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Instructions for thorough hand washing

Based on this data, the researchers estimated the number of undetected cases of infection. In Singapore, Finland, Nepal, Belgium, Sweden, India, Sri Lanka and Canada, an estimated 73 percent of the cases went undetected. When comparing the data for China only with Singapore, 63 percent of the cases were undetected.

So far, the countries in the fight against the corona virus have focused on discovering infected people entering from China. However, some of the undiscovered cases could already have led to multiple chains of infection within the country, the researchers write. "We are seeing more and more cases from countries and regions outside of China that have no travel history or other connection to Wuhan", will Dr. Natsuko Imai, co-author of the study, quoted in a press release. The present analysis demonstrates the importance of finding and monitoring infected people so that countries are able to contain the epidemic.

Symptoms vary in severity in corona patients

According to the study, some regions have identified significantly fewer corona cases than would have been expected given the number of flight passengers from Wuhan. This could be because some cases are more difficult to detect than others. Because the severity of the symptoms varies among the infected.

The researchers looked at data from national health ministries and information from media reports for their investigation. They analyzed cases of infected people who traveled from Wuhan between January 1 and February 13, 2020. They obtained general data on air travelers from the International Air Travel Association.

More than 1,000 cases outside of China

Covid-19 first appeared in December 2019. Over 74,000 cases had been reported in China by the end of February 2020. More than 1,000 other cases have so far been discovered in 29 regions and countries outside of China. According to the current state of knowledge, after an infection it can take up to 14 days for symptoms to appear.

Second wave in Germany: symptoms, transmission and course Symptoms, transmission, protection: which risk groups are particularly at risk Vaccine should come soon: How researchers want to defeat the coronavirus

The new pathogen was probably first transmitted from animals to humans. But it can also be transmitted directly from person to person. The tricky thing is that this can be done before an infected person has developed symptoms such as fever or cough themselves. The virus spreads through droplet infection. The German Society for Infectious Diseases assumes that you have to have contact at a distance of less than one meter for some time in order to be infected. In addition, research suggests that the virus could also spread through the digestive system and even surfaces.

Sources used: Imperial College London: "Report 6: Relative sensitivity of international surveillance"Press release: "Two thirds of Coid-19 cases exported from mainland China may be undetected"

It is known that the corona virus spreads faster in closed rooms. Researchers from Leipzig and New Delhi have now found out that humidity also plays a role.

Seven important rules of conduct in the Corona period

Photo series with 7 pictures

According to a research team from Leipzig and India, the spread of the coronavirus is also influenced by the humidity. "If the relative humidity of the room air is below 40 percent, the particles emitted by the infected absorb less water, remain lighter, continue to fly through the room and are more likely to be inhaled by healthy people", explained Ajit Ahlawat from the Institute for Tropospheric Research (Tropos) in Leipzig on Thursday.

Aerosols as a transmission route for the coronavirus

The background is that, in addition to smear infection, so-called aerosols, mixtures of tiny particles in the air, are considered to be an important transmission route for SARS-CoV-2.

The team of physicists from Tropos and the CSIR-National Physical Laboratory in New Delhi had evaluated ten international studies. These were created between 2007 and 2020 and examined the influence of humidity on survival, the spread and infection with the pathogens of the flu and various coronaviruses. The results were published in the specialist journal "Aerosol and Air Quality Research" released.

Certain humidity levels could reduce spread

As a result, in addition to the usual measures such as distance and masks, the researchers also recommend controlling the room air. A relative humidity of 40 to 60 percent can reduce the spread of viruses and their absorption through the nasal mucosa.

The findings are particularly important for the coming winter season, when people spend more time in heated rooms. "Heating the fresh air also ensures that it dries.argumentative essay sentence starters In cold and temperate climates, there is usually a very dry indoor climate during the heating season. This could encourage the spread of the coronavirus", explained Alfred Wiedensohler from Tropos. At higher humidity, the droplets would grow faster, fall to the ground earlier and could not be inhaled by healthy people.

Aerosol risk: Corona trap inside – that is the reason Closed rooms: Corona infection – do CO2 measuring devices protect? Corona and heat: can air conditioning systems spread the virus?

"A humidity of at least 40 percent in public buildings and in local transport would therefore not only reduce the effects of Covid-19, but also those of other viral diseases such as seasonal flu"said Sumit Kumar Mishra of the National Physical Laboratory in New Delhi.

Sources used: dpa news agency

Despite the dry weather: the first mosquitoes swarm out. But some insect species in Germany are not only annoying. They can transmit serious diseases.

The current mild weather has already lured one or the other mosquito outside. They have overwintered in basements or attics and swarm out as soon as the temperatures rise. The insects, which are annoying to humans, will not explode in the foreseeable future. It is currently too dry for that.

Immigrant mosquitoes survive dry weather

"No matter how many or how few survive the winter – the weather conditions in spring are decisive"says mosquito expert Doreen Walther from the Leibniz Center for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) in Müncheberg (Brandenburg). The blood-sucking insects need moist breeding grounds to lay their eggs. In this respect: wet spring, a good start for the mosquitoes. If, on the other hand, it is rather dry, the development will shift to the later year.

