Coronavirus: number of virus cases in China exceeds 70,000

Coronavirus: With more than 100 new deaths, there is no improvement in sight in China. Meanwhile, the US is picking up US passengers from a cruise ship.

• Coronavirus epidemic is rampant
• United States gets its citizens from quarantined cruise ship
• China's death toll has skyrocketed
• France reports first coronavirus death in Europe

Update from Monday, February 17th, 2020, 6.40am:

The number of infections has exceeded 70,000 in China. With 105 new deaths within one day there are complaints by Monday 1770, according to the Beijing Health Commission.

Evidence of contagion increased by 2048 and reached 70,548. The province of Hubei with the metropolis of Wuhan, which has a population of 60 million, is particularly hard hit in central China. In the largely isolated region of the crisis, around 58,000 infections and 1,696 deaths have been confirmed by the virus called Sars-CoV-2. Experts also fear a high number of unreported cases.

Corona virus on cruise ship

After the discovery of an infection among the passengers of the cruise ship "Westerdam", some of whom had already landed in Cambodia, according to the shipping company at least no symptoms of the lung disease called Covid-19 have occurred.

However, there is an incubation period of up to 14 days before symptoms appear, and infected people can then also be contagious. Previously, an 83-year-old American had tested positive for going on to Malaysia and was taken to hospital, the Malaysian health authority said. According to the shipping company, 57 Germans were among the travelers.

Some are still on board the "Westerdam", while others have already started their journey home. Holland America Line said the guests who had already traveled home would be contacted by their local health authorities.

Update from Sunday, February 16, 2020, 1:18 p.m .: In the weekend, more coronavirus patients were discharged from the hospital in Bavaria. The Ministry of Health announced on Sunday in Munich. A ministry spokeswoman said that the Robert Koch Institute's (RKI) discharge criteria had been met. The authority did not want to provide any further information on those affected.

The first of a total of 14 patients registered in the Free State was discharged from a Munich clinic last Thursday. The person had been told that the person was completely healthy again and no longer contagious.

Coronavirus: German returnees are allowed to leave quarantine

Update from Sunday, February 16, 2020, 11.47 a.m .: In the fight against the new corona virus , China has imposed a comprehensive driving ban in the particularly severely affected province of Hubei. Accordingly, private trips are now prohibited. In the cities of the entire province, only company and emergency vehicles and transports with everyday goods are allowed to drive. This comes out of a communication from the government.

In Hubei, a large number of cities, including the provincial capital Wuhan, where the virus was originally discovered, had already been cordoned off. By far the largest number of deaths and infections with the lung disease named Covid-19 have been reported nationwide in Hubei. The province has about 60 million inhabitants.

Update from Sunday, February 16, 2020, 10:48 a.m .: Today's Sunday, the quarantine for 122 German citizens and their family members ends after about two weeks. They were flown to Frankfurt on Sunday (01.02.2020) from the city of Wuhan, which was particularly affected by the coronavirus, and then taken to a barrack in Germersheim (Rhineland-Palatinate).

The results of the tests for the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus are negative, said a spokesman for the Air Force. All citizens would therefore be released from the barracks on Sunday. 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.

Update from Sunday, February 16, 2020, 9:14 a.m .: The number of people suffering from the new coronavirus is increasing rapidly. A previously unpublished speech by China's President Xi Jinping now reveals that he was apparently involved in fighting the Covid-19 outbreak earlier than previously known. In the speech dated early February that the state media distributed on Saturday (February 15, 2020), the president spoke of the fact that he had already given the first instructions on January 7 to combat the virus.

"In the speech dated early February that the state media distributed on Saturday, the president spoke of having given the first instructions on January 7 to combat the virus," the president is quoted as saying. The speech also makes it clear that Xi Jinping personally initiated the strict travel controls in the particularly hard-hit province of Hubei, where numerous cities have been cordoned off for weeks.

With the publication, the state propaganda apparently wants to demonstrate that the central government and the party leader have been involved in the fight against the corona virus from the start. However, it is also clear that the heavily criticized local government did not make the decisions alone.

Corona virus: infected Germans on cruise ship - 70 new cases overnight on board

Update from Sunday, February 16, 2020, 7:04 a.m .: Even in the night from Saturday (February 15, 2020) to Sunday (February 16, 2020), the number of deaths caused by the novel corona virus increased dramatically again. The death toll from Covid-19 has increased to 1,600 in China. In the particularly affected province of Hubei , in which the city of Wuhan is also located, a further 139 people died as a result of Covid-19. This was announced by the provincial health authority. This means that at least 1,662 people in China have now died from the virus.

