COVID-19 in Germany: The Story so far
Okay, here we go again. COVID-19.
I apologize here in advance if this is not what you want to read when you visit this blog. And believe me, I would much rather write about the south of Spain or the Austrian Alps. The trouble is, I honestly don't know when I will embark on another trip here in Europe. Even if I had the choice now, how exciting would these countries be with their empty streets? I don't think I've ever envisioned Paris or Barcelona as ghost cities.
Ever since I started this post in 2007, I have written about tourist attractions like the Taj Mahal but also about the smog-filled Kathmandu Valley. There have been posts about elections, protests, pollution, corruption and many other hardships that countries have had to endure. I would have never dreamed that I would write about something as ominous and existential as a virus and how it's traveled the world more quickly and deadly than any stealth bomber. COVID-19 is a fact of life, and it is one we need to overcome, no matter which country we live in.
With all of that said, here is the stat sheet for Germany. 97,000 cases, 1,400 dead, 26,000 cured. That means there is still a net group of about 70,000 Germans currently carrying the virus. That is phenomenal for a country with a population of almost 83 million people, all crammed into an area roughly the size of New Mexico. Simply put, Germany has risen to the occasion. They quickly diagnosed the problem, and Merkel quickly met with the minister presidents of each state to implement any necessary measures. The Germans are certainly not happy about it, but the are all on the same page.
Germany has reported that half of all emergency beds are still vacant. I was expecting a spike in numbers once the weather turned, but that hasn't happened yet. If you looked outside today, the parks in Frankfurt were full, yet the Germans maintained the social distance protocol as if every citizen was equipped with personal radar.
By comparison, these are the current numbers in other European countries: 125,000 cases and 15,000 deaths in Italy, 125,000 and 11,000 in Spain, 68,000 and 7,500 in France, 42,000 and 4,300 in the U.K., 16,600 and 1,600 in the Netherlands, the list goes on and on. I have no idea why the death rate is so low in Germany, I wish it were as easy as explaining that it is related to age, obesity, etc. In fact, Germany has actually accepted cases from other countries and has used the Luftwaffe (Air Force) to fly them in.
Unfortunately, there is no cure we are aware of, so people can expect to keep their distance indefinitely. The economy in Germany will take a thorough beating as well. And my kids are still at home doing online classes. The question remains just what happens next. That is a prediction nobody can make. The priority for Germany is to flatten the curve. There's a good chance that might happen very soon.
I apologize here in advance if this is not what you want to read when you visit this blog. And believe me, I would much rather write about the south of Spain or the Austrian Alps. The trouble is, I honestly don't know when I will embark on another trip here in Europe. Even if I had the choice now, how exciting would these countries be with their empty streets? I don't think I've ever envisioned Paris or Barcelona as ghost cities.
Ever since I started this post in 2007, I have written about tourist attractions like the Taj Mahal but also about the smog-filled Kathmandu Valley. There have been posts about elections, protests, pollution, corruption and many other hardships that countries have had to endure. I would have never dreamed that I would write about something as ominous and existential as a virus and how it's traveled the world more quickly and deadly than any stealth bomber. COVID-19 is a fact of life, and it is one we need to overcome, no matter which country we live in.
With all of that said, here is the stat sheet for Germany. 97,000 cases, 1,400 dead, 26,000 cured. That means there is still a net group of about 70,000 Germans currently carrying the virus. That is phenomenal for a country with a population of almost 83 million people, all crammed into an area roughly the size of New Mexico. Simply put, Germany has risen to the occasion. They quickly diagnosed the problem, and Merkel quickly met with the minister presidents of each state to implement any necessary measures. The Germans are certainly not happy about it, but the are all on the same page.
Germany has reported that half of all emergency beds are still vacant. I was expecting a spike in numbers once the weather turned, but that hasn't happened yet. If you looked outside today, the parks in Frankfurt were full, yet the Germans maintained the social distance protocol as if every citizen was equipped with personal radar.
By comparison, these are the current numbers in other European countries: 125,000 cases and 15,000 deaths in Italy, 125,000 and 11,000 in Spain, 68,000 and 7,500 in France, 42,000 and 4,300 in the U.K., 16,600 and 1,600 in the Netherlands, the list goes on and on. I have no idea why the death rate is so low in Germany, I wish it were as easy as explaining that it is related to age, obesity, etc. In fact, Germany has actually accepted cases from other countries and has used the Luftwaffe (Air Force) to fly them in.
Unfortunately, there is no cure we are aware of, so people can expect to keep their distance indefinitely. The economy in Germany will take a thorough beating as well. And my kids are still at home doing online classes. The question remains just what happens next. That is a prediction nobody can make. The priority for Germany is to flatten the curve. There's a good chance that might happen very soon.
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