Corona virus in the DB: ICE stopped again – train staff reported suspected cases

This morning I have health politicians from all political groups in the Bundestag in a phone booth #Corona informed about the dynamic developments of the last 3 days. Many thanks to the colleagues for the good, factual exchange!

– Jens Spahn (@jensspahn) February 29, 2020

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Corona virus in Germany: Federal government responds with exit cards in train traffic

Update from February 29, 9.40 a.m .: Also the Train traffic is affected by the measures that have now been adopted by the federal government. Travelers must be prepared for the fact that a new preventive measure applies to all regional and border trains: If a suspected case of Corona virus occurs on the train, passengers must in the future Exit cards to complete. The exit cards should make it possible to contact the train passengers later later. The railway companies are also obliged to report passengers with symptoms of coronavirus disease. In addition, the federal police will intensify its controls in the 30-kilometer border area. Federal Minister of the Interior Horst Seehofer had previously called for a measure of this kind on Thursday.

In response to the question of how to proceed at major events, the crisis team adopted the guidelines of the Robert Koch Institute for risk assessment. Accordingly, it is at the discretion of those responsible or the responsible local authorities to allow, postpone or delete major events after a precise assessment of the risks under certain conditions – or to reduce the transmission risk by means of targeted measures.

News from February 28th: ​​Coronavirus in Germany: Government decides measures on entry

Update from February 28, 9.42 p.m .: How can the risk of corona infection while traveling be minimized? How can the virus be contained in general? These questions were dealt with on Friday by a short-term crisis team of the federal government.

The federal government will in future require travel companies to provide information on the health of passengers coming to Germany from a total of five countries. This is intended to limit the spread of the novel corona virus in the Federal Republic. The Crisis team of the Federal Ministry of the Interior and the Federal Ministry of Health announced on Friday evening that the regulations for air and sea carriers would be expanded accordingly. In addition to China be in the future for Travelers from South Korea, Japan, Italy and Iran report the health status of the passengers prior to entry.

In addition, information on disease prevention should be distributed to all travelers who come to Germany via a national border. According to the information, this regulation also applies to passengers in train and bus traffic.

Update from February 28, March 18: A Eurocity of the Austrian Federal Railway (ÖBB) was also suspected of being coronavirus. You can read how an affected passenger experienced the trip from the colleagues at von ovb-online.de*.

Corona virus alarm: Deutsche Bahn is preparing for an emergency

5.42 p.m .: Deutsche Bahn is preparing for a corona virus outbreak in Germany or wants to do everything possible to prevent it. In a current warning message, the company writes on its website that it recommends the procedure of the German Robert Koch Institute: Handkerchiefs should be disposed of quicklyn and hands are washed regularly and for at least 20 seconds. In addition, in the case of coughing and sneezing, the mouth and nose should be covered with a bent elbow or tissue.The train asks to refrain from shaking hands or touching its own face.

If a corona is suspected, the victim will be affectedTrain area blocked and professionally cleaned. Passengers are also informed that they should leave their contact details so that the authorities can contact them if necessary. The first priority is to get the sick person to the next appropriate stop Rescue workers to hand over and ensure medical care. There was little risk of infection for passengers who were more than a meter away from the sick person.

Ticket holders of events canceled due to coronavirus can use their Cancel tickets free of chargethe company said.

3.35 p.m .: That of the Federal Minister of the Interior Seehofer and Federal Minister of Health Spahn The crisis team launched deals with the dissemination of the Corona virus also with the international tourism fair ITB, which should start on March 4th in Berlin. At this fair you have to Health protection and weigh economic interests against each other. In case of doubt, health protection will always be given priority, says Seehofer.

The Federal Minister of the Interior told the Wirtschaftswoche “I personally believe that it should not be carried out”. However, the final decision, which is to be made on Friday on the recommendation of the crisis team, rests with the State of Berlin. Which measures may be taken in a specific case regulates the Infection Protection Act.

In the United States, the fear of the coronavirus is spreading faster than the disease itself. Some US stars are now taking drastic measures to avoid becoming infected. Meanwhile, an expert on Maybrit Illner’s (ZDF) coronavirus talk was losing patience.

