Flu outbreak Influenza claims first death in Euskirchen
Bonn/Region · Spreading across Germany, the flu epidemic has claimed its first fatality. The district administration in Euskirchen has confirmed the first death.
For the authorities, it is not uncommon for the number of influenza cases to go up. "It was predictable that the flu epidemic would start at carnival season," says spokesman Sven Gnädig of the district administration of Euskirchen. He also confirmed the first influenza fatality to GA. He could not provide any details about the person, however, due to data protection reasons. Basic reasoning is that people with multiple illnesses are already weakened, so the influenza virus hits all the harder. This is especially common in older people.
With 106 cases reported in Euskirchen, the area falls in the upper half in terms of flu statistics. However, the number could be much higher, because the health authorities are only informed if the doctor in charge tests for influenza by means of blood or mucosal swab.
Bonn has not been spared by the virus. Since the beginning of the year, Bonn health authorities have registered more than 200 cases of influenza. The LVR clinic was even forced to stop admitting patients.
No region has been spared. According to the health department in Rhein-Sieg district, 130 cases of influenza have been reported there as of 22 February. In the first week of the year, there were only 13 cases. The regional authority noted a sudden increase from the second to the third week of February. There were 60 cases by 9 February, and it was 118 a week later.
In all of Germany, many employees are not able to report for work because of the flu. The state health authorities of NRW said that 1,673 influenza cases were reported just in the last week. Since the beginning of the year there were 4,991 reported cases in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Original text: Susanne Wächter, Translation: ck
