Depression, sleep disorders, fears: this is how Corona affects our psyche
However, these pathogens do not pose a threat to humans and must be clearly distinguished from SARS-CoV-2.
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The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) also declares that transmission via contaminated feed to farm animals has not yet been proven. It is therefore unlikely that you could become infected through milk or meat.
Sources used: dpa news agency Friedrich-Löffler-Institut World Organization for Animal Health Federal Institute for Risk Assessment Show more sources less sources
Culture, tourism, sport: Coronavirus tests are currently in demand in many areas of life. But the previous test procedures take a long time. A new test method could deliver faster results in the future.
Before departing from the airport, entering the cruise ship or visiting the football stadium: A faster test procedure for a corona infection could contribute to more safety in many areas of life or make events with many visitors possible again in the first place.
That is what the President of the German Football Association, Fritz Keller, would like. A few days ago he told the “Badische Zeitung” that there had to be a way to regain a certain normality through tests. A negative test result would make a visit to the stadium safe.
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Laboratory results are often only available after 48 hours
So far, however, it still takes a relatively long time to carry out a test for SARS-CoV-2. Because a reliable result is only possible with a so-called PCR test, in which a smear is taken from the nose or throat. However, the evaluation in the laboratory currently takes more than two hours. This means that laboratories can only evaluate a very limited number of samples per day. With the consequence that those affected often have to wait at least two days for their test results.
“The laboratory result usually comes within 48 hours,” says Dr. Martin Scherwinski, specialist in diabetology and general medicine in Berlin, whose practice takes a smear itself from patients with suspected corona infection after the consultation has ended. “You want that faster.” But the laboratories have not yet been able to guarantee the twelve hours actually scheduled for this, says the doctor.
New method saves time and effort
A new procedure could now speed up the testing significantly. The method, which cell biologists at Bielefeld University developed in a study with several cooperation partners, delivers the result around ten times faster. The investigation was published on the “medRxiv” preprint server.
“We can carry out the PCR process in 16 minutes, which increases the throughput,” explains Professor Dr. Christian Kaltschmidt from the Chair of Cell Biology at Bielefeld University on request from t-online.de. The method is also up to 80 percent cheaper than conventional tests.
How do PCR tests work? The PCR method uses the genetic material of the virus, the RNA, as a basis. For this purpose, genetic material is taken from a test person, which is usually obtained by taking a swab in the mouth, nose or throat. If someone is infected with SARS-CoV-2, genetic material from the virus can be found in the sample. These RNA molecules are isolated in a chemical process and replicated using a so-called polymerase chain reaction.
A device called a thermocycler is required for the polymerase chain reaction that gave the PCR process its name. The Bielefeld researchers have used a special thermal cycler in their process, in which the reactions are particularly effective.100 argumentative topics
“When we proceeded, we followed the so-called Drosten Protocol from the Berlin Charité and the protocol from the Center of Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta,” said Kaltschmidt. These are standards for tests for SARS-CoV-2. With their method, the researchers were able to repeat the results of conventional PCR tests – only in a significantly shorter time and with less effort.
Special device can analyze 570 tests per hour
Another special feature is that the device can analyze several samples in parallel – around 570 evaluations per hour are possible with the special thermal cycler.
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Kaltschmidt sees an advantage of the new process, among other things, where quick results are required. “For example, when cruise ships resume operations, they could quickly test each person before they board.”
In principle, this would be possible immediately: “The device is available and this or similar devices can be used immediately,” says Kaltschmidt.
Sources used: medRxiv: “Ultra-fast one-step RT-PCR protocol for the detection of SARS-CoV-2” Own research
Souvenirs from vacation are not always a joy. Especially not if travelers bring the coronavirus with them. Tests are now being offered on a large scale. You are voluntary – for now.
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What will apply to holidaymakers in the future? Are corona tests then mandatory? Is the test safe? What precautions are still planned? Which countries are risk areas?
Returning home is likely to entail a throat swab for many holidaymakers in the future. Anyone coming to Germany from abroad should have the opportunity to be tested for the corona virus free of charge. The federal and state health ministers decided on Friday.
“We are still in the middle of the corona pandemic,” said Federal Minister Jens Spahn (CDU). The increasing travel traffic increases the risk. “The federal government will therefore supplement the national test strategy in such a way that all travelers returning can have themselves tested within three days of entry.” The most important questions about the resolutions:
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What will apply to vacationers in the future?
In the future, anyone who comes back from abroad should be able to test for Corona free of charge – regardless of whether they have been to a country that is classified as a risk area. You can go to a doctor’s office or health department 72 hours after entry.
