During the peak of coronavirus infections, 50 people found themselves in the intensive care unit, while around 200 patients were hospitalised in total. At the moment, those numbers are down to 21 and three respectively, which are comparable to the rates from last summer.
Though the ICU numbers are not far off from last year, regular hospitalisations have decreased. A remarkable difference is that more of those who are hospitalised also need intensive care. Dr Schmitz from CHL commented: "We have fewer patients but more of them are in bad condition. Out of those, only two were vaccinated, but in both cases the jab did not bring about the desired protection due to prior conditions."
Dr Schmitz further underlined that even a vaccine is no absolute guarantee against Covid-19. However, it does significantly reduce the risk for complications and hospitalisations. When it comes to the question of high infection numbers, Dr Schmitz noted that the Delta variant is most likely to blame as it is more contagious.
Another reason for the infection rates is the easing of restrictions, which has allowed more people into close contact again. Dr Schmitz therefore believes that at a certain point, measures have to be adapted again. In terms of anticipating future infection peaks, CHL has made adaptations to better handle higher patient rates.
Dr Schmitz concluded that despite the success of the vaccination, people should still remember to keep distances, wear masks, and wash their hands regularly.
