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Novel corona virus transferable from person to person: how likely is it to be infected?

2020-02-19T15:23:44.308Z


A new type of pneumonia is currently worrying authorities in China. The corona virus can be transmitted from person to person - how likely is the infection?


A new type of pneumonia is currently worrying authorities in China. The corona virus can be transmitted from person to person - how likely is the infection?

  • Authorities in China are currently dealing with a new type of pneumonia that appears to be spreading rapidly.
  • So far, more than 4,500 people have contracted the coronavirus *, and more than 100 people have died from it.
  • The majority fell ill in Wuhan, a metropolis with eleven million inhabitants in the Hubei province. A local fish and poultry market is regarded as the starting point for the pathogen.

The worrying thing about the new corona virus: According to China's National Health Commission, it is transferable from person to person. Medical personnel were also infected. So how likely is a transmission? The Robert Koch Institute now gives an assessment.

Novel corona virus can be transmitted from person to person

As the Robert Koch Institute explains, further limited human-to-human transmissions are expected. So far, however, there have been isolated cases that "would not indicate any continued transmission from person to person ". Means: Previous knowledge suggests that the previously recognized corona virus does not change and that this would make transmission from person to person easier. This was also explained by Vice President of the Institute, Lars Schaade, on Deutschlandfunk. The infection barrier is still quite high. Therefore, it is unlikely that the mortality could be as high as 17 years ago with the Sars virus.

Coronavirus: What is the probability of getting infected in Germany?

In addition, China is taking all necessary measures to prevent the virus from spreading further: sick people are identified and isolated, traffic hubs monitored. The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) assesses the risk of spreading within the EU as " low to very low ". The Federal Ministry of Health (BGM) also warns to rest: "The danger for Germany from the newly occurring corona virus is currently assessed by our experts as very low."

However, should the new lung disease occur in Germany, according to the virulogen Christian Drosten at the Berlin Charité, "all test systems have already been started up" in order to be able to quickly detect the virus.

Find out all the facts about the new type of corona virus and its symptoms shortly.

Mysterious lung disease: You can take these measures yourself

To avoid contagion, the World Health Organization (WHO) advises travelers in the affected area to take the usual precautions :

  • Avoid contact with people suffering from respiratory infections
  • regular hand washing, especially after contact with sick people or their surroundings
  • Avoid contact with live or dead farm or wild animals

On Wednesday (January 22), the WHO will advise whether an international health emergency should be declared due to the new coronavirus in an emergency committee. Here you will be kept up to date on the general developments of the corona virus.

Read also : This life-threatening virus can go around the world in a few hours.

* Merkur.de belongs to the Germany-wide Ippen-Digital editors network.

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Source: merkur

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