Category: Feature Stories

Since Omicron has been challenging to avoid a Corona infection despite immunization and preventive measures, many catch the virus several times, while others are spared. But what is the reason for this? Researchers are finding a surprising answer. Since the beginning of the year, the Omicron variant has caused several infections. The disease risk has never been as high as in the current wave. Despite vaccination and boosters, more and more people are contracting covid – often for the second or third time. But some seem to be unaffected by…

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According to experts, we humans feed ourselves with too much protein. As a result, our excretions in bodies of water cause a significant environmental problem. This is because human urine leads to a higher nitrogen input. Humans feed on proteins to a large extent. After all, along with fats and carbohydrates, these form the most critical components of the food we need to live. In addition, protein-rich food provides energy and is involved in numerous biochemical processes of the body in the form of cell building blocks and transport substances.…

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A U.S. finding gives researchers hope for a universal vaccine against Omicron and future variants. Since its first appearance just over two and a half years ago in Wuhan, China, the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has developed new mutations. More infectious viral variants have become prevalent. However, vaccines and therapeutic antibodies predominantly target earlier strains of the coronavirus. The currently circulating variant BA.5, for example, seems to be able to evade immune protection particularly well. Experts are therefore hoping for a vaccine that is effective against all previous – and especially future…

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For months, more and more Austrians have been ordering parcels, the practical delivery to the doorstep is popular – plus 30 percent recorded, for example, the post office in the previous year. However, the delivery boom is also prompting fraudsters to invent new scams. Identity theft, in particular, is affecting more and more people. “Cases have exploded recently,” says Martin Heimhilcher, head of the Information and Consulting division at the Vienna Chamber of Commerce. However, not the parcel services or online stores are the fraudsters, but criminals who order parcels…

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The WWF writes this in its report “The Big Throwaway” that million tons of food end up in the garbage can in Austria every year. That’s equivalent to one-fifth of our current food consumption of 55 million tons per year. This figure also includes fruit and vegetable peelings and meat and fish bones. But even if you exclude this waste, 10 million tons of food waste could be avoided today. Most of the food we waste is in our households: Of the seven million tons we throw in the trash…

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Many have their summer vacation behind them, but for many, the (foreign) vacation is still to come. What those affected need to know now. At the beginning of August, France became the (almost) last European country to lift covid-related entry rules – only in Monaco is 3G proof still mandatory. Thus, for the first time in over two years, travel is possible again as it was before the pandemic. Protective measures have also been largely lifted or relaxed across Europe. “However, many differences in the corona measures apply locally. It…

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Vacation has many facets, whether on the beach, in the mountains, or unfamiliar cities. The decisive factor is the change of scenery from everyday stress and the recreational effect. The way vacation time can influence health was most recently examined in a Finnish study. In the “Helsinki Businessmen Study,” scientists looked at, among other things, the extent to which the length of vacation can affect health. A total of 1,222 middle-aged male executives took part in the study. They had at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease and were…

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In more and more countries, two and a half years after the pandemic outbreak, mandatory quarantine is now being lifted and replaced by voluntary isolation. In Austria, only a traffic restriction currently applies; infected persons are allowed to take part in everyday life wearing a mask and take a five-day break from it, provided no more symptoms appear. But how long could they – theoretically – infect others? The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its recommendations on this question. The experts advise infected people to…

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Due to its distinctive taste, ginger enjoys great popularity and is used in the kitchen in many ways. Fresh or dried, the ginger root is used for preparing tea, smoothies, Asian dishes, or as a candied sweet. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) originates from the Far East, although the closer origin is unclear. The herbaceous plant is cultivated mainly in China, West Africa, South America, and Australia. Due to the long leaves, the ginger plant has a reed-like appearance and can reach a growth height of 150 cm. Up to 500 ingredients…

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