Category: General Interest

Rundfunk und Telekom Regulierungs-GmbH (RTR) warns of a new scam via SMS. A new scam SMS is currently circulating in Austria. Using SMS, an impending seizure of household goods is faked to stir up fears and extort payments, Rundfunk und Telekom Regulierungs-GmbH (RTR) informs in a release. The message contains a link to allegedly settle outstanding debts. In this way, the perpetrators try to obtain account data and thus the victims’ money, RTR warns. The new SMS scam was reported via the “rufnummernmissbrauch.at” platform. “The SMS informs you that a…

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Omicron variant is deadlier than seasonal flu, study says. According to a representative study by the University of Lucerne, the Corona variant Omicron has a higher mortality rate among hospitalized individuals than seasonal flu. During the first 30 days of hospitalization, mortality was about 1.5 times higher in people sick with the Omicron variant, the University of Lucerne said Thursday. Higher mortality with Omicron variant than with influenzaThe results were published Wednesday in the journal Jama Network Open. Data from 3,066 people affected by omicron were matched with 2,146 who…

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The red, purple and blue pigments in fruits, vegetables and tubers may reduce the risk of diabetes, a recent Finnish study shows. The purple pigments, called anthocyanins, affect energy metabolism, the gut microbiome, and inflammation. The positive effect of anthocyanins on type 2 diabetes is particularly high in certain vegetables. These include purple potatoes, purple sweet potatoes, radishes, purple carrots and red cabbage. Blueberries, blackberries and mulberries are also dark purples, but they chemically lack a so-called acyl group, so their effect is smaller. The researchers managed to show this…

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Austrians can look forward to warmer temperatures: according to the current forecast of Geosphere Austria (formerly ZAMG), up to 18 degrees are expected at the weekend. Regionally, however, stormy weather may also occur. First, however, it will still be somewhat uncomfortable on Friday. Embedded in the northwesterly high-altitude current, a frontal system will capture the country and bring dense clouds north of the main ridge of the Alps and intermittent rain, especially in the north. In the south, however, it will be sunny for longer periods on Friday with variable…

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A low-cost covid-19 vaccine developed in a lead role by Austrian researchers working in New York is proving promising. Subjects in Thailand built up comparably high antibody levels in a clinical trial after administration of the new vector vaccine, “NDV-HXP-S,” as did people who received the Biontech-Pfizer vaccine. The analysis has now been presented in the journal Science Translational Medicine. Classic pathway for affordable vaccineThe team from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, led by Peter Palese, a native of Upper Austria, Austrian virologist Florian Krammer and Adolfo…

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Asteroid 2005 YY128 will come closer to Earth on Thursday night than in 400 years. At 1:46 a.m., it will fly past Earth at a distance of 4.5 million kilometres. There is no danger of an impact. The chunk of space is still considered potentially dangerous because of its size and orbit. The asteroid’s diameter is estimated by astronomers* between 580 meters and 1.3 kilometres. It was discovered in 2005, as its name indicates. The flyby will occur exactly ten years after a 20-meter meteorite exploded over the Russian city…

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With the end of April, the last mask obligation falls in Austria. But how does it look in the neighbouring countries? After three years of the coronavirus pandemic, the time has come: by June 30, 2023, all corona crisis measures will be ended in Austria. These include the FFP2 mask requirement in Vienna’s public transport and pharmacies, which is even to be dropped as early as the end of February. Those in hospitals, older adults’ homes and nursing homes, which apply throughout the country, will be history at the end…

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Less frequent loss of taste, more frequent sore throat: the symptoms of Corona patients have changed during the pandemic, according to an analysis by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). The so-called symptom profile has become increasingly “flu-like” in the omicron variant BA.5 and has approached that of other respiratory diseases, the authors write in the “Deutsches Ärzteblatt.” Therefore, it is becoming increasingly important for primary care physicians to test their patients for corona and influenza to treat them properly, he said. Across all variants, cough and cold were the most…

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If you turn it up, it (hopefully) gets warmer – so far, so good. But what temperature do the numbers on the thermostat stand for? Here’s a brief overview: Depending on the room, experts recommend a temperature bandwidth between 18 to 24 degrees Asterisk: around 5 degrees, protects the heater from frost.Level 1: around 12 degreesStage 2: around 16 degreesLevel 3: around 20 degreesStage 4: around 24 degreesLevel 5: around 28 degrees Sun: It stands for a basic setting at 20 degreesHalf moon: It stands for a night setback at…

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