Flu wave in Hesse: Red alarm level! Number of cases explodes!

Flu wave in Hesse: Red alarm level! Number of cases explodes!

In Hesse, the flu cases rise at an alarming pace. During the penultimate week of January, 1,144 new flu infections were registered, which corresponds to an increase of almost a third compared to the previous week. In the same period of the previous year, the number of new infections with 1,222 cases had moved only a little. The highlight of the flu wave in the previous year was reached at the beginning of February with 2,229 new cases, and again this year everything indicates that the numbers will continue to rise.

The Robert Koch Institute has announced that the current flu wave in Germany began on December 30, 2023. This wave started a little earlier than in the 2023/2024 season, which was already unfolded in mid -December. The flu season traditionally extends from October to May and could continue this year until at least in early March, possibly even longer.

symptoms and effects

The most frequently reported symptoms of the flu include fever, cough, sore throat and muscle and headache. Many affected people also complain about weakness, sweating and runny nose, with occasional occurrence of nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. Interestingly, about a third of the infections run asymptomatic, while the average duration of illness is usually between five and seven days, but can extend in serious complications.

The burden on family practices is currently high because many patients flock to the practices with repeated infections. Schools such as Theobald Ziegler School in Frankfurt-Eckenheim have already stopped regular lessons because of the high sick leave. Two schools in Homberg/Ohm and Reiskirchen are also forced to expose the presence lessons.

flu wave 2025 in the context of respiratory diseases

The current influenza epidemic is not to be considered isolated. A look at the overall situation of respiratory diseases in Germany shows a significant increase in visits to the doctor in connection with acute respiratory diseases. In the week from January 27 to February 2, 2025, there were about 2,557 visits to the doctor per 100,000 inhabitants. It is estimated that a total of around 2.1 million visits to the doctor took place due to these diseases, which corresponds to an increase of over 14 % within the last four weeks.

The flu wave is part of a larger mosaic of respiratory diseases, which also include Corona and RSV. Die 7-Tage-Inzidenz der Grippe liegt aktuell bei 56,89 Fällen pro 100.000 Einwohner, was im Vergleich zur Vorwoche stabil geblieben ist. At the same time, the hospitalization rate increases due to severe respiratory diseases. On average, 28.5 people have to go to the hospital per 100,000 inhabitants, which results in increasing stress for the health system.

Overall, the situation illustrates that not only the flu wave is in full swing, but also other respiratory diseases test public health. The pressure on the emergency rooms and intensive care units is noticeable, which requires further considerations on public health and the need for preventive measures. Further information and current data on the infection situation are on Fr. , hessenschau.de and News.de to be found.