What is the coronavirus?

The virus owes its name to its wreath-shaped appearance, corona meaning wreath in Latin. The virus can be the cause of quite harmless colds, but can also cause severe acute respiratory syndromes such as MERS and SARS. In the years 2002 and 2003, the first SARS epidemic, SARS-CoV-1. It was transmitted to humans through a zoonosis, probably from bats . According to the World Health Organisation, WHO, this disease killed about 774 people worldwide. The more novel coronavirus, was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in 2019 and spread rapidly around the world, creating a pandemic within a few days or weeks. The virus can lead to the severe disease COVID-19, the symptoms of which are either absent, mild or take a severe course and not infrequently lead to death . According to the latest calculations, a total of more than 650 million people will die as a result of the disease by 2022. However, the lethality has not yet been fully clarified. The virus has the property of repeatedly producing new mutations, such as the delta variant or also the omicron variant. The constant further development of the virus makes therapy all the more difficult.

How is the coronavirus transmitted?

The virus is transmitted from person to person. The transmission mainly takes place via the respiratory tract through a droplet infection ( ). However, the risk of actually becoming infected with the coronavirus depends on several factors:

• How many virus particles does the infected person excrete?
• How long was the contact with an infected person?
• Did the contact take place outdoors or in a closed room?
• Which variant of the coronavirus is carried by the infected person during transmission?

 
Coronaviruses can also be transmitted via smear infection. They can stick to metal, plastic and glass. How long the viruses survive on such materials and can be contagious is still being conclusively investigated .

What are the symptoms of coronavirus?

The most common symptoms are fever over 38 degrees, cold, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat and fatigue. Many people affected also complain of a loss of the sense of smell and/or the sense of taste. Some report shortness of breath and shortness of breath.

A doctor should always be consulted if the above symptoms occur. Especially if one has had previous contact with an infected person . However, since many courses of COVID-19 are completely asymptomatic, the danger is enormous that a person who feels healthy will infect many other people without knowing it himself. For this reason, it is essential to follow the AHA rules. Distance hygiene daily routine with mask. It is equally important to ventilate rooms regularly and to use the specially developed corona warning app .

How is the corona virus treated?

About 80 percent of SARS-CoV-2 infections are mild or moderate. Those affected have to adhere to a statutory isolation (quarantine) at home. The immune system should be supported during this time with plenty of rest, sleep, and a balanced diet . In the case of mild symptoms and fever, symptomatic treatment is given with analgesics and antipyretics.

About 4 - 5 percent of all infected with COVID-19 suffer a moderate to barely tolerable course and have to be treated in hospital. The coronavirus mainly attacks the respiratory tract, leading to pneumonia in a high number of sufferers. Fluid collects in the lungs and damages the small blood vessels. Since the lungs can only supply the blood with insufficient oxygen as a result, additional administration of oxygen via a respiratory mask becomes necessary in most cases. Other organs such as the kidneys, the nervous system and the heart can also be affected by COVID-19.

In the course of a hospital stay, we try to use the best possible therapeutic measures to alleviate a severe clinical picture. This includes the administration of oxygen, as well as the use of antibiotics to treat bacterial infections and drugs to promote circulation. Likewise, of course, the underlying diseases of a person are further treated. The goal of the therapy should be to support the person in the fight against the coronavirus and to avoid severe courses or even death.

What secondary diseases and late effects can the coronavirus lead to?

The following complications and secondary diseases have been associated with COVID-19 so far (Long Covid):

• Diseases of the respiratory tract: Infected persons complain of pneumonia and shortness of breath. It is not uncommon for acute lung disease to develop into bronchial asthma as a late consequence.
• Diseases of the nervous system: It is not uncommon to experience dizzy spells, headaches, memory loss. Particularly persistent attacks of dizziness and damage to the nervous system are directly associated with the coronavirus as a late consequence.
• Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: The SARS-CoV-2 sometimes also causes complaints such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and liver dysfunction.
• Diseases of the cardiovascular system: In many patients, involvement of the heart is detectable. Particularly in those affected with a severe course of the disease, inflammation and damage to the heart muscle can occur, which in turn can result in heart failure, a heart attack and cardiac arrhythmias as a late consequence. However, on account of a severe course, increased blood clotting can lead to embolisms in the extremities, brain and lungs.
• Kidney disease: Particularly in severe cases, acute kidney failure can occur, which makes dialysis necessary.
• What is the prognosis for coronavirus?

 
In younger people with a good and intact immune system, the prognosis is excellent if the course of the disease is mild. In older people and patients with chronic diseases, severe courses of the disease are more frequent , which have to be treated in hospital and often lead to death.

How can the coronavirus be prevented?

The following measures are essential to prevent infection with the coronavirus?

• Proper hand hygiene: Regular hand washing with soap and water, use of a disinfectant.
• Sneeze and cough into paper handkerchief or bent elbow.
• Refrain from shaking hands and hugging.
• Keep a minimum distance of 2 metres from other people.
• Wearing an FFP2 mask.
• Airing rooms regularly.

 
The vaccination against Corona cannot protect against infection with the virus , but it can significantly reduce the course of the disease.