75 years of Vespa Piaggios fully electric future

Status: 23.06.2021 8:15 a.m.

The Vespa, Piaggio’s most popular product, has been around for 75 years. Thanks to Corona, business is booming. Nevertheless, the Italian two-wheeler manufacturer wants to reposition itself strategically.

By Jörg Seisselberg, ARD-Studio Rome, currently in Milan

There is a good mood in Via Broletto. At the Milanese headquarters of Piaggio, not far from the famous cathedral, Maurizio Carletti is sitting in his office on the third floor and is bubbling over with optimism. “I hope this year will be the best,” says the Piaggio Vice President, “we are about to achieve results in 2021 that are really extremely remarkable.”

The figures for the first three months of the year: Piaggio sold over a fifth – 22 percent – more vehicles than in the same period of 2019 before the Covid crisis. Net sales are the highest in 14 years. These are golden times for the company.

Two-wheelers sought-after alternatives in times of crisis

One reason is that scooters and motorcycles are in demand in the corona pandemic – as an alternative to bus and train travel. Among other things, those responsible at Europe’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer had counted on it. At the plant in Pontedera, Tuscany, they kept working almost at full speed during the pandemic, apart from the weeks of complete lockdown in spring 2020. Now the Piaggio dealers have the vehicles that are in demand. In addition, analyst Monica Bosio says that Piaggio is benefiting from its platform strategy, which was introduced years ago, of lowering costs. The result: Piaggio is currently in the “best economic situation” since going public in 2006. “I would say,” says Bosio, “that the company is in excellent health”.

There is still room for improvement in e-mobility

From the height of its current success, the traditional Italian company is working on perhaps the most important future task: not to miss the connection to e-mobility. In the market for electric scooters and motorcycles, Piaggio has to make up ground, with market shares only in the lower single-digit percentage range. “Maybe there was a bit of a delay. But Piaggio is in the process of catching up,” said analyst Bosio.

One reason for the “delay” is that Piaggio has always positioned its vehicles in the upper part of the market in terms of price. So far, this also applies to the new world of e-scooters. Piaggio launched an electric-powered version of the iconic Vespa – and only sold a few copies. The E-Vespa is almost twice as expensive as some competing products. Next month, Piaggio will make the next attempt and want to start selling its new electric model in Europe. It’s called Piaggio One, was presented at the Beijing Auto Show and targets the entry-level electric market, which is dominated by models with a purchase price of up to 3000 euros. “One allows us to go into a price segment that we cannot reach with the Vespa at the moment,” says Vice President Carletti, confidently adding: “Now we will be represented in this segment, but with Piaggio quality.” The brand’s reputation, European production quality, the close international network of dealerships and workshops as well as a now competitive price should give Piaggio a new boost in e-mobility.

Conquer the sharing market with a cheaper model?

So far, the gasoline giant Piaggio is still lagging behind in the electric world. Also because sharing services and rental companies struggle with Piaggio’s expensive e-Vespa. This could change now, believes analyst Bosio: “With the Piaggio One you are trying to close the gap”. Sharing services have so far made up a large part of the e-scooter market in Europe. Piaggio is not competitive here in terms of price. “With Piaggio One, however, it cannot be ruled out,” says the analyst, “that there will be a presence again in this market.”

When asked, Piaggio Vice President Carletti, who is responsible for Europe among other things, does not rule out that Piaggio will also be active in the sharing sector with its new model. Getting active again – because six years ago the Italians tried their hand at the scooter sharing business. A model project with Piaggio MP3 scooters in Rome and Milan was quickly discontinued for cost reasons, shortly before the global sharing trend took off.

Standard replacement battery as the key to success

At Piaggio, the question of batteries is crucial for the future of e-scooters. Those in charge of the Italian company dream of e-scooter filling stations where drivers don’t have to spend a lot of time charging their batteries, but can quickly exchange an almost empty battery for a full one. The Piaggio managers do not consider it realistic for customers to charge their scooters for half an hour at a charging station. Vice-boss Carletti admits that he himself becomes restless if he has to wait a few minutes for his predecessor to finish at the gas station.

Therefore, the principle in the future of e-electric should be: pull the batteries out of your scooter, put them in a compartment at an e-charging point and pull out another, charged battery. Uniform battery connections in the industry would be a prerequisite. That is why Piaggio has teamed up with competitors KTM, Honda and Yamaha in a consortium for the vision of the battery swap. The goal: to develop standardized batteries for all future e-scooters and e-motorcycles

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Fight against Corona What speaks for and against child vaccinations

Status: 06/22/2021 8:57 a.m.

The debate about whether children should be vaccinated against Corona is in full swing. Companies are pressing ahead with their studies for the approval of a vaccine for young children as well. What is the current state of research?

From Axel John, SWR

Just a few steps from the magnificent Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin is the rather inconspicuous Hausvogteiplatz. But what is sensational is what happens there in a sober office building. The Association of Research-Based Drug Manufacturers (VfA) has its headquarters here. The experts maintain contact with pharmaceutical companies all over the world – also when it comes to corona vaccine research, which is still under high pressure.

