Category: Feature Stories

Around the world, economic inequality threatens to worsen in all countries at the same time due to the Corona pandemic. The organization Oxfam published its inequality report on Monday, stating that billionaires continue to profit “despite the pandemic,” while the world’s poorest continue to be left behind. Oxfam published the report on the occasion of the start of the World Economic Forum, which is taking place for the first time completely digitally instead of in Davos. For the report, the organization had nearly 300 economists from 79 countries surveyed. According…

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Early in the pandemic, tests were conducted to see if existing drugs for other diseases could help against Covid-19: Remdesivir, for example, which was originally developed to treat Ebola, or hydroxychloroquine, which is effective against malaria. The anti-inflammatory dexamethasone, one of the drugs given to former U.S. President Donald Trump during his Covid-19 illness, is also among them. However, none of these therapies has yet brought the really big success. The search for an effective antiviral agent to treat the disease caused by Sars-CoV-2 continues accordingly. A discovery by bioinformaticians…

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US health authority: Ten anaphylactic shocks reported after administration of four million vaccine doses. Severe allergic reactions to the US company Moderna’s Corona vaccine are “rare,” according to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC). After administration of more than four million doses of the vaccine, so-called anaphylactic shocks occurred in only ten of the vaccine recipients, the CDC announced Friday (local time). None of the allergic reactions resulted in death, it said. The CDC based its assessment on documentation of a total of 4,041,396 vaccine doses administered between Dec.…

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The CoV pandemic widens the effect of child poverty. One third of children worldwide no longer have access to education as a result of the pandemic – with fatal consequences, warns Caritas on the occasion of World Education Day tomorrow. “Even if children are not counted among Corona’s high-risk group, they will have to bear the long-term consequences of school closures, malnutrition and poverty,” Caritas President Michael Landau said at an online press conference in Vienna. The pandemic is causing educational gaps and impacting the lives of every child worldwide,…

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A study now suggests that not only singing or coughing produce many dangerous aerosols – the same is true for simply talking. A conversation without a mask – in Corona times it can be a dangerA conversation without a mask – in Corona times, that can mean danger Aerosols play a crucial role in the spread of the Sars-CoV-2 pathogen. They are created when people breathe, cough, sneeze – but also when they talk or sing. And they carry the virus, so to speak, helping it to spread. Larger droplets…

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As part of the tightened lockdown, wearing an FFP2 mask in supermarkets and public transport is mandatory in Austria as of January 25. Can these masks be disinfected, cleaned and reused, what do they cost, what do I have to look out for when buying them and what should I bear in mind when using them? As of January 25, it will be mandatory in Austria to wear a so-called FFP2 mask, for example in supermarkets or public transport. These are supposed to minimize even better the risk of infection…

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The more contagious virus mutants from the United Kingdom and South Africa have been detected worldwide, WHO reports. First discovered in the United Kingdom, the corona mutant has now spread to at least 60 countries, according to the World Health Organization. Within a week, the virus variant has thus been discovered in ten more countries, the WHO announced on Wednesday. The B.1.1.7 mutation, first detected in mid-December, is considered 50 to 70 percent more contagious than the virus in its previous form. Another virus variant discovered in South Africa has…

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Online video service Netflix saw surprisingly strong growth at the end of the year thanks to hit series such as “Bridgerton” and “The Crown” despite tougher competition. In the three months to the end of December, the number of paying subscribers rose by 8.5 million to just under 204 million, Netflix announced yesterday after the US stock exchange closed. This was the first time the 200 million user mark was cracked. The figures significantly exceeded its own forecast and analysts’ expectations. The share price initially jumped by almost ten percent…

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As of January 25, FFP2 masks will be mandatory in Austria’s public transportation systems as well as in retail stores. That is why they are currently in short supply. FFP2 masks are actually designed as disposable products for professional use. Those who use the masks privately, for example for shopping, do not necessarily have to throw them away after each use, according to the TÜV Association (VdTÜV). The German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) is currently funding a research project at Münster University of Applied Sciences. It…

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