Category: Feature Stories

The omicron variant continues to gain ground worldwide. A study now shows how long Coronaviruses in the air are really contagious. It is easier to become infected with the coronavirus indoors than outdoors. Aerosols play a major role in its spread. However, many infected people do not know where exactly they became infected. “But it is known that unventilated indoor spaces are certainly the pandemic driver, when many people gather in them, celebrate together,” explains aerosol expert Gerhard Scheuch in the ntv podcast “Wieder was gelernt.” According to a study…

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Some changes are in store for vaccination certificates, Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein said Wednesday. For example, booster vaccination will be possible as early as three months after the second vaccination. On Feb. 1, about 550,000 vaccination certificates of twice-vaccinated people will also expire. Lockdown for unvaccinated endsBeginning Feb. 1, the minimum legal interval between 2nd and 3rd vaccination will be reduced from 120 days to 90 days. However, the recommendation of the National Immunization Panel continues to be that the 3rd vaccination be given no earlier than four months after…

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Omicron is just spreading across Europe, and a sub-variant is already emerging. BA.2 is active primarily in Denmark. Omicron, scientifically known as BA.1, dominates worldwide, but now a subspecies has emerged. The “little sister” of the omicron variety called BA.2 has already appeared in several European countries, including the UK and Denmark. The new virus type has also arrived sporadically in Austria, apparently spreading even faster than Omicron. It is still unclear where the new sub-variant originated, as cases are also being reported from India. RESEARCHERS OBSERVE OMICRON SUBVARIANTMedical researchers…

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As of Feb. 1, the determining factor for travel in the EU should no longer be how strong the infection incidence is in the country of departure. Instead, greater attention is to be paid to vaccination, testing or recovery certificates. In the future, a valid EU Corona certificate will be more important for travel in the EU than the level of infection in the country of departure. The EU states agreed on Tuesday that from February 1, it should no longer be decisive where a trip starts – but whether…

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There may be an end to the acute phase of the Corona pandemic in 2022 in the eyes of the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) – and with an international show of force. WHO: endemic start unclearAmong other things, that would require closing vaccination gaps in poorer countries and more testing, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Monday at a WHO Executive Board meeting in Geneva. Difference between Omicron and DeltaOmicron “creates a credible hope for stabilization and normalization,” WHO regional chief for Europe Hans Kluge said Monday. This variant…

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Covid vaccines work very well against severe courses and deaths, and the booster does even better, new data from vaccinated and unvaccinated people in Austria illustrate. Three doses provide 99.2 percent effectiveness against deaths compared to unvaccinated. After two partial vaccinations, the figure is 92.6 percent, with a decline in protection against infection observed in the fall, the analysis by Gesundheit Österreich GmbH (GÖG) shows. “The result for Austria is in line with other international studies,” emphasized Lukas Rainer of GÖG. However, the data refer mainly to the delta variant.…

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Frankfurt researchers have identified a possible cause of milder disease courses in the omicron variant of the corona virus. Cell experiments have shown that Omicron is particularly sensitive to the so-called interferon response in humans compared to the predecessor variant Delta, the University Hospital in Frankfurt reported. Interferons are part of the immune system. The Frankfurt researchers, together with a team from the British University of Kent, published their findings in the journal Cell Research. “Apparently, unlike Delta, Omicron cannot prevent the affected cells from producing and secreting interferon,” Martin…

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Parsley, cress, dill & co. – herbs are more than just a spice and a nice topping on a meal. They are also very healthy in their own right. “Herbs score with secondary plant compounds as well as vitamins and minerals,” says Silke Restemeyer of the German Nutrition Society (DGE). You should consume them as often as possible in good doses – ideally with a balanced diet. Secondary plant substances can have an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect in the body or even lower blood pressure. Last but not least, the…

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Breastfeeding is probably not a risk factor for newborns, according to a recent U.S. study. Although this study allowed genetic material of the coronavirus to be found in the breast milk of infected mothers, the virus does not appear to be infectious, according to an analysis of breast milk samples from 110 breastfeeding women. Of the study participants, 65 tested positive for coronavirus, and nine had symptoms but a negative test result. Thirty-six women reported symptoms but were not tested.As the researchers led by Paul Krogstad of the University of…

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