Category: Feature Stories

More than 45,000 people are currently considered actively infected with SARS-Cov-2 in Austria. Most, 43,000, are not in the hospital but in home care. But those who have more severe symptoms should also start medicinal treatment of the disease at home – in consultation with their family doctor. Largely uncontroversial is blood thinning with heparin, but more controversial is treatment with cortisone. The use of a pulse oximeter to measure oxygen in the blood is also specifically recommended. Blood thinner usefulCovid-19 can initially cause tiny thromboses in the smallest vessels…

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In almost all countries of the world, a supply of clean drinking water is not guaranteed.“World Water Day” today, March 22, aims to remind people of the value of clean drinking water as a life-enabling resource. By 2030, the UN aims to guarantee access to safe drinking water for all, according to its Sustainable Development Goals. “No one should take it for granted that we in Austria have crystal-clear drinking water available from the tap at all times,” said Agriculture Minister Elisabeth Köstinger (ÖVP) on the occasion of World Water…

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For the ninth time, the World Happiness Report has been published, a compass of where people in the world are happiest with their lives and surroundings. In recent years, the Scandinavian countries have always led the way. And this year, too, one of the Nordic countries is at the top. For Austria, there have been some changes in the ranking this time. By the way: This year’s World Happiness Report includes the Corona crisis in a comprehensive way. 2020 was a difficult year for all countries on this planet due…

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A young man wreaks havoc in several Atlanta massage parlors, and most of the victims are Asian women. A few days after the crime, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris travel to the city. While there, the U.S. president also denounces his predecessor’s anti-Chinese sentiment campaign. After the deadly attacks on three massage studios in the state of Georgia, U.S. President Joe Biden has condemned the increasing violence against Asian-American citizens during a visit to Atlanta and called for more commitment against racism. Hate and violence have “often been met with…

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No foreign fans will be allowed into Japan for the Summer Olympics in Tokyo (July 23-Aug. 8) because of the Corona pandemic. The Japanese organizers shared this decision with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Paralympics organizers in a video conference on Saturday. The reason for the decision is the fear of further spread of the coronavirus. The IOC and the International Paralympic Committee “fully respected and accepted” the decision, it said. Ticket buyers from abroad are to be reimbursed. So far, about one million tickets had been sold to…

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The current entry regulation will be extended up to and including May 31. This was announced by the Ministry of Health yesterday. Since February 10, in addition to the registration and quarantine requirement, entrants must also present a negative CoV test result that is no older than 72 hours. If this cannot be presented upon entry, a test must be made up immediately – at the latest within 24 hours. After entry, a ten-day quarantine is obligatory; free testing is possible after five days at the earliest. The time of…

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Following the lead of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the World Health Organization (WHO) has also reiterated its recommendation for Astrazeneca’s Corona vaccine. The benefits of the drug outweigh the risks, the WHO advisory panel on vaccine safety said Friday. It said the vaccine has “enormous potential to prevent infections and reduce deaths worldwide.” Available data do not indicate an increased risk of “deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism” as a result of vaccination with the Astrazeneca vaccine, WHO experts said. They also said they found no evidence that rare…

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AstraZeneca’s Corona vaccine is safe, according to the European Medicines Agency (EMA), so Austria also plans to continue its vaccination program unchanged. But a warning about rare blood clots (thromboses) in cerebral veins will be included among the possible side effects, the authority said Thursday in Amsterdam. The benefits would outweigh the drawbacks, EMA Director Emer Cooke said, adding that the drug is “safe and effective” against Covid-19. Austria’s National Vaccination Panel concurred. “Following the assessment of the EMA, it is recommended to continue the vaccination program unchanged,” it said…

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The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warns against using the approaching spring and higher temperatures as an argument for relaxing coronavirus measures. There is no evidence that weather and season directly influence the incidence of infection, a team of experts holds. It has looked into the question of what influence meteorological factors and air quality have on the pandemic. The incidence of infection changes primarily as a result of protective measures, such as wearing masks and restricting travel, as well as behavioral changes. Viral infections of the respiratory tract are often…

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