The number of infected people is also increasing. A total of new infections with the pathogen Sars-CoV-2 were detected in 2009. So far, around 68,500 people have been infected across China. However, experts suspect a high number of unreported cases.

After the German embassy in Tokyo confirmed two infected German citizens on Saturday evening on the quarantined cruise ship "Diamond Princess" , it is now known that 355 people on board the ship are now infected with the corona virus. That is 70 people more than the day before. They are treated in local hospitals. According to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, all passengers should be tested by Monday, so the results will be available by Wednesday. Until then, the ship is in quarantine.

Corona virus: infected Germans on cruise ship

Update from Saturday, February 15th, 2020, 2:50 pm: Among the people infected with the new corona virus on board the cruise ship in Japan are two German citizens. This was announced by the German Embassy in Tokyo late Saturday evening (local time). The number of passengers and crew members tested positive for the Sars-CoV-2 virus by the "Diamond Princess" quarantined in Yokohama has now reached 285. Those affected are being taken to local hospitals.

According to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, all passengers should be tested by Monday, so the results will be available on Wednesday at the latest. Until then, the quarantine imposed on the ship applies.

Negatively tested passengers should be able to leave the ship from Wednesday, the ministry said. However, each passenger had to go through a health check beforehand. The quarantine period will be extended for those passengers who have had close contact with infected people, said the German Embassy.

Update from Saturday, February 15, 2020, 11:03 a.m .: According to the AFP news agency, France reports the first death from the new Corona virus from China. According to the Minister of Health, Agnès Buzyn, the victim is an 80-year-old tourist from China. According to her, this death is "the first outside of Asia and the first in Europe".

Update from Saturday, February 15th, 2020, 10.10am: The USA want to bring their citizens to safety from the giant cruise ship "Diamond Princess", which is affected by the new coronavirus Covid-19. For this purpose, a plane should be sent to Japan on Sunday, where the cruise ship has been quarantined in the port of Yokohama since early February, the US embassy said on Saturday.

The US citizens on board the ship were informed in a letter that they would be brought to safety. The embassy said those affected would then have to be quarantined in the United States for two weeks. On the ship, more than 200 people were diagnosed with Covid-19 , a respiratory disease caused by the virus, and were taken to local hospitals. In total, around 3,500 people are still stuck on board.

Update from Saturday, February 15, 2020, 9.15 a.m .: The number of people who died as a result of the novel coronavirus Covid-19 continues to increase dramatically rapidly. As the health authorities of the particularly affected province of Hubei announced on Saturday (15.02.2020), a further 139 people died there as a result of the disease. As a result, the death toll in China has risen to at least 1,519 since the virus appeared in December.

The province of Hubei also reported 2,420 new cases of Covid-19 coronavirus infection. So far, more than 66,000 people have been infected across China. Healthcare workers are also increasingly affected by the virus. According to the authorities, more than 1,700 doctors and nurses have been infected so far, six of them have died.

Coronavirus: disease reaches Africa - Egypt reports first infection

Update from Friday, February 14, 2020, 3:10 p.m .: After the reports of increasing infection and deaths due to the novel coronavirus Covid-19 , the virus has also reached the African country of Egypt . There, one patient tested positive for the coronavirus. So far, the World Health Organization (WHO ) had been unaware of any coronavirus infection. According to the Egyptian Ministry of Health, the sick person comes from abroad.

It is open from which country the infected person entered. The identity of the person is also unclear. However, the Ministry of Health indicated that the patient did not yet have any symptoms of the disease. The person was treated in quarantine and cared for. People who have been in contact with the person are also tested for the novel coronavirus Covid-19.

Update from 02/14/2020, 3:10 p.m .: In view of the constantly increasing number of infections and deaths due to the novel coronavirus Covid-19 , the US has accused the Beijing leadership of "lack of transparency". The question is whether "the Politburo is really honest with us," said US President Advisor Larry Kudlow on Thursday.

In China, the number of infected people rose to almost 64,000, and almost 1,400 people have already died. Doctors and nurses who lack the right protective equipment are increasingly among the victims.

The doubts expressed by Kudlow contrasted with statements made by US President Donald Trump, who praised cooperation with China in a radio interview and certified the government's “professional” handling of the epidemic. He said China's President Xi Jinping was "extremely capable," Trump added.

