Coronavirus

The Coronavirus belongs to the Coronaviridae, a group of viruses that not only affect humans but also other mammals and birds and can cause a variety of diseases. In humans, the coronavirus causes diarrhea and respiratory infections in particular. The virus became known worldwide in connection with the SARS epidemic in 2002 and 2003.

What is the coronavirus?

In which Coronavirus it is an RNA virus with an unusually large genome. A virus envelope made of proteins and a lipid membrane makes it extremely resistant to environmental influences.

The Coronaviridae family is very diverse and common in both mammals and birds. There are currently around five different types of coronavirus known that can primarily cause respiratory infections in humans. It is believed that a large proportion of common colds in winter are caused by coronaviruses. An exception is the best-known coronavirus, the SARS coronavirus, which, in addition to respiratory diseases, can also cause inflammatory gastrointestinal diseases.

In the case of all coronaviruses, transmission usually takes place via droplet infection, but smear infection cannot be ruled out. Transmission by animals that carry the coronavirus is also considered possible.

Transmission, Contagion & Meaning

While most Coronavirus cause harmless diseases, the SARS coronavirus triggers a life-threatening respiratory tract infection known as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or SARS.

The symptoms are essentially similar to those of classic flu: headache and aching limbs, severe cough, shortness of breath and a sore throat associated with hoarseness. Typical for an infection with the SARS coronavirus, however, is the sudden and unusually fast fever that rises to over 38 ° C. In the further course there is bilateral pneumonia.

As a result of the disease, the number of platelets and white blood cells also decreases, which further weakens the immune system. The incubation period is up to seven days. During the SARS pandemic of 2002/2003, almost 1,000 people died, which corresponds to around ten percent of those infected. The survivors retained partial damage to the lungs, spleen, spine, and nervous system. Long-term damage includes in particular pulmonary fibrosis, osteoporosis and bone necrosis.

Diseases & Treatment

Against that Coronavirus there are currently no effective treatments. Various antibiotics can be administered to combat secondary bacterial infections.

The immune system can be strengthened by the administration of antivirals and cortisone. Depending on the severity of the infection, artificial ventilation must also be used.Ultimately, however, the course of the disease can hardly be influenced with today's means. Therefore, when fighting the SARS pandemic 2002/2003, the main focus was on isolating the sick and preventing further spread.

Although the genome of the SARS coronavirus has now been deciphered, neither a corresponding vaccine nor an effective drug has been developed so far. Since the coronavirus mutates very quickly, current research is focused on the proteins of the virus envelope. There were initial results here as to when a practical application will be possible, but cannot yet be foreseen.

In 2012, the human coronavirus EMC, known as the "new coronavirus", appeared for the first time. The diseases known to date were significantly slower than SARS, but very severe and mostly fatal. Ten of the seventeen people who have been infected so far have died. The infected usually develop an atypical pneumonia from a general respiratory tract infection and suffer acute kidney failure early in the course of the disease.

Due to the low number of cases and the fact that no further illnesses occurred in the personal environment of the infected, it is currently assumed that the human coronavirus EMC only has a very low transmission rate. In contrast to other coronaviruses, it is presumably not transmitted by droplets, but by smear infection, so that even simple hygiene measures can effectively prevent the spread.

Since all of the people who have contracted the new coronavirus come from the Middle East, the origin of this virus is suspected to be on the Arabian Peninsula. There may be a relationship to a coronavirus that attacks a species of bat found there.

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