In the winter of 2022-23, COVID-19 caused a 21% excess of acute respiratory infections (ARIs), according to a recent study based on data from Germany. Published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, the research suggests that COVID-19 will pose a significant burden during cold and flu seasons.
Out of 70,000 registered participants in a digital health study who responded to an online survey about ARIs in March 2023, 37,708 participants reported 54,813 ARIs. Of those cases, 9,358 were confirmed as COVID-19 through either at-home or clinical tests. However, there were also 45,455 ARIs that did not result in positive SARS-CoV-2 tests, with 11,699 of those cases lacking any SARS-CoV-2 test altogether. Overall, just over half (55%) of all tests conducted returned positive results.
The study found that December was the month with the highest incidence of all ARIs per 100 people (26). Adults aged 30 to 39 experienced the highest cumulative incidence over the course of the study period (208 per