Coronawelle 2024: Everything important about the current development

On March 30, 2020, the World Health Organization WHO called out a national health emergency. The disease is done by a virus called Sars-Cov-2 caused. On September 2020, over 33,000,000 infected persons were reported. After the world has slowly got used to a kind of normality after pandemic, summer in 2024 brings a new wave with it. In several countries, sometimes the USA and a large part of Europe are affected by this wave. The number of infection increases and the question arises: Why does this wave occur and which virus variant is behind it? In this article you will learn everything you need to know about the current wave of infection and how you can protect yourself.

Incidence rising

According to current figures, the incidence increases in almost every federal state. In Bavaria, the 7-day incidence is 6.5 and the highest in Saxony-Anhalt is already 16.3. The age groups that are most affected by Covid are people aged 80 and over. The value in every age group has increased in recent weeks. How can you explain these climbs? The dominant coronavariant, which currently ensures increasing number of infection, is the omikron variant KP.3.1.1. It currently makes 62.5 percent of all new infections. An increased health risk through this variant cannot be assumed. It is comparable to past variants of the virus.

We face a special challenge

Covid pandemic still remains a topic in 2024. It is not new that new virus variants are always formed. What is surprising, however, is the season by hitting this virus waves. Usually respiratory infections occur increased in the winter months. According to experts, this is exactly the reason why the infection volume is so large. People gather without a mask and with little distance from festivals, folk festivals, in bars and in clubs. One factor that could also have caused an increased amount of volume is that vaccination protection has decreased in most people. Protection by the vaccine or after a disease lasts only around three to four months.

Kp.3.1.1

The virus is a new sub-variant of the Omikron strain. This is currently the majority of all new cases. It belongs to the so-called "flirt family", which is composed of the letters of the mutations of the viruses. KP.3.1.1 is a descendant of JN.1. The virus strains from the flirt-family have a mutated spike protein, which makes it possible for them to avoid immunity that has been built up by past diseases. Conversely, this means that people who are already vaccinated or have had a corona disease can still be infected. However, the course is milder than in people who have no immunity. The symptoms of KP.3.1.1 virus are fever, cough, sore throat and tiredness. The transferability of the virus is high because it spreads easily through the droplet infection.

Recognize and act infection

Not all corona -fitted ways open the same symptoms. There can be excess with other diseases, such as flu. It is therefore advisable to carry out a corona quick test when symptoms occur. You can continue to use antigen tests from last year without any problems as long as the expiry date is not exceeded. Covid tests can be purchased in pharmacies, super and drugstores. Recognizing a corona infection at an early stage is important in order to be able to act quickly and thus protect the people in its environment. The first signs can be coughing, fever, sore throat and exhaustion. What are the next steps when you find these symptoms?

1. Make corona self-test: If you suspect a possible covid infection, it is necessary to act quickly. Do a corona immediately Self -test. If this fails to be invited, you should repeat the test. In the event of a negative result, however, you should also limit your contacts and cure.
2. Isolate: If the Corona rapid test shows a positive result, it is your responsibility to isolate and thus prevent the infection from other people. As a rule, you should insulate yourself for a week to ensure that the infection has disappeared. If you leave the house and stay in closed rooms with other people, always make sure to wear an FFP2 mask in order not to endanger anyone else.
3. Watch symptoms: Watch your course of illness. If your condition deteriorates drastically or you have severe symptoms such as shortness of breath of the continued fever, be sure to see the advice of a doctor.

Preventive measures to prevent infection

In order to reduce the risk of infecting with Covid, it is important to take preventive measures. These contribute not only to protect yourself, but to prevent general distribution and thus to minimize the risk of infection for themselves and for others.

 Consider hygiene standards: We come into contact with many people every day. We shake hands, touch door handles, niezen into our hands or in the air and much more.

• Through regular hand washing with soap and water and the right one disinfection Afterwards and for in between, four kills on our hands and keeps us from transferring them to other surfaces or other people.
• By actively avoiding our hands with unwashed hands, it can be avoided that the virus gets into the body through our mucous membranes.
• If you are in a room with many people, or in environments in which there could be an infection risk, you should wear a mask.

Social distance:

• If you are in an environment with many people and especially in closed rooms, you should always keep the distance to avoid the risk of infection by droplets in the air.
• If possible, avoid large crowds, especially in closed rooms such as elevators, public transport and events in bars and clubs.

Vaccination:

• A suitable vaccination protection has existed since August 2024. The refreshment should be given in particular people over the age of 60, as well as people with an increased risk of a health disease and personnel. Refreshing vaccinations help to increase vaccination protection and thus minimize the risk of a serious course of the disease. Especially groups that are exposed to a special risk due to their living conditions or ages should regularly update their vaccination.

Regular testing:

• Pay attention to typical covid symptoms and deal with a test if there is suspicion of an infection or people are in the surrounding area that are already ill, especially if you live together in a household. In this way, the infection can be recognized early and the spread can be contained.

 

By complying with these measures, you not only protect your own health, but also help to prevent the spread of the covid virus.

Conclusion

The current corona hell is powered by the new omikron sub-variant called KP.3.1.1, with which both vaccinated and already sick people can infect. However, the course of the disease can be milder for these groups of people. The vaccine is to be administered this year, with which particularly risk groups should be vaccinated. It is still important to maintain hygiene standards, to test yourself regularly and to initiate appropriate measures in the event of an infection. It is important to wait and regularly find out about changes.