What the missing corona measures mean for the immune system

Berlin A runny nose, dry cough, high fever – but no corona infection. Acute respiratory diseases (ARE), which have become rarer during the pandemic, are again in circulation in Germany. The Influenza Working Group of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) estimates the number of current doctor visits for ARE to be just under a million per week. The number refers to the whole of Germany and to the week between June 6th and 12th, 2022. The ARE activity is estimated to be two to three times higher than in the seasons before the corona pandemic.

There are mutliple reasons for this. There is a co-circulation of various respiratory pathogens, such as influenza, rhinoviruses, human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) or corona viruses, including Sars-CoV-2 in particular. In the winter months, most respiratory pathogens could not spread as usual due to the behavior of large parts of the population – now a “catch-up effect” is setting in, as the report of the working group also says.