Covid-19
“Arcturus”: New corona variant worries WHO experts
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Lauterbach: Research is to be carried out into corona variants at airports
Lauterbach: Research is to be carried out into corona variants at airports
In connection with the obligation for travelers from China to present a corona test when traveling to Germany in the future, Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach (SPD) announced in Berlin that systematic research would be carried out into variants at airports.
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A new Omikron variant makes experts sit up and take notice. It causes many Covid cases in India – and has also reached Germany.
Berlin. Comes Corona again? Currently, the danger of the pandemic seems to be averted to some extent. In Germany, for example, the seven-day incidence is around 40; the number of hospital admissions is increasing only imperceptibly, while fewer and fewer people with severe acute respiratory diseases are in hospital. The number of doctor visits with a Covid 19 diagnosis is also decreasing.
Nonetheless, the coronavirus remains a serious public health threat. Even if the data from the Robert Koch Institute gives a predominantly positive impression: in the past calendar week alone, eleven died loudly RKI The institute has reported 604 people in connection with a corona infection and almost 7,500 deaths since the beginning of the year.
“Arcturus” variant: Rapid increase in India
In this respect, news is over If and other parts of the world about a new Omicron variant. Corona numbers are currently rising again on the subcontinent and have almost tripled. Although at a very low level, the Indian Ministry of Health counted 6,559 active cases on Tuesday, with around 1.4 billion inhabitants.
According to experts, the reason for the increase is XBB 1.16 variant of the virus. First discovered in January, it is nicknamed “Arcturus“, named after the main star in the constellation of Bears. The XBB family consists of several subspecies, all of which are more contagious than the hitherto dominant omicron subvariants BA.5 and BA.2.
“Arcturus” variant: Experts are divided
Although seems “Arcturus” Not to be particularly deadly, but the rapid spread of the variant led the Indian expert Vipin Vashita to warn about the variant on Twitter. If XBB 1.16 succeeds in using the robust population immunity in If to break through, “the whole world must be seriously worried,” wrote the pediatrician, who is a member of the WHO vaccine group, last week on the social network.
However, other experts advise against it prudence. So far, there have been hardly any serious cases quote Indian media Randeep Guleria, the former head of India’s Covid task force. “There is no need to panic.” Appropriate behavior reduces the risk of infection.
Meanwhile there is “Arcturus“No longer only in India. There are cases in the USA, Brunei, Singapore. The variant has also made it to Europe. In Austria and Germany, infections with XBB 1.16 were discovered; in Germany, one each in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. ( PCL)
