What are the effects of the pandemic? How do people in Germany feel about the measures and are they still feeling the effects of the crisis? The Hamburg Center for Health Economics (HCHE) has been asking every three months since the beginning of the pandemic. Three realizations.
It has been almost three years since the first corona case was also detected in Germany. And even if the concerns are lessening and the measures are largely abolished, many people are still suffering from the effects of the crisis. This is the result of the ” European Covid Survey ” under the direction of the Hamburg Center for Health Economics (HCHE).
Since April 2020, the experts have been asking people in eight European countries how they are dealing with the pandemic. The eleventh and probably last survey took place at the beginning of December 2022. An overview with the most important findings for Germany.
The Germans’ approval of the Corona rules is a little surprising. 68 percent of those surveyed still believe that isolation is the right thing to do, only 12 percent are against it. 63 percent were also in favor of a mask requirement on buses and trains, only 17 percent are against it.
According to the survey, approval of the measures was highest in western Germany and lowest in eastern Germany.
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Nevertheless, despite widespread concerns among the population, protective behavior such as distance and hygiene rules continued to decrease in all countries. In Germany, for example, only one in three avoids hugs, kisses and handshakes as a greeting and only 27 percent remember the recommended rules of distance.
The corona pandemic is taking a back seat, as the survey shows. According to the survey, Germans are currently most concerned about other topics such as inflation and rising energy prices. But the Russian war of aggression (75 percent) and climate change (68 percent) are also ahead of the pandemic. Nearly 20 percent of respondents said they were “not at all concerned” about the pandemic.
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The corona crisis has nevertheless left its mark on most people. Young adults in particular are still suffering from the effects of the lockdowns: more than half of the 18 to 24 year olds stated that their social contacts had changed for the worse in the past two years. They also still feel mentally burdened.
But there is a similar picture across all age groups: 43 percent reported fewer contacts and friendships, 35 percent reported mental problems.
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Looking to the future is also not very optimistic: more than one in three expects another pandemic within the next five years. 35 percent believe that Germany is not prepared at all or not well prepared.
One factor is likely to be the overburdened clinics. The pandemic threw a spotlight on the ailing system. Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) has already announced a hospital reform.
