Respiratory Illnesses in Lower Saxony: Current Trends for Flu, RSV and COVID-19

As winter continues, residents of Lower Saxony are experiencing a rise in respiratory illnesses. Understanding the current prevalence of COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is crucial for protecting public health. This article provides an overview of the latest data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) and other sources, as of February 20, 2026.

COVID-19 in Lower Saxony

Despite the complete of the pandemic, SARS-CoV-2 remains a common respiratory pathogen. In Lower Saxony, there were 112 fresh COVID-19 cases reported last week. The 7-day incidence rate is currently 1.4 per 100,000 inhabitants. The highest incidence rate, at 6.4, is observed in the over-80 age group. Since the beginning of the pandemic, a total of 3,939,887 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported in Lower Saxony.

Influenza in Lower Saxony

The “real” flu (influenza), caused by the influenza virus, is also circulating in Lower Saxony. In week 52, 433 new flu cases were registered, resulting in a flu incidence of 5.38.

Acute Respiratory Illnesses and Flu-Like Illnesses

Monitoring of acute respiratory diseases (ARE) and flu-like illnesses (ILI) provides further insight into the overall respiratory health situation in northern Germany, including Lower Saxony. ARE are defined as any new respiratory illness with cough, sore throat, or fever, whereas ILI specifically includes fever in addition to cough or sore throat.

For the 7th calendar week of 2026, the estimated incidence of acute respiratory diseases in the North (West) region (including Lower Saxony) is 8,600 per 100,000 inhabitants, an increase from 8,300 the previous week. This is above the national average of 8,200. The estimated incidence of flu-like illnesses is 2,700 per 100,000 inhabitants, also higher than the national average of 2,000 (previous week: 2,300).

Data for these estimates are based on self-reports from 1,825 participants in the North (West) region and 9,591 participants nationwide through the RKI Online Portal GrippeWeb. [1]

RSV in Lower Saxony

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common pathogen that can cause respiratory disease in people of all ages, but poses a higher risk to infants, premature babies, young children, and older adults. In the 52nd calendar week, 19 new RSV cases were reported in Lower Saxony, maintaining the same number as the previous week. The RSV incidence is currently 0.23 laboratory-confirmed cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

This report is based on current data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) and is updated daily. [1]