Prevention
Find reliable information on how you can protect yourself against infection with the novel coronavirus and which previous illnesses are relevant.
The Corona-Warn-App is now also available to users from many other European countries. This allows people, who may only be in Germany temporarily, to use the app while in the country and thereby help interrupt infection chains. The Corona-Warn-App can now also be downloaded in all EU member states as well as Switzerland, Norway and the United Kingdom.
A home-made mask, also known as a non-medical mouth and nose mask or an everyday mask, can help to reduce the volume of droplets of saliva or respiratory secretions that reach other people when you breathe out, talk, sneeze or cough. However, they do not protect against infection with the novel coronavirus. The Länder have introduced rules on wearing non-medical mouth and nose masks, called everyday masks, when travelling on public transport and when shopping. Rules on wearing mouth and nose masks can differ from region to region, so please familiarise yourself with the rules that apply where you live. The following applies in all cases: Keep at least 1.5 metres away from others, practice good hand hygiene and adhere to sneezing and coughing etiquette. Please note: only FFP2 or FFP3 respirators (filtering face pieces) protect the wearer from infection with pathogens. Such masks are intended solely for medical staff and not for private individuals. Please do not purchase such respirators for private use.
To protect people at close proximity, the Länder have introduced rules on wearing non-medical mouth and nose masks, called community masks, when travelling on public transport and when shopping. Rules on wearing mouth and nose masks can differ from region to region, so please familiarise yourself with the rules that apply where you live. An everyday mask can help to contain droplets from saliva or respiratory secretions that are released when breathing out, speaking, sneezing or coughing, and prevent them from reaching other people. At all times, even if you wear a mouth and nose mask: Keep at least 1.5 metres away from others, practice good hand hygiene and adhere to sneezing and coughing etiquette. Please refrain from purchasing medical masks such as FFP 2 and FFP 3 masks for private use. These should be kept for medical staff only.
With effect from 27 April, the following applies: To stop the spread of the coronavirus, people must cover their mouth and nose from now on. In some Länder, failure to do so can lead to fines. Wearing a mouth and nose mask is not, however, necessary, if a doctor deems it is impractical to do so for medical reasons. If people with severe disabilities are not able to wear a mouth and nose mask, they should not expect to be fined. Their companion or carer must be able to substantiate any restrictions. A doctor’s note or a disability pass is helpful in such situations. The rules differ in some respects from state to state across the country, so please check what rules apply where you live. An overview of the rules in the various Länder can be found here.
There have recently been increasing speculation, especially on social media, as to whether wearing a mouth and nose mask, or everyday mask, is dangerous for children. Such speculation is often justified with the assumption that harmful carbon dioxide can collect under the mask and that this can result in respiratory paralysis, especially in children. This is not the case with ordinary mouth and nose masks made from textiles. What counts is that the wearer can breathe through the material and that carbon dioxide molecules cannot build up in the mask. A potential danger only arises with masks that tightly cover the whole face and hinder the exchange of air, for example certain types of snorkelling masks and other masks made of plastic if they are inappropriately used as mouth and nose masks. Children of pre-school age are largely excluded from the requirement to wear everyday masks. Please familiarise yourself with the requirements and age groups that apply in the area where you live.
Please make sure you follow the hygiene rules on changing and washing mouth and nose masks. Germs can collect and multiply in masks that have become wet.
When wearing an everyday mask, the general hygiene rules should be adhered to. That means washing your hands thoroughly with soap before you put the mask on and after you take it off. This can prevent viruses on the mask from getting on your hands and causing an infection.
The mouth and nose mask should cover both mouth and nose completely, and fit snugly around the edges to minimise the chance of air entering from the sides. If a mouth and nose mask becomes moist when worn, it should be changed immediately. As a general rule, it should be washed immediately after wear and kept in an airtight container until then. Ideally, mouth and nose masks should be washed at 95°C, but at least at 60°C. They must be left to dry completely before being used again.
Detailed instructions on using mouth and nose masks can be found here.
Home-made mouth and nose masks should be washed after each use, ideally at 95°C but at least at 60°C and thoroughly dried.
To protect people at close proximity, the Länder have introduced rules on wearing non-medical mouth and nose masks, called community masks, when travelling on public transport. This reduces the risk of infection and protects those around us. You should still avoid using public transport where possible. This is because the virus can spread especially quickly in public transport. Above all, trips during rush hour should be avoided. Rules on wearing mouth and nose masks can differ from region to region, so please familiarise yourself with the rules that apply where you live.
