- Why are so many people sick right now?
Millions of households are currently coughing and sneezing - even in the summer. According to calculations by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the number of acute respiratory infections in Germany in recent weeks has been higher than ever before at this time of year, since the launch of the GrippeWeb portal in 2011. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that a COVID-19 summer wave is currently sweeping through Europe.
No significant decrease as usual in the summer
On "GrippeWeb", citizens can directly report whether they had a respiratory infection in the previous week. The specific pathogen causing the cold or flu does not need to be recorded. According to the RKI, around 3.3 million acute respiratory infections were estimated in Germany for the week of July 29 to August 4.
While the number of estimated new infections has decreased slightly from the previous week, overall, there has only been a relatively small decrease in respiratory infections since winter, according to GrippeWeb.
In previous years, the situation was different: usually, many fewer people had coughs, colds, sore throats, and fever in the warmer months.
"COVID-19 summer wave"
The RKI has few data on which viruses are causing the symptoms. Rhinoviruses and coronaviruses have been found predominantly in the samples. Influenza and RS viruses are currently not playing a significant role.
However, the WHO has data from all of Europe, which leads them to speak of a "COVID-19 summer wave". In the past two months, more and more people have been going to practices or pharmacies with COVID-19: the percentage of patients with respiratory infections who have COVID-19 has increased fivefold in that time.
"Although the absolute number of cases is lower than during the winter wave," the WHO writes, "people are still being admitted to hospitals due to COVID-19." In Germany, the number of severe acute respiratory infections is at a low level.
Further COVID-19 waves expected
But why are so many people getting sick with COVID-19? This could be due to mass events like large sports tournaments and music festivals, according to the WHO. There is also less competition from other diseases like the flu right now. Since COVID-19 is circulating year-round, further waves can be expected in the future.
"The COVID-19 vaccine booster is still an extremely effective means of reducing the number of hospitalizations and deaths among at-risk patients," the WHO reminds us. This includes older and immunocompromised people, those with multiple underlying conditions, pregnant women, and healthcare workers.
The summer holidays can have an impact on both infections and surveillance systems, according to the RKI.
The World Health Organization (WHO) attributes the increase in respiratory infections to a current "COVID-19 summer wave" sweeping through Europe, with more people visiting practices or pharmacies with COVID-19 symptoms in the past two months. Despite the decrease in the absolute number of cases compared to the winter wave, people are still being admitted to hospitals due to COVID-19-related severe acute respiratory infections.
