© AP Photo / Health Protection Agency, the coronavirus
The patient lies in the Schwabing Hospital in isolation rooms with locks in the ICU."The condition is clinically critical," says infectious diseases chief Clemens Wendtner.The patient must be ventilated.
The sick is to learn for privacy not much: The 73-year-old comes from the United Arab Emirates, on the Peninsula so far, almost all coronavirus infections occurred.
On 10 March he was admitted to a hospital in Abu Dhabi, last Tuesday, he met by private jet for one treatment on the Isar. Since the disease was not yet known, but he was already so bad that he was connected to a breathing system. With an intensive care ambulance we went to Schwabing. The doctors quickly typed on a serious infection and quartered him on the isolation ward. On Saturday struck the laboratory alarm: It is actually the novel human coronavirus Beta 2c EMC/2012!
Before this date poorly understood pathogens, the World Health Organization warns the last six months: . This virus belongs to the same family as the SARS virus , "The risk of infection is not the same but," says Prof. Wendtner. Patients are therefore not in the highest category for Ebola and SARS isolation, but in the second highest. "But the mortality rate is very high among those affected."
According to recent studies, the disease could especially in the Middle East from animals to humans are transferred - possibly via contaminated with dust particles of dried excrement of bats, or through direct contact with it.
Whether and how the virus from person to person transfers is not clear : In the first case of Germany in the fall of 2012 there was no further infection. Since a 45-year-old had been treated from Qatar in Food and recovered. Recently, however, had a Briton infected in Pakistan or Saudi Arabia. After returning diseased two younger family members, the 38-year-old son died.
Therefore, the health department of the city is observing about 50 people in Munich - especially relatives and hospital staff. These contacts are not due to date not been very great risk of infection isolated: you are free to move, the clinic staff are on duty. All have to give a blood sample and report daily to the authorities if they experience symptoms.According to current knowledge, they would only be contagious. "A precautionary measure", reassured Prof. Wendtner. The circle had been drawn on purpose very large. "So far, shows no symptoms." Not another contact to the patient population is incomprehensible.
