Corona virus: More than 100 dead in China - returners expected in Stuttgart

Coronavirus: The return of dozen Ukrainians from the Chinese city of Wuhan was accompanied by riots.

• Coronavirus epidemic continues to spread, death toll continues to rise
• The peak of the coronavirus epidemic is expected in late February
• Passengers on the "Diamond Princess" are allowed to leave the cruise ship , two passengers have died

Update from Thursday, February 21, 2020, 7:10 a.m .: Again 118 people in China have died from the lung disease caused by the new coronavirus . In mainland China, the number of detected infections rose to a total of 75,465 cases by Friday, the health commission in Beijing said. However, experts expect a much higher number of unreported cases. With the new deaths, 2236 deaths are now officially reported in the People's Republic.

Meanwhile, dozens of other cases of infection among members of a sect have been confirmed in South Korea . 39 new cases of infection were found among members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus from Daegu City. The official total number of cult members infected with the virus rose to more than 80.

Because of corona virus: Iraq closes border with Iran

Iraq closed its border with the neighboring country out of fear of the Corona virus now spilling over into Iran. Iranians should no longer cross the crossings. Iraqis arriving from the Islamic Republic would undergo the tests ordered by the Ministry of Health, the Iraqi border agency said. State-of-the-art airline Iraqi Airways has also suspended its connections to Iranian destinations, according to Iraqi media reports.

Coronavirus: Returnees land in Stuttgart on Friday

After a new European return campaign from Wuhan, more than a dozen returnees are expected to arrive in Stuttgart on Friday. First you come to Paris with other Europeans in a French plane. After arriving at Stuttgart Airport in the morning, the travelers should first be examined and then taken to a quarantine station in the Esslingen district.

Six passengers from Germany who were still on the "Diamond Princess" in Yokohama fly with other Europeans to Berlin in an Italian plane. As the German press agency in Tokyo learned, the departure is scheduled for Friday 10 p.m. local time (2 p.m. CET). The ship had been quarantined for two weeks. A German couple from Hesse had tested positive and is in hospital in Japan. Another German and his Japanese wife from Munich still want to stay in Tokyo.

Coronavirus: return from Wuhan is accompanied by riots

Update from Thursday, February 20th, 2020, 9.30pm: Accompanied by riots, dozens of Ukrainians from the Chinese city of Wuhan arrived in a quarantine station in central Ukraine on Thursday evening. Several panes of the buses were thrown in while driving, as live pictures on Ukrainian television showed.

The police had to clear a burning barricade for the convoy. Nine police officers and a civilian would have needed medical attention afterwards. The authorities initially did not provide any information about the degree of the injuries.

Fear of corona virus: demo against returnees from Wuhan

Hundreds of people had demonstrated against returning for fear of the new Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus. They were partially armed with iron bars. Stones flew. Several hundred police officers were deployed to calm the situation down. Local residents had blocked a connecting road to the quarantine station.

The quarantine station is located in a sanatorium of the Ukrainian National Guard in the village of Nowi Sanschary, almost 300 kilometers east of Kiev. The Chinese returnees arrived there in the evening. The area was completely cordoned off. The Ukrainians had previously been flown out of Wuhan along with other nationals. 45 Ukrainians and 27 nationals from other countries were on board. All passengers must stay in the sanatorium for the next two weeks. No Sars-CoV-2 infection has been reported in Ukraine to date.

Update from Thursday, February 20, 2020 , 7.30 p.m .: Tomorrow Friday (February 21, 2020), according to the German Red Cross (DRK), an aircraft with returnees from Wuhan is scheduled to land in Stuttgart. According to a spokesman for the aid organization, the DRK is taking care of the project on behalf of the federal government.

Coronavirs is slowing global air traffic growth

Update from Thursday, February 20, 2020, 5:50 p.m .: The coronavirus is slowing down the global economy * - and the growth of global air traffic could also restrict the coronavirus and the disease Covid-19 , according to the industry association IATA 2020. According to initial calculations, ticket demand should increase Airlines from the Asia-Pacific region are about 13 percent smaller than expected due to the virus, IATA said. Since airlines from other regions are also affected, IATA expects fewer passenger air traffic worldwide than in the previous year.

As recently as December, IATA had forecast 4.1 percent growth in passenger air traffic worldwide in 2020. The lower demand and the cut flight offer as a result of the virus are likely to burden ticket sales with 4.7 percent. Compared to 2019, a decline in demand of 0.6 percent can therefore be expected, the association predicts.

