What is Sars 2?
Sars 2, also known as Sars-CoV-2 or more commonly as Coronavirus, is a virus belonging to the Coronaviridae. Sars 2 first appeared in December 2019 in the Chinese city of Wuhan. From there, it spread rapidly to around the world.
How contagious is Sars 2?
The more novel coronavirus Sars-CoV-2 is contagious from the moment it infects the throat and multiplies from the moment it infects the throat. This is exactly the difference to the first Sars 1 virus, , which led to a pandemic in 2002/2003. The Sars 1 could only multiply deep in the lung tissue. This is why the Sars 2 pathogen is also significantly more infectious than its predecessor. The pandemic triggered by the Sars-CoV-2 virus is therefore much more difficult to contain. Another reason is that the virus is passed on much more easily. Already two days before the first symptoms even become noticeable, the infected person is already contagious to others. Even an infected person, who does not show any symptoms, is contagious for others .
How long is one considered contagious with SARS 2?
Until today, it is not possible to say exactly how long one is contagious. This depends on the course of the disease. However, at the present time the following applies:
- A person who is seriously ill with Sars 2 is no longer considered to be contagious if he or she has not shown any symptoms for at least 48 hours and two consecutive throat swabs in the interval of 24 hours are negative .
- Patients who have been treated in hospital can be discharged to quarantine at home if their health improves. They may then leave this quarantine after two weeks at the earliest . The prerequisite for this is that they have not shown any symptoms for 48 hours and the doctor has not ordered anything else.
- Mildly ill persons may leave their home quarantine after 14 days after the onset of symptoms. A minimum of 48 hours of freedom from symptoms is also required here . Likewise, that a doctor has not prescribed otherwise.
How is SARS 2 transmitted?
The most common way of transmitting Sars 2 is via droplet infection ( ). This means that someone who is still healthy breathes in the pathogen, when an infected person coughs or sneezes. However, the smear infection is also conceivable as a transmission route. If an infected object is contaminated, or if the virus is passed on when shaking hands .
What are the symptoms of SARS 2?
After infection with Sars 2, it takes an average of four to six days until the first symptoms become noticeable. Depending on which variant of the virus you are infected with, the incubation period is longer or shorter. In the case of the Omikron variant, it takes about 3 days .
Most of the signs of Sars 2 are similar to the symptoms of other respiratory diseases. However, in addition to the respiratory organs, other organ systems such as the nervous system, cardiovascular system, kidneys and liver can also be affected. The most common symptoms through which an infection with Sars 2 becomes noticeable include:
- Cough,
- Hoarseness,
- Sore throat,
- Fever,
- Disturbances of the sense of smell and taste,
- Headache and pain in the limbs,
- Swelling of the lymph nodes,
- Conjunctivitis.
Furthermore, symptoms such as diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting and stomach pains may occur.
How is SARS 2 diagnosed?
If you suspect that you are infected with the Sars 2 virus, you should consult a doctor at . The doctor will first take an anamnesis. He or she will first take a medical history and then examine the person thoroughly. However, the Sars-CoV-2 cannot be detected beyond doubt on the basis of a medical history and a physical examination. For this, a PCR test must be carried out in the laboratory. This looks for specific antibodies in the blood of the patient.
How is Sars 2 treated?
As a rule, a mild to moderate course of Sars 2 infection is treated purely symptomatically. If necessary, the patient can take antipyretic and painkilling medication. If, on the other hand, sufferers become severely ill, further medication is used. In this case, special antiviral drugs are used, which specifically fight the virus. In many cases, however, the disease is so severe that treatment in hospital becomes necessary. This is usually the case when the Sars 2 virus causes the severe lung disease COVID-19, which mainly affects the respiratory organs. Under certain circumstances, but always when a affected person can no longer breathe, intensive medical treatment in hospital becomes necessary. Otherwise, the patient will die.
What is the prognosis for SARS 2?
To make the aggressiveness and infectiousness of Sars 2 clear, it is important to mention some figures. To date, the virus has spread to 193 countries and there have been more than 630 million infected people worldwide. More than 6.5 million have already died from Sars 2 or related to the virus.
In mild to moderately severe courses of Sars 2, the disease heals after a few days without complications. In severe cases, especially when other organs are also affected, intensive medical treatment is indispensable to save the life of the person affected. People with previous illnesses and a weakened immune system are particularly susceptible to severe courses of the infection.
How can you protect yourself from SARS 2?
The best way to protect yourself and others from Sars 2 is to follow the AHA+L rule:
- A: Keep your distance
- H: Adhere to hygiene rules
- A: Everyday life with mask
- L: Ventilate
Furthermore, the Corona warning app can also help to protect oneself and others from Sars 2 and to contain the virus.
The vaccinations against Sars-CoV-2 cannot prevent infection, but can significantly reduce the course of the disease. Observations showed that patients who were vaccinated against Sars-CoV-2 at least twice required less intensive medical treatment in hospital.
Is there a duty to report Sars 2? According to the Infection Protection Act, any evidence of infection with Sars 2 must be reported to the public health department by name . This means that any doctor or laboratory that finds positive evidence of the coronavirus must report this to the responsible health authority