Introduction
Coronaviruses belong to the so-called RNA viruses and primarily cause mild infections of the upper respiratory tract and the gastrointestinal tract. However, there are also subtypes that lead to severe disease progression, such as the SARS virus (severe acute respiratory syndrome) or the novel corona virus “SARS-CoV-2”.
Symptoms
The symptoms differ in type and severity according to the type of virus. Some forms of coronavirus only cause mild symptoms similar to a common cold. This leads to coughing, rhinitis and possibly also headaches, i.e. an infection of the upper respiratory tract.
Gastrointestinal complaints such as diarrhoea are also possible. The SARS virus causes the “severe acute respiratory syndrome”, which can be translated as severe acute respiratory syndrome. It is characterized by a sudden, severe course in which the lungs are affected.
In addition to high fever, headaches and aching limbs, chills and a dry cough are common. Life threatening is the pneumonia and shortness of breath. Another subtype is the MERS virus, which causes the “Middle East respiratory syndrome”.
The symptoms are similar to SARS. However, it can also lead to acute kidney failure. In the case of the novel corona virus “SARS-CoV-2”, it has been found that the severe course of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is accompanied by a lack of upper respiratory symptoms such as coughing or rhinitis. This topic might also be of interest to you: Symptoms of pneumonia
What should I do if I suspect a corona virus infection?
If you have actually been in contact with infected persons or show typical symptoms of coronavirus infection, you should take certain hygiene measures before consulting a doctor. In order to provide protection from others and to protect contact persons, one should wear a mouth guard and disinfect the hands. In addition, it is important to call the emergency room or the family doctor before you arrive to avoid further contact and to make these preparations. In the clinic or practice, people with suspicions are usually isolated immediately.
Transmission
The transmission path of the virus is a smear and droplet infection. For example, fine droplets of the virus can infect other people by coughing or sneezing. The smear infection is caused by contact with contaminated surfaces, such as door handles.
It is therefore a human-to-human transmission. Originally, however, a transmission from animals to humans (zoonosis) is responsible for the spread of the virus. Depending on the form of the virus, possible animal species are discussed.
Bats are frequent carriers of the virus. In the case of MERS, connections to camels have also been found. In the case of the new corona virus, sneak claws and snakes are suspected to have caused the epidemic.
The exact risk of being infected with the virus cannot yet be accurately estimated. In general, the risk should be reduced by hygiene measures such as hand disinfection. Also a safety distance of 1-2m for persons with a potential infection or symptoms of disease as protection is useful. Special care should be taken with infected persons in the immediate vicinity and it is best to get tested in order to diagnose a disease early and avoid further transmission.
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