Take the flu seriously
“It is a serious illness. Anyone who has experienced it can be vaccinated as a result,” emphasizes the virologist Monika Redlberger-Fritz from the MedUni Vienna. The different types and subtypes explain why vaccination has to be carried out every year. “The crux of the matter: there is not only one type, but always several at the same time, and they are active differently in different countries.”
As for the rather high number of cases of flu: 90,000. There are 140,000 influenza diseases per year. This in turn depends on the dominant virus type, which affects different groups – children, young adults or the elderly – more severely or more easily. “We know that we have between 5 and 10 percent adults and up to 20 percent of children who get sick every year.”
Co-infections
The reason why special attention is paid to the flu this year is due to the possibility of so-called co-infections with SARS-CoV-2 and flu viruses. “This is possible when the two meet,” says Redlberger-Fritz. And it leads to problems in diagnostics. “You have to recognize them, you have to know it and you have to treat them properly.”
For these reasons, the start of the influenza season is of particular importance this year. According to the expert, the hygiene measures already established by Corona in particular help with the flu. “They are very helpful – we saw that the flu season was suddenly over with the introduction of the Corona measures in March. That also affected other cold viruses. We saw that there are strong effects for respiratory viruses.”
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