Share of mutated coronavirus variants in Germany almost 30%

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Just a few days ago, N1, reporting on the then-current data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), also reported the statement of the very concerned RKI President Lothar Wieler, and the statement of German Health Minister Jens Spahn about the share of the British variant of coronavirus being "above 20%".

Michael Müller, President of the Association of Accredited Medical Laboratories (ALM), as reported by German media, has now announced that the share in samples tested last week was almost 30 percent.

This is based on new RKI research, which is ongoing, and in which ALM data is an integral part. N1 previously reported that the RKI stated that the British variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus had increased from 6 to about 22 percent of all coronavirus infection cases in Germany in just two weeks.

Now it is "almost 30 percent", according to Müller, and agencies also point out that, for example, in Munich, the prevalence of the British variant among newly confirmed coronavirus infections is higher than 40 percent.

ALM estimates are based on data from about 170 laboratories and represent about 90 percent of testing activity in Germany.

Less than a week ago, the German Health Minister presented very worrying figures despite a slight decrease in the number of new infections.

"The share of the British coronavirus mutation in the total number of new infections is doubling every week. This strain could soon become dominant in the total number of new infections!", said Jens Spahn in Berlin.

At that time, the South African strain of mutated coronavirus accounted for 1.5 percent of new infections.

Two days later, Wieler commented on the RKI data, saying that the number of infected people in Germany was no longer decreasing.

"The downward trend (of the coronavirus) is no longer continuing. The seven-day incidence nationwide is no longer decreasing... The virus has received a 'boost', any thoughtless easing of measures throws us back, so that in a few weeks we would return to the point where we were at Christmas", said the RKI President.