Respiratory diseases - RSV wave in Germany has begun according to the RKI
According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the wave of RSV-related respiratory diseases has begun in Germany. The beginning is retroactively dated to the week starting November 20, as the RKI announced in its weekly report on acute respiratory diseases. RSV is the abbreviation for respiratory syncytial virus.
"Children under the age of two are particularly affected by hospitalization with RSV infection," writes the RKI on the current situation. According to the report, coronavirus infections and colds caused by rhinoviruses are also currently playing a role in Germany. A flu epidemic is not yet in sight.
Ventilation necessary in severe cases
Children usually get a runny nose and lose their appetite first when infected with RSV. The throat can become inflamed. "Coughing and sneezing follow, and a fever often occurs," writes the Federal Center for Health Education on its website. As a result, pneumonia, for example, is possible. In severe cases, ventilation may be necessary.
Last fall and winter, there was a severe wave of RSV in many countries. Many children were affected who had previously had no contact with the pathogen due to the coronavirus pandemic and the measures taken against it. Hospitals and pediatric practices were temporarily overloaded. German experts had expected a more normal wave again this winter.
Risk groups for severe cases of RSV include premature babies, children with pre-existing lung disease or heart defects, adults over 65 and people with an impaired immune system. In principle, you can fall ill with it at any age and become infected repeatedly. According to the RKI, the spread in the population was underestimated for a long time. An RSV reporting obligation is still relatively new.
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Source: www.stern.de