Particularly strict requirements for tests with minors

A team of specialists is constantly collecting the latest data from all over the world. Rolf Hömke is also there. The biochemist is an expert in research and drug safety. “When developing a new drug, it is standard that the preparation is initially only tested on adults. If these results are correspondingly good, studies with minors follow.” However, a prerequisite is a medical benefit in children and adolescents. Hömke gives an example: “A new antibiotic, for example, is also needed for children – but a preparation against prostate cancer is not.” Even higher requirements would apply to the tests in order to avoid stress in young people as far as possible. Both parents must have agreed together. The conditions also demanded that the children also say yes as soon as possible. “Money cannot be earned with such participation. The test subjects receive an expense allowance. The participants are mostly idealists or sick people who hope for an effective treatment.”

Intermediate results of the vaccine test series for children under twelve years of age BioNTech / Pfizer started a study in March 2021 with children aged six months and younger than twelve years. In the first phase, a small number of minors initially received different doses. In the current phase II, around 4500 young people are to be tested for the effectiveness of the vaccine in more than 90 facilities in the USA, Finland, Poland and Spain. Here researchers analyze the respective immune response. Results could be available from September.

Moderna reported the start of the phase II / III study in March. More than 6,700 children between six months and under twelve years of age in the United States and Canada are expected to participate. Here, too, it was initially about the best dosage. The effectiveness is then checked in the further course.

With the vaccine from AstraZeneca investigations began at Oxford University in February. Several hundred young people and children between the ages of six and under 18 should take part. The study has been temporarily stopped by the British authorities after reports of very rare side effects with thrombosis.

Janssen / Johnson & Johnson started testing his vaccine with adolescents aged twelve and over in April 2021. If the interim results are good, younger test persons should join the group. However, this study is also currently on hold.

Sinovac has been testing its CoronaVac vaccine in China since the beginning of May. In phase II, minors between the ages of three and 17 are to be tested here.

Source: VfA

STIKO sees no rush

Professor Dr. Fred Zepp follows vaccine development with great interest. On the one hand, Zepp is a member of the Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO). The committee drew up the recommendations for the sequence of corona vaccinations. Zepp was also director of the Center for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine at the Mainz University Hospital for many years. He believes it is imperative that vaccines be developed for minors as well. This is particularly important for high-risk patients such as children with chronic cardiopulmonary diseases, emphasizes Zepp. “The mRNA vaccine process is an impressive development with excellent prospects. But we do not yet have any broad experience with children,” explains Zepp. For him it is important that the development of an adult’s organism is differentiated. The acute side effects can usually be recognized in the first twelve to 16 weeks. “With infants or children, on the other hand, I have an organism that is subject to constant development. That is why I say: We are currently under no time pressure in this group and should wait for further study results.” In addition, there are hardly any children in Europe who are seriously ill with Covid-19. Less than 80 children in Germany were being treated in an intensive care unit because of Corona. There have also been very few deaths that are even below the rate of flu. Zepp is also referring to a few cases in adolescents in the USA who developed heart muscle inflammation after the second vaccination with BioNTech. The authorities are currently investigating whether there is a connection. “The coronavirus will continue to change. I expect that the older population could also be affected here.”

“The pathogen spreads unhindered, especially in children”

In Munich, Matthias Kromayer leans over the latest results from corona vaccine research in children. The microbiologist recommends vaccinating minors according to the relevant studies and approvals – regardless of the vaccine. Kromayer works on the board of MIG AG. The company is currently investing in 30 start-ups. In 2008, BioNTech received a good 13 million euros as an initial investment from MIG.

For Kromayer, a vaccination rate of 70 to 80 percent in the population is the goal. “Then there is a good chance of paralyzing the spread of the virus and mutated variants. The pathogen spreads unhindered, especially in children. They are closer together and cannot yet adhere to the hygiene rules,” explains Kromayer. According to the Federal Statistical Office, there are more than 8.5 million people under the age of twelve in Germany. For Kromayer, this group is so large that it should not be ignored in the fight against pandemics. At the same time, children have a much stronger immune system that can deal with Corona much better. In this way, fewer pathogens would presumably be transmitted: “The vaccine side effects in children are likely to be very limited, but the resulting protection for other population groups is high. That should be weighed up.”

Politicians do not want to commit themselves yet

In Berlin, too, the Federal Ministry of Health has long since registered the emerging debate. Whether and to what extent children should also be vaccinated in the fight against Corona is still silent. Upon request, the press office simply declares: “The results of studies and possible approval by the European authorities remain to be seen.”

According to BioNTech / Pfizer, reliable results from the currently ongoing study series can be expected from September onwards. By then, at the latest, the discussion about the best vaccination strategy will really start

BioNTech Annual General Meeting Successful with mRNA technology

Status: 22.06.2021 10:25 a.m.

At today’s Annual General Meeting, the BioNTech top management can boast great successes. This is not only due to the corona vaccine, in which the company has left many competitors behind.

