5.2 million respiratory infections in a week – Germany's flu wave has not started yet

In Germany, an estimated 5.2 million people newly caught an acute respiratory illness in the week from 19 to 25 October. That is the finding of the Robert Koch Institute's (RKI) GrippeWeb weekly report, for which 9,172 volunteers reported their symptoms. The rate was 6,200 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, down from 6,600 the week before. Children were more affected, at 8,700 per 100,000, than adults at 5,800. The RKI describes the figures since early October as relatively stable at a moderate level and within the usual range for the season; flu-like illnesses declined slightly.

Common-cold viruses are currently the main cause: in 76 samples from doctors' practices, t-online reports, 43 percent contained rhino- or enteroviruses and 14 percent parainfluenza viruses, while influenza and coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) were each found in only 3 percent – though the sample is small. A flu wave has not yet begun; influenza levels in wastewater are very low but have recently been rising slightly. Covid levels are also rising slightly but, according to the RKI, remain low and well below last year's level. In recent years, t-online notes, the flu wave usually began in late November or December, and in 2022 as early as late October.

According to the RKI, as cited by Stiftung Warentest, the best time for a flu jab is October to mid-December; full protection takes about 10 to 14 days to build up. Germany's Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) recommends it for, among others, people aged 60 and over, pregnant women (usually from the second trimester), children and adults with certain chronic conditions, residents and staff of care homes, and medical staff, as Stiftung Warentest summarises. Whether vaccination makes sense in an individual case is best discussed with a GP.