More and more cases of the mysterious corona virus from China are becoming known worldwide – including in Germany. But what are the symptoms of the lung disease?
- A new form of lung disease worries the authorities.
- Worldwide, 83,392 cases were reported, the majority of those affected fell ill in Wuhan, the capital of the central Chinese province of Hubei.
- Coronavirus * is responsible for the onset of the disease and, according to researchers, it can spread extremely quickly.
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According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the novel lung disease is called Covid-19, The pathogen, Sars-CoV-2, which was previously referred to as 2019-nCoV, was given its own name: Sars-CoV-2. The consequences of an infection are drastic: 2,858 deaths have already occurred. 48 people in Germany suffer from the corona virus. (As of February 28, 2020)
Coronavirus: what are the symptoms?
Cases have been reported not only in China, but also in other countries such as Thailand, South Korea and now also in Germany. It is suspected that most of the sick people contracted the virus at an animal market in Wuhan. However, some infected people hadn’t visited the market, which is why Imperial College London warned against viewing the virus as non-communicable – which should prove to be a correct assessment.
Coronavirus news ticker: number of infected people is increasing drastically – EU agency with grim forecast
The World Health Organization (WHO) advised to avoid animal markets and contact with animals in regions at risk. The WHO
has declared the coronavirus epidemic an international health emergency.
The following symptoms may indicate coronavirus infection:
- fever
- a headache
- Sore throat
- Breathing problems such as shortness of breath
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In severe cases, infection with Sars-CoV-2 can lead to pneumonia.
Also read: Corona virus warning for Germany – “We have to prepare for it in the entire healthcare system”
Strong similarity between Corona and SARS viruses
According to the editorial network Germany Virus researcher Christian Drosten found a close connection between the currently spreading corona virus and SARS, the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. The infectious disease manifests itself in the form of atypical pneumonia, which can be fatal.
The coronavirus appears to be transmitted like the SARS virus Droplet infection, which is why coughing and sneezing patients pose a high risk of infection, According to the Robert Koch Institute, the incubation period (time between infection and onset of the disease) should be up to 14 days.
also read: This life-threatening virus can go around the world in a few hours,
Video: First corona infection – press conference in the Bavarian Ministry of Health
Insidious Coronavirus Infection Without Remedies – How To Protect Yourself
Since the new type of virus has not yet been fully researched, there is still no uniform treatment recommendation. Due to the similarity to the SARS virus, however, it is reasonable to assume that with coronavirus infection like SARS only the side effects can be alleviated. Medications that render the virus harmless do not (yet) exist, and there is also no vaccination *, However, Thai doctors have had great success in symptomatic treatment *.
Prevention is extremely important to avoid infection. Doctors recommend:
- Avoid large crowds in vulnerable areas.
- Avoid contact with sick people.
- Wash your hands frequently *, especially after using public transportation.
- A respirator mask lowers the risk of infection from droplet infection in high-risk areas.
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swell: www.tagesschau.de; www.swr3.de; www.rnd.de; www.bundesgesundheitsministerium.de; www.lungenaerzte-im-netz.de
more on the subject: Mysterious lung disease is spreading rapidly – authorities warn drastically.
The corona virus threatens to spread. There have been many deaths in China. This is how Munich Airport prepares. Also because of the many unknown variables, a number of conspiracy theories about the corona virus are spreading primarily on the Internet. You can find an overview here. Good news from Australia: researchers have achieved a “significant breakthrough”.
In the United States, researchers have now developed a mobile test device that can be docked onto smartphones and can diagnose infectious diseases.
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These viruses and bacteria make us sick
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* Merkur.de belongs to the Germany-wide Ippen-Digital editors network
List of rubric lists: © picture alliance / Andreas Gebert / dpa
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