Disease description:

The lung disease, which appeared for the first time in China at the end of 2019, is commonly known as Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The virus that caused the disease, is known as Sars-CoV-2. SARS stands for “Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome”.

Coronaviruses were first identified in the mid-1960s and can infect humans or animals. Some variations of the coronavirus that previously infected animals exclusively can cross over to humans, spread and lead to severe illnesses.

The incubation period (the time between infection and outbreak of the disease) is currently estimated at 5 to 6 days on average. People who have been infected with the new coronavirus are contagious during the incubation period before the first symptoms appear.

There are no “typical” symptoms that clearly identify COVID-19. The symptoms and their severity vary from person to person. Since COVID-19 primarily affects the respiratory tract, the most common symptoms are similar to other respiratory diseases such as the flu or common cold: cough, fever, runny or stuffy nose, smell and taste disturbances, discomfort and fatigue.

Other COVID-19 symptoms may include sore throat, shortness of breath, headache and aching limbs, loss of appetite, weight loss, nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea. These initial signs of illness should not be underestimated, because in particularly severe cases, those affected will develop lung inflammation, excessive immune reactions or persistent breathing difficulties and have to receive intensive medical treatment in hospital.

Unfortunately, there is hardly any treatment or medication in western medicine that specifically targets the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Nevertheless, Western medicine is very good at diagnosis and is the better choice in the case of severe pneumonia, acute respiratory failure, sepsis and where ventilators are needed.