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Corona crisis: easing does not signal the end of the crisis - WHO warns

2020-05-13T18:03:12.747Z


Corona crisis worldwide: In Santiago de Chile, the corona cases are increasing rapidly, in Russia there is again a prominent corona case. The WHO warns.


Corona crisis worldwide: In Santiago de Chile, the corona cases are increasing rapidly, in Russia there is again a prominent corona case. The WHO warns.

  • Coronavirus pandemic *: More than 3.7 million people infected worldwide: the previous developments in the old ticker
  • Russia reports new infection record and recalls experts from China, Italy and the USA
  • Sweden is still reluctant to limit the coronavirus *

Update from May 13, 2020, 7.30 p.m .: Measures against the spread of the corona virus are currently being relaxed in many countries worldwide . But that does not signal the end of the crisis in any way , according to the World Health Organization (WHO) . The return to a kind of normalcy is a long way, said emergency aid coordinator Michael Ryan in Geneva. Only with a comprehensive program for monitoring new infections would loosening make sense.

Relax the measures against that

Corona spread

"Before the contagions have dropped significantly, there is a risk of many new contagions," Ryan continued. The

Corona measures

to loosen without extensive testing and possible

Chains of infection

monitoring is dangerous. Waiting for the number of corona infected people in hospitals to increase is also dangerous. This could take weeks, and then it would be too late to keep the infection under control. Then new restrictions may be necessary, said Ryan.

Corona crisis in Chile: curfew imposed in Santiago de Chile

Update from May 13, 2020, 6.40 p.m .: After the number of coronavirus cases in Chile's capital Santiago de Chile has increased significantly, the government has imposed a curfew there . Health Minister Jaime Mañalich said that the number of corona cases increased by 60 percent within 24 hours . Accordingly, 2,260 new infections and twelve corona deaths were registered.

According to the Minister of Health, 80 percent of the approximately 34,000 corona infections are in the Santiago region. Areas in which the corona restrictions have previously been relaxed are also affected by the curfew . The most affected country in Latin America remains Brazil, with more than 177,000 corona infected and 12,400 deaths.

Corona crisis in Russia: Putin's spokesman infected with corona virus

Update from May 12, 2020 , 4:20 pm: The spokesman for Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin  has been infected with the highly contagious corona virus. Dmitry Peskov confirmed this to Russian agencies on Tuesday. He was in a medical facility in Moscow, it said. "Yes, I'm ill. I'm being treated, ”Putin's confidant said about his health. Peskow has been working from home for some time. The last time he met the head of state more than a month ago, said the 52-year-old. 

Peskow belongs to the closest circle of the Russian president. He has worked in the Presidential Office for around 20 years. Since 2008 he has been the press spokesman for Putin , who was then the head of government. He had repeatedly confirmed that Putin was healthy and was also tested regularly. 

Putin directs state affairs from his Moscow suburb Novo-Ogarjowo. However, he regularly holds video conferences with the government. There are hardly any official dates left. On May 9, Putin laid flowers in memory of the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany.

The new type of corona virus is currently spreading rapidly in Russia , with the authorities reporting almost 11,000 new infections on May 12, bringing the total number of infections registered nationwide to more than 232,000. According to official information, 2116 people have died so far from the lung disease Covid-19 caused by the virus

There are also several government members among those infected in Russia: According to the head of government

Mikhail Mishustin

made construction ministers last week

Vladimir Yakushev

and Minister of Culture

Olga Lyubimova

a corona infection in public.

Corona crisis worldwide: China reports first corona case in Wuhan in more than a month

+++ 14:50: In the Chinese metropolis of Wuhan , the place of origin of the coronavirus spread , the authorities report the first corona case in more than a month. For the first time since April 3, contagion has been found, according to the National Health Commission. An 89-year-old man in the northwest of the city became infected. The infection risk level was raised from "low" to "medium" in the affected district.

Aside from the Wuhan case, China reports 13 new infections this Sunday - it's the first time since May 1 that China announces a double-digit number of new infections within a day. Most of the new Corona cases occurred in northeastern China.

Coronavirus in South Korea: highest increase in corona infections in four weeks

+++ 10.05 clock : In South Korea there was the highest increase in locally transmitted corona infections in four weeks on Saturday . As the health authorities announced on Sunday, 34 new cases had been added. In a speech, President Moon Jae In warned "nothing is over until it is over" and called on his fellow citizens to exercise caution. At the same time, there is no reason to "stand still for fear".

South Korea was a role model in the corona pandemic

South Korea has so far been considered a role model due to its effective protective measures against the new coronavirus and was in a phase of stabilization. The cause of the cluster was an infected person who visited some bars and nightclubs in the capital Seoul and infected other visitors.

Coronavirus in South Korea: 29 new infections in Seoul

Only afterwards was the affected person tested positive for the corona virus. 15 new cases were traced back to him on Friday, and 14 new infections were added in Seoul on Saturday. The Mayor of the capital, Park Won Soon , then ordered a temporary closure of all clubs, bars and nightly entertainment facilities.

+++ Update from 10.05.20, 9.30 a.m .: As the news agency AFP reports, more than four million people worldwide have already been infected with the corona virus. According to calculations made on Saturday evening, 277,127 of the 4,001,437 infections were fatal. This contrasts with 1.3 million recovered people. The continent most affected by the corona pandemic Europe has so far recorded over 1.7 million infected people and 155,074 deceased.

Protest against corona shortages: Police fire on demonstrators in Afghanistan

+++ 3:04 pm: During a demonstration in the Afghan province of Ghor , the police fired on demonstrators and also shot an Afghan journalist. According to a report by the German Press Agency, the reason for the demonstration were the major shortages in supply due to the lockdown in the corona pandemic . According to the Interior Ministry, at least six people were killed and 19 injured by police shots. The police allegedly killed two officers and wounded ten others. 

At the demonstration, hundreds of poor people protested in front of the governor's seat in Firuskoh for more flour and rice. The government had previously promised them food. The corona pandemic in Afghanistan has paralyzed supplies to the region in the Hindukush . Officially, the country counts approximately 4,000 Covid-19 cases among 15,000 people tested. 

Belarus holds a military parade despite the corona pandemic 

+++ Update from 09.05.2020, 2.00 p.m .: Despite the Corona pandemic, the former Soviet Republic of Belarus was the only country in the world to celebrate a huge military parade to mark the 75th anniversary of the victory over Hitler's fascism. "The holiday is sacred to us," said President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk.

In his speech, he also addressed critics of the parade in times of the life-threatening corona virus . "We can't help it," he emphasized. Belarus owed this to the victims of the Second World War. "They all wanted to live, but died so that we could live," said Lukashenko. "This is not a demonstration of strength, but a commemoration of the heroic history," emphasized the authoritarian head of state in parade uniform.

The veterans and their relatives decorated with World War II medals also sat on a festively decorated grandstand. Few wore mouth and nose protection against the virus, which is also rampant in Belarus. Thousands of spectators, including children and the elderly, watched the parade from the roadside in sunny weather and orchestral music.

Considering a distanced walk on this corona Saturday? #Belarus meanwhile conducts massive WW2 victory parade. Continues dangerous pandemic (non-) policy (infections surge to 21,000, deaths suspiciously low at 120), as I argued here: https://t.co/6zIWUyF8aT pic.twitter.com/0MdUvCvX2p

- Benno Zogg (@BennoZogg) May 9, 2020

Russia is bringing corona experts back from abroad

+++ Update from 08.05.20, 07.10 clock: Australia plans to gradually relax the corona restrictions . The country plans to reopen the economy by July, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Friday. Morrison did not give exact dates. The individual states should decide for themselves how the easing will take place.

+++ Update from 07.05.20, 7.48 p.m .: Russia reports new maximum number of infections. According to the AFP news agency, the Russian authorities are explaining the numbers, which have been rising for a week, with an increase in tests. Russia officially has a total of 1,625 corona deaths , a very low number in international comparison. According to the authorities, the country's death rate is also only 0.9 percent, while in Germany it is 4.2 percent. However, critics doubt that the official numbers reflect reality.

Despite the number of infections, Russian President Vladimir Putin had asked the governors to design corona loosening . But he cautioned. The Russian military is also expected to bring back the experts that the country had sent to Italy, China and the United States for support. The country had been accused of sacrificing resources for geopolitical goals. At the time, according to AFP, Italian media reported that large parts of the equipment sent against the corona virus were useless.

Corona virus worldwide: Sweden with significantly fewer restrictions

Sweden counted 99 more deaths from the corona virus within 24 hours on Thursday . The total number of fatalities rose to 3040, the number of infections to more than 24,000. The Swedish government has so far imposed far fewer restrictions than most other European countries. So far, there are no exit restrictions in the Scandinavian country, nor have restaurants, shops or schools been closed. According to the AFP, the relaxed approach is criticized both at home and abroad. 