Update from Thursday, February 20th, 2020, 11:36 am: According to a media report, two older passengers of the cruise ship "Diamond Princess" died of the new corona virus . The Japanese broadcaster NHK reported that it was a man and a woman who were more than 80 years old, citing government circles. The ship had been quarantined off the Japanese coast. In the meantime, passengers are allowed to leave the "Diamond Princess".

Coronavirus: peak of the epidemic expected in late February

Update from Thursday, February 20th, 2020, 6:55 a.m .: Coronavirus in China has once again killed more than 100 people. According to the Beijing Health Commission, 114 people were killed nationwide. At the same time, the number of newly confirmed illnesses dropped significantly - which is apparently due to a new change in the counting of the Chinese authorities. According to a paper from the Health Commission, clinical diagnoses should no longer be included in the statistics as officially confirmed cases from now on.

The corona epidemic has not yet reached a peak.

© picture alliance / dpa

In South Korea , the number of infected people has increased significantly. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 31 new cases. As a result, the number of infections confirmed to date increased to 82. Two passengers on the cruise ship "Diamond Princess" also died. As the Japanese television broadcaster NHK reported, referring to government circles in Tokyo, the victims are an 87-year-old Japanese and an 84-year-old Japanese woman.

Meanwhile, a leading Chinese scientist warned that the coronavirus could become an established disease like influenza flu . "The new corona virus could become a long-term disease that coexists with humans just like the flu," said Wang Chen, president of the China Academy of Medical Science, on Chinese state television on Wednesday.

Coronavirus: WHO praises "enormous progress" in the fight against infectious disease

Update from Wednesday, February 19, 2020, 6:31 p.m .: The World Health Organization (WHO) is increasingly optimistic in the fight against the coronavirus. The WHO expert Richard Brennan praised the medical countermeasures at a press conference in Cairo on Wednesday that they "made enormous progress in a very short time." The virus can now be "diagnosed everywhere" and effective measures have been taken.

However, one colleague conceded: "What is still missing is vaccination and treatment methods to further contain and prevent the cases." Research in this area is very promising. You get new information about the virus every day.

Egypt had a coronavirus case reported for the first time in Africa last Friday (February 14, 2020). According to the Ministry of Health, the second test for the virus was negative. However, experts fear spreading across the continent.

Live Stream | Press Conference on COVID-19 | 19 Feb 2020 | 11: 00-13: 00 Cairo time https://t.co/4HcQNZTAQs

Coronavirus: Two patients die in Iran

In Iran, two patients died as a result of the coronavirus on Wednesday, according to the Irna news agency. The two deceased were older people from the city of Kom. It was the first confirmed coronavirus case in the country. So far, Iran has vehemently rejected reports and rumors of Covid 19 cases. How the infection of the two Iranians came about is unclear.

Update from Wednesday, February 19, 2020, 2:10 p.m .: The corona virus inhibits the economy and traffic in China - and thus also has an impact on CO2 emissions . According to an analysis of the “Carbon Brief” website , which specializes in environmental and climate issues, emissions have temporarily decreased by a quarter.

In particular, industrial energy consumption and air traffic are currently well below normal levels due to government restrictions in China in response to the corona virus, the report said. Data from many industries show the lowest emissions in years. The main reason for the decline is that coal-fired power plants, oil refineries and steel plants with limited production are running. In addition, air traffic within China fell by 70 percent compared to the previous month.

Coronavirus affects the economy and environmental pollution in China

"Carbon Brief" calculates that "the measures to contain the corona virus will result in a 15 to 40 percent reduction in the production of main industries". However, this could only be a short-term effect and would not have a major impact on the annual balance sheet if the situation improved quickly.

Analysis: Coronavirus has temporarily reduced China's CO2 emissions by a quarter | @laurimyllyvirta https://t.co/G96YfW0451 pic.twitter.com/tTjh1m5Fio

The longer-term consequences could therefore be unpaid salaries and the resulting slowdown in consumption: “Carbon Brief” refers in this context to forecasts that assume that car sales in China could have fallen by 25 to 30 percent in January and February. These numbers are likely to make themselves felt in the German economy.

Update from Wednesday, February 19, 2020, 7:20 am: The passengers of the cruise ship "Diamond Princess" had to wait in quarantine on board for two weeks. Now the first passengers have left the cruise ship in Japan. The disembarkation of around 3,000 people will take at least three days, the government said in Tokyo.

First, a group of around 500 passengers, mostly older passengers, are allowed to leave the ship. They were tested negative for the corona virus and asked by doctors on board. Those who tested negative for the virus, but had close contact with people who later tested positive, must remain on board the "Diamond Princess" for observation. On board were 542 people who tested positive and were brought to local hospitals - including a German couple.

