Can I still take expired medications?

Expired medications should never be taken without consultation, explains the president of the Carinthian Chamber of Pharmacists, Hans Bachitsch: “In any case, you should clarify this with a doctor or a pharmacist.” Although not all medications lose their shelf life immediately with the expiration date, this is difficult to assess for laypersons: “There are preparations that can still be taken for about two months after that. But you can’t generalize because it depends entirely on the drug. Therefore, one should not decide without advice whether a preparation is still used,”…

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New Corona variant with completely new symptoms

The flu epidemic has not suppressed Corona. The numbers are rising again, and after BA.5, the BQ.1 subvariant is now dominant. After a relatively quiet start to the winter, corona numbers are slowly but steadily beginning to rise again. But not only that, there’s a blowout to report at the top. The previously dominant BA.5 variant has been successfully ousted. Instead, the BQ.1 lines have “quickly picked up speed,” as molecular biologist Ulrich Elling reports on Twitter. He said that BA.5, together with variant daughter BF.7, now account for only…

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WHO: Rise in COVID cases in China casts doubt on the end of global emergency

Several World Health Organization scientists have indicated that the increase in COVID-19 cases in China raises doubts about the end of the global emergency. Experts have suggested that it may be too early to declare a global end to the pandemic emergency, the Guardian newspaper reported. “The question is whether you can talk about a post-pandemic when such a large part of the world is entering the second wave,” said virologist Marion Koopmans, a member of a WHO committee tasked with advising on the status of the coronavirus emergency. “It…

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394,000 new cases: Flu record in Austria

The flu wave has hit Austria particularly early and particularly hard this year. Most recently, an incidence for the first week of December was calculated at 4338. This corresponds to 394,000 new infections. The number of new infections in Vienna climbed to almost 34,000 last week. A record 25,200 cases of influenza or flu-like illness had already been reported in the first week of December. For all of Austria, the Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) most recently calculated an incidence of 4338 such infections per 100,000 inhabitants. In…

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Shopping in Vienna on December 24, 2022: the opening hours of stores

Since December 24, 2022, falls on a Saturday, numerous stores will be open. Here you can find all the info on the opening hours of supermarkets, drugstores and shopping centers in Vienna on Christmas Eve. Whether it’s Christmas presents, groceries or a Christmas tree: if you still need to shop or get gifts on December 24, Vienna also offers a few opportunities to do so on Christmas Eve. At Christmas, last-minute gifts can still be done in retail stores until 1 p.m., according to Vienna’s opening hours ordinance. Retailers of…

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“Prices remain high” – shock forecast for Austria

Growth collapses in the first quarter of 2023 after the decline in the fourth quarter of 2022. When will Austria’s economy start growing again? Will energy prices continue to rise? And is Europe still competitive? WIFO head Gabriel Felbermayr answers these questions in an interview in the latest newsletter of “Österreich isst informiert” – an initiative of the Austrian food industry. Nestlé CEO Cédric Boehm also talks about dealing with increased raw material prices, the energy crisis and climate-friendly packaging. As Director of WIFO, Gabriel Felbermayr assumes that Austria will…

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The whole weather forecast on Christmas Eve

There will probably be no white Christmas in any provincial capital this year. Along the northern Alps, the weather will be less than pleasant. This is the forecast. Austria is currently caught between an extensive low-pressure area over the British Isles with precipitation and a high over southeastern Europe. With a westerly high-altitude flow, mild air masses of subtropical origin are feeling their presence in the mountainous areas, while cold air is lingering in the northeast and the southern basins. In the middle of the week, a weak cold front…

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Gas network fees will increase starting January 1, 2023

Bad news for (almost) all gas customers. The network fees will increase in eight of nine federal states already from January 1, 2023, in some cases significantly. The gas network fees, set annually, will rise as of January 1, 2023, for an average gas-heated household in all federal provinces except Tyrol. This was decided accordingly by the Regulatory Commission of E-Control. Depending on the area, network charges account for less than 20 percent of the total gas bill, with the remainder accounted for by the cost of gas delivery and…

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Healthy nut enjoyment during the Christmas season

“Nuts and Christmas” – this traditional duo of pleasure and nostalgia is an integral part of the gift table. Walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts are indispensable to the cold, cozy winter season. Why is that so? In origin, nuts and Christmas did not find together for nutritional reasons. Still, they received their deep meaning as decoration for the fir tree, which moved many years ago as a unique Christmas custom into the warm rooms. Originally it was decorated with red apples and nuts. The apples symbolize God’s love and the expulsion…

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