Category: Feature Stories

The Corona pandemic has led to a significant increase in waste generation worldwide. Plastic packaging in particular has increased as a result of the epidemic. Most originate from Asia. Contact restrictions in the Corona pandemic have caused the global volume of packaging waste to rise sharply. According to one estimate, the pandemic has generated about 8.4 million more tons of plastic waste than usual in 193 countries through August, researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences write in the Proceedings of the U.S. Academy of Sciences (PNAS). By comparison, according…

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Third vaccination despite high antibodies: is the booster vaccination against the coronavirus then useful at all? The third Corona vaccination has started in Austria. In addition to high-risk groups and those over the age of 65, the National Vaccination Panel recommends booster vaccination for everyone over the age of 18. On the sidelines of the discussion surrounding booster vaccinations, the word “antibody test” keeps coming up: many are probably wondering why they should get vaccinated a third time, even though an antibody test shows high levels. According to Health Minister…

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Researchers from California have found in a new study that Corona vaccine protection is increasingly declining due to mutations such as the delta variant. As a result, the effectiveness of vaccinations is said to have dropped by nearly 40 percent in the past year. The findings were published in the journal Science. Efficacy of Johnson & Johnson plummetedThe study shows above all that the effectiveness of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has declined sharply. With this variant, only one vaccine dose is needed for immunization. For example, the researchers found…

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The number of people threatened by hunger worldwide has increased significantly this year, according to the UN. Whereas at the beginning of the year 42 million people were counted as being threatened by hunger, the figure has now risen to 45 million, according to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) in Rome. The additional people at risk of hunger were registered mainly in Afghanistan, the WFP added. “Tens of millions of people are staring into the abyss. Conflict, climate change and Covid-19 are causing the number of hungry people…

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Europeans have been unable to fly to the U.S. for more than a year and a half due to the Corona pandemic. On Monday, however, the country reopened its borders to vaccinated guests. Below is an overview of the new rules. Who is allowed to enter the USA?Adults who want to fly to the U.S. must be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus and provide proof of this before departure. A negative corona test no more than three days old must also be shown at the airport. Airline passengers must also…

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A blackout exercise will take place on November 12, involving several states and ministries. The scenario of a blackout is not unlikely in Austria. It is increasingly becoming a topic of conversation. Many people are already thinking about it and taking full precautions. As a reminder, a blackout is a prolonged, widespread power failure. It can affect several countries at the same time – and the effects can be far-reaching. To prepare for an emergency, the “Energy 21” blackout exercise will be held on November 12. Several federal states and…

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Experts around simulation researcher Niki Popper estimate that the immunization rate in Austria is only 61 percent. The reason for this is that some people have not been able to build up protection against Covid-19 despite being vaccinated or infected.In its current “Model-Based Estimation of the Immunization Level in Austria,” the team led by simulation researcher Niki Popper assumes that about 61 percent of the total population is currently actually immunized against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This depresses the effective replication number by 52 percent. Away from the approximately 50,000 active…

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An interim analysis of test results showed that the drug, called paxlovid, reduced the risk of hospitalizations and deaths by 89 percent in Covid 19 patients, Pfizer announced Friday. That was true for treatments within three days of the first Covid 19 symptoms, it said, adding that similar values were seen for treatments within five days. To be filed soonPfizer spoke of the “overwhelming efficacy” these results showed. The company now plans to submit the data for emergency approval to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as soon as…

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An end to deforestation is to be put in place by 2030, more than 100 countries pledged at the climate summit in Glasgow. Among them is Brazil with President Bolsonaro. Environmentalists have a clear opinion on the new pledge. At the world climate summit in Glasgow, more than 100 countries pledged to stop the destruction of forests and other landscapes by 2030. The British government, which is chairing the UN conference, made the announcement late Monday night. Climate activists criticized the target date as too late. The countries involved, including…

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