Update from 02/14/2020, 12.10 p.m .: Airlines such as Lufthansa have already reacted to the corona virus and have reduced or stopped offering flights to China. Now the focus is increasingly on shipping: The cruise operator "Aida Cruises" from Rostock ends its Asian season prematurely due to restrictions due to the corona virus and cancels eight planned cruises to the region. Travel expenses are to be reimbursed to travelers.

Two ships that are currently underway there will change their route in the coming days and head for other sailing areas. The "Aidavita" could not call the Vietnamese port city of Cai Lan in Halong Bay on her current trip - the local tourism authority had prohibited shore leave. In Japan, the cruise ship "Diamond Princess" was quarantined in the past few days. 174 passengers tested positive for the corona virus. Around 3,600 passengers and crew members will remain on board until February 19. There are also ten Germans on the cruise ship.

Update from 02/14/2020, 10:00 a.m . : According to the authorities, six hospital employees in China have already died from the corona virus . In addition, 1716 members of the medical staff were infected nationwide, the vice chief of the Chinese health commission Zeng Yixin said on Friday.

1,100 doctors and nurses are infected with the corona virus

According to Zeng, more than 1,100 of the infections among doctors and nurses were found in the metropolis of Wuhan in the central Chinese province of Hubei, where the virus first appeared in December. Around 400 others have been confirmed in other cities in Hubei. Zeng highlighted the major risks that physicians and nurses face due to bottlenecks in protective suits and respirators when treating coronavirus patients.

Update from 02/14/2020, 6.45 a.m .: Thailand is now testing the first biometric border control system with integrated fever measurement to detect potentially infected travelers. The spread of epidemics should be prevented as it is said.

People with the corona virus should already be recognized at the border

From now on, not only passports, fingerprints and faces will be recorded at several limit switches, but also the body temperatures of travelers crossing the Thai border.

If the system detects a traveler with a fever, the border officer is automatically informed on his screen and can send the person concerned to a health check.

Update from 02/14/2020, 06.35 a.m .: According to the government in Beijing, the number of fatalities caused by the coronavirus in China has now reached almost 1,400. By Friday, 1,380 deaths had been counted, the national health commission said. In doing so, she corrected the information she had given hours earlier, according to which there were already almost 1,500 dead.

To justify the correction, it was said that 108 deaths were accidentally counted twice in the particularly affected Hubei province. The number of infections rose to 63,851, according to the Health Commission.

Trump comments on the corona virus

The US government has complained about China's "lack of transparency" in dealing with the novel corona virus. Washington is "a bit disappointed" that no US experts have been admitted, US economic adviser Larry Kudlow said in Washington on Thursday (local time). The question arises whether “the Politburo is really honest with us”.

In contrast to Kudlow's comments, US President Donald Trump said in a radio interview that the US was working with Beijing on the virus: "We are sending a lot of people" to China. "The Chinese government certified Trump that the epidemic was being" professionally "handled He considers China's President Xi Jinping to be "extremely capable".

Update from February 13, 2020, 2:05 pm: A few days ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched an initiative together with Facebook, Google, Twitter, TikTok and many other social media providers to prevent false reports and misleading rumors. At least with Google , the project has now apparently been implemented.

Coronavirus: Google is now working with the WHO

© screenshot

If you now enter the search term "Coronavirus" with or without your place of residence in the Google search, the first result will be an "SOS warning message". Furthermore, a so-called help and information box appears as a search result, which refers to three WHO websites. Under this box there is a safety instruction on how to protect yourself against the corona virus *. Currently, both the warning notice and the recommended websites from Germany can only be accessed in English.

The fear of a pandemic is growing. Also because the new type of corona virus still leaves many questions unanswered about the course and ways of infection. A medical historian reports on fr.de * why epidemics such as the corona virus reveal the borders of civilization.

Robert Koch Institute warns of a pandemic

Update from 13.02.2020, 10 a.m .: Researchers around the world are racking their brains over many aspects of the coronavirus and much is still unclear in connection with this novel disease. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) has now commented in detail on this.

So there are still open questions about the following points:

• Period of the highest risk of infection
• Course of the disease
• Period in which the sick are infectious

The world is working on understanding the viruses. Coronavirus research uses findings from the SARS and MERS coronaviruses.

The RKI currently assesses the risk of the population in Germany as low. But the "situation is developing very dynamically and must be taken seriously", says the institute's written statement.

However, according to the RKI, the corona virus could still cause international problems. "Global development suggests that the virus could spread worldwide in the sense of a pandemic," says the institute.