When travelling to work, switching to slow mode transportation is especially recommended (such as on foot or by bike or e-bike). If you are unable to avoid using public transport, keep your distance and observe coughing and sneezing etiquette – including when waiting at bus or tram stops and on railway station platforms, and practice good hand hygiene when your journey is complete. Moreover, it is currently not possible to buy your ticket from the driver; instead passengers should buy their tickets either at the automatic ticket machines, the ticket offices, or using a smartphone app.
The Robert Koch Institute recommends wearing a face mask (“community mask”) in public in specific situations. Covering the nose and mouth can intercept infectious droplets expelled, for instance, when speaking, coughing or sneezing. This helps to reduce the risk of infecting other people. Various manufacturers currently advertise the use of visors in place of non-medical face masks. However, the RKI does not recognise the use of visors as a comparable alternative to the non-medical face mask, since at best it intercepts droplets hitting the visor straight on.
Protection and hygiene
In public, wherever possible, keep a minimum distance of 1.5 metres from others.
Everyone can contribute to containing the further spread of the novel coronavirus by following the rules summed up by the DHM formula: Maintain a distance (at least 1.5 metres), adhere to hygiene rules (proper coughing and sneezing, washing hands) and, where there is little room, wear a non-medical face mask (community mask). This is necessary to protect risk groups and minimise the strain on hospitals. People are still being urged to reduce the number of people with whom they are in personal contact as far as possible.
Through the restrictions to date, it has been possible to slow down the rate of infection in Germany. Without restrictions, this would very quickly increase again. That is why the successes attained over the last few weeks must be safeguarded and why the measures to limit social contact must continue to apply. The effectiveness of the measures taken is being monitored on an ongoing basis. New rules may still be required. Please check what regulations apply in your area.
Yes, violations against the restrictions are being monitored and penalised by law enforcement. The Protection Against Infection Act (Infektionsschutzgesetz) provides for fines of up to 25,000 euros. In more serious cases, imprisonment is possible. Please pay attention to the regulations that apply within the individual Laender.
The Federal Government’s recommendation on general contact restrictions continues to apply. The details of contact restrictions are decided by the German states (Länder). You can find information among other places on the websites of each of the Länder. An overview is available here: https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/themen/coronavirus/corona-bundeslaender-1745198.
The most important and effective measure to protect yourself and others from infection is to follow the rules of conduct summed up by the DHM formula: Maintain a distance (at least 1.5 metres), observe the hygiene rules (proper coughing, sneezing and washing hands) and, where there is little room, wear a non-medical face mask (community mask). This reduces the risk of infection and protects others who may be nearby. Tips on hygiene and hand hygiene are available here. The Länder have introduced rules on wearing non-medical mouth and nose masks, called everyday masks, when travelling on public transport and when shopping. Rules on wearing mouth and nose masks can differ from region to region, so please familiarise yourself with the rules that apply where you live.
With every respiratory infection, it is particularly important to adhere to the relevant protective measures: staying at home, keeping a distance of 1.5 metres to other people. In addition, you are required to follow the hygiene rules (coughing and sneezing etiquette, washing hands). If you fear that you may have been infected with the novel coronavirus and are showing symptoms, phone your doctor, who will then assess whether you are likely to have a COVID-19 infection.
Alternatively, call the out-of-hours patient care services by dialling 116 117. If you have had personal contact with a person who was laboratory-confirmed as having the novel coronavirus, get in touch with your local public health office immediately, regardless of symptoms. If you have a confirmed case of novel coronavirus infection, your public health office will tell you what else you need to do so as to protect others.
It is important for us all to interrupt infection chains wherever possible. This is the only way that the healthcare system can deal with the challenges faced. This is why everyone should restrict the amount of contact they have with other people. By adhering to DHM formula each and everyone can do their part to slow the further spread of the novel coronavirus: Maintain a distance (at least 1.5 metres), observe the hygiene rules (proper coughing and sneezing etiquette, washing hands) and, where there is little room, wear a non-medical face mask (community mask). A meeting’s location is also important – there is a lower risk of infection outside than in an enclosed space. Appeal to your friends to be reasonable in these extraordinary times. The Federal Government’s recommendation on general contact restrictions continues to apply. The details of contact restrictions are decided by the German states (Länder). You can find information among other places on the websites of each of the Länder. An overview is available here: https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/themen/coronavirus/corona-bundeslaender-1745198.