For travelers from risk areas – countries with a high risk of infection – there should be test sites at airports and seaports. If they cannot show a negative test result, they have to be quarantined at home for two weeks as before.
Are corona tests then mandatory?
Not formally for the time being. The health ministers speak of creating “basically the opportunity” to do so after cross-border trips. Multilingual leaflets are to be used to advertise tests at train stations, bus stations, ports and airports. However, the ministers have decided to examine a legal obligation.
Is the test safe?
Not a single test. It may happen that the virus is not yet detectable in someone who has recently been infected at the time of the test. “A negative test can only be a snapshot,” said the ministers’ decision. A repeat test would make sense five to seven days after the entry test. Anyone who has unclear symptoms after a negative test must immediately contact a doctor. “We appeal to all travelers to take responsibility.”
What other arrangements are planned?
Whether by plane, ship, bus or train: travelers from risk areas should indicate contact options and fellow travelers on a so-called dropout card. There should be random checks near the borders with the help of the federal police. Near the border, boards should provide information about quarantine and testing options. “The option of on-site testing should also be made possible at selected points,” it says without further details.
When does it apply?
There is no uniform schedule. The federal states are now implementing the resolutions. Berlin, for example, has announced that it will probably test returnees for the corona virus at its airports from next week.
Which countries are risk areas?
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) has classified more than 100 countries worldwide as areas in which there is an increased risk of infection with the coronavirus. These include Egypt, Israel, Turkey, South Africa and the USA. Almost the entire EU and some other European countries such as Switzerland are not included.
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What tests are you talking about?
So far there is no information on this. Common tests for an acute corona infection are the so-called PCR tests. As a rule, helpers take swabs from the nose or throat with a stick, which are then examined for the genetic material of the Sars-CoV-2 pathogen.
How can you see if you are transferring from a risk area?
The airlines have the data of the passengers, the routes and who they sat next to. In principle, this would make it possible to determine whether a passenger who comes from Rome, for example, has transferred there on the way back from a risk area. The federal government wants to develop a process for digitally transferring passenger data.
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What do airlines say on the subject?
They see tests as an opportunity to get air traffic, which has been hard hit by the Corona crisis, going again. This is especially true for the lucrative long-haul connections between the USA and Europe, which are severely restricted due to the entry restrictions in the pandemic. “We welcome the fact that no new travel restrictions will be set up within the EU with the decision to adopt this test strategy,” announced the Federal Association of the German Aviation Industry.
Sources used: dpa news agency
No day has been the same since the crisis. For some the months flew by, for others they were endless. Researchers have now examined the perception of time during Corona.
Many people perceived the passage of time during the first corona wave differently than usual. This emerges from a study by British scientists published in the journal “PLOS ONE”. A team from John Moores University in Liverpool asked around 600 people in Great Britain between April 7th and 30th in an online survey about time, mood and personal circumstances.
The majority perceived the time differently than usual
More than 80 percent of the respondents stated that the time of the contact restrictions had passed either faster or more slowly than usual for them. Those who were older and dissatisfied with the level of their social contacts, the time often passed more slowly. Those who were younger and more satisfied were more likely to feel that events were accelerating.
This result is particularly interesting because previous studies have shown that older people tend to perceive a period of ten years in retrospect to be shorter than younger people.
Circumstances influence the perception of time
The psychology professor Helmut Prior from the Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main sees no contradiction in this. Those who had only a little eventful life during the time of the corona-related contact restrictions may have found individual days to be excruciatingly long, said Prior. Later, in retrospect, it could be different. “When those for whom it went on for many weeks look back, they almost have the feeling that there was no time at all,” said the scientist who was not involved in the study.
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For people who were challenged more during the crisis than before, for example parents and employees in systemically relevant professions, time apparently passed faster in the current sense. But in retrospect, it can feel like it’s been almost years to her, said Prior.
Sources used: dpa news agency
Beer lovers and party people can look forward to the weekend: Because the 21st Mainz Beer Exchange is just around the corner.
From Friday to Sunday the Mainz Beer Exchange takes place on the banks of the Rhine opposite the Electoral Palace. Numerous visitors came last year. This year, too, the organizers are expecting a lot from the event: In good weather, around 10,000 visitors are expected.
Between the Theodor-Heuss-Brücke and the Raimundi-Tor there is space for around 60 beer and snack stands. On Friday and Saturday you can party and dine here from 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. The Mainz Beer Exchange is open on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Entry is free all days.
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In addition to numerous culinary highlights, live music is also on the program