Eastern Europe more resilient against Covid

[Jaga]

It is obvious that Eastern Europe does not have the numbers Italy, Spain, France or Great Britain has. There are some speculations that this might be due to the obligatory vaccinations in Eastern Europe. They were compulsory and many. The other people suggests that this is due to early response. Apparently there is even the line between Eastern and Western Germany - with more people infected and dead in Western part. What do you think?

here are some articles:


www.euractiv.com/section/coronavirus/news/the-brief-is-eastern-europe-more-resilient-to-covid-19/
In recent days, on top of the list of most-read stories, especially in eastern Europe, are the translations and adaptations of an article by Science magazine titled “Can a century-old TB vaccine steel the immune system against the new coronavirus?”

The vaccine, known as BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin), is indeed 100 years old and has been unevenly used in the eastern and western part of Europe.

According to Prof. Dr Lyubima Despotova, president of the Bulgarian Society for Long-Term Care and Palliative Medicine, the worldwide distribution map of COVID-19 “overlaps” with the vaccine policy map. Countries that have abandoned BCG are currently in the midst of the epidemic and are heavily affected.

She cited the example of Germany – which publishes a map tracing the development of the epidemic throughout its territory and illustrating the spread of the disease in great detail – and stressed that there is a significant difference between former East Germany and former West Germany: the former GDR is up to three times less affected.

[Jaga]

also Eastern Europeans may be more disciplined with responding to the thread, and also their response was earlier than some western countries and they were opposing migrations more. Here is another article pointing to the early lockdown

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/05/why-has-eastern-europe-suffered-less-from-coronavirus-than-the-west

Why has eastern Europe suffered less from coronavirus than the west?
Most important reason for discrepancy appears to be implementation of early lockdown

The coronavirus map of Europe makes one thing clear: the richer nations of western Europe have suffered more from the virus than countries in the eastern half of the EU, almost without exceptions.

Comparing figures from different countries can be fraught with difficulty, and many factors can potentially skew the numbers. But the comparison between western Europe on the one hand, and central and eastern Europe on the other, shows a difference in coronavirus rates that is too stark to ignore.

Even the worst-hit central and eastern European countries have infection and death rates per million inhabitants much lower than western European nations, and in some the statistics are truly remarkable: Slovakia has recorded just 1,413 confirmed cases and 25 deaths. Neighbouring Austria, widely regarded as having tackled the challenge of the virus successfully, nevertheless has more than 10 times the number of infections and 20 times the deaths as Slovakia, with a population less than twice the size.

[kaima]

Comment fromDer Spiegel on the Corona virus,and how difficult it is for both scientists and politicians:

"Step by step, researchers are being forced to explore completely new territory under the watchful eye of a nervous public. There have been more than 20,000 papers published on SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19, according to the World Health Organization. And every one of them claims to contain new information. No wonder that what was considered fact yesterday can prove to be a mistake today -- not because a researcher's opinion has changed, but because new information has come to light."

The extendedarticle, in English,is at

www.spiegel.de/international/germany/the-scapegoat-science-and-politics-collide-in-the-battle-against-covid-19-a-a15f80bb-76a7-4aac-87e9-578f12022694

[Jaga]

Kai, I think people has too much time and then write the papers about their hypothesis. I saw it in Polish press also as the new announcements of Polish researchers. But the facts are there and Eastern Europe was doing better than Western Europe, maybe it was just a coincidence, but maybe some combination of obligatory vaccinations helped, and also just keeping the rules and regulations

[karl]

Jaga and kai

My purpose of reply is simply to address your very informational presentations as very interesting with much food to think of. My self have no answers in the matter of differences between infection rates between Eastern Europe and also of the former German DDR area from our part of the known world. For of other wise, my self am not qualified to say other wise for medicine was and is not of my training and education.

To speak as other wise, I have as a person read with most interest your both presentations which as forementioned, was very informative to say the least..

For Jaga, a comment of your new avatar is a very nice one I must say and presents a very pleasant person behind presented posts, thank you for your trust and commitment to the forum.

karl