The flu season usually starts in January.
How difficult it will be is still uncertain.
An infection with corona and influenza viruses would be particularly severe.
The flu season 2020/2021 was canceled, so to speak. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) as the leading biomedical research facility of the German federal government writes in its monthly influenza report from September 2021: "In the 2020/21 season, neither in Germany nor in the other European countries did a flu wave that could be measured at the population level develop". The weekly report at the beginning of May 2021 stated: "
The ARE activity since the hard lockdown at the end of 2020 until the end of February 2021 was at a previously never reached, low level in the winter months
". ARE stands for "Acute Respiratory Diseases", which include, among other things, throat and pneumonia.
Doctors attribute the lack of flu wave, among other things, to the strict corona rules such as exit restrictions, mask requirements and other hygiene regulations.
Since these measures have been relaxed due to a high vaccination rate in Germany, some experts see the risk of a severe flu epidemic in winter 2021/22.
In an interview with Merkur, Professor Dr.
Dr.
Franz-Xaver Reichl from the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich explains the background: “Since there are many people who were not infected with the flu virus a year ago through protective measures, there is also no immune protection.
Since the measures such as wearing a mask, keeping your distance and so on have been relaxed a little, it could well be
that these people (...) who now have no immune protection even get a stronger flu
".
If this case occurs and the number of corona cases increases again this winter, there is a risk of
dangerous double infections
.
According to
Der Spiegel
,
a British expert
even warns that simultaneous infection with corona and flu pathogens would double the risk of dying.
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Survey on the subject of corona vaccination
Few deaths after corona and flu infection - but numbers could rise
A British study had examined how often there is a double infection with coronavirus and the influenavirus as the causative agent of the flu. The researchers led by Julia Stowe from the British National Infection Service based their survey on the data of 19,256 people who were tested for both influenza viruses and SARS-CoV-2 between January 20, 2020 and April 25, 2020. “
A total of 58 people had a SARS-CoV-2 and an influenza co-infection
, 992 had a positive influenza result and were negative for SARS-CoV-2, 4,443 had a positive SARS-CoV-2 result and were negative for Influenza, and the remaining 13,763 were negative for both SARS-CoV-2 and influenza during this period, ”according to the study results.
There were a total of 2,699 deaths, with only 25 of the dead contracted from corona and flu at the same time
.
1,419 (52.6 percent) only had SARS-CoV-2 infection, 48 (1.8 percent) only had influenza and 1,206 (44.7 percent) had neither Covid-19 nor flu.
The number of cases of double infections resulting in death was low, but depending on the absolute number of infections (corona and flu), this number could theoretically increase in the winter season 2021/22.
Corona and flu vaccination possible at the same time
There are no drugs that target the flu and coronaviruses.
If you want to protect yourself from infection, you should first and foremost stay away from sick people, strengthen your own defenses through a balanced diet and plenty of exercise in the fresh air, and ensure proper hand hygiene.
Vaccinations also offer protection against severe corona and flu courses.
As the
Spiegel
quotes the RKI, a corona vaccination can be given at the same time as the flu vaccination because none of the agents are live vaccines (except for a nasal spray for children).
If both syringes are given at the same time, however, there could be somewhat stronger temporary vaccination reactions
, according to the
Spiegel
.
(jg)