From Bianca von der Au, ARD stock exchange studio

What happened to the Tübingen-based vaccine manufacturer CureVac is actually the norm in the biotech industry: one drug candidate disappoints. Research is tedious and devours billions. The rapid success of the competitor BioNTech was more than a stroke of luck, believes asset manager Hendrik Leber from the private corporation Acatis. The Mainz biotech company did a lot of things right, he says. “BioNTech made the decision very quickly to develop a vaccine at all. And the choice of partner to work with Pfizer was an extremely good decision.” The US pharmaceutical company opened the door to the American market and at the same time pushed ahead with marketing and clinical studies at a rapid pace.

Does CureVac’s chance lie in the mutants?

The Tübingen competitor CureVac is not only lagging in terms of time, but also in terms of time Effectiveness of his vaccine after. Experts are divided as to whether this deficit can be made up at all. Pharmaceutical specialist Alexander Nuyken from the consulting company EY gives the race is not lost for CureVac – in view of the constant number of new mutations and a low vaccination rate among the world’s population.

mRNA vaccine with great potential

However, the EY expert sees enormous potential in biotechnology, especially in the field, beyond the corona vaccine novel mRNA technology , which CureVac is also researching. “It was originally not developed with Covid in mind, but for completely different therapies, such as cancer”recalls Nuyken. There is the potential to address other diseases with this technology, namely, according to the expert, “cheaper, faster and more efficient.”

There is great hope – not only among investors – that mRNA technology can develop effective agents against previously incurable diseases – not only against cancer, but also against Alzheimer’s, for example. BioNTech has been researching a vaccine against cancer for a long time and, a few days ago, treated a skin cancer patient with an mRNA vaccine for the first time in a phase II study.

Would you like more willingness to take risks?

The path to the surprising success with the corona vaccine was only possible for BioNTech thanks to patient donors in the background. EY pharma expert Nuyken believes that there is a need for greater willingness to take risks in Germany. “How do we get the good science that we undoubtedly have in Germany in companies? And how can we then further develop these companies until they are ready for the market?”the expert asks.

He sees this as the biggest hurdle in the German environment. “In contrast to the American market, we have significantly less capital that is available for the development of these companies.” So it’s no wonder that CureVac and BioNTech have been listed on the Nasdaq technology exchange in the USA in the past two years. But also in Germany, Corona and the search for a vaccine have put the biotech industry in the (spotlight) light. According to EY, the German biotechnology company is in the Corona year 2020 so much capital flowed in as never before . In CureVac, the federal government even invested 300 million euros – a risky investment

Heil is promoting training bonuses There should be no “Corona vintage”

Status: 06/22/2021 05:07

The second year of training since the beginning of the corona pandemic begins in September. The federal government supports training companies with training bonuses, but Labor Minister Heil is still worried about a corona kink on the apprenticeship market. Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil sees the German training market facing a critical phase after months of the pandemic. The number of apprenticeships like applicants had already decreased last year, said the minister. Figures from the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training prove this. The test comes this summer, “Heil told the Funke media group. “We are currently fighting the clock as the training year begins on September 1st.” It is clear: “We are not allowed to allow a Corona class in training.”

6000 euros bonus per apprenticeship position

Many companies were hesitant at the moment because they believed they could not afford apprentices at the moment. Heil called on companies to make greater use of state support offers such as the training bonus. The bonus has been approved for almost 40,000 training positions since last summer.

Heil pointed out that the new protective umbrella for training has been in place since the beginning of June. The premium was also doubled in March. Companies affected by a pandemic that keep their training quota have been receiving EUR 4,000 per apprenticeship position since the beginning of June, and EUR 6,000 for new trainee positions.

According to the Federal Ministry of Labor, the program has a total volume of 410 million euros for the current year. By mid-June, around 88 million euros, almost a fifth, had been paid out

EY study Corona is changing the pharmaceutical industry

Status: June 21, 2021 3:53 p.m.

The corona pandemic did not give the pharmaceutical industry a boost in 2020, it actually slowed it down. According to an EY study, only cancer medicine and ophthalmology are booming.

by Notker Blechner, tagesschau.de

Is “Big Pharma” but not a beneficiary of the corona pandemic? The management consultants from EY (formerly Ernst & Young) are convinced: “The corona crisis was not a growth driver in the past year, on the contrary, it led to higher spending on research and development”, says Klaus Ort, head of EY’s Life Sciences & Healthcare market segment in German-speaking countries. “The pharmaceutical industry wasn’t a big winner from the pandemic.” In fact, sales of the world’s 21 largest pharmaceutical companies rose by just 4.4 percent in 2020. In the year before the pandemic, the increase was almost 13 percent. However, this was also due to a billion-dollar takeover in the industry.

Corona slowed growth

According to Ort, Corona led to delays in various treatments. Among other things, the fact that fewer operations were carried out in hospitals had a negative effect. This slowed down sales of the corresponding drugs and therapies. In the case of funds for heart and circulatory diseases, for example, revenues stagnated after having increased significantly in 2019. Sales of therapeutics for respiratory diseases even fell. Place refers to the wearing of face and nose masks as the reason, which also prevented infectious diseases such as flu.

Corona surge will not come until 2021

With sales of 26.4 billion euros, vaccines only made up a good five percent of total sales last year “Big Pharma” out. That should change in 2021. The US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has already announced that the corona vaccine Comirnaty will flush a good 15 billion dollars into the coffers. That’s a good quarter of Pfizer’s total sales. “At Pfizer, Corona will only have an impact on sales in 2021″says EY expert Ort.

