Press release 20/2020 of the district of Märkisch-Oderland:
A young man and a young woman from Altlandsberg were diagnosed with Covid 19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 on Tuesday. Both fell ill about 6 days ago during their holiday in South Tyrol and returned in their private car at the weekend. They behaved in an exemplary manner and went into home isolation themselves in accordance with current recommendations and contacted Strausberg Hospital by telephone.
The smear test to clarify suspicions was carried out on Monday and the result was available on Tuesday evening.
The public health officer and head of the Märkisch-Oderland health authority, DM Steffen Hampel:
"Fortunately, both patients show mild symptoms and are in absolutely stable condition. The route of infection can be clearly traced back to Italy and, due to the exemplary behaviour of both patients, it cannot be assumed that other people are affected."
The public health department ordered home isolation for 14 days for both infected persons and the small number of contact persons.
Calling instead of coming
The Märkisch-Oderland public health department urges:
If you suspect that you have been infected with the coronavirus
, please remain calm. Do not go to your family doctor or hospital and do not call the emergency services!
The following procedure should be observed:
- Do not leave the house or flat for the time being. Until clarification, this also applies to flatmates in the household.
- Stop all avoidable contact with other people outside the household.
- telephone coordination with:
- the family doctor
- via the citizens' hotline of the Märkisch-Oderland Health Department (Monday-Friday 08.00-16.00 03346 / 850 6790
- or the medical on-call service 116 117
To protect against Covid-19 as well as the classic flu
applies:
- Refrain from greeting rituals with physical contact
- Keep your distance (1-2m)
- Cough or sneeze: towards the crook of your elbow or turn away ("cough etiquette")
- Do not put your hands in your face (infection route via the nasolacrimal duct)
- Wash and/or sanitise your hands more often
- Frequent ventilation to reduce the viral load
- During the peak of the epidemic: avoid crowds, public transport (if possible)
Mouth and nose protection for the private use of healthy
people is controversial, by the way, as it is often not used correctly (keyword: wearing method and time) and creates a false sense of security, so that hand washing is neglected.
When is there a reasonable suspicion?
A reasonable suspicion is said to exist if the symptoms typical of the disease are present and one of the following two criteria is met.
- There was contact with a confirmed case in the 14 days prior to the onset of symptoms.
- You have been in a risk area within the 14 days before the onset of symptoms.
If this is not the case, it is most likely not a coronavirus infection, but rather the flu or another cold.
Background:
The new coronavirus is a close "relative" of SARS, a virus that was epidemic in many countries in 2002/2003 and in some cases also led to severe respiratory illnesses. Two years ago, the annual real flu or influenza resulted in an estimated nine million influenza-related visits to the doctor and around 25,000 deaths in Germany (source: RKI). In this respect, proportionality to the current situation should always be taken into account.
Seelow, 11.03.2020