Because of corona virus: no work visas for Chinese

Update from Wednesday, February 19, 2020, 6:30 a.m .: Due to the spread of the corona virus in China, Russia is now generally prohibiting Chinese citizens from entering the country. This regulation will apply from Thursday, the Russian news agencies quoted on Tuesday the deputy head of health Tatjana Golikowa responsible for health.

Moscow had largely cut ties to its neighboring country in recent weeks. The Russian government decided to close the 4250 km border with China. Train and flight connections were completely or partially suspended. The Chinese also no longer received work visas and the visa waiver for travel groups from the People's Republic was also abolished.

More than 2004 coronavirus deaths

According to the authorities, mainland China has meanwhile died in 2004, ie 132 people within one day. More than 74,000 infections have been detected there since December. So far, only two cases of infection have occurred in Russia. The two women who returned from a trip to China to Russia have now left the hospital.

Update from Tuesday, February 18, 2020, 5:27 p.m .: In view of the continuing spread of the novel corona virus in China, the Federal Government has once again sent relief supplies to the People's Republic. "We want to continue to do our best to support China in fighting the Corona virus," said Federal Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (SPD) in Berlin on Tuesday. That is why “another 8.7 tonnes of aid worth more than 150,000 euros was launched” on Tuesday.

Germany wants to help "quickly and unbureaucratically" with these relief goods, said Maas. Germany is "firmly on China's side" in combating the epidemic and "works closely and trustingly with the Chinese authorities". "We have the greatest respect for the efforts that China has already made," emphasized the minister.

Coronavirus takes a mild course in four out of five cases

Update from Tuesday, February 18, 2020, 2:40 p.m .: Researchers in China have published the most comprehensive study on the corona virus to date and come to the conclusion that the infectious disease takes a mild course in four out of five cases. According to the analyzes at the "Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention", 13.8 percent of cases are classified as serious and 4.7 percent are even life-threatening. In addition to health care workers, old and sick people are particularly at risk. According to the study, the following diseases have the highest risk of death:

• Cardiovascular disease
• diabetes
• chronic respiratory diseases
• high blood pressure

Coronavirus study warns of genetic mutations

Overall, the death rate in coronavirus cases is 2.3 percent. According to the study, men have a significantly higher risk of death (2.8 percent) than women (1.7 percent). A “downward trend” has been evident for about a week, especially outside the province of Hubei. The death rate there is almost three percent, in the rest of China only 0.4 percent.

At the same time, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention warned that the virus could adapt through genetic mutation and may spread faster. The medical staff should therefore remain "vigilant". The World Health Organization (WHO) also recently warned against hasty optimism. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that it was “impossible” to predict the further course of the epidemic.

Coronavirus: Largest study suggests elderly and sick are most at risk https://t.co/Uq5ORayz93

Update from Tuesday, February 18, 2020, 2:00 p.m .: Tests on the infectious disease failed again in 16 adults and four children who were flown to Berlin on February 9 from the Chinese city of Wuhan, which was severely affected by the coronavirus . This was announced by a spokeswoman for the Senate Department for Health on Tuesday in Berlin. The 20 Germans will remain in quarantine in the Köpenick district for two weeks. If there is still no virus detection, the returnees are likely to leave the isolation station on Sunday (02/23/2020), the spokeswoman said.

Wuhan hospital director dies of coronavirus infection

Update from Tuesday, February 18, 2020, 11:25 a.m .: In the Chinese metropolis of Wuhan , the director of a hospital has died from the infection with the coronavirus . All efforts to save the life of Liu Zhiming, the director of Wuchang Hospital, have been unsuccessful, the state-run television broadcaster CCTV reported on Tuesday. It is the first known case of a hospital director who died as a result of the coronavirus infection.

Update from Tuesday, February 18, 2020, 7:00 a.m .: According to a leading Chinese expert, the coronavirus epidemic in China may not stabilize until the end of April. "This is a very rough estimate," said Professor Zhong Nanshan, head of the Chinese government's expert group, in a video of a switch with medical practitioners from southern Guangdong Province about the newspaper "Nanfang Dushibao" (Southern Metropolis Daily) on Tuesday reported.

Covid-19: peak of the coronavirus outbreak probably at the end of February

The peak of the outbreak across the country is expected to be reached by the end of February. "Reaching the highest level does not mean the turning point," the renowned medical doctor cautioned. However, he said that the radical measures in China to curb the new coronavirus called Sars-CoV-2 worked.

