SSchools, cinemas and theaters are closed, the corona virus is increasingly influencing our everyday life. Scaremongering? Exaggerated measures? The scientific findings suggest that shutting down public life makes sense. Because social isolation can actually brake epidemics efficiently – if it is designed sensibly. More and more is also known about the virus. It is clear which people are particularly affected and what the disease does in the body.
What is the situation in Germany?
More than 4100 people had tested positive for the corona virus in Germany by Saturday (5 p.m.). In order to understand what this number says and what it does not, you first have to understand how the test works: a smear from the throat is used to look for genetic material of the virus. It may be that there is not enough of it at the beginning of an infection or that you cannot catch it. Then the test turns out negative, even though a person is actually infected.
Secondly, you have to understand who is being tested: At the moment, in Germany these are still primarily people who have had contact with someone whose infection has already been proven or who come from a risk area. Most infections were reported in North Rhine-Westphalia (more than 1600), followed by Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. In Germany, eight people had died as a result of an infection with the corona virus by Saturday (5 p.m.).
How does an illness go?
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) analyzed the course of 737 reported cases in Germany. According to this, the first symptoms of the disease appeared on average five to six days after the infection. 56 percent of the patients had a cough, 39 percent fever, 32 percent runny nose and 1.6 percent had already diagnosed pneumonia. From China, it was reported that more than 90 percent of the patients suffered from fever. Runny nose, sore throat and body aches are not common symptoms, but they can occur.
If you get sick, it often decides after a week whether it gets worse. Virologist Christian Drosten of the Berlin Charité said in his podcast. In very severe cases, the body’s immune system seems to overreact. Patients who have died from infection with the virus have often suffered organ failure, septicemia (sepsis), or pneumonia.
Is ibuprofen dangerous?
It is currently being discussed whether ACE inhibitors, which are prescribed to lower blood pressure, can make Covid-19 worse. The idea: There are so-called ACE receptors on the cell surface, to which the ACE enzyme binds. It is precisely these receptors that the coronavirus uses to penetrate the cells. ACE inhibitors intercept the ACE enzyme, the ACE receptors remain free and the viruses can penetrate more easily. The cells may even increase the number of receptors when the enzyme is trapped. This would give the viruses even more opportunities to enter the cell.
According to an unconfirmed hypothesis, ibuprofen is said to have a similar effect. This has not yet been checked at all. But it is very unlikely: Ibupofen is a pain reliever and anti-inflammatory. It does not affect the ACE system, but suppresses the production of prostaglandins. These are tissue hormones that affect many different organ systems.
Talk to a doctor about taking medication.
Who is particularly at risk?
Analyzes of previous illnesses show that all adults can become infected. Smokers get sick more often than non-smokers, men a little more often than women. The virologist Drosten considers a weak cardiovascular system to be a risk factor. Pneumonia strains the body because less oxygen passes into the blood. At the end of February, the WorldHealth Organization (WHO) published the largest evaluation of the course of the disease to date: 80 percent were mild to moderately severe, including mild pneumonia. Fourteen percent of the patients became seriously ill, six percent very serious or life-threatening. These numbers are preliminary.
The risk of a severe course increases with age, it increases after the 50th birthday, and increases with each year of life. People over 80 are at very high risk. Immunologists suspect that, on the one hand, this is due to the fact that people with the years of life also accumulate previous illnesses. In addition, the immune system of older people is already heavily used due to hidden inflammation. Among the people who have died of Covid-19 so far, many have had a pre-existing condition – for example, asthma, chronic bronchitis, coronary heart disease, other cardiovascular diseases, chronic liver disease, diabetes, cancer or a weakened immune system.
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Why do so many people die in Italy?
The virus that is circulating in Italy is the same as in China, Germany and the rest of the world. It is neither contagious nor dangerous. If a country has a particularly high number of deaths, it is most likely due to the fact that there have been many cases of undetected infections for a long time. The virologist Drosten suspects that Germany is still in an earlier phase of the epidemic compared to Italy – that is, there will also be an increase in deaths in this country. The high mortality rate in Italy could be due to the fact that some hospitals are already overloaded and not all patients can be treated optimally. The Italians themselves point out that their population is on average older than that in China.
An evaluation by Andreas Backhaus, who is a population economist, showed that a particularly large number of old people in Italy tested positive for the virus. In Italy, almost every fifth person infected (19.1 percent) was older than 80. For comparison: In South Korea, only three percent of those infected were older than 80 at the time. In Germany, too, very few older people were infected. According to an initial evaluation by the RKI, only 15 percent of those infected older than 60. Backhaus was suspected that the case mortality rate in Germany has so far been so low.
Are deaths overlooked?
The virus was only detected after the death of a 67-year-old man who died in the Black Forest this week. It was only searched for after his death – because the man’s widow is infected. When asked how often deceased people in Germany are tested on Sars-CoV-2, Lothar Wieler, the head of RKI, said in a press conference on Friday: He doesn’t think that victims of the virus are overlooked in Germany. At the request of WELT AM SONNTAG, a spokeswoman for the RKI announced that “it is assumed that severely ill people will be tested in Germany and that a test after death is therefore of little practical relevance. We don’t know to what extent hospitals do this if a test has not been carried out beforehand. ”
Are children immune?
Children can also contract the coronavirus, but are less likely to get sick. Less than half of the children who had been infected to date had a fever, and most had only a little cough and runny nose. So far, no one knows what will protect children from becoming seriously ill. However, studies have shown that the virus continues to multiply in their bodies – and that they can become carriers. That is why experts are currently advising the grandparents who are particularly at risk to avoid contact with their grandchildren.
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What is the use of closing schools?
School closures are a tried and tested measure in the fight against the flu. During the Spanish flu in the winter of 1917/18, school closures in some American cities (in combination with other measures) significantly slowed the epidemic and reduced the death toll. However, according to scientific studies, it is important to close schools early and for a longer period of time – possibly over months. Unfortunately, it is also not certain whether school closures work just as well against the spread of the corona virus. With flu waves, children become infected very quickly and get sick. With the new corona virus, they are no more infected than adults; the extent to which they contribute to the spread of the disease is unclear. When closing schools, care must be taken to ensure that adults who are urgently needed in the health system or elsewhere do not have to stay at home to look after their children.
Do you already have a drug?
No. Hopes are on a remedy called Remdesivir, which has been developed and tested for the treatment of Ebola patients. The substance turned out to be safe, but it did not help against Ebola. In the laboratory, however, he worked against the pathogens of Sars and Mers – corona viruses that are very similar to Sars-Cov-2. Studies are ongoing in China in which patients are given the drug against Covid-19 and comparison groups are treated without the drug. Studies should also start at the UKE in Hamburg, in Düsseldorf and at the Munich Clinic Schwabing, said Clemens Wendtner, chief physician for infectious diseases in Schwabing. RKI boss Wieler said: He is “very optimistic”, there are indications “that the remedy has an effect”.
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What can you do to protect yourself and others?
Remain important: thorough, regular hand washing with soap (dry with your own towel!); Keep your distance, avoid handshakes, hugs and kisses; keep hands away from eyes, mouth and nose. Also disinfect your own smartphone, which you often have on your face. If you have older relatives with previous illnesses: take over the shopping, offer transport services if necessary – and keep your distance. It is also helpful to keep yourself informed about the situation in your own area and about the measures that are recommended on site. Use reputable information sources that check the news, i.e. newspapers, television stations, the websites of the RKI (www.rki.de) or the Federal Center for Health Education (www.infektionsschutz.de).
This text is from the WELT AM SONNTAG. We would be happy to deliver them to your home on a regular basis.
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