Category: Feature Stories

The new Omicron subvariant BA.2.75 has been given its own “nickname.” So far, however, little is known about the descendant of BA.2. Alpha, Delta, Omicron – and now Centaurus. The different coronavirus variants have all been given a Greek letter as their name after the wild type from Wuhan. However, not all of them were relevant until now because they did not catch on. The recently discovered Omicron subvariant BA.2.75 has also been given a name, albeit with a wink: Centaurus. The descendant of the Omicron sub-variant BA.2 may have…

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The number of people suffering from hunger worldwide continued to rise last year, according to United Nations (UN) estimates. Between 702 and 828 million people were affected by hunger in 2021, according to the annual report on the global supply situation, which was presented in New York on Wednesday. It said that that was about 46 million more than the previous year’s mean of 721 million. The challenges of ending hunger and malnutrition were growing, wrote several U.N. agencies, including UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Food and…

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Until now, antibody tests, unlike antigen tests, had to be performed in laboratories after a blood sample had been taken – including several days of waiting for the result. But Japanese experts have now developed a method in which antibodies against Sars-CoV-2 can be detected without taking any blood. This was reported this week by the German medical journal Ärzteblatt. Measuring 1.5 by 3.5 centimeters, the patch test / Image: Institute of Industrial Science, The University of TokyoExperts developed the rapid test at the University of Tokyo. This novel test…

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Vacations, summer vacation, and finally, breathing deeply are the motto of many people from Europe. However, the Corona virus does not take a break. Vacations at last, finally traveling again and enjoying the summer. But while we euphorically pack our bags, the Coronavirus continues to spread unchecked, and infection numbers are shooting through the roof across Europe. The best strategy is to know in which countries the 3G rule applies again and where you must wear an FFP2 mask. There is no vacation country where the entry for vaccination or…

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The variant has been detected in five countries—British health authority: No cause for concern yet. The series of bad news surrounding Corona refuses to stop: British researchers led by virologist Thomas Peacock have now expressed concern about a new Covid variant that has emerged in several countries worldwide. The strain, a descendant of Omikron, has been given the international classification BA.2.75 because it is a second generation of the BA.2 variant that caused a surge in Europe in late March. While the number of cases sequenced in laboratories is low…

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Plants like to align themselves with the sun – more light means more photosynthesis. When sunflowers grow up, they do the same. During the day, they move with the sun. So in the morning, they face east, where the sun rises. Throughout the day, they follow it across the south to the west in the evening. There the sun sets, the sunflower turns back to the east during the night, and the game starts the next day again. With “adult” sunflowers, i.e., when they have fully blossomed, things are different:…

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The five-day debates with around 7000 participants at the second United Nations Ocean Conference in Lisbon were in vain, according to the unanimous opinion of environmentalists. It was a “wasted opportunity,” criticized organizations such as WWF, BUND (Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland), and the aid organizations Misereor and Brot für die Welt at the end of the conference on Friday. Marine expert Till Seidensticker of Greenpeace Germany also expressed disappointment. He warned, “We are running out of time.” The conference was attended by some 30 heads of state and…

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The most significant wave of price increases since the 1970s is causing household problems. Especially when it comes to daily shopping, many have to turn over every euro twice. No wonder who buys food today pays around 9% more than one year ago. Especially oils and fats and meat have become more expensive, as has bread (see chart).So some increases can hardly be avoided, but it can be worthwhile, for example, to do without meat (in total +11.3%) at times. When it comes to fruit, there are sometimes significant differences:…

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With the action “climate month,” one receives a free month to purchase an Austria-wide climate ticket. When buying an Austria-wide climate ticket, you can use public transportation throughout Austria for thirteen months instead of twelve, starting at the beginning of the month. The “Climate Month” promotion is valid until December 2022. For customers who extend after one year, the action is valid until June 2023. According to Environment and Transport Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens), it is a “quick and uncomplicated protection against inflation.” The free month with the “climate month”…

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