The coronavirus spread rapidly in Spain in 2020. The “hotspot Spain” was quickly mentioned. For many weeks, however, the country has had the virus extremely well under control. How do you do that? And what can Germany learn from this?
Spain and Italy had the most confirmed Covid-19 cases in Europe at the beginning of 2020. A vaccine was a long way off at this point and the government cracked down on it: with a strict, week-long lockdown,
In the following months, the number of infections rose again and again, most recently in midsummer 2021, at the same time as the travel wave. But since then the infection rate in Spain has steadily subsided. The number of infections is currently well below that of the previous year, despite the now widespread and highly contagious virus variant Delta. On average, the authorities reported almost 1,800 new infections in the past seven days. In the previous year, the 7-day average at the beginning of November was a good 10,500 cases.
Other European countries, including Germany, are currently seeing a sharp increase in the number of cases. Seasonal factors such as cooler temperatures and staying in closed rooms also play a role. But these factors also apply to Spain, where the temperature barely climbs above ten degrees at night at the beginning of November. So how does Spain manage to keep the number of new infections so low at the moment?
Jesús Rodríguez Baño, head of the infectious diseases department at the “Virgen de la Macarena” hospital in Seville, classifies the situation in relation to the specialist journal: Recently, the number of new infections and the number of hospital admissions has steadily declined, even though many anti-virus Corona measures have been lifted, said the expert. The opposite has occurred in earlier waves, Baño said. Although many questions are still open, one single plausible explanation for this observation is increasingly emerging: In his opinion, the “very high vaccination rate” in Spain plays the decisive role.
According to official information, more than 80 percent of the population in Spain are vaccinated against the coronavirus. The country thus ranks in an international comparison. Even in the age group of children and adolescents from 12 to 19 years, a similarly high rate is achieved, reports “The Lancet” – even though the vaccine has only been available since the end of May for the age group of 12 to 19 years 17-year-olds are admitted.
In an EU comparison, only neighboring country Portugal is even better off – with a vaccination rate of almost 90 percent in the total population. There, too, the number of new corona infections currently remains at a comparatively low level.
Particularly noticeable: even among younger people in Spain, the incidence has recently developed positively. The rate of new infections fell from 154 per 100,000 people within 14 days (mid-September) to 30 (mid-October) in the age group of 12 to 19 year olds, reports “The Lancet”. The positive trend continued among the under-twelve-year-olds, although no vaccination is yet available for this age group. Here the incidence fell from 150 to 54 during the same period. In view of the positive development, some Spanish regions are now considering easing the mask requirement that is still in force in schools.
In Germany, on the other hand, the incidence among children and young people is among five to 14 year olds, based on seven days. In some urban and rural districts, four-digit incidences are currently observed in this age group, including Berchtesgadener Land and Traunstein. The vaccination rate in the age group of 12 to 17 year olds is currently around 42 percent (fully vaccinated). In the general population, 66.9 percent are considered fully immunized.
The vaccination rate must continue to rise
There is still room for improvement, especially in the age group of 18-59 year olds: here, a little more than every fourth person is not fully vaccinated. The vaccination rate is 73.3 percent; in the age group 60 plus at 85.4 percent.
The official vaccination quota in Germany is probably underestimated by a few percentage points. We are talking about a difference of up to five percentage points. According to experts, however, even the higher vaccination rate would not be sufficient to effectively curb the spread of the virus.
Experts such as the Berlin virologist Christian Drosten have been calling for many weeks to close the vaccination gap in the population – i.e. to protect people who have not been vaccinated with immunization. In view of the further frightening numbers, this has “the highest priority”, wrote Drosten. Only after the vaccination gap has been closed can one go into the so-called endemic phase.
Once the endemic state has been reached, the coronavirus continues to circulate, but it no longer needs to be kept under control with strict measures because a sufficiently large number of people already have immunity – either through infection or vaccination. The endemic state is reached faster with vaccinations – and even more important: with fewer deaths and more severe disease courses than with natural infections.
The Spanish population, it currently seems, has already overcome major hurdles on the way to this condition – by trusting the science and the benefits of vaccinations. But they still want to remain on their guard, as the expert Baño explains. The booster vaccination campaign for risk groups has started and now we have to wait and see whether a nationwide third dose is necessary. New variants, which possibly bypass vaccination protection better than previous mutants, could still cause problems.
Nevertheless, he has hope: hope that winter 2021/2022 in Spain will allow a bit more normality than the previous one.
Source From: Stern