Pfizer partner BioNTech also expects an enormous growth spurt in new, unimagined dimensions this year. The Mainz corona vaccine pioneer expects sales of 9.8 billion euros for 2021 and should thus become the third largest German pharmaceutical manufacturer – behind Bayer and Boehringer.

766 Covid vaccines and therapeutics pending

EY was unable to quantify how high the market volume for combating corona is. However, the management consultants see huge potential. They refer to 260 vaccine candidates who are currently in studies. So far, only four vaccines have been approved. “The four big players dominate the market and will continue to do so”, predicts Alexander Nuyken, co-author of the study and head of life sciences transaction consulting at EY. Because of the increasing number of mutations, the hurdle for approval will become higher and higher in future.

EY has found out that 506 therapeutics are in the pipeline for drugs against Covid-19. However, no means of this have yet managed to obtain approval. “Despite all the vaccination euphoria, one should not lose sight of this fact”, warns EY expert Nuyken. People are still dying of Covid-19 due to a lack of medication. After all, the number of drug candidates has doubled since the end of 2020. And: 162 therapeutics are in the clinical phase III study. The most promising means is considered the cortisone drug dexamethasone . According to a large-scale study by Oxford University, it lowers the death rate of seriously ill Covid patients by at least 25 percent. In the initial phase of the corona disease, Remdesivir, which was the first Covid drug approved in Europe, also works – albeit only under certain conditions.

Price drop for corona tests

The EY experts see the market for corona tests as completely oversaturated. There are currently 1,021 diagnostic tests on the market, more than half of which are so-called immunassays (including rapid antigen tests). “We see a drop in prices here”says EY expert Nuyken. Individual drugstore and supermarket chains are now offering self-tests for 80 cents.

Thanks to Corona, the vaccine business has experienced a renaissance, emphasize the EY experts. The biotech sector in particular benefits. Due to new trends such as digitization as well as gene and cell therapies, it is on the threshold of further growth. According to EY, the German biotechs received more capital in 2020 than ever before.

Cancer medicine is the major growth driver

The main market for “Big Pharma” but oncology remains. In the fight against cancer, the industry has a turnover of over 200 billion euros, which is more than a third of the entire pharmaceutical business. In 2020, the world’s 21 largest pharmaceutical companies increased their sales in oncology by 14.6 percent. Experts are also predicting growth rates of ten percent for the coming years. Only ophthalmology promises similarly strong growth. Because of the trend towards home office in the pandemic, myopia increased in many people, especially children.

Biotech companies could provide a new boost in the cancer market. Amgen recently made a breakthrough in cancer therapy with Lumakras. For the first time, an active ingredient was approved that is directed against mutations in the KRAS gene. The KRAS mutations are one of the most common causes of pancreatic, colon and lung cancers. The mRNA technology that BioNTech and Moderna are successfully using in the fight against Corona also promises huge potential for cancer research.

Hope in the fight against Alzheimer’s

Biotech could also bring progress in the fight against Alzheimer’s. In early June, Biogen received “green light” for the active ingredient aducanumab . It is the first Alzheimer’s drug to receive FDA approval since 2003.

According to the study by EY, the Swiss Roche Group has maintained its top position in the ranking of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies with 43.4 billion euros. AbbVie climbed to second place – just ahead of Johnson & Johnson and Merck & Co. Pfizer slipped to sixth place in the rankings. Due to the corona surge, the US pharmaceutical giant should regain the top spot in 2021

Burden on world trade Freighters back up off southern China

As of: 21.06.2021 8:59 a.m.

The container ships are stowed in the fourth largest port in the world. The reason is a corona outbreak in Shenzhen-Yantian. The international movement of goods is impaired – possibly until the end of the year.

From Steffen Wurzel, ARD studio Shanghai

The congestion of the container ships off southern China is worse than that Blockade of the Suez Canal in March This is how Vincent Clerc, manager of the Danish shipping company Maersk, summed it up in a conversation with journalists in mid-June. At times, around 130 container ships from all over the world were anchored off the port of Shenzhen-Yantian, as reported by the Bloomberg news agency.

Weeks-long consequences for world trade

The reason for the traffic jam is a new – albeit small – corona outbreak in the southern Chinese part of Guangdong, where Shenzhen is located. Because the local authorities ordered the port of Shenzhen to be partially closed due to the corona, ships could not dock and cast off. Supply chains worldwide are out of step. German companies in the Guangdong region are also reporting that department stores are sometimes overcrowded. In the meantime, the situation in Guangdong has normalized, but weeks will pass before the backlog has completely cleared, estimates Nick Marro, an analyst for world trade at the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) in Hong Kong. The backlog will therefore continue for weeks through the global supply chains.

Traffic jam in the fourth largest port in the world

Shenzhen-Yantian is the fourth largest container port in the world; Last year more than 27 million standard containers (TEU) were handled there. For comparison: In Hamburg there were fewer than nine million containers in 2020, i.e. around a third of them.

