Coronavirus: Questions that concern us intensely these days
We will try to answer some of the questions we face in the context of the current pandemic. Some scientists don't even have very clear answers.
Why these questions?
Some questions were asked to us on Facebook or Twitter.
In addition, we focused on the frequently asked questions people search for in search engines, such as Google, about the SARS-CoV-2 virus or the disease it triggers: Covid-19.
Where does SARS-CoV-2 come from?
What is certain, however, is that in the case of the new SARS-CoV-2 virus we are dealing with a zoonosis, in other words, that it comes from an animal source.
The researchers found this in a study published in the journal Nature.
Contrary to conspiracy theories, experts rule out the idea that the new virus is an artificial product created in the laboratory.
In all likelihood, SARS-CoV-2 was first transmitted from an animal to a human in a market in Wuhan, a city located in the Chinese province of Hubei.
Can I die of COVID-19?
A question that is difficult to answer with "yes" or "no". It is just as difficult to predict death from the flu or a car accident.
We can only talk about probabilities. But even this is difficult in the case of the coronavirus pandemic. We can only start from statistics.
Adam Kucharski, a mathematician and epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, speaks of a mortality rate between 0.5 and 2%.
Therefore, out of 100 coronavirus-infected patients, one or two lose their life on average.
A common cause of death is sepsis, an aggressive reaction of the human immune system.
How long does the coronavirus last in the air and on various surfaces?
Coronaviruses cause respiratory problems. They are transmitted mainly through the air, where they arrive from people infected with SARS-CoV-2, who cough or sneeze.
If these infectious secretions get into the hand, then contamination can occur in this way as well. In other words, by touching objects or shaking hands with another person.
According to the Federal Office for Risk Assessment (BfR), initial laboratory tests show that the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus can withstand remaining contagious in the event of "severe contamination" for up to three hours in the air, up to four hours copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard surfaces and up to two or three days on steel or plastic surfaces.
However, we must not lose sight of the fact that the study was conducted in the laboratory and it is not absolutely certain whether in everyday life viruses resist in the same proportion on different surfaces.
How can I best protect myself?
By coughing or sneezing in the wrist, washing our hands often and rigorously, and keeping our proper distance from others, we can protect ourselves from infection with the new coronavirus.
At the same time, we interrupt the chain of spread of the coronavirus, slowing its spread.
As the virus spreads exponentially, measures taken by the authorities are needed to prevent the complete collapse of health systems.
The president of the Robert Koch Institute, Lothar Wieler, calls for strict adherence to prevention measures.
Otherwise, he estimated that in two to three months, the number of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 could reach 10 million in Germany.
Why don't we have a vaccine yet?
According to the Pharmaceutical Industry Association (vfa), at least 47 vaccines against Covid-19 are being worked on. One of the most ambitious projects is the one carried out by the German company CureVac.
It usually takes years to complete an effective vaccine. This process is rapidly accelerating in the current pandemic. The German Infection Research Center (DZIF) is also urgently looking for solutions.
Its scientists are using existing evidence to develop a vaccine against the new coronavirus. Although the project is being worked on very intensively, the vaccine is not yet available on the market this year.
Especially clinical trials, without which the vaccine cannot be admitted to the market, take a long time.
In parallel with efforts to develop an effective vaccine, the researchers hope to succeed in giving patients the possibility of "passive immunization" with the help of antibodies extracted from the blood plasma of convalescents. Specifically, people infected with SARS-CoV-2 who coped with the disease, developing the necessary antibodies.
Unlike a vaccine, the coronavirus-infected organism does not have to produce these antibodies itself. The disadvantage of this procedure is that the immunization usually lasts only a few weeks or months.
Is ibuprofen harmful or not in the case of a coronavirus infection?
In this regard, there has been a real hysteria lately.
Three researchers have hypothesized that some drugs, such as ACE inhibitors or sartans, used to lower blood pressure, thiazolidinediones indicated for the treatment of diabetes or the painkiller ibuprofen may worsen the condition of patients with Covid-19. There are theories, however, so far unconfirmed.
What was initially described as "fake news" was then officially cautiously formulated by the WHO.
TheWorld Health Organization warns patients infected with coronavirus not to use ibuprofen safely, but to take, for example, a paracetamol.
Meanwhile, the WHO has distanced itself from this position, saying it no longer warns against ibuprofen.
Can the baby's coronavirus be transmitted during pregnancy?
According to the data we have so far, children are not among the endangered people. This means that in children infected with coronavirus, the disease usually has a mild form, evolving without complications.
There have been a few unique cases when the virus was detected in newborns. It is unclear whether the virus was transmitted to the baby before, during or after birth.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) coronavirus does not pose an increased risk to pregnant women.
However, pregnant women should take more rigorous prevention melasures, as the data we have so far are not very solid.
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