Category: Feature Stories

Biontech/Pfizer’s vaccine apparently offers only partial protection against the Omikron variant of the coronavirus. That was announced by laboratory director Alex Sigal of the Africa Health Research Institute in South Africa based on preliminary results. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) considers it “highly unlikely” that Omicron could completely undermine vaccine protection. Biontech CEO Ugur Sahin expects reliable data on this on Wednesday or Thursday. He said there was a very large drop in the neutralization of omicron. The neutralization of Omicron had “decreased very much” compared to a previous…

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FFP2 masks offer extremely high protection against corona infection. However, it depends on the correct way of wearing them, as researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization in Göttingen report according to a study. If an infected and an uninfected person meet in an indoor space at a short distance, the risk of infection is a good one per mille (0.1 percent) even after 20 minutes. The prerequisite is the correct fit of the FFP2 or KN95 mask, writes the team around Institute Director Eberhard Bodenschatz in…

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Always on December 6The excitement when St. Nicholas comes is part of childhood and dressing up as St. Nicholas is part of adulthood. But where does the custom come from? Which countries celebrate it? What’s the difference between St. Nicholas and Santa Claus? Here are some amazing facts about St. Nicholas Day. But who actually is St. Nicholas?The figure of Nicholas is probably based on two historical figures: Bishop Nicholas of Myra, from the 4th century, and Abbot Nicholas of Sion, who lived about 200 years later. Both lived on…

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In December 2019, the COVID-19 virus was first detected in Wuhan, China, from where it rapidly spread around the world and became a pandemic. Over 5.2 million deaths have been attributed to the virus. Now, a pill is expected to affect the course of the disease and alleviate symptoms. Vaccinations against CoronaSince the beginning of 2020, thanks to vaccination against the virus by Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and Co. infection rates have steadily fallen. However, the vaccination is still controversial, with many vaccination opponents refusing to be vaccinated due to various conspiracy…

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The new variant of the coronavirus, Omicron, is causing concern around the world. Dozens of countries have restricted air travel to southern African countries where this strain was first detected. Science is preparedHowever, fears of a return to the early days of the pandemic with complete lockdowns are exaggerated. Experts know much more about the virus today than they did then and will be better prepared to combat it. Variant of ConcernOn Nov. 26, the World Health Organization declared Omicron a “variant of concern.” The strain carries about 32 spike…

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Precursors of the recently discovered corona variant Omicron are likely to have existed for a very long time, according to their co-discoverer. “According to current knowledge, an early form of Omicron evolved as a separate virus type even before Alpha and Delta emerged,” Wolfgang Preiser of Stellenbosch University near Cape Town told Deutsche Presse-Agentur. He is a member of the research consortium that discovered the variant. This type of virus then probably evolved over many months without attracting attention, the German said. “The question is: Why did Omicron remain hidden…

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According to a new study, it doesn’t matter which vaccine is administered at the 3rd sting – the vaccination works. According to current knowledge, three partial vaccinations are needed for adequate protection against Covid-19. Pretty much no matter what the third vaccination is given with, the effect is good. That’s according to a new study in the United Kingdom of seven vaccines (six of them approved or still in development), which has now been published in the medical journal The Lancet. “Six different Covid 19 boosters are safe and induce…

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Nearly 2.4 million Corona vaccinations were administered in November; the only month with more was June, with 2.6 million. Unlike the first half of the year, however, booster vaccinations are currently dominating the scene.In the Ministry of Health data, 1.6 million third-party vaccinations appear for November. However, almost 427,000 people were vaccinated against the coronavirus for the first time. Vaccination rates in the provincesJust under 67 percent of people in Austria have a valid vaccination certificate – the six million mark is likely to be exceeded here soon. A vaccination…

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Scientific studies have long proven the high protection rates of the Covid-19 vaccine.But for the first time in Austria, AGES epidemiologists have now succeeded in proving the vaccine’s effectiveness in preventing severe disease in daily practice. The Covid-19 vaccine provides about 95 percent protection against hospital admission after SARS-CoV-2 infection, AGES expert Daniela Schmid said Monday night at an online physician education session. According to the Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) infectious disease epidemiologist, it was possible for the first time to link disease, vaccination and hospital data…

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