Angela Merkel praised for 'superb' explanation on how coronavirus infection rates impact healthcare systems

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel during the press conference on Wednesday
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Imogen Braddick16 April 2020

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been praised for her "calm and insightful" explanation on how coronavirus infection rates affect healthcare systems.

Speaking during a press conference on Wednesday, the Chancellor said "caution is the order of the day" as she explained the impact of different infection rates.

Impressed with Ms Merkel's "great explanation", journalist Benjamin Alvarez translated it for non-German speakers and posted the clip to Twitter.

The hashtag #AngelaMerkel soon started trending on the social media site, with users praising her for her levelheadedness and "superb" leadership.

Explaining the impact of different infection rates, she said: "The curve has become flatter. It needs to be like this so it doesn't overtax our health system.

"We have made model observations. We're now at about reproduction factor one, so one person is infecting another one.

"I can only say that for one chain of infection if one person will infect another person.

"That is an average of one person infecting another one.

"If we get to the point where everybody infects 1.1 people, then by October we will reach the capacity of our health system with the assumed number of intensive care beds

"If we get to 1.2 people, so everyone is infecting 20 per cent more, out of five people, one infects two and the rest one, then we will reach the limit of our healthcare system in July.

"And if it's up to 1.3 people, then in June we will reach the limits of our health system.

"So that's where you can see how little the margin is."

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Ms Merkel said getting the balance right was a "fragile situation".

She added: "The whole evolution is based on the fact that we assume that we have an infection figure that we can monitor, that we can track and that we have more protection concepts and that thanks to them we can loosen restrictions.

"But it is thin ice, as Mr Tschentscher (Hamburg Mayor) said, or a fragile situation, or really a situation where caution is the order of the day and not overconfidence."

After the clip of her speech was widely shared on Twitter, social media users were quick to applaud Ms Merkel for her clear and concise explanation of the situation.

"With a leader like this, little wonder Germany has among the lowest mortality rates from #covid in Europe," one Twitter user wrote.

Another said: "In Merkel we trust. She is just the leader you want in these troubling times. I think it also helps she is a scientist, who exactly knows what she is talking about."

"20 years in and I cannot put into words my admiration for her competence, levelheadedness and backbone," said another user.

Others praised Ms Merkel's leadership and composure during the Covid-19 crisis.

One said: "#AngelaMerkel is the greatest political leader world has produced in the twenty first century.

"More I see her leadership and her composure, more I am in awe of her. No nonsense leader with compassion. Germans are really lucky to have her leading them in this grim situation."

Another wrote: "It's rare these days you get a politician that you like or believe, however #AngelaMerkel shows again why she is so good.

"No nonsense, straight talking and to the point unlike most politicians who never answer or avoid the question."

Another said: "No theatrics, no exhortations, a superb, intelligent, reassuring and matter of fact speech. A model for leadership worldwide #AngelaMerkel."

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