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Corona virus in Germany: experts draw terrifying scenario - quarantine for returnees from China ends

2020-02-17T05:47:42.818Z


Around 200 people are currently in quarantine in Germany. 16 infections with the novel coronavirus are known. Scientists have commented on a corona virus pandemic.


Around 200 people are currently in quarantine in Germany. 16 infections with the novel coronavirus are known. Scientists have commented on a corona virus pandemic.

  • The number of Corona Sars CoV-2 infections may be much higher than expected.
  • The 16 former suspected cases are released from quarantine in Starnberg, Bavaria.
  • The WHO warns: Known cases could only be “the tip of the iceberg”.

Quarantine for returnees from China ends

Update from February 16, 8:50 am : Negative test results - after two weeks, the quarantine for the 100 returnees from China ends on Sunday. All citizens would therefore be released from the barracks in Germersheim on Sunday, reports the dpa news agency.

Update from February 15, 7:50 p.m .: On Sunday, the more than 100 returnees from China could be released from quarantine in a Bundeswehr barracks in Germersheim, Palatinate, after around two weeks. The tests for the Sars-CoV-2 should be available on Sunday. If these are negative as expected and like the three previous tests, the returnees are still awaiting a final examination by a doctor. It should then decide whether to quarantine. In the event a bus transport is organized.

122 German citizens and family members had flown to Frankfurt am Main from the Chinese city of Wuhan, which was particularly affected by the Sars CoV-2 virus, and were taken to the barracks in Germersheim on February 1. The proposed quarantine period of 14 days stems from the fact that the maximum incubation period, i.e. the period from the possible infection to the onset of the disease, probably lasts that long. In addition to the returnees, 22 helpers from the German Red Cross have spent the past few days in the barracks.

Coronavirus Sars-CoV-2: This is the plan for Germany

Update from February 15, 11:44 a.m .: Air passengers from China are now being asked in more detail about possible contact with the new corona virus before landing in Frankfurt and Munich . For direct flights, a self-assessment with three questions must now be distributed on board, as the Federal Ministry of Health and the specialist departments in Hesse and Bavaria announced on Saturday. It is about whether travelers have had contact with infected people or have been in the infection area in China. So far, pilots have to report it to the tower if passengers are obviously ill. The self-disclosure is intended to provide on-board personnel with additional decision-making aids.

Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) said: "This is an appropriate method to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Germany and Europe." The additional procedure had been coordinated among the EU department heads. If a passenger is reported with signs of illness, the information is reported to the medical service at the airport. A doctor examines the passenger on board and decides what to do.

The Federal Ministry has ordered the new guidelines for airlines. Accordingly, they will initially take effect at the two largest German airports in Frankfurt and Munich, since there are currently only direct flights from China there.

Corona virus in Germany: experts paint horror scenario - virologist explains new insight into the method of distribution

Update from February 14, 2020, 6:25 p.m .: The two patients infected with the novel coronavirus were discharged from the Frankfurt University Hospital on Friday. "They are symptom-free and demonstrably not contagious," said a spokesman for the university hospital on Friday. There is no danger to them or their surroundings. The two patients were admitted on February 2.

The day before, they were flown out of the Chinese city of Wuhan, which was particularly hard hit by the epidemic, and then taken to a barrack in Germersheim for quarantine. After the infection with the pathogen SARS-CoV-2 had been detected there, the two patients were brought to Frankfurt.

They were "examined and tested in great detail at the university hospital," said the spokesman. Due to the very intensive diagnostics, the procedure could differ from that of the people accommodated in Germersheim.

The Chinese returnees in the quarantine in Germersheim are expected to have the results of the last tests on Sunday. If there are no abnormalities, the quarantine will be lifted on Sunday afternoon, as the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of Health announced on Friday in Mainz. The prerequisite is that there is no evidence of illness or infection with Sars-CoV-2. A final examination is also planned.

Now an expert has dashed many people's hope that vaccination against the coronavirus could prevent a pandemic, as merkur.de * reports.

Corona virus also has an extreme impact on the tourism industry

Update from February 14, 2020: The corona virus not only imposes restrictions on air traffic, but also on cruises. The latest example is Aida Cruises : the shipping company is canceling its Asia trips planned until April because of the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus and plans to offer vacationers an alternative program in other regions. German tourists could also be affected by the cancellations.

The "Aidavita" will end its Asian and Australian season on February 16 in Laem Chabang near Bangkok, the "Aidabella" on February 17, the shipping company said. The ships would be transferred to other shipping areas, it was said. Aida plans to announce what the alternative program will look like in the coming days. Affected guests of the canceled trips will be reimbursed the travel price and offered alternative vacation options from the Aida travel program. According to Aida Cruises, those affected can also rebook for another trip free of charge.

From the point of view of travel lawyer Paul Degott , affected travelers may be entitled to compensation for useless vacation time. Because the organizer canceled the trips for planning reasons and not because of an extraordinary circumstance from the outside, which directly affects the implementation of a trip and prevents it. "I would estimate 50 percent of the travel price."

