DAK Significantly more colds in the first half of 2015

Sick leave increased drastically due to colds
The number of sick leave increased slightly in the first half of 2015, due in particular to the increased number of colds, according to a recent analysis by DAK-Gesundheit. The number of absentee days due to cold and cough had increased by 53 percent, reports the DAK of the results of the current sick leave analysis by the Berlin IGES Institute. The data of 2.6 million employed DAK insured persons from the first half of 2015 were taken into account.

Overall, the number of sick leave in the first half of 2015 rose by 0.3 percentage points to 4.1 percent compared to the same period of the previous year, according to the DAK-Gesundheit. More than a third of the employed (38.3 percent) had been on sick leave at least once in the first half of 2015. Here, according to the health insurance company in addition to musculoskeletal diseases and mental illnesses especially colds a high proportion.

The absence days due to colds increased drastically in the first half of 2015. (Image: Halfpoint / fotolia.com)

Respiratory diseases second longest reason for sick leave
All in all, 56 percent of all sick days were attributable to three diagnostic groups, reports the DAK. The most common causes of illness were musculoskeletal disorders, such as back pain, which accounted for every fifth day of absence (20.6 percent). In second place were the respiratory diseases with a share of 20.4 percent on all days off. In particular, the illnesses due to runny nose and cough were greatly increased here. Women were significantly more affected than men. The average duration of cold illness was 6.6 days in the first half of 2015.

Extremely long downtime for mental illness
In third place of the sick leave reasons were the mental illnesses with a share of 15 percent. According to the DAK, they were characterized by extremely long downtimes. For an average of 36.5 days, those affected were unable to work. The duration of the disease, on average, was only 11.7 days across all disease groups. The slight increase in sick leave is according to the DAK CEO Herbert Rebscher "not dramatic" and cold waves were repeatedly recorded. "This year, however, the colds were particularly persistent," admits Rebscher. (Fp)