Corona situation - Numbers are rising: Partial mask requirement in hospitals
More people are currently infected with coronavirus again. However, according to the Director of the Clinic for Pneumology and Infectiology at Hannover Medical School (MHH), the situation is no longer as drastic as it was at the height of the pandemic. There are currently "many Covid cases, but relatively few serious illnesses in hospital", said Tobias Welte. Due to vaccinations and previous infections, there is a high level of population immunity.
"Corona has become one of the respiratory viruses of the winter," explained Welte. As with other viruses, the number of coronavirus infections increases in the fall and winter months. An infection is not as harmless as a cold, but also not as malignant as real influenza. Recently, there has been an increase in coronavirus infections due to the cold temperatures. The chief physician predicted that the number of people with Covid-19 would decrease again due to rising temperatures and the imminent start of the vacations.
No general corona rules in hospitals
According to the Lower Saxony Hospital Association, there is currently no general mask requirement in hospitals. There is also no general testing requirement for employees or visitors. People with coronavirus symptoms are tested in hospitals. However, some clinics and hospitals have their own rules for their employees and visitors.
At Hannover Medical School, for example, visitors with mild, non-febrile respiratory infections are required to wear a face mask, according to a spokesperson. People with a fever, respiratory infections with a cough or diarrhea are not allowed to enter the clinic.
Masks have been compulsory for visitors to patient rooms at Lüneburg Hospital since the end of October. And visitors are only permitted within a five-hour time window, with some exceptions. Hospital staff are recommended to wear masks. Protective equipment is mandatory for contact with people with infectious diseases. There are no admission restrictions at Osnabrück Hospital and visitors are not required to wear masks.
There are also no standardized regulations for nursing homes. The operating company AWO Niedersachsen, for example, stated that in its homes in Hanover, masks are compulsory in individual cases or communal activities are canceled.
According to the hospital association, there is currently an overall increase in sick leave among employees. These bottlenecks are leading to longer waiting times in the emergency department, for example, or to scheduled operations being postponed. However, medical and nursing care is guaranteed for all patients.
Incidence has risen recently
According to the Lower Saxony State Health Office (NLGA), the incidence of coronavirus infections was 28.6 on 8 December with 2379 reported cases. The incidence is the number of new infections reported per 100,000 inhabitants within seven days. Four weeks earlier, the incidence in Lower Saxony was 20.2 on November 10. 8053 new cases of infection were recorded during this period. According to the authorities, a positive PCR test is required to be included in the statistics. However, as testing is no longer carried out to the same extent as before, the current reporting figures can no longer be compared with historical data.
"Even if most illnesses are accompanied by mild symptoms, an influenza or Covid-19 infection can still be severe in individual cases," said NLGA President Fabian Feil. For this reason, the state health authority recommends vaccination for all risk groups. In Lower Saxony, 77.6 percent of the total population has received basic immunization through the corona vaccination since the start of the pandemic, according to the State Health Office. 67.2 percent received a booster vaccination and 19.9 percent a second booster vaccination.
Flu wave still to come
According to Feil, the flu wave has not yet begun: "Last year, we were confronted with an early and severe wave of colds and, above all, influenza, which we usually only observed in winter around the turn of the year - this is not the case this year."
In general, as with all colds, infected people should avoid interpersonal contact. The authorities also recommend hand hygiene, wearing a mask and regular ventilation. People can also take these measures as a precautionary measure to reduce the risk of infection.
Corona rules MHH
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- Upon entering Hannover Medical School (MHH), visitors with mild, non-feverish respiratory infections are required to wear a face mask due to the ongoing coronavirus situation.
- The Director of the Clinic for Pneumology and Infectiology at MHH, Tobias Welte, explained that coronavirus has become one of the respiratory viruses of the winter, similar to others, causing an increase in infections during fall and winter months.
- Despite the rise in corona virus infections recently, Hanover Medical School reports relatively few severe illnesses in hospitals, contributing to a high level of population immunity due to vaccinations and previous infections.
- The Lower Saxony Hospital Association does not enforce a general mask requirement in hospitals, but some individual clinics and hospitals implement their own rules for visitors and staff as precautionary measures against contagious diseases like Covid-19.
- The Chief Physician of Pneumology and Infectiology, Tobias Welte, mentioned that, although coronavirus infections can be severe in individual cases, the current climate of population immunity has resulted in a significant reduction in hospitalizations compared to the beginning of the pandemic.
Source: www.stern.de
