Germany is only at the beginning of an epidemic

Christiane Fux studied journalism and psychology in Hamburg. The experienced medical editor has been writing magazine articles, news and factual texts on all conceivable health topics since 2001. In addition to her work for, Christiane Fux is also active in prose. Her first crime novel was published in 2012, and she also writes, designs and publishes her own crime plays.

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So far, Germany is only at the beginning of a Covid 19 epidemic. Leading experts agree on this. The President of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Lothar Wieler, said on Tuesday in a live report on the situation: "There will be more cases and there will be more severe, progressive cases." After the first two deaths in Germany, more patients would be die. "The situation is very serious."

Wieler urged all mayors and district administrators, all doctors and hospitals to activate their crisis plans. The hospitals would have to prepare for the treatment of more serious cases.

RKI: moderate risk in Germany

The RKI still classifies the risk to health as moderate throughout Germany. However, it varies from region to region and is higher in particularly affected areas.

Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) assumes that around two thirds of people in Germany could be infected with the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus, she said, according to participants in the parliamentary group meeting on Tuesday.

Slow down the spread of the virus

According to experts, such an infection process only becomes really problematic if it happens within a short period of time. Then the healthcare system would be overwhelmed. But it could take two years or even longer, explains Prof. Christian Drosten, director of the Institute for Virology at the Charité in Berlin. "That is why the authorities are doing everything they can to detect and slow down outbreaks."

He currently assumes that a maximum of cases will occur in the period from June to August, he added in an NDR podcast. He referred to a new, refined model calculation. Just a few days ago, he had assumed that the number of infections in the summer would decrease.

Consistent measures are necessary

According to experts, conditions like those in Italy can still be avoided in Germany because of the still limited outbreaks and often known chains of infection. For this, however, consistent measures would be necessary. Health Minister Spahn prepared all citizens in a speech yesterday for longer restrictions in everyday life. "We are clearly talking about several months, not several weeks," he said.

The minister appealed to citizens to take responsibility. All possibilities should be considered to reduce the spread: travel less, work from home if possible, walk or cycle instead of public transport.

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