COVID-19 Fourth Wave Intensifies Mainly Among Young People in Germany... Delta Variant Accounts for 99%

[Photo by Xinhua News Agency]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] The fourth wave of COVID-19 driven by the Delta variant is intensifying mainly among the younger population in Germany.

According to data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), Germany's equivalent of a disease control agency, on the 21st (local time), there were 8,092 new COVID-19 cases and 17 deaths reported the previous day.

The number of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people over the past week reached 51.6, surpassing the 50 mark again for the first time in about three months.

Germany uses this indicator as a benchmark for tightening or easing COVID-19 restrictions. Going forward, the number of hospitalized patients will also be taken into consideration.

In early July, the number of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people over the past week was 4.9, and one week ago it was 32.7, but it has recently surged sharply, marking the first time since May 25 (58.4) that it has returned to the 50s.

The RKI has diagnosed that the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has officially begun in Germany. It pointed out that the spread is rapidly increasing especially among the younger age group between 10 and 49 years old.

In its weekly report, the RKI stated, "The positive rate of PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests soared from 4% to 6% within a week," adding, "The younger generation has been particularly affected, which is evidence that the fourth wave has started." The proportion of Delta variant infections among new cases in Germany has risen to 99%.

The RKI estimates that if the number of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people exceeds 200 over the past week, the number of patients requiring intensive care will surpass 3,000, increasing the burden on hospital beds.

In Germany, 63.8% of the population, or 53,066,487 people, have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 58.5%, or 48,651,173 people, have completed their second dose. The daily vaccination volume, which once exceeded 1.4 million doses, has dropped to around 300,000 doses.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.