SARS-CoV-2 is an RNA virus belonging to the coronavirus family, which according to current knowledge (as of April 2020), was zoonotically transmitted to humans – just like the first SARS epidemic in 2002/2003. SARS-CoV-2 can trigger the respiratory tract disease called COVID-19.
Sepsis develops as a result of an infection when the immune response harms the body’s own tissues and organs. Without intensive care, sepsis is often fatal.
Seroprevalence is the frequency of specific antibodies in blood serum indicating an existing or past infectious disease. It is detected at a certain point in time in a defined group of people.
Smallpox is an infectious disease caused by viruses, which is highly contagious and life-threatening. The trigger is the variola virus. Thanks to worldwide vaccination campaigns, the world has been officially considered smallpox-free since 1980.