The logistics delays are a problem especially for the tech and electronics industry: around 90 percent of all electronics exports from China go through the port of Shenzhen-Yantian. Analyst Nick Marro expects the situation to remain tense, given the global openings after the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Relaxation probably only towards the end of the year

“There is no sign of an end to global consumer demand for goods and products. In many western countries, stocks are usually replenished in the third quarter of the year, which continues to ensure high trading activity,” says Marro. “This suggests that the tensions in global logistics and at the ports will not ease until the fourth quarter of the year.” In China, almost no reports are made of the container ship congestion in front of the port of Shenzhen-Yantian

Free corona tests Pharmacies want to reduce supply

Status: 06/20/2021 07:22 a.m.

In view of falling demand and less money from the federal government, many pharmacies want to reduce their range of corona rapid tests. The implementation is no longer economical. Due to the falling demand for corona tests, Germany’s pharmacies want to limit their range. Since the number of fully vaccinated is increasing and infection protection rules have been relaxed, the need for tests is decreasing, said a spokesman for the Abda pharmacists’ association. He also pointed out that the federal government pays less than before. “This means that it is no longer economical to carry out the tests for a number of pharmacies.” The test offer will therefore probably get smaller step by step. Alongside private companies and state institutions, pharmacies are among the most important test center operators. According to Abda estimates, around 20 to 25 percent of pharmacies offer so-called citizen tests – that is, rapid tests that are free for consumers and paid for by the federal government.

Less money for tests

Originally, the pharmacies, like all other providers, received up to 18 euros per antigen test carried out, now the federal government only pays up to 12.50 euros. In the corona pandemic, spring tests were key to ensuring that people with a negative result could visit restaurants or shops.

However, the number of infections is now so low that loosening takes effect and a visit to a restaurant or shopping is permitted even without a test result. In addition, fully vaccinated people are exempt from test requirements.

Fewer and fewer rapid tests

Figures from the NRW Ministry of Health show how much demand is falling. Last Thursday there were 306,000 rapid antigen tests via the test centers in the state. Of those, 216 were positive – a percentage of 0.07 percent. A week earlier there were 498,000 tests in one day (positive: 0.08 percent); a month ago it was 594,000 (positive: 0.23 percent). The number of test sites in North Rhine-Westphalia was recently stable at 9236 – it will probably decrease in the future.

The Association of the Diagnostics Industry, which represents manufacturers of tests, assumes that the demand for antigen tests in the test centers will drop significantly in the summer. The manufacturers will “of course adjust to a permanently falling demand,” said an association spokeswoman. But they are working on tests that could detect both influenza and coronavirus disease. Such tests could help in the fall, should there be a flu wave and the number of corona infections rise again.

Corona crisis Further help for business in sight

Status: 06/18/2021 5:51 p.m.

The states are urging to continue Corona aid for companies until the end of the year – Federal Minister of Economics Altmaier indicated readiness. Support for domestic exporters has already been extended. There are signs of an extension of the corona aid for companies that have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic. The economics ministers of the federal states demanded that the funds previously planned until the end of September be continued until the end of the year. The federal government pays the previous “Bridging Aid III”.

Extension after the summer break if necessary

Federal Minister of Economics Peter Altmaier (CDU) made it clear after a meeting with his country ministerial colleagues that he is not averse to an extension. One will look at the situation and, if necessary, extend the help after the summer break. The corona aid only applies to companies that can demonstrate a sharp drop in sales and can trace them back to the pandemic. As the economy is currently picking up again and more business is being done again, the number of companies eligible to apply is falling.

Altmaier: So far, 105 billion euros have been transferred

So far, a total of 105 billion euros have been transferred to companies as corona aid, said Altmaier. Roughly half of these are loans and half are grants that do not have to be repaid. In addition, there is money from the federal states. According to Altmaier, the state support has paid off: “Together we managed to prevent a loss of substance in the German economy.”

Against the background of the lower number of infections and the lifting of restrictions, Altmaier said the economy was “coming to a new start faster than many feared”. Growth is picking up – this year it will be 3.5 to 4 percent and in 2022 it will be more than 4 percent. The economy will have reached pre-crisis levels by spring 2022 at the latest. “That means, we are hopefully out of the worst,” said the CDU politician. When the bridging aid, which ran until the end of June, was extended by three months as “bridging aid III plus”, he was in any case in favor of continuing it until the end of the year.

Aid to exporters continues

Meanwhile, the corona aid for domestic exporters has already been extended until the end of the year. They were decided in July 2020 and should actually end this month. “Even if the economic situation has improved significantly in the past few months, the corona pandemic continues to pose challenges for the export industry,” the Ministry of Economics justified the decision. “Some companies are only now feeling the stresses with a delay.”

“Security signal” to the economy

North Rhine-Westphalia’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Andreas Pinkwart, spoke out in favor of continuing to support sectors such as the trade fair industry. After all, they would “presumably not yet be able to work in the fourth quarter in the way they normally would at normal times”. In addition, the FDP politician considers the extension of the bridging aid to be a good precaution for possible rising incidences in autumn. Then you would “not have to put on a new program from the hip”, but would have already been prepared. Saarland’s Minister of Economic Affairs, Anke Rehlinger, considers the prospect of the extension of the aid to be “a protective signal” to the economy. “We have to take care of the industries that are still suffering from the pandemic.” She stressed that the time should be used to prepare for all eventualities in autumn and winter. Should one be forced to make restrictions again because of the pandemic, there could be “other, smarter measures” that would take into account aspects such as a high vaccination rate.

