Frankfurt/Main (dpa/lhe) - In the first half of the year, the sickness rate among DAK insured persons in Hesse rose to the highest level since the beginning of the pandemic. The number of sick leave was 4.3 percent and was thus 0.6 percentage points higher than in the same period last year, as the health insurance company announced. According to the information, there was a significant increase in sick leave for colds and corona cases. Every sixth day of absence from work was due to respiratory diseases. Corona caused 61 days of absence per 100 insured persons - almost five times as many as in the previous year, it said.
In the first half of 2022, there were a total of 778 days of absence for every 100 people insured with the DAK, 111 days more than in the same period of the previous year. The increase is mainly due to the high number of respiratory diseases. Days absent due to cough and runny nose rose to around 129 days per 100 insured persons. In the first half of 2021 it was only 52 days.
Back pain and other musculoskeletal disorders were the most common reason for absenteeism at 19.8 percent - followed by respiratory diseases (16.8 percent). Mental illness (15.9 percent) was in third place.
Parallel to the easing of corona restrictions in March, a pronounced cold and flu wave developed. According to the information, this was accompanied by the highly contagious corona variant Omikron, which caused more work absences than all other variants. In a nationwide comparison, however, the absences due to Corona with 61 absent days per 100 insured persons were below the average of 64 absent days, it said.
According to the DAK, people who worked in non-medical health professions and wellness professions were particularly often on sick leave. An increase was also recorded in transport and logistics occupations.
