A man on the S-Bahn sneezes – the woman next to him quickly sits down. Many people feel the same way as you do if they aren’t already coughing these days. Just don’t get sick so close to the holidays. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) likes to support the feeling that a lot of people have a cold right now with figures: around one in ten people in Germany currently has a so-called acute respiratory illness.
The Bavarian State Health Office (LGL) monitors how viruses spread in Bavaria via the so-called “Bavaria Influenza Sentinel”, a network of general practitioners, family doctors and pediatricians. In the past week, influenza viruses were found in 8.9 percent of the samples examined, RSV was found in 10.9 percent, and 37.6 percent of the samples had corona viruses. This means that these three pathogens are increasingly dominating the infection process. For comparison: two weeks earlier, corona viruses were found in just 24.4 percent of the samples and influenza viruses in only 2.4 percent.
Covid genomes are now increasingly being detected in Munich’s wastewater. The curve rises steeply – and is almost at the same level as at the end of Oktoberfest. The trend on the monitoring side Bay VOC has been dark red since the end of November, which means “increasing”.
These numbers are manifested in sick notes at Georg-Eike Böhme’s family doctor’s practice in Lehel. He and his colleagues were currently exhibiting many. The ability to do this by telephone helps a lot, says Böhme. “This means that the waiting room is not so full of patients who are coughing and sniffling and endangering others.”
According to his observation, younger people are more likely to have colds at the moment. According to the family doctor, older people may have held back more because of their pandemic experience. Personally, he would advise everyone to withdraw in the days before Christmas and avoid a celebration shortly before the holidays. “You can then sit together more relaxed with your family at Christmas,” says Böhme.
The infectiologist Clemens Wendtner, who treated the first corona cases in Germany, does not see Christmas as being at risk from the infections. However, he appeals to people to be “fair and sensible” enough to take a rapid test if they have symptoms. “A tool that we can literally pull out of our pockets is the mask,” adds Wendtner.
The good news: “Nothing is breaking down and we’ll get through it.”
The Munich Clinic is currently reporting a significant increase in Covid patients; they currently have 104 patients with positive results, nine of whom are in intensive care or monitoring wards. At the LMU Clinic they are currently caring for 50 patients with Covid-19. Not everyone who suffers from it or only has mild symptoms, says Johannes Bogner, head of the new interdisciplinary center for clinical infectiology at the LMU Clinic. And not everyone is in the clinic because of it.
The wave of infections is still a burden: the more viruses are rampant, the more staff are absent from the wards. Not just because they are sick themselves. It can also affect their children or the teachers who look after their children. The wave of infections is also a wave of staff shortages that cuts across industries. “The fact that so many people are sick is putting a strain on the entire system,” says Bogner. You are always faced with the difficulty of filling shifts. That’s why beds sometimes have to be closed if nursing staff are missing. “When it comes to the doctors, the others have to step in.”
Nevertheless, the infectiologist would like to make it clear: “We’re talking about an increase in respiratory diseases, but it’s basically like every winter. Nothing breaks down and we’re getting through it.” The number of patients is currently a little above average, for example the number of pneumonia cases. “But everything is possible,” said Bogner. And things are also rather quiet in the intensive care units. “People are no longer getting as ill with Covid-19.” Böhme’s impression from the family doctor’s practice also fits in with this: “Corona has become a normal infectious disease among others, and that’s a good thing.”
Vulnerable groups, such as older people, are particularly at risk. The German Society for Geriatrics (DGG) recently called on all people over 60 to get a booster vaccination, ideally against flu and corona at the same time. It would have been indicated in October, “but it’s still not too late just before Christmas,” said a spokeswoman.