Table of contents
- Which cold pathogens are currently causing the biggest problems?
- Who gets seriously ill, who has to go to hospital?
- What is the vaccination status?
- Who needs how many vaccinations?
- And what about the flu (influenza)?
Cold - Corona or flu epidemic? These pathogens are making us cough and sniffle right now
The first snowflakes may be an unmistakable sign that winter is approaching, but there are other indicators: Emergency childcare at daycare centers, empty hours at school and coughing colleagues in the home office. The cold season and increasing coronavirus cases are already putting a strain on people's everyday lives. Despite this, interest in protective vaccinations remains limited. The most important questions and answers at a glance.
Which cold pathogens are currently causing the biggest problems?
According to data from the Robert Koch Institute, it was mainly rhinoviruses and SARS-CoV-2 that were circulating last week, with rhinoviruses occurring more frequently recently. The seven-day incidence of coronavirus cases was 28, four percent higher than in the previous week. The incidence refers to the number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 inhabitants reported to the RKI within 7 days. At 104, the highest figure is in the 80+ age group. However, there is hardly any testing anymore, so statisticians now have much less data available for their calculations than in previous years.
The predominant variant in Germany is currently: EG.5 - also known as Eris. However, the disease severity of this Omicron derivative is unchanged compared to other current variants.
There are also signs of increasing circulation of the RS virus. The number of severe respiratory illnesses caused by RSV has been rising significantly for three weeks, particularly in children under the age of four.
Who gets seriously ill, who has to go to hospital?
Overall, the number of people going to the doctor because of a respiratory illness is increasing. However, vaccinations and infections have made severe cases of coronavirus in particular much rarer. As a result, the occupancy rate of intensive care beds with coronavirus patients is low at 5.3 percent. Currently, 658 patients with coronavirus are being ventilated. The number of deaths associated with a SARS-CoV-2 infection was 375 across Germany in the week from November 12 to 19. In November 2022, there were still more than 1000.
What about vaccination protection?
After the second jab, it starts to wear thin - that much can be said. In terms of basic immunization, Germans are not doing badly at all: 76.4 percent have been vaccinated twice. Among the over-60s, the figure is as high as 90.1 percent. But then the figures drop: Only 85.5 percent of the "60plus" group have had their first booster vacc ination. Interest in the second booster is even lower: just 40.7% of them received it.
The regional distribution is also striking. Once again, the north of Germany leads the way: while 63.8 percent of over-60s in Schleswig-Holstein have been vaccinated four times and 55.8 percent in Bremen, significantly fewer people in this age group in Thuringia (21.3 percent) and Saxony (22.2 percent) have had a second booster vaccination.
This situation is unlikely to change much in the coming months. This is because the number of new vaccinations is manageable. Last Monday, for example, just 884 people across Germany were vaccinated against coronavirus, most of them for booster shots.
Who needs how many vaccinations?
The Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) of the Robert Koch Institute recommends that all adults have basic immunity against SARS-CoV-2. This can be achieved either with two vaccinations and at least one previous infection or with three vaccinations. In addition, people with an increased risk of severe COVID-19 should receive further booster vaccinations - preferably with vaccines that are adapted to current virus variants. The rule of thumb is a minimum interval of twelve months. If you become infected in the meantime, the window is extended.
All people over 60 or those with underlying illnesses are considered to be at risk. However, booster vaccinations are also recommended for residents of care facilities, people with an increased occupational risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and close contacts of people in whom the vaccination is unlikely to build up a protective immune response.
And what about the flu (influenza)?
In the 47th reporting week of this year, 460 cases of influenza virus infection were reported to the Robert Koch Institute, more than in previous weeks, but the incidence of infection remains low for the time being. There are currently no signs of an incipient flu epid emic. This is not unusual. Flu infections usually peak in the first quarter of the year. If you don't want to lie in bed sick, you can still get vaccinated. Immunization is particularly recommended for high-risk groups, as influenza can be dangerous for them. Who are we talking about? These are the same groups who are also recommended to have a booster vaccination against coronavirus.
Tip: You can also be vaccinated against coronavirus and influenza at the same time: once in the right arm and once in the left arm.
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Source: www.stern.de
