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Even when the flu epidemic is over, people are still struggling with respiratory infections (symbol image)
Photo: © Eugenio Marongiu / Getty Images/Image Source
After an exceptionally early start in autumn 2022, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) now considers the flu epidemic in Germany to be over.
According to the definition of the RKI's influenza working group, it ended after eleven weeks with the first week of this year, as can be seen from their flu report on Wednesday evening.
However, that does not mean that there are no more flu infections: the season is still ongoing, only the phase of increased activity is over for the time being.
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In the years before the corona pandemic, the flu epidemic usually only started after the turn of the year.
The number of influenza infections nationwide in the laboratory and reported to the RKI this season is almost 260,000 so far, and 668 deaths with influenza virus infection have also been reported.
That's just a snippet of what's going on.
The severity of the wave is usually only assessed afterwards by the RKI.
Other respiratory illnesses are occurring at levels usual for the time of year, compared to years prior to the pandemic, according to the report.
According to virological analyzes of samples from medical practices, the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), seasonal corona viruses and rhinoviruses were predominantly found last week, the report says.
The RSV wave continues.
mar/dpa/AFP
