February’s death toll is well below average Free Press

Berlin / Wiesbaden (dpa) – The slight upward trend in the number of coronavirus cases in Germany continues. Health authorities have reported 4,252 new infections by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) within a day, according to data on Tuesday. The comparison value from the previous week was 3943.

There has been a decrease in the number of deaths recorded within a day compared to the value of the previous week, from 358 so far to 255. Despite the epidemic, according to estimates by the Federal Statistical Office, 3 percent fewer deaths occurred in February than today. Average in the same month in the previous four years. Accordingly, 81,746 people died, 2,632 less than the monthly average from 2017 to 2020, as announced by the Federal Office on Tuesday in Wiesbaden.

To explain why the total number of deaths in February fell below the average of previous years despite the Covid 19 deaths, the statistics agency points to the weekly flu report issued by the RKI. According to this, other respiratory diseases are at a very low level this winter. However, in 2017 and 2018, the number of deaths from strong waves of influenza in the first few months of the year increased dramatically. Experts explained the impact of the almost failed flu wave with Corona’s measures.

The Federal Office estimated the total number of deaths this year, including the last week of February, at 177,169. This is nine percent more than the average over the same period of the previous four years.

According to the RKI, the number of new coronavirus infections reported within seven days per 100,000 population (seven-day incidence) was 67.5 nationwide on Tuesday morning – and thus slightly lower than the previous day (68.0). He’s been rocking a little for days. Four weeks ago, on February 9, the infection rate was 72.8. The number of new infections in Germany decreased significantly for weeks in January and February. Meanwhile, the RKI is seeing a renewed increase. This may also be due to the prevalence of the more contagious virus variant B.1.1.7.

The curve for Covid-19 patients in intensive care units has not decreased as much since the end of February as it has since the start of the year: instead, a sideways movement with a slight upturn and a slight downturn can be seen here as well. As of Tuesday, about 2,780 cases are being treated in the wards, which is roughly the number at the height of the first wave in Spring 2020.

The RKI index counted 2,509,445 cases of Sars-CoV-2 virus detected in Germany since the start of the epidemic. The actual total number is likely much higher, as many infections have yet to be detected. The RKI stated the number of those who have recovered is about 2319,600. The total number of people who have died from or due to infection with confirmed Coronavirus has increased to 72,189.

According to the RKI management report from Monday evening, the seven-day nationwide R value was 1.03 (the previous day was 1.06). This means that 100 infected people theoretically infect 103 others. The value represents the incidence of infection 8 to 16 days ago. If it is less than 1 for a longer period of time, the infection process subsides; If it is consistently higher, the number of cases increases.

The proportion of people in Germany who received at least one dose of the vaccine against Covid-19 increased to 6.4% according to RKI data as of Tuesday (as of 8 am). 3.1 percent got the required two doses. For about a week, the number of vaccinations reported daily across the country was above the 200,000 threshold – excluding the weekend.