The Corona-pandemic has reached Germany a long time ago – but not everywhere equally: With the exception of Berlin, the infection figures in the East German länder, as yet, relatively low.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Brandenburg, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia are significantly Westphalia, less affected than, for example, Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia – both in absolute terms and as a per 100,000 inhabitants calculated.
A single reason for this development could not name, explained Hajo Zeeb from the Leibniz-Institute for prevention research and epidemiology in Bremen, Germany. “There are several aspects come together has always been,” says Zeeb.
Possible cause: The mobility of people
A decelerating when the virus spread about a high proportion of elderly, less mobile people could act in a society: “We often go out in the first place, that age is a risk factor for severe disease,“ says Zeeb, the German press Agency.
“That’s true, but the spread is likely to start tends to be mainly about younger people, about travelers,“ says Zeeb. Older people have often a more severe course of the disease, explains the physician.
But he adds: “If the Virus is newly registered in the first place, then the effect is also protective for those who might be affected later on clinically more severe.“
Population density not necessarily meaningful
In addition, according to Zeeb, the low population density in several Eastern German States. “Just the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania with low Numbers: A state with very low population density and more rural structure.“
However, there are also counter-examples: Bremen, about have a high density of population, and is still quite low infection numbers. “That shows that the Whole is not now describe as simply black and white.“
A great importance in the virus propagation played according to experts, probably also the carnival events – all of which are in West Germany, traditionally more popular than in the East. “Such festivals and gatherings, to moderate and modify the disease process clearly,“ says Zeeb.
The average social economic Status
Another difference: While in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and Hamburg, the Virus well in many places, from ski resorts such as Ischgl in Austria was introduced, are such reports from the Eastern German States, rare.
“The destination has to do also with the socio-economic Status of the traveler,“ says Zeeb, with a view to salaries in Eastern Germany, on average, lower than in the West: “For the winter holidays can make people who have money.“
And finally, As in Germany, the first measures to combat the Coronavirus have been decided, had registered the Eastern German States, some for only a relatively few cases. From Zeebs point of view, a stroke of luck: “yeah, that’s The Optimum, if the introduction of prevention, early enough so that nothing happens.“
Immunity thanks to the tuberculosis vaccine as a presumption
The persistent Thesis that many East Germans benefited in the Corona-crisis of the vaccination in the GDR, because the tuberculosis vaccine be immunized against Coronavirus holds also. There are, however, so far no evidence emphasizes Zeeb.
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) according to several clinical studies on the possible effects of a so-called BCG vaccination against tuberculosis worldwide in terms of protection from the new lung disease Covid-19.
However, RKI-President Lothar Wieler stressed at a recent press conference: “This hypothesis is thrown by some scientists in the Ring, she is not assigned.“ Just like Zeeb, he referred to social and demographic factors as potential explanations for regional differences in the infection to happen.
The world health organization WHO were at least no evidence of effectiveness of tuberculosis vaccine in this context.
Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa)
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