Socioeconomic Differences in the Risk of Infection During the Second Sars-Cov-2 Wave in Germany

Most of the initial socioepidemiological studies of the COVID-19 pandemic are from the United Kingdom and the USA. The findings indicated in many cases increased risks for SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 disease courses in socioeconomically deprived population groups (1). In Germany, however, the observed pattern to date has been a different one. Nationwide analyses from the first SARS-CoV-2 wave in the spring of 2020 showed that in the socioeconomically advantaged regions of Germany, more laboratory confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections had been notified than in socioeconomically deprived regions, and that this had been the case especially during the early outbreak (2). To date it has not been investigated to which extent this pattern also applies to— or was different in — the second SARS-CoV-2 wave in Germany since the autumn of 2020; this contribution will analyze this question. The results could contribute to identifying population groups for targeted infection protection and prevention measures in the pandemic.