Feature Stories

Corona variants: Omicron is probably not the end

January 21, 2022January 21, 2022 admin

The Omicron-Covid-19 wave is probably not the end. There are already other variants of this SARS-CoV-2 mutation as well. “We are in a highly dynamic event,” said expert Andreas Bergthaler (MedUni Vienna/Center for Molecular Medicine; CeMM) in an online physician training session on Wednesday evening. In the therapy of Covid-19, most monoclonal antibodies had lost their effect again due to the constant mutation of the pathogens, he said. “From the beginning of the (SARS-CoV-2) epidemic, we have been constantly surprised. We are now at as many cases (of infection; note)…

Corona: Valneva vaccine to neutralize omicron

January 20, 2022January 20, 2022 admin

Good news on the vaccine produced by the Austro-French company Valneva. Its vaccine is also expected to neutralize the Omicron variant, according to a recent announcement. This is according to the results of an initial laboratory study. Responsible for the neutralization were “serum antibodies” formed after three doses of Valneva’s inactivated Covid-19 vaccine candidate VLA2001, the group statement said Wednesday. Valneva vaccine to neutralize omicronSo-called serum antibodies are antibodies derived from serum as well as a blood component obtained after clotting. For the study, sera from 30 participants in the…

Expert already sees further variants after Omicron

January 20, 2022January 20, 2022 admin

The Omicron wave is probably not the end. There are already other variants of this SARS-CoV-2 mutation as well. “We are in a highly dynamic event,” said expert Andreas Bergthaler (MedUni Vienna/Center for Molecular Medicine; CeMM) in an online physician training session yesterday evening. In the therapy of Covid-19, most monoclonal antibodies would have lost their effect again due to the constant mutation of the pathogens. It is also completely unclear how much longer the world will have to contend with SARS-CoV-2 in its various variants, said Bergthaler, who recently…

What are sensible measures and solutions against climate change?

January 19, 2022 admin

Everyone can contribute to climate protection! True to the motto “avoid, reduce and compensate”, we can take responsibility for our own ecological footprint, i.e. also for our CO2 emissions. The most important everyday causes of harmful emissions include travel by car or plane, but also heating and electricity consumption, as well as our own consumer behavior. Below you will find some tips on how to reduce your own ecological footprint and CO₂ emissions with simple measures and thus contribute to climate protection: Use public transport such as the train or…

WHO chief warns: pandemic “is far from over”

January 18, 2022January 18, 2022 admin

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has issued a strong warning against downplaying the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. “Make no mistake, Omicron is causing hospitalizations and deaths, and even the less severe cases are flooding health facilities,” Tedros said Tuesday. The Corona pandemic “is far from over,” he said. “Omicron may be less severe on average, but the narrative that it is a harmless disease is misleading (…) and costs more lives,” the WHO chief said. He also said that because it is so…

Israeli study: Fourth vaccination against Omicron not sufficient

January 17, 2022January 18, 2022 admin

A fourth Corona vaccination does not adequately protect against the Omicron variant, according to an Israeli study. Infections are observed even in quadruple vaccinated people, Professor Gili Regev of Shiba Hospital near Tel Aviv said Monday. Two weeks after a fourth dose of the preparation from Biontech Pfizer, a “nice increase” in antibodies was observed. Their number was even slightly higher than after the third vaccination, he said. Dilemma whether for all fourth dose.“But for Omicron, this nice value is not enough.” Regev emphasized that these are interim results of…

Transmission, progression, vaccine protection: what distinguishes Omicron from Delta

January 15, 2022January 15, 2022 admin

The omicron variant of coronavirus has already displaced delta and is causing rising infection rates in many countries. Although disease courses are likely to be somewhat milder, vaccine protection is declining more rapidly. “Omicron is not mild”The Omikron variant, which is now dominant in Austria, with its many changes, especially in the spike protein that is important for docking to cells, changes the rules of the pandemic game. Compared to the delta variant, the significantly higher transmissibility and the “immune escape”, i.e. the ability to escape an existing corona immune…

Why Apple’s foldable iPhone is still a long time coming

January 14, 2022January 14, 2022 admin

Rumors about a flexible Apple phone have been around for a long time. A foldable iPhone is not expected until 2023 at the earliest. Foldable smartphones have not really caught on so far. Nevertheless, numerous cell phone manufacturers have a flexible device on offer: from Samsung to Motorola to Huawei. Oppo and Honor have also recently joined them. The situation is different for Apple. The technology group from Cupertino is still taking its time with the introduction of a foldable iPhone. Behind the scenes, however, the company is said to…

Omicron: Researchers warn against “dangerous fatalism”

January 14, 2022January 14, 2022 admin

In the face of the omicron wave, more than 30 scientists in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) urge a Europe-wide approach to curb the spread of the new variant. Recently, the impression has arisen in many cases that this is a “mild” variant, the containment of which no longer makes sense. In this context, IHS researcher Thomas Czypionka, who was involved in the appeal, warns against an “inappropriate and even dangerous” fatalism. The paper, published Thursday, brings together researchers from a wide range of scientific fields. From Austria, Czypionka, who…