The flu epidemic hit Germany so hard - influenza caused massive deaths

The flu epidemic hit Germany so hard - influenza caused massive deaths / Health News

RKI publishes the final report of the flu season 2017/18

Recently, the last weekly report of the Working Group on Influenza of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) on the flu season 2017/18 was published. The report includes all relevant seasonal data and provides a frightening overview of the actual extent of the flu epidemic. Since the 40th calendar week 2017, a total of around 333,000 laboratory-confirmed influenza infections have been reported. Almost 60,000 people were hospitalized for influenza viruses and 1,665 people did not survive the infection.


These numbers are only laboratory confirmed cases. The dark figure is likely to be far above these numbers. Of the 1,665 deaths, 1,212 were diagnosed with the influenza B virus. The standard vaccine offered no protection against this virus. In particular, the elderly population suffered particularly hard from the impact. 87 percent of the fatalities were over 59 years old. The peak of the flu season was between the ninth and eleventh calendar week 2018.

The flu epidemic of 2017/18 claimed countless lives and is considered the worst in recent years. (Image: abhijith3747 / fotolia.com)

Compare with past years

The RKI reports that the flu epidemic in 2017/18 was unusually strong. This could be observed across almost all age groups. Only the group of zero to four-year-olds was more affected in the preseason 2016/2017. In the peak phase of this season, 70 percent more influenza patients in the age group 35 to 59 years were treated in the hospitals, as in the 2014/15 season, which was previously considered the strongest of the past years. The age group of over 59-year-olds was particularly hard hit. Here, 40 percent more infected people were recorded, as in the preseason, which hit even this age group hard.

Distribution of flu viruses

The Arbeitsgemeinschaft Influenza declared the previous flu wave in the 14th calendar week 2018 to be over. By far the main pathogens in this flu epidemic were influenza B viruses (Yamagata lineage). With a share of 68 percent, these viruses were responsible for the majority of the diseases. In second place were the influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 viruses with a share of 28 percent. The third most common viruses were influenza A (H3N2) viruses accounting for four percent.

In the summer there is a detoxified reporting

With the final report of the weekly report, the reports of the RKI appear only once a month during the summer months. The incoming data will continue to be analyzed weekly.

Difference between the flu and cold

"Do I have a serious flu or a common cold?" Many people who express flu-like symptoms ask themselves this question. While influenza is a serious infection caused by influenza viruses and should be monitored by a doctor, a common cold causes similar symptoms, but is often much milder and can usually be cured by bed rest and home remedies for the flu.

How to recognize the difference?

Whether flu or a flu-like infection is present, it can sometimes be recognized that the symptoms set in an influenza fast and abrupt, while the symptoms of a flu-like infection rather slowly build. In addition, the complaints of the "real" flu are usually more intense. Another difference is evident in the course of the disease. A cold is often cured after a week. In the case of influenza, on average twice the disease duration is to be expected.

How are the symptoms different??

Symptoms of influenza include a high fever of over 38.5 degrees, which in many cases lasts for up to a week. There are also sore throat, cough, severe headache, muscle and limb pain, chills and massive exhaustion. Occasionally, complications such as pneumonia occur. In contrast, in the case of a cold, there is initially a slight scratch in the throat. The condition worsens slowly and sufferers are more likely to suffer from cough, a runny nose, possibly mild fever and headache and body aches. (Vb)