In Germany less people are in the last week of the flu than in the previous weeks. The latest report of the working group Influenza at the Robert Koch Institute shows. Nevertheless, doctor’s offices still reported nearly 19,000 cases in which the Influenza pathogen was detected in the laboratory.
The actual number of people Affected is likely to be considerably higher. Not every doctor takes of all flu-Diseased samples that he makes in the laboratory.
Around one-fifth of the reported cases, the victims had to be treated in the hospital.
The real flu differs in several respects from a cold, which is also referred to as a flu infection. During a flu infection is usually harmless, the symptoms of a flu is much stronger and can be life-particularly for debilitated persons dangerous. Since the autumn of 2018-Koch-Institute (RKI) have died, according to Robert 402 people for whom a flu disease was detected.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on the affected
Most of the flu wave affected Western Pomerania in the past week, of Mecklenburg -, with the number of people who came in with respiratory complaints in the doctor’s offices increased even more. The same is true for Baden-Württemberg.
In other States, however, the Practice remained largely the same or even decreased slightly. The value describes how many of the people with acute respiratory diseases in comparison to the normal condition to the doctor. It is calculated on the basis of the reports of more than 500 physician practices.
From a value of 180 of the practice, the index is considered to be greatly increased, the Germany average in the past week, at 164. For comparison: the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern exceeded this value, with 225 significantly, as well as Baden-Württemberg (198). At the other end of the scale, Saxony-Anhalt, were 135 and Berlin with 136.
Flu outbreaks reduce life expectancy
The current Numbers suggest that the wave of Flu this year could be significantly weaker than in the past. At that time, the Robert Koch Institute had registered at the beginning of March, more than 46,000 cases of influenza within a week.
Throughout the Winter of 2017/2018, more than 1,600 people had died, in which the infection was detected. At this value, a high number of unreported cases is likely to exist.
A current evaluation of the Robert Koch Institute suggest that severity of flu outbreaks affect even the development of life expectancy in Germany is negative. Although the average life expectancy increased between 1991 and 2016, and for women from 79 to 83.2 years. In the case of the men, they grew from 72.5 to 78.4 years.
However, the researchers observed small interruptions of continuous increase – for example, 2013, 2015 and 2017. These were years with a remarkably strong flu outbreaks, reports in the RKI researchers in the “Journal of Health Monitoring”.
The easiest protection: wash hands
Best frequent hand protects the wash from catching the flu. Water and normal soap enough to eliminate the pathogen, it does not need special antibacterial soap or disinfectant. Thus, all the pathogens are washed off, the palms of the hands and fingers are in-between spaces for at least 20 seconds scrub.
Also it is advisable to the hands from the face. You touch in the subway, a holding rod, the virus stuck, it paves the subsequent handle to the nose or mouth pathogens, and the disease is the way in the body. If possible, it also helps during the Flu epidemic to keep other people and shaking little hands.
Apart from the precautions, vaccination against Influenza, which is adjusted each year to the currently circulating pathogens exists. After vaccination, it takes about two weeks until it develops its full protective effect.