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talkpoliticsThe daily Coronavirus update by country:
Notice something? Out of 35K+ total cases in Germany, just below 200 deaths. A stunning difference from the other countries. So what's Germany doing so right? Why are so few people dying in Germany compared to Italy, Spain, etc? It's not like there aren't old people there too, right? Well, the answer might be a bit complicated. As you might suspect, it's a combination of factors.
When the epidemic broke out, there were many cases of infected people returning from skiing vacations in the Alps and elsewhere. Those were mostly people under 80 years of age, and in a generally good health condition. Naturally, the risk of a fatal end is relatively smaller in that group.
But one of the main reasons for the very low mortality rate is that an average of 160K tests are being done in Germany every week. And not just of people with heavy symptoms. This way, people from the risk groups could be given a better treatment, and most importantly: early treatment.
Another reason is the high capacity of the ERs in the German hospitals. In Italy, where the largest mortality rate is observed, there's a relatively low share of the accessible beds in the hospitals (318 ER beds per 100K people, compared to 800 in Germany, with a steady growing tendency). The capacities for ER treatment are being raised all throughout Germany, as is the number of medical workers, and the equipment. North Italy may have an awesome health care system, but Germany's is much better structured for such situations.
But none of this should make anyone complacent. Most patients in Germany have contracted the disease within the last couple of weeks, and the heavier cases will be probably mounting exponentially in the near future. The mortality rate will inevitably surge then.
In the meantime, the German association for care for leprosy and tuberculosis patients has sounded the alarm that the Coronavirus pandemic could contribute to an increased tuberculosis mortality rate as well. This is the most vulnerable group, and the problem is, about a million of them have no access to the medical care, and their bodies are far from capable of coping with the disease.
Notice something? Out of 35K+ total cases in Germany, just below 200 deaths. A stunning difference from the other countries. So what's Germany doing so right? Why are so few people dying in Germany compared to Italy, Spain, etc? It's not like there aren't old people there too, right? Well, the answer might be a bit complicated. As you might suspect, it's a combination of factors.
When the epidemic broke out, there were many cases of infected people returning from skiing vacations in the Alps and elsewhere. Those were mostly people under 80 years of age, and in a generally good health condition. Naturally, the risk of a fatal end is relatively smaller in that group.
But one of the main reasons for the very low mortality rate is that an average of 160K tests are being done in Germany every week. And not just of people with heavy symptoms. This way, people from the risk groups could be given a better treatment, and most importantly: early treatment.
Another reason is the high capacity of the ERs in the German hospitals. In Italy, where the largest mortality rate is observed, there's a relatively low share of the accessible beds in the hospitals (318 ER beds per 100K people, compared to 800 in Germany, with a steady growing tendency). The capacities for ER treatment are being raised all throughout Germany, as is the number of medical workers, and the equipment. North Italy may have an awesome health care system, but Germany's is much better structured for such situations.
But none of this should make anyone complacent. Most patients in Germany have contracted the disease within the last couple of weeks, and the heavier cases will be probably mounting exponentially in the near future. The mortality rate will inevitably surge then.
In the meantime, the German association for care for leprosy and tuberculosis patients has sounded the alarm that the Coronavirus pandemic could contribute to an increased tuberculosis mortality rate as well. This is the most vulnerable group, and the problem is, about a million of them have no access to the medical care, and their bodies are far from capable of coping with the disease.
