The fear of the corona virus continues. Many are wondering how useful measures such as face masks, flu vaccinations and disinfectants really are to protect against the pathogen. We have put together the most important answers for you.
- The first case of the corona virus was confirmed in Germany at the end of January.
- The pathogen from China is transmitted from person to person.
- There are different ways to protect yourself from infection, but not all are useful.
Dortmund – at the beginning of January this was the first time in China coronavirus determined by scientists. Since then, the number of infected people has increased every day. In the meantime there are said to be more than 73,000 worldwide, 16 in Germany illness caution is required and there are certain things to consider to avoid yourself infection to protect with the corona virus.-
Transmission and symptoms of the coronavirus
Generally, that coronavirus is transmitted from person to person. According to the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA), it can be assumed that the transmission, as with other viruses, mainly via the so-called droplet infection he follows. That is, by spitting, coughing, sneezing, and other respiratory secretions.
“If you have a long conversation, about 15 minutes, it is probability of becoming infected highest, “said Martin Hoch, head of the Bavarian Task Force on Infectious Diseases, on the subject. The” face-to-face “contact is therefore particularly critical and should therefore be avoided with infected people if possible.
Anyone who has contracted the corona virus will not notice anything at first, because according to the current information, the time between the infection and the outbreak the disease around 14 days. But then symptoms such as fever, cough, runny nose and sore throat can appear. Some people who deal with that coronavirus infected, complained of difficulty breathing or diarrhea. The characteristics are very similar to those of a flu. More information about the symptoms, transmission and treatment of the coronavirus can be found here.
A mouthguard does not make much sense to protect against the corona virus
But you shouldn’t talk to anyone anymore or what is the best solution to protect yourself from the dangerous pathogen out China to protect? More and more people are accessing it mouthguard and respirators to protect against coronavirus infection. However, that is completely nonsensical, as Bernd Salzberger, head of the German Society for Infectious Diseases, told the consumer magazine Öko-Test.
On mouthguard it only makes sense for people who already have an acute respiratory infection and who still have to move in public spaces. This measure is not absolutely necessary for all other people. In addition, from a scientific perspective, there is still insufficient evidence that wearing mouth and nose protection reduces the risk of infection for a healthy person.
Anyone who decides to wear a mouthguard to avoid being infected with the coronavirus to protect, should, according to the Federal Center for Health Education, make sure that it is properly seated. This means that the mask has to fit snugly, changed when it is wet and must not be moved even while it is being worn.
Effective measures to protect against the corona virus
If a face mask doesn’t really help against infection, what then? Because there is no vaccination against the corona virus yet and it may still take a while until it comes onto the market. Experts therefore recommend that you follow the same protective measures that are used to prevent flu. These include:
- Obey the To cough- and sneeze etiquette: Use disposable handkerchiefs, sneeze in the crook of the arm instead of in the hands, keep a distance from others and turn away from them when coughing or sneezing.
- A good hand hygiene Note: To protect yourself against the corona virus, you should wash your hands thoroughly and frequently – including your wrists, the spaces between your fingers and the nail bed. Then the hands should also be dried thoroughly. The BZgA also gives a tip: With thorough hand washing of at least 20 seconds, the germs on the hands can be reduced to a thousandth or less – and 20 seconds is exactly the length if you buzz “Happy Birthday” twice.
- distance hold from one to two meters to the sick.
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However, there is no caution about imported food, mail items or items from China. However, DHL had set up a package stop after the corona virus reached Africa in mid-February. The German logistics company no longer accepts parcels and parcels to China, Hong Kong and Macau. You can find out more about this here in the live ticker about the dangerous pathogen Covid-19.
Reduce the risk of infection from the corona virus
If you also want to be on the safe side, you can also disinfectant use. However, this only makes sense if you fear that you have come into contact with the virus. But not every disinfectant is helpful against viruses. Experts only recommend agents that are labeled as limited virucidal, limited virucidal plus or virucidal. Something is called virucidal that makes viruses harmless.
Answers to frequently asked questions about the novel #Coronavirus can be found at the #BZgA: https://t.co/LUnG0lUwVm pic.twitter.com/IqE6uXcGcv
– BZgA (@bzga_de) February 10, 2020
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Because the symptoms of coronavirus those of flu are very similar, some doctors also advise getting flu vaccinations – in order to rule out any symptoms that may arise that it is “normal” flu. The annually occurringinfluenza is statistically far more dangerous than the corona virus. In principle, however, the corona virus is no reason to panic, especially in Germany you are well on the pathogen out China prepared and can treat the symptoms well.
Rubric list picture: © Georg Wendt / dpa; Collage: RUHR24
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