Outbreak of a new Coronavirus in Wuhan / China at the beginning of 2020
In the central Chinese city of Wuhan, there has been in the beginning of 2020 an extraordinary accumulation of pneumonia. These are caused by a previously unknown coronavirus (first called SARS-CoV-2, later renamed to Covid-19).

Whether this pathogen appeared for the first time (at a fish market in Wuhan, escaped from the class 4 biosecurity laboratory located in the same city or originated from a complete another source ) is not known with certainty.

Short background Infos to Covid-19 Coronavirus / Coronaviridae
Coronaviridae belong to the enveloped viruses and are therefore not particularly resistant to disinfectants.

Sanosil Disinfectants S003, SanoClean AR, S006, S010 and S015 are effective against Coronavirus

The Coronaviridae are a virus family within the order Nidovirales. Their representatives cause very different diseases in different vertebrates such as mammals, birds and fish. Coronaviruses are genetically highly variable, and individual virus species can infect several host species by crossing the species barrier.

Such species transitions have led to infections in humans with, among other things, the SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) – the pathogen that caused the 2002/2003 SARS pandemic – and the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), which appeared in 2012.

How can the CoVid-19 virus be destroyed?
Corona viruses are very sensitive. Disinfectants with at least 60% alcohol or 0.5% hydrogen peroxide have a clear effect. It is important to use the product for surface disinfection or hand disinfection according to the product recommendations. Sanosil disinfectants for the spray and wipe disinfection of surfaces and contact points such as door traps, handrails, lift buttons etc. as well as alcoholic preparations for hand disinfection are suitable for this purpose.

CROWD DISINFECTION: Concept to etablish advanced hygiene and disinfection in a office building.

Hand washing and hand disinfection against Coronavirus

Frequent hand washing and hand disinfection are the most common and very effective virus disinfection methods.

Standard hand rub procedure is recommended in this process. Although warm water doesn’t have an effect on the virus, it does help with melting the soap which then kills the virus.

On the other hand, there are sanitizers – alcohol rich hand disinfectants virus cannot survive. Some of them have skin nourishing and moisturising substances that prevent skin from drying out. Above mentioned – RapidS Mano is the right example for such hand disinfectant product!

Hand hygiene is required, but sometimes not enough. Especially if the work environment needs to be disinfected too. In those cases surface disinfectants are the right choice. They can be spread with foggers and sprayers or applied indirectly with cloth/cleaning rag. Surface disinfectant – S003 Sanosil is a hydrogen peroxide based product stabilized with silver. The formula makes S003 universal disinfectant with long-lasting depot effect.

Coronaviruses and respiratory masks: what do they really do?

Basically, a distinction must be made between a „proper“ breathing mask, e.g. filter class P3, and a mouth and nose protection mask (also known as an operating or surgical  mask).

  • P3 breathing masks fit snugly around the nose and mouth.  They often have an exhalation valve to protect against excessive soaking. These masks provide ACTIVE protection against virus-containing droplets by trapping the aerosols before they enter the airways. However, only if tightly fitting glasses are worn at the same time to protect the eyes. Such protective masks are necessary if you have to go near sick people (e.g. hospital staff). The protection provided by the breathing mask is only guaranteed if you change diligently and keep your hands clean at the same time.
  • Surgical masks do NOT protect 100% against pathogenic aerosols, as they do not seal tightly.  However, they are not completely useless: many infections with viruses (flu and corona viruses) occur by touching contaminated surfaces such as handles, lift buttons, ATM keyboards, etc. and then reaching into the mouth, nose or eyes. – According to studies, this happens up to 26 times per hour. A mask forms a physical barrier and can thus prevent this path of infection. In addition, a surgical mask protects the surrounding area if a patient wears one, as the aerosols are severely restricted when sneezing and coughing.

WHO – Recommendations on COVID-19

Symptoms

The COVID-19 virus can have different effects on different people. Most infected people develop mild to moderate symptoms and recover without hospitalisation.

Most common symptoms:
Fever
Dry cough
Fatigue

Less common symptoms:
Pain in the limbs
Sore throat
Diarrhoea
Conjunctivitis
Headache
loss of sense of taste or smell
Discolouration of fingers or toes or skin rash
Protect yourself and others around you by getting informed and taking appropriate precautions. Follow the recommendations of your local health authority.

Prevention:

How to prevent the spread of COVID-19:
Wash your hands frequently. Use soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitiser.
Keep a safe distance from people who cough or sneeze.
Wear a mask if you cannot keep a distance.
Do not touch the eyes, nose or mouth.
Cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, or cough or sneeze into the crook of your arm.
Stay at home if you feel sick.
Contact a doctor if you have a fever, cough or difficulty breathing.

