The more patients there are, the more symptoms make up medical professionals. In addition to coughing, fever and loss of sense of smell, more and more infected people with severely reddened eyes are now noticeable.
When the eyes are red, itchy and watery, this is a very typical reaction of the conjunctiva. It usually reacts to pollen that triggers an allergic reaction or to intruders such as bacteria or viruses that can cause an infection.
Conjunctivitis caused by coronaviruses?
According to American media reports, red, itchy and watery eyes could also be an early symptom of infection with the new corona virus. According to this, there are several reports that suggest that the virus can cause mild conjunctivitis that is otherwise indistinguishable from other viral causes.
American ophthalmologists believe that coronaviruses can get in the eye and cause an infection there. They recommend that the doctors treating patients not only protect the mouth and nose, but also the eyes.
However, the doctors also write that pure conjunctivitis only rarely indicates Covid-19. If a patient has an additional fever and cough, then yes.
What are the most typical symptoms?
It usually goes with dry cough and fever!
Dr. Susanne Huggett: “Coughing, body aches, runny nose, feeling sick – the tricky thing about the virus is that it is precisely these symptoms that make it noticeable. So like a classic flu. ”
However, the fever rises more slowly than with flu and remains constant for longer. Slight complaints usually subside after ten to 14 days. This is the case in around 80 percent of cases.
Severe shortness of breath is evident in more serious diseases. Then the pathogen also reached the lower respiratory tract, causing pneumonia there. However, if the pathogen spreads into the lower respiratory tract, the course is significantly more severe, known as atypical pneumonia. Those who even need treatment in the clinic can take up to six weeks to recover.
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Discovered other symptoms?
According to an examination of infected people in the particularly affected district of Heinsberg in North Rhine-Westphalia, the Loss of smell and taste be a symptom of the infection with the corona virus, as Prof. Hendrik Streeck, Director of the Institute of Virology at the University Hospital Bonn reports in an interview with the FAZ.
An inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis) can also be an indication of a Covid 19 disease, as the “Ärzteblatt” now reports. There have been reports of patients who had suffered severe heart muscle damage as a result of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Now, in the specialist journal “JAMA Cardiology”, the case of a 53-year-old patient from northern Italy, who had been admitted to the cardiological clinic of the University of Brescia due to heart failure, was presented. The findings indicated myocarditis: “This could have been triggered directly by SARS-CoV-2.”
How is the corona virus transmitted?
Mainly as a droplet infection. That means: directly from person to person via droplets containing viruses – for example when sneezing or coughingif traces of the liquid get on the mucous membranes of another person. The virus mainly reproduces in the throat.
Also an indirect transmission via the hands is possible if a person touches his mouth, nose or eyes who has previously touched a contaminated doorknob.
How long does it take for the virus to break out?
The time from infection to onset is called incubation period. Since COVID-19 is a new type of virus, the duration of the incubation period is still controversial. According to current knowledge, it is five to 14 days before the first symptoms appear.
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Can the virus also be transmitted if someone shows no or hardly any symptoms?
Yes! Studies by the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the Bundeswehr Institute for Microbiology and the Munich Clinic Schwabing show that some patients with coronavirus infection who are treated at the Munich Clinic Schwabing have infectious viruses in their nasopharynx area even with minor symptoms exhibit. The researchers conclude that infected people with weak symptoms can also transmit the virus.
Treacherous: Humans can carry the corona virus within themselves, but show no symptoms themselves!
Who is the corona virus dangerous for?
Men are at higher risk of dying from coronavirus infection than women. This was the result of an analysis by the Chinese authorities of more than 44,000 infected people. And: the older the patient, the higher the risk of death! From the age of 50 it increases significantly, people from the age of 80 are most at risk.
However, it turns out that younger people can also be massively affected and end up in intensive care units.
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What should I do if I suspect Corona?
The important thing is: Do not just go to your doctor, but call him beforehand. He will tell you exactly what to do and whether a test is appropriate. Not everyone who shows cold symptoms is automatically tested:
Once I have Corona, will I be immune?
Controversial! No, says doctor Dr. Wimmer: “We suspect that it’s like the flu. The viruses are constantly changing, and the corona virus does the same. If I had Corona this year, I can get it again next year. It’s different if I had it a few weeks ago – the viruses don’t change that quickly. ”
The RKI on the other hand: According to current knowledge, you become immune to the virus if you have already been infected. Likewise Prof. Klaus-Dieter Zastrow, chief physician of the Hygiene Institute Berlin: “Yes, you are immune after an infection. But whether it is for life or whether the immunization ends again cannot be said at the moment. “
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Can animals also be carriers?
Yes! “The virus comes from animals (bats), was transmitted to humans and then managed to be transmitted from person to person. There were e.g. in China a corona patient who has a dog – and viruses were also found in the animal. But the dog was not sick, ”said Wimmer.
There is currently no evidence that pets such as dogs or cats can become infected with the virus. However, the viruses can sit on them, so you should wash your hands after contact.
And: It is not yet possible to say whether the animals of the corona patients should also be quarantined.
How can I protect myself from infection?
But how can I avoid getting infected at all? A vaccine is still a long way off, but it is important to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and keep your distance.
Avoid all social contact if possible. These rules apply immediately in Germany:
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