Compared to the rest of the country, people in Hamburg are currently particularly badly affected by respiratory infections. This is not only due to the rising number of corona cases.
In Hamburg, the most people with respiratory infections are currently on sick leave nationwide. This is the result of a study by the Barmer Institute for Health Research (Bifg). During the period under review, there were between 136 and 193 people on sick leave for every 10,000 people entitled to sick pay in Hamburg.
The national average is 145. In the south and center of Germany, the numbers are even lower. According to the study, Saxony had the lowest rate of 114 sick people per 10,000 eligible people. Bavaria, Thuringia and Baden-Württemberg had 124, 125 and 129 sick people respectively.
According to the study, Corona plays only a minor role in respiratory infections in Germany: Only 7 to 15 percent of respiratory illnesses in Hamburg this year were due to Covid-19, but the numbers have been rising recently. 81 to 85 percent of all respiratory-related absences were due to banal infections such as colds and other illnesses. At the peak of the corona pandemic in 2022, 41 to 53 percent of respiratory-related absences were due to Corona.
On the study method: The Bifg examined the rates of sick leave in calendar weeks 22 to 27 of the years 2018 to 2024. This included incapacity to work due to other respiratory infections such as sinusitis or bronchitis as well as banal infections such as a cold.
