AOK study: number of respiratory diseases on the rise
Sick leave due to respiratory diseases has increased significantly in Lower Saxony, according to data from the AOK health insurance company. In the first week of November, a total of around 36,400 of its working members were on sick leave due to respiratory diseases, the health insurance company announced on Thursday. This included a good 5,500 coronavirus infections. This means that a respiratory infection was the reason for every third sick leave during this period.
According to the AOK, this trend has been observed since the end of September. In comparison: in the last week of the month, there were just under 18,000 sick notes due to respiratory illnesses, around half less than in the first week of November.
"With respiratory infections and corona, we are now back to the level we experienced in March of this year," said Jürgen Peter from the AOK Board in Lower Saxony. "We are currently still a long way from the number of cases in December 2022, but it is not yet possible to predict how the situation will develop." A year ago, the number of people affected was twice as high - and respiratory diseases accounted for around half of all sick leave at the time.
The AOK is the largest health insurance company in Lower Saxony with a market share of 38 percent, according to its own figures.
The rise in respiratory diseases, including coronavirus infections like Covid-19, has led to a substantial increase in sick leave in Lower Saxony. As Jürgen Peter from the AOK Board mentioned, the current level of respiratory infections and corona infections is similar to the one seen in March of this year, although it's still lower than predicted for December 2022.
Source: www.dpa.com
