Category: General Interest

According to insiders, the European Union is waiting for ten million doses of Pfizer/BioNTech’s Corona vaccine that were actually due in December. This means that about a third of the deliveries expected so far are still outstanding, the Reuters news agency learned from EU representatives on Wednesday. The EU Commission, meanwhile, negotiated a deal to supply up to 300 million doses from Pfizer’s rival Moderna. So far, Pfizer has delivered about 28 million doses of the vaccine to the EU. That is about 10 million doses less than Pfizer promised,…

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The number of new corona infections reported worldwide fell 16 percent last week to 2.7 million. The number of reported deaths also fell within a week, by 10 percent to 81,000, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced Tuesday evening in Geneva, based on Sunday’s figures. WHO: Worldwide decrease in new coronavirus infectionsA double-digit percentage decline in new coronavirus cases was recorded in five of six WHO regions, with only the eastern Mediterranean seeing a seven percent increase. In Africa and the Western Pacific, case numbers declined by 20 percent last…

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A total of 536 positive results were recorded at schools on Monday and yesterday in a total of 1.3 million “nose-picking” self-tests across Austria. This was reported by the Ministry of Education to APA. Affected are 364 students and 172 teachers. This week, for the first time, the tests were on children’s timetables across Austria after the end of the semester break in seven provinces. Those who wanted to take part in the face-to-face classes had to test themselves at the beginning of the school day. Most positive results in…

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The Corona pandemic also has an impact on the liturgy on Ash Wednesday, with which Lent begins in the Catholic Church: so this year the ash rite is administered “without the usual Ash Wednesday prayer and without touching”, as determined by the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship worldwide. This year, therefore, the faithful will not receive an ash cross on the forehead, but the ashes will be scattered on the head. “This form, which is common in other countries, reminds us in a very sober, realistic and obvious way of…

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Nursing training instead of unemployment: with this approach, the city wants to combat the glaring shortage of nurses on the one hand and the high unemployment rate on the other. The city is therefore now paying 4,100 unemployed Viennese a 400-euro bonus per month for training – in addition to unemployment benefits. By 2030, Vienna will need 9100 additional nurses. This is the result of a study by the umbrella organization of Viennese social institutions. On the other hand, 154,688 people in the capital did not have a job in…

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U.S. pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson has applied for approval of its coronavirus vaccine in the European Union (EU). The Amsterdam-based European Medicines Agency (EMA) said Tuesday it has received an application for “conditional marketing authorization” from Johnson & Johnson’s European subsidiary. So far, vaccines from Biontech/Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca have been approved in the EU. Johnson & Johnson had already filed for emergency approval of its vaccine in the U.S. nearly two weeks ago. If the company manages to secure approval, experts say it will significantly simplify the vaccination…

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Med-Uni Graz, in collaboration with Stanford University in California and AGES, has produced the first-ever study on the risk of re-infection with coronavirus. The result: one illness probably provides 91 percent protection against reinfection. The study is based on national infection data. The results were published in the “European Journal of Clinical Investigation,” Med-Uni Graz announced. However, the results should still be interpreted with caution. More than 100 million people worldwide and more than 400,000 people in Austria have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 so far. In prevention efforts, the question…

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In two weeks, on March 1, the government will again discuss possible new opening steps. Until then, the development after the latest relaxations will be observed. The various virus mutations are dangerous, the situation is “not predictable”. “Great caution” is still necessary, Kurz emphasized. In any case, the decline in the number of Corona deaths is positive, he said. “Around Easter at the earliest” gastronomy and hotels can expect to be unlocked, Kurz said. Also Schanigärten may not open until then, assisted Anschober. Inns and hotels have already been closed…

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Following Biontech/Pfizer’s vaccine, the World Health Organization (WHO) is now recommending AstraZeneca’s vaccine for use. The WHO granted emergency approval today, as reported in Geneva. It did so following the recommendation of its Independent Vaccination Council (SAGE). In addition to efficacy and safety, WHO also reviews the quality of the factories where the serum is manufactured for such approval. The WHO Emergency Use Listing (EUL) is a prerequisite for UN agencies to purchase and distribute the vaccine. Similarly, countries that do not have their own capacity for scientific testing can…

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