Regional Characteristics of the Second Wave of SARS-CoV-2 Infections and COVID-19 Deaths in Germany

Doblhammer, Gabriele; Kreft, Daniel; Reinke, Constantin

doi:10.3390/ijerph182010663

Cited by 11 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…The earliest start date was 1 January 2020 [ 12 , 29 , 37 ], and the latest start date was 1 October 2020 [ 43 ]. The mean observation period across the included studies was 23.4 weeks, with a median period of 19.9 weeks and a period range of 3.9–59.9 weeks.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hoebel et al found similar patterns at the district level during the second pandemic wave in Germany [ 10 ]. However, Doblhammer et al used a different, machine-learning–based approach to identify socioeconomic indicators combined into composite measures and their impact on COVID-19 cases at the district level during the second pandemic wave in Germany [ 43 ]. Although the analytical approach differed from that of Hoebel et al, the authors found similar patterns, indicating that less deprived areas were more strongly correlated with cases at the beginning of the second wave but the correlation later reversed to the detriment of more deprived areas.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Among the analyses investigating mortality rates ( n = 32), we found results similar to those for COVID-19 incidence rates (crossover: 50%, n = 16; persistent: 31.3%, n = 10; growing: 18.8%, n = 6). For instance, Clouston et al, Neelon et al, and Doblhammer et al found that more affluent regions had higher mortality rates at the beginning of the respective observation periods, while at later time periods, the rates were elevated in more deprived regions [ 13 , 43 , 58 ]. Those dynamics were also present in other study results concerning income [ 35 , 42 , 49 , 50 , 62 ], education [ 35 , 45 , 61 ], or employment [ 35 , 61 , 62 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Temporal Dynamics of Socioeconomic Inequalities in COVID-19 Outcomes Over the Course of the Pandemic—A Scoping Review

Beese¹,

Waldhauer²,

Wollgast³

et al. 2022

Int J Public Health

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Objectives: International evidence of socioeconomic inequalities in COVID-19 outcomes is extensive and growing, but less is known about the temporal dynamics of these inequalities over the course of the pandemic.Methods: We systematically searched the Embase and Scopus databases. Additionally, several relevant journals and the reference lists of all included articles were hand-searched. This study follows the PRISMA guidelines for scoping reviews.Results: Forty-six studies were included. Of all analyses, 91.4% showed stable or increasing socioeconomic inequalities in COVID-19 outcomes over the course of the pandemic, with socioeconomically disadvantaged populations being most affected. Furthermore, the study results showed temporal dynamics in socioeconomic inequalities in COVID-19, frequently initiated through higher COVID-19 incidence and mortality rates in better-off populations and subsequent crossover dynamics to higher rates in socioeconomically disadvantaged populations (41.9% of all analyses).Conclusion: The identified temporal dynamics of socioeconomic inequalities in COVID-19 outcomes have relevant public health implications. Socioeconomic inequalities should be monitored over time to enable the adaption of prevention and interventions according to the social particularities of specific pandemic phases.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Temporal Dynamics of Socioeconomic Inequalities in COVID-19 Outcomes Over the Course of the Pandemic—A Scoping Review

Beese¹,

Waldhauer²,

Wollgast³

et al. 2022

Int J Public Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Lippold et al [22] have used countylevel data to provide predictions for future spread. Doblhammer et al [10] showed that during the second wave, political affiliations and socioeconomic indicators were associated with higher incidences of SARS-CoV-2. A recent estimation of spreading dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in Germany assessed regional heterogeneity in the effectiveness of measures on infection dynamics and identified three distinct regional clusters of spreading patterns [29].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Age-specific Contribution of Contacts to Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Germany

Rodiah

Vanella

Kuhlmann

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Introduction: Current estimates of pandemic spread using infectious disease models in Germany for SARS-CoV-2 often do not use age-specific infection parameters and are not always based on known contact matrices of the population. They also do not usually include setting-based information of reported cases and do not account for age-specific underdetection of reported cases. Here, we report likely pandemic spread using an age-structured model to understand the age- and setting-specific contribution of contacts to transmission during all phases of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany.Methods: We developed a deterministic SEIRS model using a pre-pandemic contact matrix. The model is optimized to fit reported age-specific SARS-CoV-2 incidences from the Robert Koch Institute, includes information on setting-specific reported cases in schools and integrates age and pandemic period-specific parameters for underdetection of reported cases deduced from a large population-based seroprevalence study. Results: We showed that taking underreporting into account, younger adults and teenagers are the main contributors to infections during the first three pandemic waves in Germany. Overall, the contribution of contacts in schools to the total cases in the population was below 10% during the third wave. Discussion: Accounting for the pandemic phase and age-specific underreporting seems important to correctly identify those parts of the population where quarantine, testing, vaccination, and contact-reduction measures are likely to be most effective and efficient. In the future, we will aim to compare current model estimates with currently emerging during-pandemic age-specific contact survey data.

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“…Other unobserved characteristics at the regional or individual level can explain observed relationships, too. In the beginning of 2021, regional variation in concerns could for example also be a product of different regional predominant political orientations across Germany [ 69 ] which we cannot measure and control for adequately.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Worries about inadequate medical treatment in case of a COVID-19 infection: the role of social inequalities, COVID-19 prevalence and healthcare infrastructure

et al. 2022

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Background This study investigates individual and regional determinants of worries about inadequate medical treatment in case of a COVID-19 infection, an important indicator of mental wellbeing in pandemic times as it potentially affects the compliance with mitigation measures and the willingness to get vaccinated. The analyses shed light on the following questions: Are there social inequalities in worries about inadequate medical treatment in case of a COVID-19 infection? What is the role of the regional spread of COVID-19 infections and regional healthcare capacities? Methods Based on data derived from the German Socioeconomic Panel (SOEP), a representative sample of the German population aged 18 years and over, we estimated multilevel logistic regression models with individual-level (level 1) and regional-level (level 2) variables. The regional variables of interest were (a) the number of COVID-19 infections, (b) the number of hospital beds as an overall measure of the regional healthcare capacities, and (c) the number of free intensive care units as a measure of the actual capacities for treating patients with severe courses of COVID-19. Results Women, older respondents, persons with migrant background and those with a lower socioeconomic status were more likely to report worries about inadequate medical treatment in case of a COVID-19 infection. Moreover, respondents with chronic illness, lower subjective health and those who consider COVID-19 as a threat for their own health were more likely to report worries. In addition, also regional characteristics were relevant. Worries were more common in poorer regions with higher COVID-19 infections and worse health infrastructure as indicated by the number of hospital beds. Conclusions The analysis not only indicates that several social groups are more concerned about inadequate medical treatment in case of a COVID-19 infection, but also highlights the need for considering regional-level influences, such as the spread of the virus, poverty rates and healthcare infrastructure, when analyzing the social and health-related consequences of the pandemic.

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Regional Characteristics of the Second Wave of SARS-CoV-2 Infections and COVID-19 Deaths in Germany

Cited by 11 publications

References 57 publications

Temporal Dynamics of Socioeconomic Inequalities in COVID-19 Outcomes Over the Course of the Pandemic—A Scoping Review

Temporal Dynamics of Socioeconomic Inequalities in COVID-19 Outcomes Over the Course of the Pandemic—A Scoping Review

Age-specific Contribution of Contacts to Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Germany

Worries about inadequate medical treatment in case of a COVID-19 infection: the role of social inequalities, COVID-19 prevalence and healthcare infrastructure

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