Call the doctor’s office before you go to see them. Your doctor can then refer you to the right place more quickly. This will help protect you and prevent the spread of viruses and other infectious diseases.

Treatment

Masks
Masks can prevent the transmission of the virus from the person wearing the mask to other people. They are not complete protection against COVID-19 and should be used in addition to other measures such as safe distance and hand hygiene. Follow the recommendations of your local health authority.

Self-care
If you are ill, rest, drink plenty of fluids and eat nutritious food. Stay in a different room from your roommates and use a private bathroom if possible. Regularly clean and disinfect all surfaces you touch.

Maintain a healthy lifestyle at home. Eat healthy, get enough sleep, exercise and keep in touch with friends and family by phone or via the internet. Children need special attention and comfort from adults during these difficult times. As much as possible, maintain your normal daily routine with the usual activities.

Medical treatment
In such crisis situations, it is normal to feel sad, stressed or confused. Talking to friends or family members you trust can be helpful. If everything is getting too much for you, talk to a health professional or mental health counsellor.
Medical treatments
If you have only mild symptoms and do not otherwise suffer from any other illnesses, isolate yourself at home. Contact your doctor or call a telephone hotline for COVID-19 for advice.

Contact a doctor if you have a fever, cough or difficulty breathing. Call the doctor’s office first.

International: WHO

WHO has published an Emergency Global Supply Chain Sysetem (COVID-19) catalogue listing all medical devices, including personal protective equipment, medical equipment, medical consumables, single use devices, and laboratory and test-related devices, which may be requested through the COVID-19 Supply Portal.The catalogue representsan initial prioritized selection of items and are subject to constant reviw.

Daily report of the WHO about the international situation

For further informations about the international situation about CoVid-19 at covid report

Current information on vaccination against Covid-19
Swissmedic approved the second Covid 19 vaccine for Switzerland on 12 January 2021. For the Moderna vaccine, the Confederation has concluded a contract which guarantees Switzerland 7.5 million vaccine doses. The first delivery of vaccine doses will take place in January 2021.

In addition, Pfizer/BioNTech’s Comirnaty® vaccine has been licensed since 19 December 2020.

You can find out how an mRNA vaccine, such as the one from Pfizer/BioNTech or from Moderna, works in the film from Swissmedic.

Please check with your canton where you can get vaccinated. You can find a list of cantonal websites at http://www.bag-coronavirus.ch

Objectives of the Covid 19 vaccination

The majority of infected persons develop only mild symptoms or none at all. Nevertheless, some of the infected persons develop severe courses of the disease, especially those who are particularly at risk.

In about 15 percent of hospitalised patients, intensive hospital treatment is necessary. Approximately 1 percent of the known Covid 19 cases in the population die.

The goals of the Covid-19 vaccination are therefore:

Reduce severe disease progression and deaths.
Ensure health care.
Reduce the negative health, psychological, social and economic impacts of the Corona pandemic.

Who should get vaccinated?

According to the Covid 19 Vaccination Strategy, vaccination is prioritised for those most at risk (excluding pregnant women). Within the particularly at-risk group, further prioritisation is necessary. This is because in a first phase, not enough vaccine doses are available for all persons at particular risk.

The following persons will be given access to vaccination first:

Persons aged 75 years and older
Persons with chronic diseases at highest risk, regardless of age
Persons living in a nursing and old people’s home. Staff who are in contact with residents in retirement and nursing homes also have the opportunity to be vaccinated at the same time.

If you are one of the people with chronic diseases at highest risk: The doctor treating you will strongly recommend vaccination as soon as possible.

Followed by:

Persons between 65 to 74 years of age
Persons under 65 years of age and persons with chronic diseases who have not yet been vaccinated

After the persons at particular risk, vaccination will also be offered to the following target groups in the appropriate order.

Health care workers with patient contact / caregivers of persons particularly at risk
Close contacts (household members, caring relatives) of persons particularly at risk
Persons in community facilities with an increased risk of infection and outbreaks (e.g. homes for the disabled)

In the further course, vaccination will also be possible for adults who do not fall under the target groups mentioned above.

Vaccination of children is not yet planned. The relevant study data for these age groups are currently lacking.

Even if vaccination protects against disease, it is not yet clear whether it also protects against transmission of the coronavirus. For the time being, hygiene and behavioural rules remain important measures to protect oneself and others from the coronavirus.

Vaccinations are voluntary in Switzerland. There is no vaccination obligation for the Covid 19 vaccine. You can decide for yourself whether you want to be vaccinated.