Corona report from the RKI: Omikron now clearly dominates

Status: 01/13/2022 8:50 p.m.

According to the Robert Koch Institute, the proportion of the Omikron variant in Germany is now 73.3 percent. In Bremen, the variant is almost the sole cause of infections with 96 percent.

Omikron is now the predominant variant of the coronavirus in Germany with a share of 73.3 percent. Last week, the Omikron share was 44.3 percent. With the spread of the more contagious variant, the fifth wave of the pandemic began in this country, writes the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) in its current weekly report.

The institute estimates the threat to the population from the coronavirus as very high one. According to the RKI, it is imperative to prioritize testing in accordance with the national test strategy in order to ensure “prompt diagnostic care” for corona patients.

Differences between the federal states

According to the RKI, 9848 Omikron cases were confirmed in Germany by January 10. 91,311 more are considered suspicious cases. The distribution of the variant varies greatly in the individual federal states: from eleven percent in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania to 96 percent in Bremen.

The reason for the differences is, however, that the different countries have different degrees of variant-specific testing and, in some regions, the results from the laboratories are recorded and transmitted more slowly, according to the RKI. In addition, Omikron spreads from metropolitan areas.

New high in new infections

The number of new corona infections transmitted to the RKI within one day has meanwhile reached a new high. According to the RKI, the health authorities reported 81,417 cases in 24 hours in the morning. The day before, the number had exceeded the threshold of 80,000 for the first time.

The RKI gave the seven-day incidence as 427.7. The previous day the value was 407.5. A week ago the nationwide incidence was 285.9 (previous month: 389.2). On November 29, the RKI reported the previous high of 452.4, which later rose to 485.1 through late reports.

RKI recommends getting vaccinated

By January 11, 75 percent of the population had been vaccinated at least once and 72 percent had been fully vaccinated, and 44 percent of the population had already had a booster, writes the RKI. The institute recommends previously unvaccinated to get vaccinated.

“According to the current state of knowledge, all vaccines that are currently available in Germany effectively protect the vast majority of vaccinated people from serious illness if they are fully vaccinated and especially after a booster”, says the weekly report. However, the effectiveness against the Omikron variant cannot yet be definitively assessed.

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