When dealing with Corona, there is often talk of the Swedish special way: recommendations instead of lockdown. Can it go well? #Swedenhttps: //t.co/CPRrWRtYTI pic.twitter.com/N6tIToufqL

- ARTE Info (@ARTEInfo) May 5, 2020

Across Europe, more than 150,000 people have died from corona infections . According to an official AFP-based census, the death toll on Thursday morning was 150,138, with a total of a good 1.64 million infections detected.

Worldwide pandemic: Coronavirus spread extremely quickly after the first infections 

First report from Thursday, May 7th, 2020, 12:34 pm: According to official figures, the coronavirus pandemic * has now spread to at least 177 countries. As of May 7th, more than 3,750,300 people were infected with the corona virus and at least 264,400 people died as a result of their infection. Approximately 1,036,600 have recovered from the infection. Italy, Spain, Great Britain, Iran and the United States were particularly hard hit by the pandemic. 

The United States currently has the most corona infections worldwide. Meanwhile, the situation in Asia appears to have stabilized, although the coronavirus first spread to China. In Africa, many countries have benefited from their experience with other infectious diseases such as Ebola. However, the World Health Organization warns that despite early reactions and stringent exit controls, Africa could be hit harder by the corona pandemic than other continents . In South America, on the other hand, there is still great concern that the migration of people looking for work could further spread the spread of the coronavirus . The situation has worsened massively in Brazil in particular, but the crisis in Venezuela is also being fueled by the pandemic . The pandemic is currently raging very hard in some countries, but some countries have started to relax the corona restrictions . The World Health Organization (WHO) advises caution. 

"As more & more countries consider how to ease so-called lockdown restrictions, I want to reiterate the 6⃣ criteria that WHO recommends countries consider:

1⃣that surveillance is strong, # COVID19 cases are declining & transmission is controlled" - @ DrTedrospic.twitter. com / i1iHcQo0oE

- World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) May 6, 2020

Corona pandemic: Extremely rapid global spread after first infection

How did this worldwide spread come about? A team of scientists from the University College London Genetics Institute has studied the onset of the pandemic and the rate of global spread of the novel coronavirus Sars-CoV-2 . They found that infections with the corona virus began at the end of last year and spread extremely quickly worldwide. Sobering news for many medical professionals. Many had hoped that the virus would have spread long before the first finding. That would have meant that immunity  could have developed in some population groups . The new results don't leave much hope for that. More than ten percent of the world population had been the coronavirus been exposed, Francois Balloux, researchers in genetics estimated in an interview with the US television channel CNN. 

To understand the distribution patterns of Sars-CoV-2 , Balloux and his team examined data from other scientists worldwide. They looked at samples from different times and locations to determine the exact course of the infection. Because the viruses themselves change with their spread. These mutations then serve as a "molecular clock", in English "molecular clock", in order to trace the virus back. With their results, Balloux and his team confirm the previous estimates of other scientists: Sars-CoV-2 was transferred to a human for the first time at the end of 2019. Based on different studies, researchers are relatively certain that the virus was originally found in bats . However, it is said to have infected another animal before humans could become infected.

Course of infections worldwide: Scientists examine coronavirus mutations

"We are very, very, very sure that the virus changed hosts at the end of last year," said Balloux. The reason for his conviction is that the mutations in the coronavirus had developed very similar worldwide. Any virus would mutate, the scientist emphasized. This is not a reason to panic at first. So far, there is no evidence that new Sars CoV-2 mutations are faster, more contagious, or fatal. 

Lane Warmbrod analyst at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security is investigating these genetic changes in the coronavirus . She told CNN that more animal studies are needed to find out how dangerous the new mutations are. So far you only know that they happen. But the information about the different mutations is essential for the different teams working on drugs and vaccines against the corona virus worldwide *. Only weeks after the virus was first identified in humans in the Wuhan region in China in December 2019 did other countries in the world report the first cases. The United States reported a first case of infection in late January 2020, Italy and France a month later. But finding the very first infected in every country is impossible, according to Balloux. "These ideas of finding patient zero are pointless because there are so many patients zero," he told CNN.

By Valerie Eiseler 

* fr.de is part of the nationwide Ippen Digital Network.

List of rubric lists: © picture alliance / Salvatore Di Nolfi / KEYSTONE / dpa

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2020-05-13

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