Germany after 1 year of 'tasting' Covid-19

THE “FIRSTS”

On January 27, 2020, many Germans thought that the year ahead would be peaceful, without many significant changes. But since the news that an employee working for a company in the suburbs of Munich, which has close trade relations with China, tested positive for Covid-19, almost everything began to change.

The past year has seen Germans, like most of the world, shun the usual handshakes and hugs. They stay at home, avoiding contact with others. New words have invaded daily life: morbidity, infection rate, quarantine, intensive care unit, excess mortality, social distancing, face masks…

German Health Minister Jens Spahn's approval rating has risen during the pandemic. Photo: AP

Before the first positive case, most people did not know that the highest infection control agency in Germany was the Robert Koch Institute, but a year later, it was a common knowledge. Virologists, such as Christian Drosten of Berlin’s Charité Hospital, became “national” experts. German Health Minister Jens Spahn was the highest-ranking official in the political establishment. “In a few months, we will have to forgive each other a lot,” Spahn told parliament on April 23, 2020.

Looking back at that time, in January 2021, Spahn told DW: “We took it very seriously and adjusted our systems accordingly. But I don’t think anyone dared to think that the situation would develop like this in the next 12 months, in Germany, in Europe, all over the world. And that it still dominates our lives.”

During that time, in Germany there were more than 50,000 peopledeath from Covid-19And the virus continues to dominate everyday life.

As mentioned above, the Covid-19 problem seemed “far away” from Germany at the beginning of last year, but everything changed dramatically. The country had its first death on March 8. Two days later, cases appeared in all 16 states. After a Carnival festival, the city of Heinsberg in North Rhine-Westphalia became Germany’s first major outbreak.

Over the past year, Germany has recorded 50,000 deaths related to Covid-19. Photo: AFP

INITIAL SUCCESS

March 18,Chancellor Angela Merkelgave a televised speech, in words that could hardly have been more drastic: “The situation is serious, let us take it seriously. Since German reunification, no, since World War II, this country has not faced a challenge that required us to act in such a united and unified way.”

A few days later, drastic measures were introduced, and a new word appeared widely: lockdown. Restaurants and cinemas were closed, schools and kindergartens were closed. Business activities were almost at a standstill. The German parliament approved a huge 156 billion euro rescue package for the economy, determining that this was not the time for austerity. Travel plans were canceled, and many people had their first taste of working from home.

Supermarkets remained open, but only to those wearing masks. Panic buying and hoarding ensued. Some food items, even toilet paper, became scarce. Television images from towns and cities hard hit by Covid-19 in northern Italy also caused a stir in Germany. At that point, hardly anyone knew anyone directly affected, but the fear grew…

News of the lockdown last year sent Germans rushing to supermarkets to stock up on supplies, with toilet paper becoming a scarce commodity. Photo: dpa

But new “heroes” have emerged. They include supermarket cashiers, doctors, and nursing home workers, hailed as frontline soldiers during the pandemic. Now, at the beginning of 2021, many nurses and health care workers are exhausted. In an interview with local media, Franz Wagner, chairman of the German Health Care Workers’ Council, described the burden on the team as “enormous.” “This is reflected on the one hand in the large workload, but also in the fact that many of our colleagues are either quarantined or infected,” he said. “In addition to that, we have to live with and see high mortality rates in intensive care units and nursing homes.”

Objectively, Germany’s March 2020 lockdown has been effective. Infection rates have fallen and German voters are happy with their government. Foreign media have praised Germany’s efficiency and transparency. In fact, most citizens have cooperated with the restrictions, which are less stringent than in Italy, Spain or France. Small gatherings are still allowed, with little restriction on freedom of movement. People have turned to cycling. The health system is performing better than in many other countries.

As a result, by summer the infection rate was down and most restrictions were eased. But politicians broke a fundamental rule: They rested on their laurels!

Last summer, as infection rates dropped, many Germans let their guard down. Photo: dpa

At that time, BioNTech - a Mainz-based pharmaceutical company, a partner of the US company Pfizer, said it was on track to develop a vaccine.Covid-19 vaccineThe United States quickly ordered several million doses of the vaccine last summer, while the EU hesitated and decided to "bet" on a number of different manufacturers.

EXPENSIVE LESSON

Speculation began to emerge that while Chancellor Merkel remained deeply concerned about the pandemic, many state premiers were pushing for further restrictions to be lifted. Gradually, schools reopened. So did restaurants, albeit under strict conditions. The economy slowly began to get going again. Germany had fewer than 1,000 new cases a day in May 2020.

Many protests broke out, protesting the restrictions. A group calling themselves Querdenker – “the opposition” – say the measures are unconstitutional and infringe on citizens’ freedoms. The majority of Germans are still enjoying the summer, despite the “inconveniences” such as masks and restrictions on gatherings. Soaking in the warm sunshine, many people are under the illusion that the worst is over…

Face masks have become a part of everyday life in Germany. Photo: dpa

As autumn arrived, signs of a second wave became clear. In early August, the number of new cases per day rose to more than 1,000. By mid-September, the number had doubled and by October 8, it was 4,000 a day. In late October, Merkel warned that unless action was taken, Germany would have 20,000 new cases a day by Christmas.

In fact, that threshold was reached much earlier. Then Germany went into a second lockdown in early November. Gatherings were limited to two households, pubs and restaurants were closed again; tourism was at a standstill, as it had been in the spring. Shops and schools remained open. By the end of the year, Germany was launching its vaccination programme with the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine, two weeks later than the UK, due to the longer time it took to get EU approval.

However, the vaccination program got off to a rocky start, with logistics difficulties and production delays. Germany is no longer a shining example of infection control. Other countries, notably Israel, have taken the crown, far ahead of the rest in terms of vaccination.

The pandemic has left Merkel navigating turbulent waters in her final year as German chancellor. Photo: AP

Back in Berlin, Merkel declared the pandemic “the catastrophe of the century.” Restrictions were tightened again, officially in place until mid-February. The lockdown worked, but only to a certain extent. The daily infection rate has fallen, but only slightly. Hope and confidence have been replaced by fears of a new, more contagious variant. The death rate remains shockingly high, especially in nursing homes. The only lifeline may be the federal government’s announcement that every German will have the opportunity to be vaccinated by fall—a year and a half after Germany recorded its first case of Covid-19.