The month-long drought last summer slowed the reproduction of mosquito species in particular, which lay their eggs on floodplains, for example along rivers, says the expert. Indeed: "The laid eggs can survive there for years – until the next flood. Then the larvae hatch", explains Walther. The house mosquitoes didn’t mind the drought. "You need rain barrels in your home garden or flower vases." According to the mosquito expert, the so-called invasive species that immigrated or introduced to Germany have also coped well with the drought of the past year.

Mosquitoes can transmit these diseases

While native species need deep water to lay their eggs, exotic species need small vessels with extremely low water levels. They are so dangerous because they can in principle transmit viruses of severe tropical diseases such as West Nile, Chikungunya, Dengue or Zika fever to humans.

"Three of these species have already established themselves in Germany." This includes the Asian tiger mosquito, of which there are populations in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Thuringia and also in Hesse. The Japanese bush mosquito has already conquered Germany with the exception of Saxony-Anhalt, Berlin, Brandenburg and the northern federal states. According to Walther, there is also the species Aedes koreicus, for which there is still no German name. It was first discovered in Augsburg, Bavaria, and there is now a population in Wiesbaden (Hesse).

Expert criticizes preventive measures

Walther draws her findings from the mosquito atlas, in which the spread of mosquitoes has been recorded and mapped since 2012. The basis for this are submissions from citizens. They catch what is floating around at home and send it to the ZALF, where the species is determined and entered in the virtual atlas. Last year there were almost 3,000 submissions with a total of almost 11,000 mosquitoes, including 34 specimens of the Asian tiger mosquito alone, twice as many as in 2017.

So far, there is no known case in Germany in which a serious, life-threatening illness was due to a mosquito bite, explains the scientist. "It hasn’t popped yet, but the likelihood is increasing. The warmer it gets in Germany, the better the conditions for the viruses to multiply in the mosquitoes." She criticizes the lack of preventive measures against the dangerous mosquito species.

How tiger mosquitoes can be fought

In south-west Germany, the Local Action Group to Combat the Mosquito Plague (KABS) has been investigating, among other things, the occurrence of the Asian tiger mosquito for more than 20 years and is helping to combat it. Proteins of the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (BTI) have proven to be effective. They kill mosquito larvae.

"The BTI proteins are mixed in water, applied with hand syringes or dissolved and distributed as effervescent tablets. They are effective for up to a month", explains Norbert Becker, Scientific Director of KABS. The funds would be financed by the municipalities and distributed to the population in the affected areas in cooperation with health authorities and regulatory authorities.

Mosquitoes are starved

"In the whole of Germany, however, prophylactic measures cannot be taken in this way. The occurrence of tiger mosquitoes must be recorded through active monitoring and then the population must be controlled in a targeted manner"says Becker.

Which means help: How to fight mosquitoes in the house and gardenExotic in Germany: These mosquito species transmit diseasesInsect spray important: West Nile virus detected in mosquitoes in the Czech Republic Mosquito repellent: Protection against mosquito bites. Insect repellent for the home: These fly screens keep insects away

This year, the mosquitoes are early, says the biologist Walther. The starting months are usually March and April. What is now buzzing around can sting. "The starved females go on the hunt to refuel again." They need the blood to lay their eggs. A female mosquito could lay down 300 eggs in one fell swoop.

Sources used: dpa news agency

The fear of infection with the coronavirus is increasing the demand for respiratory masks and disinfectants. In many places the products are long out of print. But do these measures actually protect?

overview

What do hand disinfectants do? Does a face mask protect against the coronavirus? Who should use respirators? What other protective measures are recommended?

What do hand disinfectants do?

Gels, sprays and wipes – if there is an increased risk of infection, hand disinfection is an important measure to curb the spread of pathogens. But not every remedy works against every pathogen. "Virucidal" For example, effective disinfectants can render most viruses harmless – for example in the case of norovirus infections. The "limited virucidal" According to the RKI, products, on the other hand, only work against so-called enveloped viruses. This also includes coronaviruses.

The WHO recommends two formulations of disinfectants that have already shown effectiveness against SARS and MERS pathogens. The new coronavirus related to these "should also be able to be inactivated with tested and approved disinfectants"says Prof. Dr. Eike Steinmann, Head of the Department of Molecular and Medical Virology at the Ruhr University Bochum. So far, there have been no studies with the new coronavirus, but in a few weeks the virologist and his colleagues want to test how disinfectants act on coronaviruses in the laboratory.

Instructions for thorough hand washing

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However, disinfectants from drugstores and supermarkets are often not medicinal products and therefore not recommended for protection against coronaviruses, said Steinmann. To disinfect your hands, you should therefore use certified disinfectants, for example from a pharmacy. The information "limited virucidal" is very important here.

According to the virologist, the most effective everyday measure to protect yourself from the corona virus is regular hand washing.

Does a mouthguard protect against the coronavirus?

In hospitals and nursing homes, medical staff use masks to protect patients from possible germs. However, hygiene experts do not see as proven that a face mask also has a protective function outside of these facilities. There is also insufficient data on the effectiveness during a pandemic.

The virologist Prof. Dr. Melanie Brinkmann does not consider it necessary for the general population to wear face masks. The face mask is useful if a patient has already been infected with the pathogen or at least there is a suspicion. Then a face mask could help to reduce the risk of transmission to other people, according to Brinkmann, who is dedicated to infection research at the Technical University of Braunschweig.

Nevertheless, according to experts, wearing a face mask also has a positive effect: the mask can influence one’s own hygiene behavior and protect against possible smear infection.