So you are coughing, you have temperature and other symptoms which make you believe you might be infected with the Coronavirus? You have been to a risk region or in contact with someone who is infected? And you are in Germany? This is what you can do.
Three things are important now: Remain calm, do not infect others and call your doctor on the phone. One of the most important things is not to visit any general practitioner or other doctor, at least not before talking to them about it first.
Phone Numbers to Call
In case you are not sure where to go, there are hotlines you can call. Chances are someone there will speak English. Just ask for someone who does. These are numbers you can call:
Nationwide Coronavirus emergency numbers:
Hotline run by Germany’s health insurances: 116117
Hotline run by Ministry of Health: 030-346465 100
Ambulance (and fire department): 112
Coronavirus hotlines in federal states:
Schleswig-Holstein: 0431-797 000 01
Hamburg: 040-428 284 000
Lower Saxony: 0511-450 5555
Bremen: 115
Berlin: 030-9028 2828 (from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.)
Brandenburg: 0331-8683 777 (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.)
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: 0385-588 5888
North Rhine-Westphalia: 0211-9119 1001 (8 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
Saarland: 0681 501 4422 (Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
Hesse: 0800-5554666
Baden-Württemberg: 0711-904 39555 (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
Bavaria: 09131-6808 5101
(Call one of the nationwide numbers in case your federal state is not listed.)
Several hospitals in Germany’s large cities have Coronavirus emergency admissions and testing facilities. But going there without talking to a doctor or another expert first is risky. For instance, you might pass on the infection to others on the way, in case you are actually infected. Talking to a doctor or expert first always makes sense.
Symptoms and Indications
In case your doctor, or the expert you talk to, have reason to believe you are actually infected with the Coronavirus, and if you do not feel well, they might send you a special ambulance for Coronavirus patients.
Generally speaking, just having a runny nose, a cough, a soar throat and a headache does not necessarily mean you are infected with Corona. If you recently returned from a high risk country or if you have been in contact with someone who tested positive, you actually might be infected. In case you have breathing problems as well, you should call one of those phone numbers immediately.
When am I a suspected Coronavirus case?
> When I have symptoms, including coughing and temperature, AND if I was in a high risk region or country within the past two weeks OR if I was in contact with someone who is infected.
Help During Quarantine
As a suspected case without symptoms or with moderate ones, you might be quarantined in your home for 14 days. This kind of measure is designed to break infection chains. Thousands of individuals in Germany are in this kind of situation. You will need someone who buys food for you and delivers it to your door.
You will find a way to pay that person. Do it online, via Paypal or bank transfer. That way you do not have to pay your helper in cash and infect him or her with those bills you touched. Do not greet that person at the door, do not shake hands. He or she should just leave the shopping bags in front of the door, without any direct contact.
In case you do not have anyone to help you, ask a colleague. Also there are supermarket chains that deliver groceries.
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