"Global development suggests that the virus could spread worldwide in the form of a pandemic," it says

Update from 13.02.2020, 6.30 a.m .: The rapid spread of the new corona virus has led to the first major political consequences in China. The top political head of Hubei Province, which was hit particularly hard by the epidemic, was deposed, the state news agency Xinhua reported on Thursday.

Coronavirus: 1,355 deaths in China

The Secretary of the Communist Party for Hubei, Jiang Chaoliang, has been replaced by the previous Mayor of Shanghai, Ying Yong. The authorities in Hubei had previously announced a particularly rapid increase in deaths.

The number of deaths from the coronavirus has thus increased by 242 since Wednesday. This was the largest increase in the number of deaths in one day since the outbreak of the epidemic. The official total death toll in mainland China grew to at least 1355.

The provincial government health committee also said another 14,840 cases of coronavirus infection had been confirmed in Hubei. The official total number of cases in mainland China rose to almost 60,000. The vast majority of deaths and infections continue to occur in Hubei.

The latest particularly significant increase in the number of deaths and infections, according to the authorities, has to do with the fact that the medical profession has meanwhile expanded the methods of diagnosing the coronavirus Covid-19. Accordingly, not only the standard nucleic acid test method is now used, but also so-called imaging methods for examining the lungs.

Medical staff members wearing protective clothing to help stop the spread of a deadly virus which began in the city, arrive with a patient at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital in Wuhan on January 25, 2020.

© HECTOR RETAMAL / AFP

Update from 02/12/2020, 2:22 p.m .: According to pharmaceutical experts, antibiotic bottlenecks in Germany may occur due to production downtimes in China. In the Hubei region of China, which is severely affected by the coronavirus, the production of important components would stand still. As a result, a Parma expert told sz.de that warehouse stocks for further processing are waning.

The entire pharmaceutical industry worldwide depends on the active ingredient production in China. "If the situation in the Chinese production facilities does not relax in the medium term, the situation in Europe will worsen," said the expert.

Authorities in Germany see no cause 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.

Update from 02/12/2020, 10:47 a.m .: Within 24 hours, almost a hundred other people in China died from the Coronavirus Convid-19. Over 2000 people were infected with the disease during this period. The corona virus has been detected in more than 44,000 people in China. This is reported by the Chinese National Health Commission on Wednesday. Due to the long incubation period of around two weeks, experts expect a high number of unreported cases. The disease also goes unnoticed in many infected people, so that they infectively infect other people.

Update from 02/12/2020, 6:15 a.m .: The death toll from the new coronavirus Covid-19 has risen to more than 1,100. The Chinese government said another 97 people died as a result of the infection - the number increased to 1113 in total.

Novel corona virus has an official name: Covid-19

Update from 02/12/2020, 6:00 a.m .: The new lung disease, which was previously called "Coronavirus" or "novel Coronavirus" and was abbreviated to "2019-CoV" , now has an official name: It is called Covid-19 . Covid stands for "COrona VIrus Disease" . At the same time, the new corona virus, initially provisionally named 2019-nCoV, was given its own name: Sars-CoV-2 . Its namesake, a team of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses, Sars-CoV-2, refers to the very close relationship to the Sars virus (Sars-CoV), from which hundreds of people died in 2002/2003. According to experts, the viruses are variants of one and the same type of virus.

Update from 11.02.2020, 9.49 p.m .: In the meantime, the number of coronavirus cases confirmed in Germany has risen to 16. The two new cases are related to the automotive supplier from Stockdorf near Munich, where an infection was first reported nationwide over two weeks ago. The Bavarian Ministry of Health reported on Tuesday evening in Munich.

All 14 confirmed corona virus cases in Bavaria are related to the automotive supplier. A Chinese colleague was a guest there, who flew back home a little later, where her infection was proven. In Germany, the virus was also detected in two people who flew from China to Frankfurt.

On Wednesday (February 12th, 2020) the Bundestag wants to advise on preventive measures against the virus.

Coronavirus Covid-19: Antibiotic shortages possible

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.

Update from 11.02.2020, 9:19 p.m .: The University of Design in Offenbach (HfG) will not receive any students from China in the summer semester that starts in April - to protect against the corona virus . The university announced this far-reaching step in an email to students last week.

In the letter in the Frankfurter Rundschau, the HfG also announced that it would not send any students or lecturers to China this summer. Permits for business trips that have already been issued will be revoked "until further notice".

