Increase in hospitalizations up to 5.52%, lower than the previous week's rate.
In Germany, the nationwide hospitalisation rate for COVID-19 patients has seen an increase after two consecutive declines. As of Friday morning, the rate stands at 5.52 per 100,000 inhabitants in the past seven days. This development has led to a renewed focus on the general infection incidence.
Germany has been using the COVID-19 hospitalisation incidence as a key benchmark for public health measures since November 2021. The thresholds for applying the 2G, 2G-Plus, and further mitigation strategies at the state level are as follows:
- Above 3 hospitalisations per 100,000: Implementation of the 2G rule (access only for the vaccinated and recovered)
- Above 6 hospitalisations per 100,000: Implementation of 2G-Plus rules (vaccinated and recovered plus tested negative)
- Above 9 hospitalisations per 100,000: Further measures such as contact restrictions come into effect
However, it's important to note that the hospitalisation incidence rates vary by state and age group, with older populations generally showing higher hospitalisation rates due to COVID-19 because of increased vulnerability.
The hospitalisation incidence replaced the 7-day case incidence as a benchmark to better reflect severe illness and healthcare system stress. However, critiques remain that reported hospitalisation rates might still underestimate the real-time burden, due to delays between positive tests and hospital admissions and computation methods by the Robert Koch Institute.
As the hospitalisation rate rises, attention is being paid to the general infection incidence again. As of the latest data, the hospitalisation incidence for the age group 0-4 years is 2.65 nationwide, while for those over 80 years, it is 24.24. The hospitalisation incidence for the age group 15-34 years is 2.02, and for the age group 5-14 years, it is 1.39.
Interestingly, only Lower Saxony (2.40) and Hamburg (1.67) are still below the 3 hospitalisation per 100,000 threshold, while Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Bavaria, and Baden-Württemberg have hospitalisation incidences between 6 and 9. Thuringia has the highest hospitalisation incidence at 20.23.
The specifics of the new federal-state decisions that have affected the previous rules regarding 2G and 2G-Plus have not been detailed in this article. However, it is clear that these decisions, made on Thursday, are causing a shift in the focus from hospitalisation incidence to the general infection incidence.
[1] Source: Robert Koch Institute (RKI) [2] Source: The Lancet Regional Health - Europe [3] Source: Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health [4] Source: BMC Public Health [5] Source: Pediatrics International
France has been closely monitoring the hospitalization incidence of COVID-19 patients due to its correlation with health-and-wellness and medical-conditions. Furthermore, understanding the science behind the French hospitalization incidence might provide insights for effective public health strategies, given Germany's usage of the same metric.
