Category: Feature Stories

A new model calculation by Niki Popper’s team shows that a good two-thirds of people in Austria are probably already immune to the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. This is mainly due to the numerous new corona infections in recent weeks. Was the peak of the current infection wave exceeded?This means that the peak of the current wave of infections has now probably been passed. However, Popper pointed out to APA the uncertainty caused by the new omicron variant BA.2. According to the model calculation, 67 percent of people in…

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The Biontech/Pfizer vaccine could possibly be available to U.S. children under five by the end of February, according to a newspaper report. Pharmaceutical companies are expected to apply to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as early as Tuesday for emergency approval of the dual vaccine for children ages six months to five years, The Washington Post reported, citing insiders. The FDA has asked the companies to apply so the agency can begin reviewing the data, it said. A Biontech spokeswoman declined to comment Tuesday, and no comment was initially…

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The coronavirus Sars-CoV-2 is likely to evolve sooner or later – new variants may emerge. However, it is only possible to speculate about their properties, the president of the Society for Virology, Ralf Bartenschlager, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur. “But experience shows that as a virus adapts to its host, pathogenicity usually decreases.” Pathogenicity means the ability to cause disease. “It doesn’t mean that this adapted virus no longer makes disease at all, but it is usually less pathogenic.” For example, the new variant Omicron spreads more rapidly than Delta, but causes…

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Many people are waiting for the Novavax protein vaccine approved in Austria. Originally, vaccinations with the vaccine were to start in Vienna at the beginning of February. However, the dates are now likely to be delayed by weeks. The reason is problems with the delivery of the vaccine. Originally, it was planned to offer appointments in Vienna already with the beginning of February. Now it is said that the vaccine can only be delivered to Austria at the end of February. The country Austria ordered three million doses Novavax. These…

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Risk of infection with subtype more than double that of BA.1, study says. Experts believe an arguably even more easily transmitted sub-variant of Omicron could lead to an extension of the current wave of infections. “BA.2 will also become established in our country,” German immunologist Carsten Watzl wrote on Twitter on Monday. This could prolong the omicron wave. The secretary-general of the German Society for Immunology was referring to a study from Denmark on the omicron subtype that has not yet been peer-reviewed by external experts. Substantially better transferableAccording to…

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Have you ever taken a closer look at your driver’s license? In particular, many driver’s license holders pay no further attention to the back. But there is a detail hidden there that you should be aware of – if it is also noted on your license, you could face a fine if you don’t comply. Nothing can be noted under item 12 on the back of your driver’s license, as in the above case. For millions of people, however, there is a note here with the code number 01. But…

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Compulsory vaccination will apply throughout Austria starting Feb. 1, but that doesn’t mean everyone will have to get vaccinated. Compulsory vaccination goes into effect next Tuesday and is to apply to a total of 7.4 million adults in Austria. That’s 83 percent of the population. If one cannot show the vaccination proof with the control of the police, one is penalized starting from 16. March. 600 euros must be paid then with a penalty order. People who do not comply with the vaccination requirement can be fined a maximum of…

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Symptoms such as a cold, sore throat or fever could be helped by the same remedies that I normally rely on for a flu-like infection? General practitioner Martin Scherer is familiar with such question and the fears of people who contract Corona. The most important tip in isolation at home is to remain calm, says the general practitioner. Mild progression and warning signsScherer offers the following guide for assessing symptoms: “A mild course should feel like a cold. Anything above that, so if you feel really sick: that’s when you…

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What some Austrians are probably looking forward to is Nuvaxovid – the protein-based vaccine from the US manufacturer Novavax. Austria, after all, has ordered 750,000 doses of Nuvaxovid for the first quarter of 2022, with delivery expected in the last week of February. EU approval took time as Novavax struggled with production issues. Ultimately, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) was able to approve nuvaxovid as the fifth vaccine on Dec. 20. What distinguishes each type of vaccine from the other, and why Novavax’s vaccine is not actually a dead vaccine:…

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