Category: Feature Stories

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended approval of a CoV drug from AstraZeneca to protect at-risk patients who cannot be vaccinated from infection. The Committee for Human Medicines recommended marketing authorization for Evusheld “to prevent covid-19 in adults and adolescents aged 12 years and over and weighing 40 kilograms or more”, the agency said today. Evusheld consists of two synthetic antibodies that can dock to different sides of the coronavirus spike protein. In making its decision, the EMA pointed to a study of 5,000 adults whose risk of infection…

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Even in Corona times, tuberculosis remains one of the deadliest infectious diseases in the world. Especially given the pandemic, he said that urgent investment in the fight against it is crucial. 3 million tuberculosis deaths since the beginning of the pandemic A sharp 24 percent drop in registered tuberculosis cases in the WHO European Region between 2019 and 2020 is likely to be related to the Corona pandemic, which has hampered the detection and reporting of such diseases, the European Office of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the EU…

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A new study shows that a corona pandemic broke out in East Asia 20,000 years ago. In a recent study, researchers from the University of Arizona explained that many Asian people could trace their ancestry back to people who survived a Corona pandemic over 20,000 years ago. The scientists discovered that studying descendants‘ genomes can reveal information going back tens of thousands of years. As “DocCheck” explains, the term genome refers to the “totality of all genes” contained in “a complete set of chromosomes.“ Genomes reveal data thousands of years…

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By now, everyone probably knows someone who has or had Corona. In the last 24 hours, more than 34,000 new infections were counted again. The currently rampant Omicron variant BA.2 is characterized by high infectivity but comparatively with mild course of the disease. This can lead to re-infection within a short time after overcoming an infection. How is this possible? “The problem lies in the mucosal surface,” says the expert. The coronavirus enters the body via the respiratory tract, i.e., the nose or mouth, and attaches itself to the mucosal…

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No more quarantine, but “traffic restrictions”: No visits to restaurants, fitness clubs, events – Even visits to hospitals remain prohibited. As of Monday, all contacts without complete Corona immunization no longer have to go into quarantine. Instead, “traffic restrictions” now apply to those affected: An FFP2 mask must be worn when in contact with other people, even outdoors. Visits to establishments where this is impossible, such as restaurants or fitness clubs, are prohibited. But visits to health facilities are also restricted. The government announced the step last Tuesday, but the…

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Unusually high temperatures have been recorded in the east of Antarctica in recent days, which experts say were more than 30 degrees Celsius higher than usual for the time of year. The Dome Concordia research station at an altitude of 3,000 meters registered a “heat” record of minus 11.5 degrees Celsius on Friday, meteorologist Etienne Kapikian of Météo-France announced on Twitter on Saturday. Typically, temperatures in Antarctica drop as summer ends in the southern hemisphere. The Dumont d’Urville station recorded a record temperature of 4.9 degrees Celsius for March. The…

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When the days start to get longer again and the first blossoms sprout, spring is just around the corner when the trees begin to bear their first tender green leaves. On the one hand, there is the official beginning of spring. Although it does not strictly adhere to the calendar, this is often referred to as the calendrical beginning of spring. It should be called the astronomical beginning of spring because, in principle, it is based directly on the earth’s position about the sun and is, therefore, by definition, very…

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It was a loud signal that the Austrian pop scene gave on Saturday for the war victims in Ukraine at the benefit concert in Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium. More than 40,000 fans of known Austrian pop singers attended the benefit concert. They consequently also listened to Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, who thanked them for their willingness to help. Van der Bellen: “This war must be stopped!” “Together we are sending a strong signal for peace, for democracy, a strong signal of solidarity with Ukraine, which was attacked by…

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A previously unknown variant of coronavirus has emerged in Israel. It combines the omicron variant BA.1 and the even more contagious subtype BA.2 but does not appear to cause severe symptoms, the Ministry of Health announced today. The new variant was discovered by PCR testing in two arrivals at Tel Aviv’s airport. Those affected had a fever, headache, and muscle pain but did not require special medical care. According to Israel’s coronavirus adviser, Salman Zarka, combining two virus variants is common. “At this stage, we are not worried that the…

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