Full clinics, empty companies: Bavaria is struggling with an unusual wave of illnesses shortly before the holidays
Created: 22/12/2022, 06:11
By: Tanja Kipke
Bavaria is downright flat.
Due to the wave of flu and colds, transport companies, clinics, schools and daycare centers are at their limit.
This is how you can protect yourself.
Munich – The flu and cold wave has had Bavaria firmly under control for a few weeks now.
The number of influenza cases has been rising steadily since the beginning of October.
A graphic by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) shows that flu cases in Bavaria have increased by almost 40 percent in the last four weeks.
Cold viruses also cause people problems.
Many are sick in bed at the moment – and that so shortly before Christmas.
Bavaria has the wave of flu and colds under control: sick leave higher than in 2020 and 2021
The waves of illness are also reflected in the figures from health insurance companies.
According to the umbrella organization of Bavarian company health insurance companies, the number of sick days among employees is around 2 to 3 percent higher than in the same period of previous years.
The AOK even reported twice as many people with colds.
In October, for example, around ten percent of those insured with the AOK were on sick leave because of this, reports the BR.
Fever, cough and headache: Many Bavarians are currently sick in bed.
© Andreas Gebert/dpa/symbol picture
The employees in Bavaria's clinics are also feeling the flu season.
"We were surprised that it hit us again," explains Roland Engehausen from the Bavarian Hospital Society (BKG).
The situation is tense due to illness-related staff shortages in some hospitals.
The number of corona patients continues to decline, but there are now significantly more patients with influenza or RS viruses.
However, there will be no pre-Christmas emergency, as was the case in December 2021 due to the corona virus, this year.
According to Engehausen, there is no general postponement of planned operations - as recently announced by the Berlin Charité - in Bavarian clinics.
Businesses struggle with downtime
Clinics are not the only ones struggling with massive staff shortages.
Schools and daycare centers in Bavaria have been fighting for weeks.
Emergency care, shorter opening times or even the closure of groups are the consequences for daycare centers.
In Augsburg, for example, 50 city daycare centers were temporarily closed.
In Bavaria's schools, attempts are made to catch the failures by merging two classes.
If this is not possible, it can also happen that an entire class has to stay at home.
Teaching material will then be provided, as was recently done at a school in Fürstenfeldbruck.
Transport companies are also feeling the loss of staff, in Nuremberg the timetable was changed without further ado in November due to the many waves of illness.
In the meantime it is back to normal operation, but it is difficult to maintain unrestricted operation, as a VAG spokeswoman told BR.
“There are always trips that have to be cancelled.
We are considering whether we need to restrict the timetable again.”
Flu wave in Bavaria: This is how you can protect yourself and your family from infection
The big difference between a flu-like infection and the "real" flu is the sudden onset of the disease.
According to the RKI, the most common symptoms are fever, cough or sore throat as well as muscle and/or headaches.
You are contagious for four to five days.
“But a longer duration is possible, especially for children.” A toolbox from the RKI is intended to protect against infection:
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Stay home if you have symptoms
Get treatment for infections and know where to get help
Ventilate frequently and "smartly".
Indoors: wear a mask
Think about your own environment
Protect against serious illness with vaccination
It will probably be difficult to actually follow the tips, especially around Christmas.
But the most important thing is that anyone who has symptoms and feels sick should avoid contact with their family.
For anyone who has already got it, Starnberg doctor Ursula Goppel has five tips for a quick recovery.
(tkip)
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