36.000 Infected, 57 Dead: While all the talk of Corona, we forget the flu

All the talk about the Coronavirus. We are in the midst of a Flu epidemic. And the Coronavirus, according to expert assessment in Germany is not more dangerous than the Influenza. In the 2019/2020 season already 35.712 Influenza confirmed cases, 57 patients have died.

The number of Influenza cases in Germany has risen in the past week, as the Robert-Koch-Institute (RKI) reported. In the fifth reporting week 2020 so far, 14.168 cases had been recorded. In the entire previous flu season, so since the beginning of October in 2019, and have even been tested more than 35,000 people positive for influenza viruses. More than 7000 people came for treatment to the hospital, 57 Infected died.

"Corona is not more dangerous than Influenza"

While the Coronavirus is all the rage, and you’ll hear about the Flu epidemic currently, however, little. Are risk of Infection and mortality in influenza virus according to expert evaluation, about the same as the Coronavirus. "Corona is not more dangerous than Influenza", chief physician Clemens Wendtner from Munich-Schwabing, clinic for infectious diseases, where seven of the thirteen Corona-Infected in Germany are in treatment says.

"We assume that the mortality rate is clearly below one percent, even in the parts per thousand range,“ says Wendtner. It was a similar size as in the case of the Influenza.

With a view on the Influenza diseases in Germany, the total is quite another, however, can be: flu between two and 14 million people are diagnosed estimates are that in Germany every year, such as the RKI reported. Several Hundred to 20,000 Influenza Sufferers die each year.

The Overvaluation in the case of the Coronavirus stirring, therefore, that in China, due to capacity constraints, only the severe cases in hospitals would be included; the number of unreported cases is high.

Find out more:

• Case numbers are rising rapidly – 20.000 Corona Infected: Even if the number of unreported cases is higher, that is not a reason to panic

Given the extremely low number of coronavirus-Infected in Germany, the probability of becoming infected in this country with the new type of lung disease is very low. Different is the case of the flu that hits every year, several hundred thousand people in Germany. Therefore, is likely to be at least in the German doctor, and the flu clinics are currently the much larger topic.

Here, Influenza cases are increasing

The following is a current map of the Robert Koch Institute shows where the currently increased Influenza cases occur:

The Robert Koch Institute

The real flu, or Influenza is an acute respiratory disease. An infection must be reported to the health Department. It is caused by the influenza virus and is not to be confused with a flu or a cold.

Flu viruses change constantly. Therefore, physicians need to develop every year, new vaccines, and people can catch again and again flu viruses. Sometimes Influenza can be life-threatening. Can get Affected by droplet and smear infection.

While about a third of all Patients show only mild symptoms like a common cold, and another third even no symptoms developed the disease in about a third of the cases, all of a sudden, as infektionsschutz.de a page by the Federal centre for health education, writes.

Typical symptoms of Influenza are:

• Neck pain
• (dry) cough
• Fever
• Limbs, back or headache

How are Influenza runs, is different. Complications can be inflammation, for example lung or in children middle ear inflammation.

After a short time (about one to two days) notice the Infected that you have been infected with the flu virus. Can transmit the Virus one day before the first symptoms occur. After the outbreak of the disease Infected usually are about a week long contagious approximately as long as the flu symptoms last.

How to protect yourself from virus infections

The best protection against an influenza infection, the vaccine offers. The Standing Committee on vaccination (STIKO) for recommended vaccination

• People aged 60 and over
• Pregnant
• People with a weakened immune system
• People who suffer from an underlying disease that increases the risk of developing Influenza.
• The residents of retirement and nursing homes
• People who live together with persons belonging to a risk group or supervise
• medical staff
• People in heavily frequented facilities.

The vaccination you should get the best before the start of the Influenza season, i.e. in October or November. But even during the flu season, it can be still useful to get vaccinated, because the protection starts after about 10 to 14 days.

Since no vaccine is 100 percent protection in the case of flu vaccination is the protection in the range between 40 and 60 percent – you should in everyday life, especially in the flu season, additional hygiene measures should be adhered to, especially about:

• frequently, the hands for at least 20 seconds to wash
• to disinfect hands when water and soap are just palpable
• not to touch with unwashed hands to the face
• a lot to unravel
• to hold to the possibility of distance to others, the symptoms of the disease such as cough, etc. show

In order to protect the fellow human beings, moreover, should be Sick:

• in the elbow sneeze
• to cure home sickness.

  For more information on Influenza can be found here on the pages of the Federal centre for health education and the Robert Koch Institute.

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