Flu peak of the flu wave in 3 weeks

Peak of flu season in the next three weeks

02/23/2015

At present, many people are seen coughing and snorting through the streets. Some of them even have to go to the hospital with a flu. However, due to the many illnesses, some clinics are so crowded that they have to put beds in the hallways. But the peak of the flu season is yet to come.

Patients are housed in corridors
Cough, runny nose, fever, headache: More and more people are currently suffering from such symptoms. A true flu epidemic rolls through Germany. In Lower Saxony, some clinics now even have to place their patients in the corridors. According to a message from the dpa news agency, Helge Engelke from the Niedersächsische Krankenhausgesellschaft explained that some of the stations were overburdened and had to put beds on the corridors or over-rooms. „That's because of the flu epidemic.“ However, as a rule, patients would not have to give up a room for more than one night.

Traditionally to provide more patients in the winter
The clinics would traditionally have more patients in winter. „This year it is very strong again“, so Engelke. However, there are no numbers to the Flurbetten. The hospitals were full, especially in the metropolitan areas such as Osnabrück, Oldenburg, Brunswick or Hanover. As the State Health Office writes in its current weekly report, 343 laboratory-confirmed flu cases were reported in Lower Saxony alone from 9 to 15 February. But Engelke does not know whether a night in the corridor can harm your health: „That's hard to answer.“ However, care is taken to ensure that patients only have to sleep in the corridor if they can be expected.

The worst could still be coming up
As the Braunschweig Hospital announced, there are more patients with diseases of the respiratory and digestive tract, especially in the winter months. In addition, accidents would still be added because of the bad weather conditions. That's why up to 15 patients in Braunschweig have to spend the night in the corridors. However, the worst could still be there: „The flu has not arrived yet in Braunschweig“, explained hospital spokeswoman Marion Lenz. It is not only to be feared that more patients will come, but also that sick staff will fail. Therefore, patients are urged to seek clarification from a general practitioner or a stand-by doctor as to whether treatment in the clinic is really necessary.

Nearly 5,000 flu cases in Bavaria
From other regions more and more flu cases are reported. For example, almost 5,000 influenza cases have already been recorded in Bavaria this season. Some health experts believe that a flu vaccine could be worthwhile until the end of the disease wave, and that, nevertheless, the current vaccine does not work as well as it is reported again and again. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) advises people in risk groups to get vaccinated. These include, for example, chronically ill patients with underlying conditions such as diabetes, asthma or cardiovascular diseases, senior citizens or medical staff. If you want to prevent a flu and its unpleasant consequences such as fever, cough and body aches, according to experts should be on a good hand hygiene and strengthen the immune system. In addition, patients should sneeze in a tissue or in the elbow bows and not in the hand. (Ad)