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In the meantime, even the last ones should have gotten used to wearing masks all the time, since nothing works in this country without it: no shopping in the supermarket, no train ride.

Mouth and nose protection is essential in containing the corona pandemic.

Now it has been shown that the strict mask rules have another positive effect: Thousands of people have been spared the flu this winter - at least so far.

During the second lockdown, the number of sick leave due to influenza more than halved.

This emerges from an evaluation of the insured data of the health insurance company Barmer, which WELT is exclusively available.

Between November and Christmas 2020, an average of between 435 and 763 Barmer insured persons per week were reported unable to work due to flu.

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In the same period of the two previous years, this was still between 923 and 1721 people on a weekly average.

At times, the weekly decline compared to the previous year was more than 60 percent.

"At the beginning of this year, the flu has played a very minor role", says Ursula Marschall, senior physician at Barmer.

Source: WORLD infographic

"The distance and hygiene rules for protection against corona obviously also reduce the risk of influenza." However, influenza should not be confused with a cold.

Even if the symptoms are similar, the flu, in contrast to the flu-like infection, is caused by influenza viruses.

In 2018 and 2019, there was a sudden increase in the average flu illnesses, especially over the Advent season, before the number almost halved again in the Christmas week.

This effect was almost absent in the past Corona year.

Fewer flu patients in practices

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According to an evaluation by Barmer, the number of flu reports from the beginning of the lockdown to the week before Christmas remained at an almost consistently low level.

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) also estimates in its weekly reports what the Barmer now proves with their numbers.

Accordingly, there has been a slight increase in acute respiratory diseases since the beginning of the year, but at a significantly lower level than in previous years.

This was also confirmed by Klaus Reinhardt, President of the German Medical Association, to WELT.

"The contact restrictions, reduced mobility in lockdown and of course compliance with the AHA rules not only contain the corona pandemic, but also make the transmission of other infectious diseases more difficult."

The advantage: If fewer people get influenza, hospitals and health authorities would have more capacity to treat Covid 19 patients.

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This is also felt by the resident doctors in the practices: "We see significantly fewer infections in the practices, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic a significantly higher need for treatment and advice," said Dirk Heinrich, Federal Chairman of the Virchowbund, the association of Doctors in private practice in Germany, opposite WELT.

In addition to the decline in flu, doctors are currently recording fewer diarrhea, which is also due to more frequent disinfection and hand washing.

Less sick from wearing a mask?

The first doctors therefore demand a permanent rethink.

If patients were to wear mouth and nose protection in the practices even after the corona pandemic, this could permanently reduce the risk of infection with other diseases, so the argument goes.

Virchowbund chairman Heinrich is also not averse to the idea.

27 million doses of flu vaccine

“Wearing masks in the practices can be an option,” he told WELT.

However, this is not the primary solution after the end of the pandemic.

“Doctors' offices are not the source of infections.” From the point of view of the resident doctors, wearing a mask should therefore be practiced in places where people gather - for example in local public transport.

In addition to the consistent wearing of masks, something else might have led to the lower influenza numbers: the rush to get the flu vaccinations.

In the autumn, many statutory health insurance associations reported a greatly increased demand for immunization.

Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn (CDU) called at the time to get vaccinated against flu viruses.

"At the same time, a major flu wave and the pandemic can hardly cope with the health system," said Spahn.

Around 27 million doses of influenza vaccines are available in Germany for the 2020/2021 season - almost twice as many as last season with 14 million inoculated doses.

And yet the doctors ran out of material at times, so vaccination was in demand.

The practices had to send patients back home.

At the end of November, the Federal Ministry of Health purchased more cans.

In comparison with other nations, the Germans have so far been more of the vaccine grumpy.

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In previous years, just every third person over 65 was immunized against influenza viruses in this country.

In South Korea, on the other hand, 85 percent of seniors did so, in the United Kingdom 72 percent and in the USA just under 69 percent.

Whether a flu vaccination can even reduce the risk of corona infection is controversial.

Although individual studies suggest this, it has not been conclusively clarified.

However, the vaccination could ensure a milder course, emphasize the health insurance companies.

And then when people have been infected with both influenza and corona viruses.

If the body no longer has to fight the flu virus, the immune system can use the saved resources much better against a corona infection.

Influenza season continues

The health insurance companies therefore continue to promote flu vaccinations.

"People who have daily contact with many people, senior citizens, the chronically ill and pregnant women should get the flu vaccination now," says Barmer doctor Marschall.

The flu vaccination is not a panacea.

Because although one tries to adapt the influenza vaccine every year to the most important currently rampant influenza viruses, it does not offer one hundred percent protection.

Despite the current low flu numbers, doctors have not yet given the all-clear.

"Nobody can predict exactly how the flu will spread this year," says Federal Medical Association President Reinhardt.

The period of highest influenza activity usually only begins in January - and lasts for about three months.

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