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The RKI is currently recording an increase in corona cases. A slight increase in the viral load can also be measured in wastewater. Is NRW now resorting to measures from the pandemic?
Hamm – In NRW, the number of corona infections is currently rising slightly again. According to the RKI, the incidence of the disease is at a higher level than usual at this time of year. An increase in the viral load has also been detected in wastewater in NRW. Will vaccinations and masks now become part of everyday life again?
Rising corona numbers in NRW: Return to vaccinations and masks?
According to the RKI weekly report for calendar week 35 (August 27 to September 2), the number of reported corona cases in Germany has increased slightly compared to the previous week. The fact that the number of people infected with corona is currently increasing is also reflected in the measured viral load in wastewater: “In wastewater monitoring, a slight increase in the aggregated SARS-CoV-2 viral load has been observed since the beginning of August 2024,” says the RKI report.
As the Rheinische Post reported that interest in vaccinations has increased with the increasing number of corona cases. “Patients ask for the corona vaccine every day. Bus drivers, cashiers, teachers – they should all get vaccinated because everyone coughs on them,” says family doctor Prosper Rodewyk for the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians Westphalia of the Rheinische PostA corona vaccination can be refreshed with the flu vaccination in the fall. “There is no need to keep an interval between COVID-19 vaccinations and other so-called inactivated vaccines, and this particularly applies to the flu vaccination,” says the Stiko.
Masks possible in hospitals and practices
With the increasing numbers, could NRW also be heading towards a renewed mask requirement? “There is currently no obligation to wear a mask in North Rhine-Westphalia,” the NRW Ministry of Health stressed to the Rheinische Post“In medical practices, clinics and care facilities, there may be mask rules at the discretion of the local facilities. In accordance with their house rules, they can impose an obligation to wear masks if necessary.” However, this possibility is not new.
There is a new vaccination recommendation for the RS virus. Older people should now also be vaccinated. The following should be observed for the double vaccination.