Situation in trade fair industry “catastrophic”

The corona pandemic hit large parts of the German economy hard. In the meantime, things are looking a little better again, also because restrictions have been relaxed and restaurants and cafes are open again, for example. However, the situation in some sectors such as the trade fair industry is still very tense.

Jörn Holtmeier, managing director of the trade fair association AUMA, described the situation in his branch as “catastrophic”. The first industry get-togethers would take place again in September, but the number of trade fairs until the end of the year was clear. There have been many rejections. “If a stand builder finally gets another order for his first trade fair in November or December, but then does not receive any more money from the state in October, this can extremely worsen the already tense financial situation of his company.” Then company bankruptcies are possible. It is mainly about stand builders, caterers and private trade fair organizers. Exhibition companies that belong to municipalities and the state are not entitled to federal corona aid.

Around 231,000 employees

Holtmeier is also in favor of extending the aid until the end of the year. This was just a safety net, he said. “Some companies will get orders again beforehand and make sales, they will not have to use the help.”

According to AUMA, Germany’s trade fair industry has around 231,000 employees. This not only includes organizers and stand builders, but also companies with a strong trade fair business – a hotel, for example, which does most of its business with trade fair visitors, is proportionately included in the number of employees. Since March 2020, according to the Ifo Institute, the crisis in the trade fair industry has led to economic damage of an estimated 40 billion euros: Dealers could no longer buy anything at the industry get-togethers, and there were no more visitors who would spend money on restaurant visits, hotel stays or taxi rides

Film industry “There’s never been more shooting going on”

Status: 06/18/2021 10:22 a.m.

The film industry is recovering from the forced Corona break. Due to the great pent-up demand, production is currently running at full speed. But the pandemic has consequences that will change the industry.

From Tina von Löhneysen, RBB

Backdrops on trolleys, trucks being unloaded, locked gates behind which secret stage sets are set up – in the Babelsberg studio there is a buzz. Christoph Fisser is a member of the board here and is in a good mood. In a polo shirt, he walks across the extensive grounds. “We are starting three major international productions these weeks, all of which are star-studded,” he says. You can hear the pride in his voice. “Not only here, it is shot everywhere like never before, because all films are being made up that were not made last year. They were all already financed.”

Make-up artists are hard to come by

The industry is booming. So much so that it is difficult to put crews together. Make-up artists and sound engineers are hard to come by because they are all already engaged in productions. Studio Babelsberg is a heavyweight in the industry. Founded more than a hundred years ago, films such as “The Blue Angel” or later “The Bourne Ultimatum” and “Grand Budapest Hotel” were shot here. It is considered the oldest film studio of its kind in the world. During Corona you only had to close for 16 weeks, two large-scale productions then continued filming in Potsdam. Although this was associated with a large logistical and financial effort – 60,000 tests were carried out for it, and now more meticulous testing is being carried out – but it has just continued.

The industry stood still

The industry as a whole was different. There was a standstill. It was hardly shot. The uncertainty was too great, the conditions too strict. Now there is far-reaching relaxation, the general sigh of relief and a lot of catching up to do, says Sebastian Lambeck from the producer alliance for film and television. But in perspective one will be able to observe a shift in production activity.

“Financing movies has become even more difficult due to the pandemic,” says Lambeck. Whether you get a film in the cinemas when it is finished, how well it is going: All this has become even more unpredictable due to the pandemic. And, quite clearly: The trend that was already emerging has accelerated enormously as a result of Corona: “The streaming providers are the winners of this crisis.” Babelsberg board member Fisser also notices this. The demand has more than tripled, which is due to the great hunger of streaming services for content. For Fisser’s company, that doesn’t really matter. When he shoots, it always makes money. But it hurts him a little. “We love cinema, you really have to say that. Personally, I much prefer to produce cinema films than serial, but the market has changed dramatically.”

“Films galore”

Despite all the changes: the good old cinema still exists. In these weeks, the movie theaters in Germany will open again, regionally staggered. “There are plenty of good films,” says Christian Bräuer, chairman of the AG Kino – Gilde eV

“In the next four months, about as many films will be shown in theaters as would normally be spread over an entire year,” he reports. Constantin Film AG, which is both a film distributor and a production company, confirms this. Like all distributors, they have an unusually large number of films on stockpile. That means for the cinema-goers: There is a huge selection of films. This is one of the reasons why the cinema operators are looking at the openings with great confidence. The hope: After the crisis there will be a boom – not only in film production, but also in watching films.

Aviation industry Corona isn’t the only problem

Status: 06/18/2021 6:46 a.m.

Aviation has been hit particularly hard by the Corona crisis. But the industry is also under pressure when it comes to climate protection. Will the change now succeed?

From Michael Immel, ARD aviation expert

The mood in the aviation industry has brightened. Because quite a few planes are filling up again, and many people are looking forward to their summer vacation. And so bookings are going through the roof almost everywhere these days: Lufthansa, Eurowings and Condor – all are experiencing a huge summer trend.

