Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach warned against hasty moves to further relax the corona virus in the spring. The SPD politician said in Berlin that he was now confronted every day with what to do in April or March.
“It’s such a scramble where it’s about who’s the fastest looser.” But he was in the mood of a classic doctor: “I have to deal with the medical problem we have now.” There are currently around 1,000 deaths per week and full clinics. A winter wave with more infections is to be expected. Patient representatives urged further protection in nursing homes.
Lauterbach said that the situation is currently under control thanks to carefully planned measures. “I just want it to stay that way for the next few weeks and months.” It is “unacceptable that we are losing a lot of people again in the last few months of a severe pandemic because the messages we are sending are mixed – and because we are not implementing the measures that are so effective and have been good for us for so long to serve.”
Patient protectors: Infections are a high risk of life for those in need of care
According to an evaluation by the Barmer health insurance company, nursing homes remain the focus of further protective measures that are necessary. Since the beginning of the pandemic, not nearly as many nurses with Corona have been unable to work as this year, said CEO Christoph Straub, referring to the insurance company’s data. In March 2022, for example, there were 158 certificates of incapacity for work per 10,000 nursing professionals in homes – after 11 in March 2021. In July 2022 there were 118 cases per 10,000 insured persons, almost 40 times as many sick leave reports as in the same month last year.
The German Foundation for Patient Protection explained that infections remained a high risk of life for those in need of care. “Although infected nurses in particular still bring the virus in, there is no daily test regime,” said board member Eugen Brysch of the German Press Agency. There are no external medical and nursing experts or alternative quarters for possible chain infections. The Social Association Germany demanded that everyone who enters a nursing home wear an FFP2 mask and be tested. One should not be careless here.
Vaccinations in the New Year in practices
Some new organizational regulations are planned for corona vaccinations at the turn of the year. “The vaccinations are running. There is no funding gap,” said Lauterbach. However, it is planned to generally transfer them to the practice area on January 1st, where the vast majority of them are already taking place. The current vaccination ordinance, which also regulates the organization and remuneration in vaccination centers in the federal states, expires at the end of the year. The vaccinations are to be paid for from statutory health insurance funds – initially from the liquidity reserve of the health fund, from April 7th by the health insurance funds. Vaccine will continue to be procured by the federal government and provided free of charge.
