Category: Feature Stories

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) preliminarily approved the first breath test for covid-19 infections a few days ago. Proteins present in the breath in the event of infection are used as markers. Accuracy is high, the U.S. agency wrote. “Today’s approval is just one additional example of the rapid innovations in diagnostic tests for Covid-19, and FDA will continue to support the development of new Covid-19 tests. The goal is technological advances that can better address the current pandemic and put the U.S. in a better position for…

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More than 18 million doses of vaccine against coronavirus have been vaccinated in Austria to date. Nearly 5.43 million doses have been donated to other countries. The expiration date has exceeded 390,602 doses in the federal government’s possession (as of mid-April 2022). Of these, vector vaccines from manufacturers AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson accounted for a large proportion, the health ministry said as published by APA. However, these will not be destroyed “but stored in a manner appropriate to the product, since in some cases a retroactive extension of the…

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More women than men experience headaches 15 days or more a month. According to a study, more than half of the world’s population has recurring headaches. Women are more likely to be affected by migraines than men. Many people suffer from headaches, hammers, stings, drones, and squeeze. Researchers have now found that one in six people has a headache every day. About half of them have migraines. Scientists analyzed 357 studies published between 1961 and the end of 2020. By analyzing the studies, the researchers were able to examine how…

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BA.4 and BA.5 – the World Health Organization is now monitoring these two new omicron subtypes. What we know so far about the new variants. Since the pandemic began, new variants have continued to emerge. The World Health Organization (WHO) has added Omicron subtypes BA.4 and BA.5 to its monitoring of Omicron variants. Along with Delta, Omicron continues to be classified as a “variant of concern.” Both subtypes were detected in South Africa and Botswana a few days ago. Initial positive tests have also been conducted in Denmark, Belgium, Germany,…

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A nice hot cup of tea sweetens many a morning or even a rainy day at home on the sofa. But what if things get hectic and the tea bag lingers in the cup much longer than intended in a rush? Leaving tea to be steep too long: harmful or harmless? Tea is said to be able to help not only in the prevention of cardiovascular disease but also in losing weight, at least supportive. Sometimes, however, we forget our freshly brewed hot beverage on the kitchen table for several…

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Summer is approaching: many people book their trips outside the country. But who pays the travel costs in case of a short-term corona infection? The Chamber of Labor of Upper Austria emphasizes that cancellation insurances cover the trip’s costs in case of corona illness. However, insurance companies remain vague about what happens in the event of a Corona infection on vacation and exactly what benefits are offered, the AK reported Wednesday. With Corona infection before the journey, insurance companies carry the costs The consumer protectors advise obtaining absolutely before booking…

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Asparagus is, without question, a popular seasonal vegetable. Less famous: the harsh smell that urine can give off after eating asparagus. Where does it come from, and can it be prevented? Strange urine smell after eating asparagus The typical smell of urine is the aspartic acid contained in asparagus, or more precisely: its sulfur-containing decomposition products. Sulfur is known to have an unpleasant odor. Therefore, it is not the asparagus that is to blame but rather an endogenous enzyme that breaks down the sulfur-containing substances of that aspartic acid. Not…

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With the outbreak of war in Ukraine, food costs continue to rise and reach new highs. In 2022, price increases come to a record 6.7 percent. Food is getting more expensive but not scarce According to Bank Austria, this year’s price increase is approaching the record level of 6.7 percent set in 2008. Low-income households are particularly affected. The war hardly threatens Austria’s food supply, but it strains food processors and raises consumer prices. A gas supply freeze would significantly hamper the industry. The rise in food prices nears record…

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Anyone who exceeds the speed limit only slightly has little or nothing to worry about. However, “slightly” depends on several factors—for example, the measuring device or the location of the offense. Measurement tolerance: a term that notorious speeders know from their penalty notices. But few people know how high this tolerance is or how much speeding goes unpunished. And we want to keep it that way, says Bernhard Knapp, head of the state traffic department: “We don’t want people to approach the tolerance level.” The danger, however, is small. The…

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