Will the first be the last?

The “National Aviation Conference”, which today is attended by top representatives from politics, business and trade unions at Berlin-Brandenburg Airport, wants to continue this positive trend. But it won’t be easy. Even if capacity utilization is now increasing sharply: over the year as a whole, the aviation industry will probably only end up at 40 to 50 percent of the pre-crisis level. Lufthansa boss Carsten Spohr had already stated last spring: “We were the first industry to be affected by this global crisis and aviation will be one of the last to leave it.”

Remove travel restrictions

In the joint declaration on the aviation conference to be signed in Berlin today, it is therefore stated: “After around 15 months of almost total standstill, the German air transport system is suffering from massive economic losses. Therefore, further decisions and measures are necessary to revive air traffic to support.”

It is primarily about travel restrictions that are to be lifted gradually. And to simplify travel, in particular through a digital vaccination certificate for proof of vaccination, recovery and test results. This should accelerate the processes at the airports.

Successful and sustainable

In the nine-page paper that tagesschau.de is available, the main focus is on a green strategy for the German aviation industry. The revival should be based entirely on sustainability. Climate protection, eco-efficiency and sustainable competitiveness: These are the future topics for the entire industry – which has also understood that lip service alone will not be enough in the future.

“An essential instrument for climate protection in air traffic is the rapid and continuous renewal of the aircraft fleets”, it says in the Berlin declaration. New commercial aircraft would emit up to 25 percent less CO2 than the previous generation. With the collapse of air traffic, however, the renewal of the fleet has largely come to a standstill. “That is why the federal government has initiated a funding program to provide an economic incentive for the fleet renewal. We are continuing to advocate for the rapid approval of the program under state aid law during this legislative period.”

Criticism from unions

Meanwhile, in the run-up to the aviation conference, there is massive criticism from unions. According to the ver.di survey, 16 percent of the workforce have left air transport since the beginning of the pandemic. “The numbers of downsizing are frightening,” said Mira Neumaier, ver.di federal specialist group leader for aviation, who is also taking part in the aviation conference today.

“In view of the extremely thin workforce even before the start of the pandemic and the great stress situation for the employees, it is to be feared that a regulated restart in air traffic – even at 50 percent of the pre-crisis level – will no longer be affordable.”

Securing jobs

“It is not enough to save corporations,” warns Stefan Herth, president of the cockpit pilots’ union. “The short-time work allowance was an important measure in the acute crisis. What we now need is the sustainable safeguarding of jobs. In the past year and a half, politics has shown too little commitment here,” said Herth.

As a major shareholder, the federal government also has the responsibility not to lose sight of the well-being of employees when making important business decisions. “Wage dumping and social cuts at state expense must not be accepted anywhere.”

Corona risk when traveling On a vacation flight into the fourth wave?

Status: 06/18/2021 5:16 a.m.

Falling incidences and more and more vaccinated people, many people hope for a carefree vacation – almost without Corona. But does the travel wave threaten a setback for autumn like last year? Four experts offer advice on how to reduce the risk of a fourth wave.

By Stefan Keilmann, tagesschau.de

For weeks the number of new infections in Germany is falling , In addition, the vaccination campaign against Corona is making progress: Every second person in this country has already received the first vaccination . Many people are now all the more hoping for an end to the pandemic and a piece of normality. The tour operators register one Record increase in bookings , In many holiday regions in Germany, it is hardly possible to get hold of a room for the holidays.

But what does this mean for fighting the pandemic? Last summer, the incidences were also low, many people traveled within and outside of Europe – and some brought the virus back with them. According to In the meantime, every second new infection was due to a trip abroad due to a special evaluation by the Robert Koch Institute . But can the experiences from last year be carried over to the summer of this year that easily? After all, many people are protected by vaccinations – but there are significantly more contagious virus mutants such as the Delta variant . Therefore, experts are already warning against that there could be significantly more infections in autumn . How is vacation possible in the second Corona summer – and what has to happen so that there is no fourth wave in autumn? tagesschau.de interviewed scientists from various disciplines.

Ralf Bartenschlager, virologist

To person Prof. Dr. Ralf Bartenschlager is President of the Society for Virology and heads the Department of Molecular Virology at Heidelberg University.

“I think you have to differentiate here whether you are fully immunized – and by that I mean both vaccinations – or whether you have not yet been vaccinated or have only been vaccinated once. With a complete immunization, more vacation is certainly possible than with a missing or partial immunization, even if you can create a certain compensation through testing. Basically, the holiday destination should also be chosen carefully this summer. One should consider the incidence, the vaccination rate and the presence of worrying variants – such as the delta variant – in the destination area. We have to use the summer months to avoid a fourth wave in autumn / winter. The vaccination must be given priority here, and it must be complete. The latest results show that the second vaccination is very important, especially with regard to protection against the SARS-CoV-2 variants. In addition, we must minimize the entry of infections, especially with SARS-CoV-2 variants, as far as possible for those returning from abroad. ”

Kai Nagel, mobility researcher

To person Prof. Dr. Kai Nagel is a physicist and head of the Department of Traffic System Planning and Traffic Telematics at the Technical University of Berlin. With the help of a simulation model – which also uses real cellular data – he is investigating how the coronavirus spreads in schools, at work and when traveling.

