The corona virus numbers from Germany are puzzling the United States. The New York Times sees Angela Merkel as a factor for the German special case in the corona crisis.
- Germany is one of the countries with the most confirmed coronavirus * case numbers.
- But one number stands out: comparatively few people have died so far.
- This triggers worldwide puzzles - the NY Times also sees Angela Merkel as the reason for the good numbers.
Munich - While the United States reports almost 400,000 registered infections and 12,000 deaths , around 2,000 people died in 107,000 infections in Germany -. When comparing with Spain or Italy, it is also striking that Germany has a comparatively low death rate (as of April 8, 2020, source: Johns Hopkins University).
This discrepancy was the subject of the New York Times - and provided many possible answers. As of the article (April 4), the death rate in Germany was 1.6 - meanwhile it is 1.8 percent, in the USA 3.2 percent of the corona patients tested positive. In Spain and Italy it was at times over 10 percent.
Coronavirus numbers: Why does Germany have a lower death rate?
The New York Times received rather cautious answers to inquiries in Germany - for example from the SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach: One cannot yet make any definitive statements and is in an upward trend.
But Professor Hans-Georg Kräusslich, virologist * at Heidelberg University, gave the New York Times another answer: "The epidemic started among young people." Many of the first people infected were infected during their skiing holiday and were therefore in the statistics of the increasing number Case numbers showed up but did not die of Covid-19. With the spread of the disease across the country, more people with previous illnesses and / or old age were also infected and died.
"Maybe our biggest strength in Germany is the rational decision-making at the highest level of government combined with the trust the government enjoys in the population." https://t.co/IHrb0xtCdT
- The New York Times (@nytimes) April 4, 2020Coronavirus numbers: what real factors could be behind them?
Acknowledging these statistical differences , the New York Times continues to look for differences in dealing with infections * . And comes across the following five points that Germany handles differently from other countries:
- A large number of public initiatives working at local level to contain the virus (such as local studies)
- A large number of tests that are carried out free of charge and outside of medical practices
- The exact follow-up of the first cases
- A robust healthcare system with many intensive care beds
- Trust in the government
Coronavirus case numbers: US recognition for Merkel
Much of what seems normal to us now - such as tests that are available free of charge - is not a matter of course for countries like the United States , but is part of the riddle of the comparatively low death rate.
There is recognition with the last point (trust in the government) both for Angela Merkel's government and for the citizens : While Merkel communicated clearly, calmly and regularly with the citizens, the population responded well to the new rules .
In the meantime, a remarkable corona reaction could occur in the German Bundestag: Do members of parliament refrain from increasing their diets?
* Merkur.de is part of the Germany-wide Ippen digital editorial network.
