Around 200 people are currently in quarantine in Germany. 16 infections with the novel coronavirus are known. But the number of people infected could be much higher.
- The number of corona infections may be much higher than expected.
- The 16 former suspected cases are released from quarantine in Starnberg, Bavaria.
- The WHO warns: Previously known cases could only be "the tip of the iceberg".
Update of February 11, 9:39 p.m .: Production losses in China due to the new pathogen could lead to antibiotic bottlenecks in Germany , according to pharmaceutical experts . As the production of active ingredients in the severely affected province of Hubei is at a standstill, stocks for further processing are diminishing, said Morris Hosseini, pharmaceutical expert at the consulting company Roland Berger. To make matters worse, with the Chinese New Year, production stopped anyway. In the short term, stocks were still sufficient, but a long-term stop in the Chinese plants threatened delivery bottlenecks.
Hosseini said that the pharmaceutical industry in drug production worldwide is dependent on China. "If the situation in the Chinese production facilities does not ease in the medium term, the situation in Europe will worsen." Authorities see no reason for concern. "So far there were no indications that there will be short-term delivery or supply shortages due to the corona virus," said the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices in Bonn.
Corona virus in Germany: Two new infected people confirmed in Bavaria
Update from February 11th, 2020, 7:39 pm : There are now two new, confirmed coronavirus cases in Bavaria. They too are said to be connected to the automotive supplier Webasto from Stockdorf, as the Bavarian Ministry of Health said, citing the State Office for Health and Food Safety. Presumably, the two new cases are the new suspected cases that were reported from Passau in the afternoon (see below). Details of the two new cases will be released on Wednesday.
Corona virus in Germany: new suspected cases in Passau
Update from 02/11/2020, 05:02 p.m . : After the 14 German corona infected people were only considered to be the tip of the iceberg, there are actually new suspected cases in Passau. The two patients are currently being examined at Passau Clinic, but test results are not yet available. A suspected case was not yet justified, as it was said, but the two patients were isolated as a precaution.
Coronavirus: WHO warns - 16 infected people in Germany may just be "the tip of the iceberg"
First report from February 11, 2020: The new type of corona virus * continues to spread rapidly. The World Health Organization (WHO) now believes that far more than 40,000 people are infected. According to the World Health Organization ( WHO) , the previously known cases outside of China could only be "the tip of the iceberg".
On 11-12 February, WHO is convening a global research and innovation forum to mobilize international action, and identify knowledge gaps & research priorities to contribute to the control of # 2019nCoV
WHO situation report 10 February 2020 https://t.co/aklvPnSg5G pic.twitter.com/Iz7cTKmiU9
The WHO sees reason for the alarm. The latest information makes it clear that in China only diseases in the infection statistics are recorded that show strong symptoms of the lung disease *. However, the experts now know that the corona infection * often runs with no or very little symptoms. This could also mean that many cases remain undetected in Germany and Europe - and the virus continues to spread unhindered.
Germany: Coronavirus - First people released from quarantine
Meanwhile, the first people in Bavaria are released from quarantine. The twelve cases of infection in the Free State * could be linked to the automotive supplier Webasto . Almost 200 people from the immediate vicinity of the sick have been placed under house arrest. The first 16 were released from their quarantine in Starnberg on Sunday. In the middle of the week, the remaining 180 people should also be allowed to go home. Two suspected cases have also been reported in Passau. *
While the numbers in Germany appear to be stabilizing, Britain recently classified the corona epidemic as a " serious and imminent threat ". In the UK, the number of people infected has recently doubled to eight. Particularly tragic: one of the four new sufferers worked in a doctor's office in Brighton, UK. The practice has been closed, it is said.
Corona virus in Germany: The number of infected people may be much higher
So far, experts assume that the incubation period for the lung disease is 14 days. But there are also assumptions that it is up to 24 days. Then the quarantine measures, which are currently based on the two-week mark, would be inadequate.
The new type of corona virus has probably first appeared on a fish market in the Chinese metropolis of Wuhan . Since then, the virus has spread rapidly. In China, authorities have quarantined several cities and regions and isolated them from the environment. Due to the long incubation period and the often inconspicuous disease, the virus could still spread. A vaccine * cannot be expected for the time being.
Video: Coronavirus - How far is research?
The Federal Foreign Office has issued travel warnings * for some countries and regions. Cruise ships * are particularly affected. The luxury liner "Diamond Princess" is currently stuck off the coast of Japan and may not moor. More than 60 people are already infected with the corona virus on board.
* Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.
