Low death rate in Germany

[Malteserdiet]

Germany is traditionally known as a nation that follows rules and runs a very efficient system. Italy, France, Spain and the UK less so - although of course all have their own positive merits.

Could this be a factor as to why they so far have a relatively low death rate? As of last night, Germany had over 9000 cases and 24 deaths. The UK has just over 2000 confirmed cases and yet already 71 deaths.

Perhaps we all need to take heed of the German people’s willingness to listen to and follow their government’s advice and do the same here to help reduce the impact of this virus.

If this is indeed a correct assessment of what’s going on then I would urge Boris to make this connection in his next speech to the UK public and hope that we can achieve the same.

"The typical German working week's longer than the British - 40-41h in most places."

I've never found that
and I've moved back & forth between UK & Germany since the late 1980s

My UK working week was always 40 hours - plus presenteesim in some places

In Germany I always used to have a standard 37-hour week, with any overtime either paid or could be taken as flexi hours
(retired now)

Oh, and someone mentioned upthread about different figures being bandied about - the RKI figures are updated less often than Johns Hopkins so tend to be a day or two behind.

Merkel has to go into quarantine for 2 weeks - her doctor tested positive!

and yes, Germans pay much more for healthcare

There are far more GPs, hospital doctors, beds, critical care beds etc

Other big difference is not just extensive testing - about 100,000 per week -
but monitoring cases who stay home
and also tracing their contacts
(although with the number of cases now, contact-tracing soon won't be feasible any more)

People who suspect they may have CV:

phone either their own GP or a central number

They are then evaluated by phone and if it is thought feasible they might have it,
someone is sent to the house to take a sample

The family have to stay home a few days for results,
then if positive they have to stay home with opone monitoring & advice, with serious penalties for leaving the house

So, If their condition deteriorates, this is picked up quickly and they are treated - this is probably important too, in reducing deaths

They are also immediately questioned in detail about all their contacts;
these contacts will be traced by public health teams - and currently by students providing extra manpower - and these contacts will also be tested.

I expect that in the peak period, when probably the capacity of even the German health system will be exceeded,

that death rates will really rocket

atm, they are still able to throw all resources into treating everyone to the maximum

Soon, I fear that won't be the case

Several of my more extended network of colleagues have been tested following contact with suspected cases or symptoms even without known contact with a confirmed case so testing seems widespread.

Moore deaths now though.

Dh and I always had 40- or 41-hour contracts (or pro-rata-ed on that basis, in my case, as I've mostly been PT). He's on 40h in the ÖD (can take overtime as flexi but it's not paid), I've been freelance for the last couple of years but employed for the best part of 15y before that.

Our local testing arrangements include a 'drive-in'.

My mother is in her eightiesand has cancer. But it's not terminal. She and my siblings are making every effort to keep her safe. But it sickens me to think that if she does get covid 19 she will be low priority while some careless fuckers who have carried on regardless will get priority treatment because they're younger and fitter.

Sorry wrong thread

I've just received a letter from work (in Bavaria) cover letter explains that as a precaution in case of police enforced travel restrictions tjeyre sending me a permission to travel letter explaining that it's essential I be allowed to travel between my home address and workplace.

Heard an interesting perspective on this from a friend the other day. Germany has more ventilators and so is keeping people on them for longer and once they take them off people may still die. They've just got the infrastructure to keep them alive for longer.

It's due to Bosch - according to Matt Hancock mentioned in his speech last night.
Bosch is a world leader in whatever is needed to test for CV. I'm sure many of us have a Bosch appliance - they are a BIG company . And naturally they will provide Germany before everyone else. So none for us.

Another factor is possibly Germany taking was it a million Syrian refugees.
Did they up their medical testing equipment to cope with that.? And up their ventilators. I wouldn't be surprised.

I think the problem with the elderly with underlying health problems is partly that they will take much longer to recover than young people with no underlying problems. While one COPD 90 year old is on a ventilator for weeks perhaps a younger person could be out and gone leaving it available to others.

Even the young can be on a ventilator for weeks with this one.

And the longer you're on, the lower your chances of ever being able to do without. There will be hard decisions ahead about how long to give someone to progress.

Another factor is possibly Germany taking was it a million Syrian refugees.
Did they up their medical testing equipment to cope with that.?
I never read anything of the kind. Most of the refugees we had in these parts were healthy young men. It's seriously the fact that we pay so much in health insurance. Everything is much more well-funded. I have private health insurance and thus pay a flat fee of 750 euros a month, for instance, and I will continue to do so after retirement if I stay in Germany, under current regulations.

Well the Germans obviously think they have, or will soon have, it under control - their A levels still going ahead, albeit delayed by 3 (?) weeks, and it's being reported today that universities are returning on 20th April with some restrictions.

I was talking to my friend in Cologne yesterday and she is shocked by the CoronaStasi here. Nobody is policing how many times you go out or whether your items are deemed to be "essential" in the supermarket - and they don't feel the police are overstepping either, although I know a lot of fines have been levied. She said she's glad she's living there and not here (and has plenty of loo roll, bought from a wholesaler).

It's due to Bosch - according to Matt Hancock mentioned in his speech last night.
Bosch is a world leader in whatever is needed to test for CV. I'm sure many of us have a Bosch appliance - they are a BIG company . And naturally they will provide Germany before everyone else. So none for us.

I'm not certain, but I thought I heard Roche, who are a pharmaceutical company, not Bosch?

Roche is Swiss based though?

A Berlin senator has just said today that he expects restrictions of some kind to last the whole year. But yes, the Abi tests going ahead is good news, I think.

Oh, I missed the comment about Bosch 😂 that's a good one

Seems the point is that Roche has a load of testing facilities in Germany. So it's not Germany failing to share products (which isn't allowed under EU law anyway); it's the fact that Germany has the labs where tests can be carried out. www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/02/the-guardian-view-on-the-uks-testing-failure-much-to-learn-from-germany

But yes, the Abi tests going ahead is good news, I think.

Oh i don't. My daughter is about to do her final exams after her 3 year Ausbildung and they have no idea what's going on and if/when the exams will be. The teachers are doing their best but it's really difficult.

Plus (she's a Heilerziehungspflegerin and i have literally no idea how to translate that to English in under a paragraph: basically she works with and cares for profoundly disabled adults) now they all have to work in the care homes since the day-centres are closed. So late shifts and night-shifts and still trying to study for exams. It's a nightmare for them.

In general though, from what I'm reading about how things are in the UK, I'm pretty glad I'm here - even if i am in the German epicentre of the outbreak. And my daughter was called for Corona testing on Friday and was given the all-clear on Saturday. When even front-line NHS staff aren't getting tested at all I'm grateful for that.

It's going to be chaos of some kind however they organise exams, just as it's unprecedented.
My daughter would have been completing her degree this year, but her Erasmus term ended suddenly and she doesn't have enough points to finish. I hope she won't have to wait another year.

On the news this morning they rather casually announced that the kids who think their grades won't now be as good as they expected to do another year of school. As if all the shitshow that they've had to put up with has been easy on them, then they have to repeat a year.

Frankly, the teachers, at this stage, should have enough idea of the kids' capabilities and forecast grades and they should just give them their certificates. They're managing this in the UK so there's no reason not to do it here.