Coronavirus: experts warn of pandemic and paint horror scenario - virologist explains the mode of distribution

Update from February 13, 5:36 p.m .: According to current knowledge, there are many indications that the new lung disease Covid-19 is like a severe flu wave . The virus probably spreads from throat to throat , as do influenza viruses.

A coronavirus infection is already evident from cold symptoms , such as a slight shivering, says Charité virologist Christian Drosten. It is not excluded that there may be a wave of infections in Germany.

At a press conference in Berlin, Drosten spoke very openly about a scenario of a possible coronavirus pandemic in Germany: “If there is a wave of infections, the waiting areas are full. The health departments are overworked. ”Operating rooms would also be full. Patients with normal illnesses would have to wait.

The virologist appeals that everyone should deal with this novel disease. The novel lung disease Covid-19 appears as a cold. Children would hardly be affected, said Drosten. There is an emphasis on the male gender. The Sars-CoV-2 virus is a risk for older people.

The mortality rate for coronavirus patients is 0.2 percent for all patients abroad. The deaths are thus in the range of a typical flu pandemic, as would have been the case in 1957 and 1968.

Corona pandemic warning: Scientists inform in Berlin

Update of February 13, 4:36 p.m .: Experts in Berlin comment on the outbreak of the corona virus in China. Many questions about the new virus are still unclear. According to the scientists, it is difficult to say at this point whether a pandemic is imminent in Germany . "We are far from being able to predict an outbreak," says Prof. Wieler, President of the Robert Koch Institute .

A coronavirus pandemic in Germany and Europe is possible. But Germany is able to curb major outbreaks.

"The fact is that we don't know a lot of what we should know," says Christian Drosten Director of the Institute of Virology at the Charité at a press conference in Berlin on Thursday.
However, the new virus is likely to spread from throat to throat . Unlike the Sars virus, where the receptor is in the lungs. A transmission from lung to lung is another route of infection, emphasizes Drosten.

There are currently 503 coronavirus cases in 24 countries outside of China. In China itself, the scientists believe that the numbers are completely wrong.

Coronavirus in Germany: Coronavirus patient discharged

Update from February 13, 2:03 p.m .: A coronavirus patient has left the clinic in Munich-Schwabing (Bavaria). The person was, as the Bavarian Ministry of Health announced on Thursday, completely healthy and no longer contagious. This was preceded by intensive coordination talks between the State Office for Health and Food Safety (LGL) and high-ranking scientific experts with the participation of the Robert Koch Institute. Details regarding the person are not given in view of the required personal protection. A coronavirus patient had already been discharged from the clinic on February 12. Eight patients remain in the clinic. Her condition is stable.

Bavaria currently has a bigger problem, as Merkur.de * reports. The flu wave is spreading and the number of unreported cases of influenza is extremely high, warns an expert.

Coronavirus in Germany: Pharma experts fear drug shortages

Update from February 13, 11:26 : Pharmaceutical experts had warned days ago: The coronavirus - Covid 19 epidemic - in China can lead to drug shortages, especially to antibiotic bottlenecks in Germany. Because the production of active ingredients in the severely affected province of Hubei has stopped. Stockpiles for further processing are dwindling, said pharmaceutical expert Morris Hosseini at consulting firm Roland Berger. A meeting of health ministers was briefly convened in Brussels to combat the corona virus. Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn calls for coordination of entry controls.

Update of February 13, 7:12 am : Bad news from Hubei province: The number of infected people in China has increased dramatically.

Update of February 12, 4:30 p.m .: The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Berlin has now also reacted to the corona virus . On February 19, the Chinese New Year reception for the “Year of the Rat” was supposed to take place in Munich. As a precaution, the event has been canceled. "Following the recent World Health Organization statement on the novel coronavirus *, we think postponing the event is the right decision," said a letter from the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office .

Coronavirus in Germany: WHO now officially gives the disease a new name

Update from February 12, 8:43 am: In Germany , the number of infected people has increased to 16 in the past few days. China also reports thousands of newly infected people and deaths every day. Almost 100 people died there within 24 hours.

The new lung disease due to the coronavirus infection now has its own name: The disease, which was previously abbreviated to "2019-CoV", is now called Covid-19. Covid stands for "Corona Virus Disease".

With the name for the lung disease, the virus itself received a new official name. The corona virus belongs to the Sars virus group. Now it is called Sars-CoV-2. The team of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses has given the new names for the virus and the disease.

The team had already named the Sars virus (Sars-CoV), from which several hundred people died in 2002 and 2003.

Update of February 11, 9:39 p.m .: Production downtimes 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 related 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

- World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) February 10, 2020

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. *

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Coronavirus: In the Berlin Köpenick clinics, German returnees from the Wuhan region are monitored in quarantine.

© picture alliance / dpa / Soeren Stache

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. A man infects his family and other people and is therefore now considered a "super-spreading agent". Because of the epidemic, even a Formula 1 race is canceled.

* Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2020-02-17

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