Influenza wave hits Schärding: intensive care unit full, help urgently needed!

Influenza wave hits Schärding: intensive care unit full, help urgently needed!

In Schärding, Upper Austria, flu numbers have increased alarmingly. Thomas Bamberger, the doctor in charge of the department of internal medicine, reports a stressful situation: eight patients are currently being treated as inpatients for flu, including a 72-year-old woman in the intensive care unit. What is worrying is that four of the patients are dependent on oxygen. Bamberger explains that flu infections have increased significantly compared to the previous year, which is also clear in other hospitals such as Freistadt and Linz, as ORF reported.

Increasing patient numbers and preventive measures

Despite the increasing number of flu cases, hospitals continue to have enough capacity for additional patients. The most common symptoms of influenza, which particularly affect older people, are fever, cough and body aches. Bamberger warns that if you have signs of a lack of oxygen at home, you should definitely contact a doctor. He also recommends a flu vaccination to avoid severe cases, which still makes sense now.

Additionally, the collection of data on acute respiratory diseases (ARE) by the Robert Koch Institute is crucial for public health. This data is necessary to understand the disease burden on the population and to take preventative measures, as explained in the RKI's current FAQs. In particular, laboratory findings on flu viruses are subject to reporting, which means that doctors and health authorities must work closely together to quickly disseminate information about outbreaks, such as the current ones in hospitals, and to take appropriate measures.