The new lung disease caused by the Coronavirus, has now reached Europe: On Friday, the French health Ministry confirmed three suspected cases, including in the capital, Paris. All patients should have previously resided in China. The number of documented infections is according to the authorities, in the meantime, at around 900, more than 40 patients have died. Evidence has also been reported from other Asian countries such as Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, and Taiwan. In the United States until Friday, two cases were confirmed. We need to make us so in Germany, too soon to Worry about?
China
Now, more than 40 Deaths – Coronavirus spreads – the first cases in France
Severity of the disease cannot yet be assessed
The President of the Robert Koch Institute, adding, the cross-border risk due to the new Virus in “heute Journal” of ZDF. “Outside of China, there has been no large chains of Infection,” said Lothar Wieler. However, the microbiologist emphasized that they could not assess the Severity of the disease exactly. “We do not have complete information.” The global precautions, he reasoned, among other things, that the new pathogen, the Sars Virus that is genetically very similar to and via the respiratory tract will spread. To Sars (Severe Acute respiratory syndrome) had died in 2002/2003, about 800 people. “The Severity, the disease burden of influenza is severe,” said Wieler.
Even if the risk of a new lung is classified as a disease for Germany as low, report, increasingly, people with perceived symptoms in offices and clinics. A contagion is in this country as unlikely. Often, as always, in the winter half of the year, circulating influenza viruses – so the normal seasonal flu, stuck – behind such diseases. The symptoms – fever, strong feeling of illness, respiratory problems – are similar. Typical for the novel Coronavirus, according to the current state that the upper respiratory tract are unlikely to be affected. For example, there is no runny nose.
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Coronavirus in Europe
Policy action is needed
Nevertheless, health policy makers have called on the authorities and hospitals, the spread of the Coronavirus in Germany set. “It is important that German clinics now to prepare to be able to such patients to treat,” said the Chairman of the Bundestag health Committee, Erwin Rüdel (CDU), the “Rheinische Post” of Saturday.
SPD-health expert Karl Lauterbach said, currently, fever measurements of China-passengers at German airports are still useful. “In principle, such a use of the measurements should be prepared, but” recommended Lauterbach. Because that could be “in the next few weeks”.
So the Test run in Germany
A preliminary Test will be initiated in Germany, if a Patient was previously in a high – risk area – for example, in Wuhan, in China-or to assume that he had direct contact to demonstrably infected people. For the then following process, there are rules. “The chain is, of course, first of all, a doctor gets suspected and a diagnosis requesting,” said the Berlin virologist Christian Drosten. “At the same time he takes up with the local health Department contact.” The health Department is then responsible for both the reporting channel, as well as for the imposition of further measures. “There’s a very high responsibility on the local health authorities.”
Background
The Test for the new Coronavirus
At the Moment, so be it, that in many cases, a sample to the laboratory shall be sent. The result was negative, had completed the case. In the case of a positive test result, the health authorities were again on the lever. The identified through interviewing the contact persons. “Who have you met in the last few days, since you are in Germany? With whom they had to do?”
No vaccination
These individuals would then be registered first of all in particular, it will ask for symptoms and it may be made also laboratory tests. There are contact persons with symptoms also the possibility for health authorities, so something such as in-home quarantine to be imposed, if the patients are seriously ill. “This is a very friendly and very efficient means to prevent spreads.”
A protective vaccine or specific therapy for the treatment of the infection are the symptoms but can be with medication mitigated. According to current estimates by experts, the novel lung disease is mild in most cases, you may even often without symptoms. In China, the registered death cases, most go back to the current status in older patients with severe pre-existing conditions.