2024-01-09 14:49:08
You can notice it in the offices, schools and among family and friends: fever, cough, runny nose and hoarseness are still in high season. The number of respiratory diseases is still high, Covid-19 and the real flu overlap with flu-like infections.
➤Read more: Hospital occupancy: Corona numbers are falling, influenza is increasing
But while the number of corona infections, which has remained high since December, has shown a slight downward trend, the flu wave is just now really picking up speed, as virus sequencing from MedUni Vienna in the first week of 2024 now shows.
“Over the last few weeks we have been able to observe the increase in influenza virus activity throughout Austria,” explains virologist Monika Redlberger-Fritz in a recent broadcast on Tuesday. Since the beginning of this week, a further increase in influenza virus detections in clinical samples from across Germany has been observed.
Flu wave begins in Austria
This signals the beginning of the flu wave in Austria, emphasizes the expert. “Currently, influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses are largely circulating.” These would correspond to the virus strains contained in the influenza vaccinations. Vaccinated people are therefore well protected once morest severe flu cases.
➤Read more: This is how effective the Omicron booster is once morest new Covid variants
Influenza viruses: More activity across Europe
However, the increase in Austria is not unusual. Countries such as Belgium, Croatia, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden are also reporting widespread influenza virus activity. Similar to here, a decline in SARS-CoV-2 activity is currently being observed in these countries.
1704813634
#Infection #numbers #increasing #flu #wave #rise #Austria
