Flu virus is more deadly than coronavirus

5 people in Germany infected with coronavirus

The corona virus has reached Germany – and a country is upside down. So far, only five cases from Bavaria are known. all infected work for the auto parts supplier Webasto and have probably been infected by a Chinese guest. Experts are already giving positive signals: Cases of serious illness in China have decreased in recent days, At the same time, a virus is rife in Germany that is far more dangerous and deadly than the corona virus.

Over 25,000 deaths in Germany in a single flu season

While everyone suspects coronavirus, the flu wave really takes off, According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), more than 3,500 patients have contracted the influenza virus in the current flu season so severely that they had to be treated in hospital. 32 people who fell ill with the flu have even died.

Germany caught the flu wave particularly badly in winter 2017/18. The RKI estimates that around 25,100 people died of influenza in the 2017/18 flu season. There were also an estimated nine million visits to the doctor due to influenza.

The flu wave in the previous year (2018/2019), however, was relatively mild, the RKI estimates 3.8 million visits to the doctor due to influenza.

What makes the influenza virus so dangerous?

“Real flu (influenza) is a serious, long-term illness. It lasts for several weeks, weakens the body very much and makes it susceptible to certain bacteria. For example, flu can lead to pneumonia,” explains Dr. Holger Maul, chief physician of obstetrics & prenatal medicine at the Asklepios Klinik Barmbek.

Women are particularly susceptible to serious flu infections during pregnancy, which in turn are associated with an increased risk of growth delays, miscarriages and premature births. At the same time, pregnant women are only allowed to take medication that alleviates the symptoms of flu in individual cases. Maul therefore recommends that a preventive influenza vaccine be used to prevent a flu infection.

The permanent vaccination committee (STIKO) at the Robert Koch Institute in Berlin recommends vaccination for all risk groups, i.e. for people who could have serious consequences if they were infected. In addition to pregnant women, these are primarily people over the age of 60, people with certain existing chronic diseases and residents of old people’s and nursing homes. 16.5 million vaccine doses have already been released in the current flu season,

Symptoms of coronavirus and flu are similar

Fever, respiratory problems, fatigue, cough – the symptoms we know from a cold or flu are the same as with the currently spreading coronavirus. “That’s the tricky thing,” explains general practitioner Dr. Christoph Specht. “It’s exactly the same signs as a cold or the flu.”

In addition to a flu shot, doctors recommend washing your hands thoroughly. Proper hand hygiene can significantly reduce the risk of infection. Here you will find the five most important tips for washing hands.