COVID-19 as an occupational disease: almost 300,000 suspected cases reported

The coronavirus pandemic is still reflected in the provisional accident and occupational disease figures that the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV) has now published: in 2022, a total of 368,841 reports of suspected occupational diseases were received by the accident insurance institutions. According to a special DGUV survey, 294,446 suspected cases of COVID-19 were reported.

The number of reportable accidents at work fell by 1.8% year-on-year to 791,698 accidents in 2022. They were therefore still noticeably below the level of 2019 (871,547 accidents). On the other hand, there was a slight increase of 1.3% in commuting accidents: 173,069 accidents occurred on the way to or from work in 2022.

427 people died as a result of an accident at work, 83 fewer than in the previous year. Those insured under statutory accident insurance also include rehabilitants who are insured during their inpatient treatment. There were significantly fewer deaths among them in 2022, which contributed significantly to the decline in fatal accidents at work. In commuting accidents, 234 insured persons suffered fatal accidents, 16 more than in 2021. The number of new occupational accident and commuting accident pensions paid in 2022 fell sharply: At 10,882 cases, there were 9.9 percent fewer new occupational accident pensions than in 2021.

“Last year, accident figures were still lower than in the pre-corona period. It is still too early to assess whether this is a positive long-term development – for example, due to the increase in working from home,” says Dr. Stefan Hussy, Director General of the DGUV. “At the beginning of 2022, a large number of people in the health and welfare services fell ill with COVID-19, which is clearly reflected in the number of occupational diseases.”

Further information can be found on the DGUV website.