If you have had personal contact with a person who has a laboratory-confirmed infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, get in touch with your local public health office immediately, regardless of symptoms. You can find out which public health office is responsible for you here.
The Länder are free to determine the conditions under which they allow private meetings to take place. In enclosed spaces, hygiene and distancing rules should be observed and sufficient ventilation provided. Regulations may differ from region to region, so please familiarise yourself with the rules in the place where you are. You can find information among other places on the websites of each of the German states. An overview is available here:
https://www.bundesregierung.de/breg-de/themen/coronavirus/corona-bundeslaender-1745198
In private circles, hand disinfectants are generally not necessary unless someone is infected with the novel coronavirus. Here, it is more important to wash your hands regularly with soap and to make sure that towels, toothbrushes, cutlery and the like are not shared with other family members or flatmates. Please adhere to the hygiene rules and practice the coughing and sneezing etiquette.
No, they do not. Antibiotics have no effect on viruses; they are only effective against bacterial infections. Covid-19 is caused by a virus and therefore antibiotics do not work. Antibiotics should not be used as a means of prevention or treatment for Covid-19. They should only be used when prescribed by a doctor to treat a bacterial infection.
To find out, please contact your doctor’s practice by phone and find out how to proceed.
Information on COVID-19, for instance regarding the required hygiene measures, can be found on this website.
A lot of physical activity in the open air and a balanced diet can help to strengthen your immune system. Further information can be obtained here. If you do sports outside, please heed the local regulations and adhere to the rules of conduct summarised by the DHM formula: Maintain a distance of at least 1.5 metres, follow hygiene rules (proper coughing and sneezing etiquette, washing hands) and, when there is little space, wear a community mask. Further tips on how best to stay fit can be found here.
Information for risk groups
Using existing data, it has been possible to identify a series of risk factors that have statistically resulted in a severe progression. Known risk factors include high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus and chronic lung diseases. However, the fact that you suffer from one of these diseases does not automatically mean that the progression of an infection must necessarily be severe. These statements on pre-existing conditions and their relevance as risk factors are, inherently, mathematical statements of probabilities and do not permit direct conclusions to be drawn for any individual situation. Please contact your doctor if you have further questions.
Not every infection with the novel coronavirus among people with pre-existing conditions becomes more serious. The statements on pre-existing conditions representing additional risk factors are based primarily on mathematical statements on probabilities. The risk factors include pre-existing cardiovascular diseases and those of the lung, liver, as well as diabetes and cancer. A diminished immune system due to medication (such as cortisone), obesity and lungs affected by smoking also constitute risk factors. Some risk factors can also mutually exacerbate one another. This means that older people with pre-existing conditions and other risk factors need to pay particular attention to avoid infection. By following the DHM formula (keep a distance, respect the hygiene rules and, where there is little space, wear a non-medical face mask or “community mask”), everyone can do their part to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. If you have questions regarding your own symptoms, please contact your doctor.
More information can be found in the article entitled Ältere Menschen sowie Menschen mit Vorerkrankungen müssen sich besonders schützen (English translation: older people as well people with pre-existing conditions must protect themselves especially).
Cancer patients belong in the risk group because of their prior medical condition. Their personal circumstances can differ significantly, however. Patients who take immune-suppressing medication can be at greater risk of becoming seriously ill if they become infected with Covid-19. They should contact their oncologist to discuss their specific situation.
The following applies for people in the risk group: Keep at least 1.5 metres away from others, practice good hand hygiene and adhere to sneezing and coughing etiquette. Wearing a community mask in public spaces is also recommended. You can minimise your personal risk this way. Contact your doctor about other steps you can take.
No, an influenza vaccination has no effect on how an infection with the novel coronavirus will proceed. The influenza vaccination can, however, lower the risk of influenza, which can help decrease the strain on the healthcare system.
Regular visits to old-age and nursing homes by a specified contact person will in future be permitted, so long as there are no active Covid-19 cases within the facility. This is meant to prevent visitors from transmitting the novel coronavirus to residents. Owing to their age and possible pre-existing conditions, the elderly are at an especially high risk of becoming seriously ill. This is why it is also important in old-age and nursing homes to observe the minimum safety distance from others while following good hand hygiene and proper sneezing and coughing etiquette.
So far, findings do not show pregnant women as being either at a higher risk of infection or at a higher risk of a severe progression.