” Kuipers especially hopes that the strict lockdown will have a favorable effect on the number of infections.

There are currently more than 2,100 corona patients in the hospitals, 586 of which are in intensive care. There are also 429 non-Covid patients on the ICs. On Monday, the relocation of corona patients to Germany started again for the first time since October. The maximum capacity in the hospitals has not yet been reached, but only a small number of patients can be transported per day. “You can’t wait for a peak and only then start moving,” says Kuipers. It is therefore expected that small numbers of patients will be moved to Germany every day in the near future.

On Monday, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) officially gave the green light for the Pfizer vaccine. This is a crucial step towards the authorization of this first corona vaccine to the European Union. “Fantastic”, Kuipers called the news. “We are very much waiting for that.”

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