The 9 Most Frequently Asked Questions About Coronavirus
What is the coronavirus? How many are infected with the Coronavirus? How do I know that I have the virus? Here you will find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about the Coronavirus.
You will find the answers to the following Corona questions here:
- What is Coronavirus?
- How many are infected with Coronavirus worldwide?
- When is the Coronavirus over?
- How does Coronavirus start?
- Where does the coronavirus come from?
- How do you know you have Coronavirus?
- Who is particularly at risk?
- What to do if coronavirus is suspected?
- Coronavirus – what happens next?
The coronavirus, which is currently spreading all over the world, was named Sars-CoV-2 by the scientists. This abbreviation stands for “Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome”-Coronavirus-2.
The coronavirus Sars-CoV-2 belongs to the coronavirus family. Coronaviruses can infect both humans and animals, such as birds and mammals. In humans, coronaviruses cause various diseases, from the common cold to fatal diseases.
The coronavirus Sars-CoV-2 can cause the respiratory disease “Covid-19”. How seriously a person infected with the corona virus Sars-CoV-2 falls ill varies greatly. Some people are infected, but do not show any symptoms at all.
If the disease breaks out, fever and cough are among the most common symptoms, as well as shortness of breath, muscle and joint pain, sore throat and headaches. Rare symptoms include nausea and vomiting, a stuffy nose and diarrhoea.
In the worst case, Covid-19 disease can be fatal, as it can lead to severe pneumonia with lung failure and eventually death.
You can find out how many people worldwide are infected with coronavirus on the websites of the World Health Organization and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
No one can say at present when the coronavirus pandemic will be over. It is possible that from now on the coronavirus Sars-CoV-2 will always accompany us and, like the flu, will appear again and again.
Scientists are currently trying to assess how the coronavirus pandemic might develop on the basis of model calculations and studies. Until now, many scientists assumed that the virus could decline during the summer months. However, new studies suggest that the coronavirus Sars-CoV-2 is not as temperature-sensitive as thought.
Christian Drosten, head of the virology department at the Berlin Charité, assumes that a maximum of cases of the disease will occur between June and August. He made this statement in the coronavirus podcast of the Norddeutscher Rundfunk. US researchers expect that after the current pandemic wave there will be recurring outbreaks in winter.
The most common signs of coronavirus-induced disease are cough and fever. Other symptoms may include shortness of breath, muscle and joint pain, sore throat and headaches. Rare symptoms include nausea and vomiting, a stuffy nose and diarrhoea.
However, the course of the disease caused by the coronavirus varies from person to person.
- Some people are infected but have no symptoms at all.
- Others experience the disease similar to a mild or severe cold or flu.
- The worst that happens is severe pneumonia with lung failure, and eventually death.
Scientists suspect that the coronavirus Sars-CoV-2 has passed from an animal to a human. It is possible that the virus, which was originally found on bats, was transmitted to humans by pangolin animals at a market in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Wild animals such as live fish, shells, crabs, snakes and birds were sold at the market.
The problem with the new coronavirus is that the symptoms of a disease are very different and very similar to the symptoms of a cold or flu. (SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus Disease Profile)
Typical signs that one has the corona virus are symptoms such as fever, dry cough and scratching of the throat. Sometimes colds and diarrhoea also occur. If you are seriously ill with the coronavirus, you will experience breathing problems and pneumonia.
Who is particularly at risk?
According to the Robert Koch Institute, the following persons are particularly at risk for a serious disease caused by the coronavirus:
- Elderly persons (with a steadily increasing risk of severe course from about 50-60 years)
- Smokers
- People with certain pre-existing conditions:
- The cardiovascular system (e.g. coronary heart disease and high blood pressure)
- The lungs (e.g. asthma, chronic bronchitis)
- Patients with chronic liver diseases
- Patients with diabetes mellitus
- Patients with cancer
- Patients with a weakened immune system (e.g. due to a disease associated with an immune deficiency or by taking drugs that weaken the immune system, such as cortisone)
However, severe disease progression can also occur in younger patients and persons without previous illness.
According to current information from the RKI:
- Pregnant women – however, due to physiological adaptation and immunological changes during pregnancy, an increased susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infections cannot be excluded
- Children – according to previous studies, the progression in children seems to be rather mild. However, very little data is available on the course of the disease in children
Typical symptoms are cough, colds, neck scratches or fever. Some of those affected also suffer from diarrhoea. Other rare symptoms are a stuffy nose, nausea and vomiting.
Anyone who thinks they have been infected with the Coronaviurs should do the following:
- Call your family doctor and make an appointment with him if you suspect a coronavirus infection Under no circumstances should you visit the practice without calling so that the practice can prepare protective measures for the medical staff and other patients!
- Have yourself tested for Sars-CoV-2 by your family doctor. Who is tested is at the discretion of the attending physician. The statutory health insurance companies reimburse the costs for necessary tests. For the test, the doctor takes a smear from the upper throat, nose and throat area.
- If possible, stay at home and avoid unnecessary contact with other people
- If this is not possible, wear a respiratory mask and keep at least 2 meters distance from other people.
- Do not cough or sneeze into your hands, but into a tissue or the crook of your arm.
- Dispose of tissues in closed containers immediately after use.
- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap or disinfectant regularly.
Anyone who has had contact with a person in whom the coronavirus has been detected in the laboratory should immediately contact their health authority – even without symptoms. The responsible public health department can be determined via a database of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).
Anyone who has stayed in a risk area designated by the RKI should also “avoid unnecessary contact regardless of symptoms and stay at home if possible”, writes the RKI. This applies for a period of about 14 days.
According to the Robert Koch Institute, a test for the coronavirus should be carried out if a person shows signs of illness and these signs …
- Have had contact in the last two weeks with a patient who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the laboratory
- Where there are previous illnesses or where respiratory diseases are getting worse (shortness of breath, high fever, etc.)
- Come into contact at work or in voluntary work with people at high risk of severe COVID-19 progression (e.g. in hospital or in elderly care)
Even before the test result is available, you should isolate yourself, i.e. stay at home, avoid all close contact under 2 meters, maintain good hand hygiene and wear a mouth and nose protector in case of contact with others (if available).
How the corona pandemic will develop depends to a large extent on how we humans behave. The most important thing is to stay at home as much as possible and avoid contact with other people as much as possible.
The less contact we have with each other, the fewer people can be infected with the coronavirus. Fewer sick people reduce the burden on our health care system, help to ensure the care of seriously ill patients and give scientists time to develop a vaccine against the virus.
The President of the Robert Koch Institute, Lothar Wieler, said on 18 March 2020 that a vaccine could be available in spring 2021.
The Robert Koch Institute also recommends people:
- Stay at home in case of respiratory symptoms
- Do not disseminate dubious social media information
- Follow the instructions of the authorities
- The stay in public space is only permitted alone, with another person not living in the household or in the circle of members of the own household.
- Keep at least 1.5 metres distance from other people
- Practice good hand hygiene, adhere to the rules of coughing and sneezing
- Do not shake hands
- Keep your hands to your face as little as possible so that any pathogens are not absorbed through the mucous membranes of your eyes, nose or mouth
- Avoid using public transport
- Work from home if possible
- Do not organize or attend private events (birthday parties, game nights, etc.)