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HEALTH

Canned sausages and soup: What are Germans buying during the corona crisis?

As many people have experienced, likely when trying to find rolls of toilet paper, the coronavirus pandemic has created an increased demand for certain daily goods.

Published: 15 April 2020 16:26 CEST
Canned sausages and soup: What are Germans buying during the corona crisis?

Now new data from Germany’s Federal Statistical Office shows what Germans have already stocked up on, as well as which goods remain in high demand.

The data examines sales figures for products from March 30th to April 4th.

Contrary to what many might expect, the statistics reveal that many people are no longer stocking up on toilet paper, often dubbed “white gold” by Germans during the corona crisis.

READ ALSO: 'People love it': Toilet paper cakes fly off shelves at Dortmund bakery

Sales were 29 percent below the average of the previous six months during the first week of April. Just the week before (March 23rd to 29th) they were still up by almost half (46 percent), showing the quick decrease in sales numbers. 

Toilet paper could (often) be spotted on supermarket shelves again leading up to Easter. 

Avoid the 'hamster' urge

Politicians and business associations continue to reassure the public that there is no supply bottleneck and that they should refrain from “Hamsterkäufen,” or panic buying.

READ ALSO: German word of the day: Der Hamsterkauf

The top products people continue to hoard are soaps and disinfectants, leaving many store shelves bare.

After a brief slump in the week from March 16th to 22nd, sales of disinfectant gels and sprays rose again to more than three times (276 percent) the average at the beginning of April.

Other unexpected food increases include a 400 percent rise in the sale of pre-prepared bread mixes towards the end of March. Staples like pasta and soups also spiked earlier in March and remain high. 

READ ALSO: Coronavirus: Why people in Germany don't need to panic buy

Germans also seem to be coping healthfully: beer and soft drink sales have been down for weeks – around three and five percent respectively.

It seems Germans aren't giving in to their vices during this trying time. Unless, of course, you count canned sausages as a bad habit, as sales for those are up by 155 percent for the entire year. 

This graph shows the sales of certain food and hygiene products over calendar weeks at the end of 2019 and 2020 (in KW, or calendar weeks). Source: Destatis

Sales fluctuate amidst uncertain circumstances

Overall, the sales figures for food and hygiene products in the last week of March largely declined compared to the massively above-average figures the first two weeks of the month.

The sales figures for sugar in the 14th calendar week were only 10 percent above the six-month average; rice was only 12 percent above.

While yeast sales were still below average in the 13th calendar week by 37 percent, they were up 28 percent during the 14th calendar week.

There could be various reasons for these fluctuating and declining sales figures. On one hand, an in-demand product may have saturated the market. However, lower numbers could also indicate a supply shortage.

Many stores are reporting an increase in house-brand sales, meaning that many shoppers are ditching name-brands to get the products available. 

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HEALTH

Could there be a new wave of Covid-19 in Germany this autumn?

It’s back again: amid sinking temperatures, the incidence of Covid-19 has been slowly rising in Germany. But is this enough to merit worrying about the virus?

Published: 20 September 2023 12:05 CEST
Updated: 20 September 2023 22:22 CEST
Could there be a new wave of Covid-19 in Germany this autumn?

More people donning face masks in supermarkets, friends cancelling plans last minute due to getting sick with Covid-19. We might have seen some of those familiar reminders recently that the coronavirus is still around, but could there really be a resurgence of the virus like we experienced during the pandemic years?

According to virologists, the answer seems to be ‘maybe’: since July, the number of people newly infected with Covid-19 has been slowly rising from a very low level.

According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), nine people per 100,000 inhabitants became newly infected in Germany last week. A year ago, there were only around 270 reported cases.

Various Corona variants are currently on the loose in the country. According to the RKI,  the EG.5 (also called Eris) and XBB.1.16 lines were each detected in the week ending September 3rd with a share of just under 23 percent. 

The highly mutated variant BA.2.86 (Pirola), which is currently under observation by the World Health Organisation (WHO), also arrived in the country this week, according to RKI. 

High number of unreported case

The RKI epidemiologists also warned about a high number of unreported cases since hardly any testing is done. They pointed out that almost half of all registered sewage treatment plants report an increasing viral load in wastewater tests.

The number of hospital admissions has also increased slightly, but are still a far cry from the occupation rate amid the pandemic. Last week it was two per 100,000 inhabitants. In the intensive care units, only 1.2 percent of all beds are occupied by Covid-19 patients.

Still, a good three-quarters (76.4 percent) of people in Germany have been vaccinated at least twice and thus have basic immunity, reported RKI. 

Since Monday, doctors’ offices have been vaccinating with the adapted vaccine from Biontech/Pfizer, available to anyone over 12 years old, with a vaccine for small children set to be released the following week and one for those between 5 and 11 to come out October 2nd.

But Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has so far only recommended that people over 60 and those with pre-existing conditions get vaccinated.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: Who should get a Covid jab this autumn in Germany?

“The pandemic is over, the virus remains,” he said. “We cannot predict the course of coming waves of corona, but it is clear that older people and people with pre-existing conditions remain at higher risk of becoming severely ill from Covid-19”

The RKI also recommended that people with a cold voluntarily wear a mask. Anyone exhibiting cough, cold, sore throat or other symptoms of a respiratory illness should voluntarily stay at home for three to five days and take regular corona self-tests. 

However, further measures such as contact restrictions are not necessary, he said.

One of many diseases

As of this autumn, Covid-19 could be one of many respiratory diseases. As with influenza, there are no longer absolute infection figures for coronavirus.

Saarbrücken pharmacist Thorsten Lehr told German broadcaster ZDF that self-protection through vaccinations, wearing a mask and getting tested when symptoms appear are prerequisites for surviving the Covid autumn well. 

Only a new, more aggressive mutation could completely turn the game around, he added.

On April 7th of this year, Germany removed the last of its over two-year long coronavirus restrictions, including mask-wearing in some public places.

READ ALSO: German doctors recommend Covid-19 self-tests amid new variant

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