Flu or cold? New flu phase is coming up

Season of sniffling and coughing: flu season is approaching
The wet and cold weather has heralded the season of sniffling and coughing. Currently, such symptoms are mainly caused by cold viruses. But the real flu is already at the start. However, you can also protect yourself from diseases - including by strengthening the immune system.

Symptoms of cold and flu are similar
Because the symptoms are somewhat similar, the difference between cold and flu is not immediately clear to all people. One point that makes it very clear what it is about is the beginning: a flu occurs quite suddenly. Often one feels in the morning still healthy and in the evening one has suddenly 40 degrees Fieber. As a rule, symptoms such as headache, body aches, chills and coughing and runny nose are added. However, those who already cough and sniff, have usually caught no flu, but cold viruses, said Silke Buda, expert of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the German Press Agency.

Who currently suffers from cold and cough, has probably caught cold viruses. But also the flu season is already at the door. The symptoms of the diseases are similar. (Image: eyeQ / fotolia.com)

No increased flu activity in Europe
Although there are so slowly the first evidence of influenza pathogens, but an increased flu activity is nowhere to be seen in Europe. "We are still at the beginning. Now is the time to get vaccinated, "said Buda.

Whether a flu vaccine makes sense, however, everyone must decide for themselves. According to the RKI, it can provide protection even at the beginning and during the course of the flu epidemic.

Health experts recommend people from risk groups to get vaccinated. For example, seniors over the age of 60, pregnant women, the chronically ill, residents of retirement and care homes and medical staff will be advised by the Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO) to take flu shots. Ultimately, however, in the flu vaccine pros and cons weigh against each other.

Illness can be different difficult
It is basically impossible to predict how difficult the upcoming flu season will be. While the past was relatively moderate, it caught a lot of Germans in winter 2014/15.

In recent years, the flu epidemic began mostly after the turn of the year and reached its peak between mid-February and late March.

"The severity of the disease can be different," writes the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA) on its website. "The patients feel very weak. In a straightforward course, the symptoms last about 5 to 7 days. "However, it can also be accompanied by" serious illnesses that lead to death in the worst case. "

Vaccines are readjusted every year
"The stem composition of influenza vaccines needs to be adjusted to the current epidemiological situation every year because of changes in the characteristics of circulating influenza viruses," reports the Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI). "The exact composition is determined each year by the World Health Organization (WHO)."

The influenza vaccine must therefore be refreshed every year. According to dpa explained Buda, the vaccines for the 2016/2017 season in two of the three components from those of the previous season.

According to PEI, there are also two vaccines on the market, each with four components, each of which has been replaced. Overall, the PEI has so far released around 16 million vaccine doses.

Higher risk of serious illness
The strain for swine flu A (H1N1), which circulated quite a lot in the past year, was retained. According to Buda, the strain for A (H3N2), which was last in the southern hemisphere, has been updated.

"Experience has shown that older people have a higher risk of developing a more severe disease in seasons when H3N2 is circulating," says the RKI expert.

The instructions for the vaccine composition are always issued to the vaccine manufacturers months before the start of the flu season because the production takes time. Nevertheless, sometimes they are not accurate, because the viruses can still change in time.

Vaccination with low protective effect
According to the RKI, the protective effect of the vaccine last winter was "low to moderate". The effectiveness in other seasons was "usually higher and was between 40 and 60 percent."

According to Buda, one reason for the low scores was that influenza B was not considered the right line in the triple vaccine. In the end, a variant other than the accepted one was more common.

According to RKI data, the flu vaccine remains the most important means to protect yourself from flu. However, it can not protect all vaccinated people. Therefore, additional precautions should always be taken.

Healthy people should stay away from patients and those infected should not spread the virus. It is important for both groups to wash their hands frequently. (Ad)