Vienna’s Health Councillor expects second wave of omicron after semester break

Vienna’s City Councillor for Health Peter Hacker expects a second wave after the semester break. Especially the Omicron sub-variant BA.2 is likely to drive up the infections, many may also get infected during the semester break. School tests fall away during the semester breakDue to the start of the semester break, Corona tests at schools will fall away next week, many people will be on vacation, the consequence: “The numbers will go down next week,” Hacker said. The week after that, two events coincide: Corona screenings in schools will resume…

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How effective is Novavax – is it suitable for booster vaccination?

Novavax vaccine can also be used for booster vaccination.In a few weeks, the first doses of Novavax’s protein-based vaccine will be delivered to Austria. But how effective is the corona vaccine really and can it be used to boost? Why Novavax is not a dead vaccineAccording to the U.S. pharmaceutical company Novavax, the new vaccine protects well against the coronavirus. The data are based on studies involving about 30,000 people. According to the results, efficacy is about 90 percent. The extent to which Novavax is effective against the Omicron variant…

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New regulations for restaurants and meetings start today

Yesterday, the Ministry of Health presented the regulation that moves the closing time back. This means that as of today pubs may stay open until midnight. Furthermore, the number of participants for meetings will be increased. More participants are also possible in youth work and vacation camps. For larger events, testing is no longer mandatory. Specifically, the amendment to the Covid 19 Measures Ordinance stipulates that 50 instead of 25 young people can now come together again in extracurricular youth work or go on a trip to shared vacation accommodation.…

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Incubation period: when first covid symptoms become noticeable

The shortening of the generation time, as well as the incubation time, is likely to play a weighty role in the rapid spread of omicron. Generation time is the period of time during which a person becomes infected, the virus spreads in the body, and subsequently, other people can be infected. In the case of the delta variant of the coronavirus, this period was around five days; in the case of Omicron, it is around 2.5 days. This would therefore mean that if you are infected with Omicron, you become…

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Austria: Compulsory vaccination law will take effect tomorrow

In Austria, the coronavirus vaccination will be compulsory starting tomorrow, February 5, 2022. The law was published in the Federal Law Gazette today and will come into force the following day. Prior to this, Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen certified that the “Federal Law on the Obligation to Vaccinate against Covid-19” had come into force in accordance with the Constitution, and Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) countersigned it. The vaccination obligation had been decided on 20 January by the National Council, yesterday also the federal state chamber of parliament agreed…

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36,329 new infections in Austria on Friday

This further increases the number of active cases to a new high of 339,127. From Thursday to Friday, 36,329 new infections were reported in Austria. Thus, the number of active cases continues to rise to a new high. 339,127 people are currently confirmed Corona-positive. The seven-day incidence per 100,000 population is thus currently 2,573.3. In addition, 25 coronavirus-related deaths have been recorded. As of today, 14,192 people across Austria have died as a result of coronavirus and 1,642,027 have recovered. 199 patients in intensive care unitsCurrently, 1,807 people are undergoing…

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RKI registers new infection peak in Germany

The number of new corona infections in Germany reported to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) within one day has once again reached an all-time high. Health offices reported 248,838 cases in 24 hours, according to RKI data Friday morning. A week ago, there were 190 148 recorded new infections. The RKI gave the seven-day incidence as 1349.5 – also an all-time high. For comparison: the previous day, the value was 1283.2. A week ago, the Germany-wide incidence was 1073.0 (previous month: 239.9). The current figures reflect the status of the…

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How long is one contagious after an omicron infection?

According to a new study, the majority of people infected with Omicron were still contagious on the sixth day. Since January 8, infected Austrians and also contact persons have been able to clear themselves by PCR after five days – previously it was ten days. Because of the sharp increase in the number of people infected with the Omicron variant and the resulting loss of manpower, there have been calls from the business community, among others, for the quarantine period to be shortened. Covid crisis coordinator Gecko had advised the…

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EU Commission extends green passport until mid-2023

The EU Commission is extending the Green Passport by one year until June 30, 2023. The pandemic is far from over: the use of the digital EU Covid certificates, also known as “green passports,” is to be extended by one year, according to the EU Commission. As the Brussels-based authority proposed on Thursday, the legal basis for the proof of fresh Corona tests, vaccinations or recoveries should be valid until June 30, 2023. EU countries would still have to agree to the proposal. EU Commission extends green passport until mid-2023The…

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