Corona virus in Germany: Spahn and Seehofer set up crisis management team – “beginning of an epidemic”

2:11 p.m .: Federal Minister of HealthJens Spahn and Federal Interior Minister Horts Seehofer have one due to the current situation corona-Crisis team set up. This has the goal of Corona virus in Germany as far as possible and to protect the population as much as possible.

Spahn identified the early identification of corona-Cases to spread the virus to slow down. The core of the new Infections in Germany it would still not have been possible to find it. Already on Wednesday evening Spahn said: “We are at the beginning of one epidemic in Germany”. With this formulation he wanted to prepare the population according to his own statements.

Corona virus in Germany: Seehofer and Spahn provide information – situation “significantly aggravated”

Federal Interior Minister Seehofer also called for better controls when entering Germany. The authorities are taking away because of the increased occurrence corona-Overview of events happening when entering Germany: People who come to Germany by bus or train, for example, should fill out special “drop-out cards”, said Seehofer on Thursday in Berlin. This is to ensure that those who have come in when a corona-If can be contacted.

The situation has “worsened significantly,” said Seehofer. The interior minister stressed that it was an “incipient epidemic” and added: “There will also be a further upward trend.”

9.41 a.m .: Virologists are now also urgently warning of a further spread of the Corona virus. Jonas Schmidt chanasite, virologist at the University of Hamburg, it is unlikely that the spread of the virus can still be stopped in Germany. Across from Bild.de (behind the payment barrier) Prof. Rolf Hilgenfeld, Director of the Institute for Biochemistry at the University of Lübeck, also confirmed this assessment. According to Schmidt-Chanasit, only that is currently the case tip of the iceberg visible because probably many people carry the virus without showing any symptoms. Harvard epidemiologist Pablo Salazar told Zeit Online: “If the virus is transmitted very easily and mostly goes undetected, there is probably not much we can do – even in countries that are well prepared for outbreaks.”

Coronavirus: virologist warns of spread – a pandemic could occur

Experts are concerned about the fact that countries such as Thailand or Combodia with a lot of direct contact with China have shown few infections Time online keep writing. This could be an indication that there are already more infection chains than known. Zeit Online describes three scenarios: It could become one pandemic come, in which 60 to 80 percent of the world population infect hundreds of thousands would die. The second option: that virus could eventually run away because more people overcome the disease than reinfect it. The third – and currently probably the most realistic scenario – is for Gérard Krause, Head of Epidemiology at the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research, that the virus will behave like normal flu with seasonal fluctuations.

Update from February 27, 6:38 a.m .: Minister of Health Jens Spahn chose drastic words about that Corona virus. Germany is “at the beginning of a coronavirus epidemic,” he said in Berlin on Wednesday. He called to the citizens alertness on, but warned at the same time Scaremongering. “We recommend the population not to suspect a corona infection after every cough.”

Spahn, however, explicitly asked the citizens “that you should be yours Family doctor Call and clarify treatment if fever, cough, or shortness of breath develop within 14 days of traveling to areas where infections have occurred – or if you have had contact with people who have been in these areas ”. Spahn got his call on Wednesday Crisis meeting discussed with representatives of the medical profession, hospitals, health insurance companies, pharmacies and nursing associations. It was agreed that “it is now better to test the virus once more than once too little”.

Corona virus in Germany: Minister of Health Spahn chooses clear words

Announcement of origin from February 26th

Berlin / Düsseldorf / Stuttgart – At various press conferences, authorities swore on Wednesday that people in Germany should remain calm. The situation regarding the coronavirus * is currently under control – the infected people are isolated, possible distribution channels are being analyzed and contact persons are being identified and – if necessary – placed under domestic quarantine.

The big advantage is that one does not have to deal with unrecognized circulating infection chains, but with individual cases, the distribution of which could be traced.

But even if panic and fear are certainly not good advice, some experts paint a picture that makes you listen. So points Karl Lauterbach, health expert of the SPD, for three weak points in the German health care system: