Germany's largest university hospital sounds alarm over third wave

Germany's largest university hospital, Berlin's Charite, has sounded the alarm over the country's worsening third wave of coronavirus infections.

"If the numbers of seriously ill Covid-19 patients exceed those experienced during the second wave, we will be in a critical situation," said Martin Kreis, a board member at Charite.

At the beginning of the year, the number of severe Covid-19 cases in Charite's intensive care units reached its absolute limit. The hospital was unable to accept patients from other parts of Germany as a result.

"We will continue to do everything in our power to care for patients from the Berlin area," said Kreis.

The number of people entering intensive care units at Charite has increased significantly over the past two weeks, with the 30-60 age group particularly badly affected because they are less likely to have received a vaccination.

Though most of the hospital's workforce is now vaccinated, but many are suffering from exhaustion and trauma over the many coronavirus-related deaths, Kreis said.

Germany is battling a third wave of infections driven mainly by the British variant of the virus.

The Robert Koch Institute for disease control said Saturday that 24,097 cases and 246 deaths had been registered within 24 hours. The seven-day incidence figure per 100,000 inhabitants stood at 120.6.