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After the flu wave was almost completely absent for two winters due to the corona measures, it is now back
Photo: Guido Mieth / Getty Images
After the above-average number of respiratory diseases a few weeks ago, people in Germany seem to be struggling less with it again.
The estimated rate of acute respiratory diseases fell further in the first week of 2023 compared to the previous week, according to the weekly report of the Influenza Working Group of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).
It is estimated that around four million people in Germany had a respiratory infection in the first week of the year.
The value, which is based on citizen information, has therefore fallen back to a range like in years before the pandemic at this time.
"The nationwide school holidays over the holidays and even after the turn of the year may have contributed to a significant reduction in transmissions, especially among schoolchildren," it said.
The experts write that the further development of the flu wave in Germany can only be better assessed in the coming weeks.
The reason given is the school holidays in many federal states in the past week.
Triggers: mainly influenza and RSV
Influenza viruses, i.e. the triggers of the flu, and the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which can cause severe symptoms, especially in small children, were found in the samples from patients examined.
Seasonal corona viruses, Sars-CoV-2 and rhinoviruses, on the other hand, were only detected in a small proportion of the samples.
For the first week of the year, almost 13,800 cases of flu confirmed in the laboratory were reported to the RKI.
“The number of cases has fallen compared to the previous weeks.” The number of flu-related deaths reported to the RKI since the beginning of the season was 407.
The registration figures are only a part of the entire event.
The flu outbreak had started exceptionally early this season.
The number of respiratory infections in December was significantly higher than in previous years.
Before Christmas, the tense situation in the health system had caused concern.
In view of the high number of infections, many clinics and medical practices were overloaded - partly because many staff were sick.
In some cases, planned operations had to be cancelled.
The severe RSV wave had also overloaded children's hospitals and pediatric practices in particular.
wbr/dpa