The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) expects an increase in corona patients who would have to be treated in the intensive care unit. Even if the nationwide seven-day incidence has recently fallen slightly, the infection pressure remains high in all age groups, the RKI announced on Thursday in its weekly report. Therefore, in the coming weeks, especially in the older age groups, “hospitalizations, an increase in intensive care treatments and deaths can be expected”.

The number of people treated in intensive care units with a Covid 19 diagnosis has continued to rise. As of Wednesday, it had increased to 1587 cases. According to the information, there were still 1330 in the previous week. The number of deaths is currently just over 400 per week.

According to the report, people over the age of 80 “continue to be most affected by severe disease progression”. The incidence here is also increasing. The number of outbreaks of Covid-19 both in medical treatment facilities and in old people’s and nursing homes has continued to increase.

In Germany, the omicron sub-variant BA.5, which has been dominant since mid-June, has almost completely displaced other variants with 89 percent in the past week, the RKI explained. The shares of the variants BA.2 and BA.4 have continued to fall.