Outcome of influenza More than 300,000 infections and around 1,000 deaths

Nearly 1,000 confirmed deaths from influenza

The numbers of influenza new infections is currently significantly back and can hope for an early end to the flu epidemic. With more than 300,000 confirmed flu infections and nearly 1,000 reported deaths, this was one of the most serious waves of infection in decades. According to experts, poor preparation had a considerable share in the high numbers of infections.

"The activity of the acute respiratory illnesses (ARE) in the 12th calendar week (KW) 2018 nationwide significantly decreased", so the pleasing message of the working group influenza at the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). However, the so-called practice index continues to be in the area of ​​significantly increased activity. Currently, there are still an unusually large number of people infected with influenza - more than 25,000 alone in the last registered reporting week of the RKI.

More than 300,000 people have been infected with flu in the current season, just under 1,000 have died of the consequences. (Image: psdesign1 / fotlia.com)

Declining number of flu new infections

In the twelfth reporting week, a total of 25,216 new influenza infections have been confirmed and new infections have fallen in all age groups, according to the RKI. However, the activity of influenza viruses continues to be unusually high. Many sufferers also suffer a particularly serious infection. According to the RKI, 17 percent of those affected (4,299 people) had to be hospitalized in the last reporting week alone. "The peak of the flu epidemic is exceeded," report the experts of the RKI.

Influenza B viruses are particularly strongly represented

The flu epidemic began in the last week of December last year and in the coming weeks the number of new infections increased dramatically. To date, 300,018 influenza cases have been reported to the RKI, with influenza B viruses (99% from the Yamagata lineage) causing the most infections. Other more prevalent viruses, according to RKI, were "influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 viruses and influenza A (H3N2) viruses."

971 deaths from influenza

More than 51,000 infected people had to be hospitalized during the current flu epidemic and a total of 971 people succumbed to their infection - including 716 influenza B viruses, 179 influenza A viruses, 29 influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 viruses, once influenza -A (H3N2) viruses and 46 influenza not differentiated into A or B. "87 percent of cases were 60 years or older," reports the RKI.

High unreported cases of influenza infections

Since only "in a small part of patients with acute respiratory diseases, a laboratory diagnostic investigation on influenza causes" is the data of the RKI claims to be "only partially suitable for the assessment of disease burden." In fact, the numbers are likely to be significantly higher in light of a huge number of unreported cases lie. Nevertheless, a rough estimate can be made on the basis of the data and they offer "important case-by-case information, in particular on severe disease progression, outbreaks, e.g. in hospitals or nursing homes and in deaths "; so the message of the RKI.

Hospitals under special stress

The numbers of the RKI also reflect, for example, under what special stress the hospitals were in the wake of the current flu epidemic. Not only did they have to care for an extremely high number of influenza patients, but they themselves were often affected by outbreaks. Thus, the RKI reported 138 outbreaks (more than 5 cases) in hospitals. Furthermore, there were 49 outbreaks in nursing homes, 35 in rehabilitation facilities, 22 in care facilities, but also 122 in kindergartens and 58 in schools.

The vaccine used provided inadequate protection, which is partly responsible for the extreme flu epidemic of the current season. (Image: thodonal / fotolia.com)

Wrong vaccine used

One of the reasons for the particularly widespread spread of influenza infections in the current season is the lack of protection against influenza B viruses in the vaccine used. As a dual vaccine, this only provided protection against two strains that were less common this year. Using the more expensive quadruple vaccine, which also protects against influenza B viruses, would probably have limited the spread of infections.

Prevent infections

In order to prevent a flu infection despite the lack of vaccine protection, various measures should be taken into account. For example, it is important to maintain a distance of at least two meters from the infected and to pay more attention to hygiene. Thorough and proper hand washing is particularly important here. In case of suspected flu, a doctor should be consulted to find out whether there is actually a flu or possibly a flu infection instead. After all, the other measures depend on the extent to which a cold or a real flu is present. (Fp)