The Chancellor of the HfG, Susanne Eickemeier, justifies the decision: "We had to think about how to protect our people against the corona virus." Around 35 people from China are currently studying at the HfG.

Corovirus Covid-19 is a "serious threat"

Update from 11.02.2020, 01.01 p.m .: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the novel corona virus is a "serious threat" worldwide. Despite being largely confined to China , the virus poses a "very serious threat to the rest of the world," said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in Geneva on Tuesday at the start of an international conference of experts to fight the epidemic. The two-day meeting is designed to help contain the disease.

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 most important thing is to stop the spread and save lives. Together we can do that. ”The countries concerned should share their medical and scientific data on the virus. Researchers are currently working on a vaccine and are investigating the ways in which the coronavirus is spread.

Update from 11.02.2020, 10.45 a.m .: Experts from all over the world meet in Geneva until Wednesday (12.2.) To advance research into the coronavirus and to lay the foundations for the development of a vaccine. The head of the WHO calls for solidarity there: "It is not about publications, patents and profits," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the start of an expert summit. “Now it's about stopping the outbreak and saving lives. With your support, we can do it. ”

China Changes Coronavirus Statistics Count

Update from 11.02.2020, 9.30 a.m .: China changes the count of people infected with the coronavirus: People who are infected with the virus but no longer show symptoms are no longer included in the Chinese contagion statistics. Only when symptoms of illness appear, will these people be classified as “infected”, according to the new provisions for the prevention and control of the National Health Commission in Beijing, which was issued last Friday.

How many infections are no longer covered by statistics in China due to the new regulation is unclear. What is certain, however, is that the new definition contradicts the requirements of the World Health Organization (WHO). According to the WHO, a person is infected if they have been confirmed to have a 2019 nCoV infection by a laboratory - "regardless of clinical signs or symptoms".

Novel corona virus comes from China and keeps the world in suspense

First announcement from 11.02.2020: The new type of corona virus keeps the world in suspense . So far, more than 1,000 people have died of lung disease in China, the health commission in Beijing said on Tuesday (11.02.2020). The total number of infections detected in China rose to 42,638.

There are currently 14 confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany, twelve of the infected come from Bavaria. There a person was infected by a colleague from China. Two other cases were diagnosed in returnees from China. However, the corona virus was not detected in tests on the 20 returnees from Wuhan, China, who landed in Berlin on Sunday (February 9th, 2020). Nevertheless, the returnees must remain in quarantine for a total of 14 days, and a test for the corona virus should be carried out every four days.

Novel corona virus 2019-nCoV - origin and symptoms

The new coronavirus (2019-nCoV), which probably broke out in a market in Wuhan, China in early December, belongs to the group of ß-coronaviruses - just like the Sars and Mers virus. It is believed that 2019-nCoV comes from wild animals, according to the website of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). The institute continuously records the current situation and draws up a risk assessment.

The novel corona virus primarily causes respiratory diseases . Symptoms of the disease * include:

• to cough
• sniff
• sore throat
• fever
• Diarrhea (some patients)
• Breathing problems (severe course)
• Pneumonia (severe course)

Coronavirus: deaths especially in older patients with underlying diseases

According to the Robert Koch Institute , deaths have so far mainly occurred in patients who are older and / or who have chronic underlying diseases.

To protect against the new corona virus, the RKI recommends "good hand hygiene", a "correct cough label" and a minimum distance of about one to two meters from suspected people. However, wearing a respirator mask * is not enough to protect yourself from the virus.

Q: What can I do to protect myself from #coronavirus?

A: https://t.co/PKzKaO2yfK pic.twitter.com/eNhlhR0PEq

WHO takes action against false information about coronavirus on the Internet

A great deal of false information about the novel corona virus is circulating on the Internet and, according to WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, is causing confusion and fear among the population. That is why the WHO is taking action against such misinformation. For this, one is also in contact with numerous social networks, said Ghebreyesus last Saturday (08.02.2020). "We asked them to filter out incorrect information and favor correct information from trustworthy sources."

Looking for older Corona virus news? Here you will find the old ticker for the corona virus.

Research into the novel corona virus continues in the meantime. Most recently, researchers have found that the lung disease may also be spread by feces. This possible route of infection should not come as a complete surprise to the scientists: the Sars virus also spread in part during the epidemic in the early 2000s. Contagion via feces could pose a new challenge to contain viral disease, especially in hospitals, warned David Fisman, an epidemiologist at the University of Toronto.

By Tanja Banner (with agency material)

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

Rubric list picture: © picture alliance / dpa