Meanwhile, the number of new virus cases in China rose by 1886. Another 98 people died within a day, the health commission reported in Beijing on Tuesday. The number of infections detected climbed to a total of 72,436 cases. A total of 1,868 patients died in Mainland China from Covid-19 .

Update from Monday, February 17th, 2020, 10:51 pm: A woman who had broken out of the coronavirus quarantine in St. Petersburg in northern Russia was forcibly returned to the clinic by court order. On Monday, against her will, an ambulance took her straight from the courthouse to the isolation station, local media reported. The measure is valid until Wednesday.

The 32-year-old had cracked the electronic lock on a door in the clinic a week and a half ago and had fled the building. The chief doctor then switched on the court. Russian media spoke of an unprecedented decision because no one should be quarantined against their will. Nobody wore a protective mask in the courtroom.

Covid-19: Cruise ship "Diamond Princess" under quarantine

Update from Monday, February 17th, 2020, 3:22 pm: While many passengers of the "Westerdam" have already started their journey home, the cruise ship "Diamond Princess" is still in quarantine. According to dpa, the reason for the quarantine in Yokohama, which has been going on for two weeks, is that an 80-year-old man from Hong Kong tested positive for the corona virus. In the meantime, over 450 passengers and crew members have been tested positive for the virus. But not all test results of the more than 3000 people on the "Diamond Princess" were evaluated yet.

Now the United States has brought back hundreds of citizens using two planes. As Fox News reported, two planes landed at military bases in California and Texas. The quarantine for the former passengers of the "Diamond Princess" would continue there. Because among those who were returned there were also infected people.

Coronavirus Covid-19: Federal government is considering returning German passengers

As the agency AFP reports, the federal government is now considering returning German vacationers from the cruise ship "Diamond Princess". A total of eight of the more than 3,000 passengers are German. According to a Foreign Office spokesman for the AFP, two German passengers had been brought to the hospital for an infection with the corona virus. But they are "well" and free of symptoms of the lung disease called Covid-19.

A crisis department of the Federal Foreign Office is now concerned with how "those affected who wish to do so can return as soon as possible and whether support from the Federal Government will be necessary," the Foreign Office spokesman continued.

Update from Monday, February 17th, 2020, 6.40am: The number of infections in China has exceeded 70,000. 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. Around 58,000 infections and 1,696 deaths from the Sars-CoV-2 virus have been confirmed in the largely isolated crisis region. Experts also fear a high number of unreported cases.

Covid-19: 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 Covid-19: 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.

Covid-19: The number of people suffering from coronavirus is increasing rapidly

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.

The corona virus not only determines everyday life in China.

© picture alliance / dpa

"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: Germans infected on cruise ship "Diamond Princess"

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: Germans infected on cruise ship "Diamond Princess"

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".

Covid-19: USA want to get citizens from cruise ship "Diamond Princess"

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.

The corona virus continues to spread. The cruise ship "Diamond Princess" has been in quarantine for two weeks. The federal government is now considering bringing back German passengers.

© picture alliance / - / kyodo / dpa

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.

Covid-19: "Aida Cruises" ends prematurely Asian season due to corona virus

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.

The Covid-19 corona virus also reached Egypt in Africa on Friday.

© picture alliance / dpa

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 detected 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 fatalities 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.

Covid-19: 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 in the search result, which refers to three WHO websites. Under this box there is a safety note on how to protect yourself against the corona virus *. Currently, both the warning 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 routes of infection. A medical historian reports on fr.de * why epidemics such as the corona virus reveal the limits of civilization.

Coronavirus: Robert Koch Institute warns of a Covid 19 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 sufferers infectious are

The world is working on understanding the viruses. In the study of coronavirus Knowledge of the coronavirus SARS and MERS use.

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 as 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 Hubei Communist Party, 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 a day since the epidemic broke out. 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 for diagnosing the corovirus Covid-19. Accordingly, not only the standard nucleic acid test method is now used, but also so-called imaging methods for examining the lungs.

The corona virus not only determines everyday life in China.

© HECTOR RETAMAL / AFP / Hector Retamal

Covid-19: Antibiotic bottlenecks possible due to coronavirus

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 have 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 students from China for 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 we protect our people from the corona virus." Around 35 people from China are currently studying at the HfG.

Corovirus Covid-19 is a "serious threat"

Updated on 02.11.2020, 13:01: The new coronavirus is the assessment of the World Health Organization worldwide "serious threat". Despite being primarily 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 about 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 there calls for solidarity: "It is now 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 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), which probably broke out in a market in Wuhan, China, at the beginning of 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 through 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