Last week, Deutsche Post stopped working in a region affected by the coronavirus. So far there is no risk of infection "by post".
- The exact transmission routes of the corona virus are still not fully identified.
- Fear of the virus stirs Meanwhile the emergence of myths surrounding the risk of infection.
- Deutsche Post is taking consequences and will stop deliveries in the Chinese province.
Munich - The Coronavirus * has been spreading in China for several weeks. And new cases are also becoming known outside the country. The exact transmission paths are still not entirely clear. And the further the virus spreads, the more myths arise about the spread of the disease.
Corona virus: contagion from parcels from China?
After several infections with the virus have also been confirmed in Germany , the public's concern about a possible infection * is growing. Many concerned people are now wondering whether it is possible to become infected with the virus via parcel or letter mail from the Far East.
Every year millions of packages from China reach German households - and the numbers are increasing. These include many products from mail order companies such as Amazon or Alibaba, which also have headquarters in China . But can you be infected with the corona virus when shopping in the Asia market or for products that come from Asia? What about packages imported from China?
Coronavirus: how long does it "survive" outside the body?
The fact is: So far there is no information on whether and how long the virus “survives” on surfaces outside the human body.
In comparison: When analyzing the SARS virus, which is similar to the corona virus, researchers found * that the pathogens can only be found on surfaces for a few hours. If this also applies to the corona pathogens, this period would not cover the transport from China to Germany. In addition, optimal conditions for the survival of the virus should exist during this time.
Coronavirus: risk of infection - WHO gives the all-clear
According to experts, the corona virus can only be transmitted from person to person through a so-called droplet infection. Although in some cases people may have contracted a person without symptoms of the disease, other means of transmission can be excluded.
The all-clear is also coming from the World Health Organization (WHO). This clarifies in a post on Facebook: “People who receive packages from China are not at risk of contracting the new corona virus. We know from previous analyzes that corona viruses do not survive long on objects such as letters or parcels. ”
Post, parcels & Co .: No risk of infection with corona virus?
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) also sees no risk of infection from deliveries from China. "Infection from imported goods is very unlikely, since contamination has occurred beforehand and the virus should still be active after the transport route," explains the institute.
Marylyn Addo, Head of Infectious Diseases at the Hamburg University Hospital, puts it more clearly to the ARD: “There is currently no reason to suspect that the disease can be transmitted by parcels or deliveries from China. The virus doesn't last that long on surfaces. Droplets are needed for transmission. So there is no reason not to accept parcels or shipments from China. ”
Deutsche Post: No risk from parcels
Upon request, Deutsche Post informed the world that so far there is no cause for concern for German customers *. “There is no evidence that infection with a corona virus is possible through contact with objects or packages. This also includes packages from areas from which contagion cases have been reported, ”said the company.
Nevertheless, the spread of the disease has consequences for the company. After the WHO formulated the international emergency and a series of "Recommendations for containment and control of the outbreak for the affected and neighboring countries", the DHL responded on site.
As the world reported the German Post subsidiary DHL deliveries in Hubei Province has already set last week. According to Deutsche Post, "DHL's pick-up, delivery and warehouse management operations in the Hubei province are currently suspended". No other arrangements have been made so far.
* Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network
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