Millions of Germans suffer from respiratory illness
Respiratory illnesses are most common in autumn and winter, with their numbers decreasing noticeably in the summer. This year, however, this is not the case, according to the RKI. Even with summer temperatures, millions of Germans seem to be catching viruses, including coronaviruses.
Millions of households are currently coughing and sneezing - and this is despite the summer. The number of acute respiratory illnesses, according to calculations by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), has been higher in recent weeks than ever before at this time of year. This refers to the period since the launch of the GrippeWeb portal in 2011.
Citizens can report directly on GrippeWeb whether they had a respiratory illness in the previous week. According to the RKI, around 3.3 million acute respiratory illnesses were estimated in the population for the week from 29 July to 4 August.
Although the number of estimated new infections has decreased slightly compared to the previous week, overall, there has been only a relatively small decrease in respiratory infections since winter, according to GrippeWeb. In previous years, however, it was different: usually, many fewer people had coughs, colds, and sore throats in the warm months.
According to the RKI, coronaviruses and rhinoviruses are mainly responsible. Coronaviruses were predominantly detected in patients aged 15 and over, while rhinoviruses were found in almost all age groups. Covid-19 was mainly detected in older people with severe acute respiratory infections, particularly those over 80. Influenza and RS viruses do not currently play a role. The number of severe acute respiratory infections is at a low level.
The RKI states that the summer holidays can have an impact on both infections and surveillance systems.
Despite the summer's warmth, cold and flu symptoms are prevalent among millions of Germans, leading to increased reports on GrippeWeb. According to the RKI, both coronaviruses and rhinoviruses have been primarily responsible for these infections this season.