“Our simulations show that, due to the rapid progress of vaccination and the summer, we are currently in a situation in which we have a certain amount of leeway for relaxation . the proportion of dangerous mutations is not significantly higher than in Germany. The same principles apply when traveling as here. First: Wherever possible, carry out activities (e.g. visits to restaurants) outside. Second: Wear masks indoors. And third: Avoid contexts with a high density of people. However, our simulations also show that an autumn wave is likely if the vaccination protection decreases due to a mutation. For this reason, tourist trips to regions with dangerous mutations should be avoided at all costs, and if they do take place, be bound to a quarantine (also for vaccinated / convalescent) after return. It cannot be assumed that this will completely prevent the entry of these mutations, but it can at least be slowed down. ”

Gérard Krause, epidemiologist

To person Prof. Dr. Gérard Krause is one of the leading epidemiologists in Germany. Among other things, he heads the Epidemiology Department at the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research in Braunschweig.

“How the epidemiological situation of the pandemic will develop in the second half of the year does not depend solely on how we organize the vacation time. What will also be decisive here will be the extent to which the priority target groups can be fully vaccinated and how well the vaccination against newly emerging variants of the virus and how the autumnal environmental conditions favor the spread of the virus again. Also important is how successfully the public health service will be able to contain local outbreaks that occur. To the extent that social restrictions on mobility and contacts no longer apply, the importance of case-related contact person management increases. To make matters worse, the health authorities may not be able to fall back on extensive staffing as they were recently. Well-focused and optimized processes are required here. ”

Clemens Wendtner, chief physician

To person Prof. Dr. Clemens Wendtner is the head physician for infectious diseases at Munich Clinic Schwabing. At the beginning of the pandemic, Germany’s first corona patients were in his clinic.

“Enjoy with common sense – that should be our motto for the summer. After months of restrictions, the longing for sun and distance is understandably great and the development of incidence allows us more freedom again. That is good and right, as long as we have the security with us Last year the number of cases increased after the holidays, in autumn we mainly looked after returning travelers at our wards. We have to learn from this and, particularly with regard to the mutations, continue to consistently link safety measures with the relaxation. And: We have to keep our vision through the sun’s rays, constantly advance the vaccinations in the summer, keep the vaccination speed high. The higher the vaccination protection in autumn, the flatter a possible fourth wave. Then we have a good chance that the months of restrictions will finally be a thing of the past. ” The Corona variants and their names The World Health Organization (WHO) is now using neutral names for the variants of the coronavirus. They are no longer to be named after the countries in which they were first discovered. With this, the WHO wants to prevent discrimination and stigmatization.
alpha The name of the variant that first appeared in Great Britain is B.1.1.7.
beta is the name for the variant B.1.351 discovered in South Africa.
gamma stands for variant P.1, which has been proven in Brazil.
delta refers to variant B.1.617.2, which was initially found in India.

Corona vaccine CVnCoV Bad Intermediate result for CureVac

As of: 06/17/2021 6:42 a.m.

Setback for CureVac: The corona vaccine CVnCoV only showed an effectiveness of 47 percent in the second interim analysis, said the Tübingen-based company. The study is to be continued. CureVac’s corona vaccine candidate CVnCoV missed the statistical targets in a second interim analysis. The Tübingen-based company announced this in a mandatory notification. There it says: “In a previously unprecedented environment with at least 13 variants within the subset of study participants examined in this interim analysis, CVnCoV achieved a preliminary effectiveness of 47 percent against COVID-19 disease of any severity and thus did not meet the specified statistical success criteria.” Initial analyzes have shown that the effectiveness depends on the age group examined and the virus strains, the company continues. The vaccine candidate is in the final stage of clinical development. CEO Franz-Werner Haas announced that one had hoped for stronger results in the interim analysis. But continue the current study until the final analysis.

Actually soon approval is planned

Until the beginning of June it had been said that the company expected – depending on the clinical trial data – the approval of its vaccine candidate in the EU at least for the second quarter. But shortly afterwards it became known that the proceedings would be further delayed.

CureVac, which works with Bayer, had long been considered one of the hopes in the competitive race for approval of the first corona vaccines. But while vaccines have been administered by numerous competitors worldwide for months, the Tübingen-based company is still collecting data – and recently had repeatedly put off shareholders and observers.

background

Corona consequences for companies How much longer does the state have to help?

Status: 06/17/2021 10:18 a.m.

Today, the federal and state economics ministers are discussing how to proceed with corona aid for companies. Warnings against a permanent state economy are getting louder. But some industries are still deeply in crisis.

From Axel John, SWR

Tim Sandrock walks through the 3500 square meter hall of his event company. He points to huge loudspeakers, lighting systems or projectors that are piled up to the ceiling. “That would normally all be used outside in mid-June, at theater events, village festivals or music concerts”says Sandrock. “The camp could be swept through completely. We haven’t moved the technology for at least 15 months.”

He is one of the two managing directors of Flo-Service GmbH in Mainz. The company has 25 employees and six trainees. The company organizes up to 1500 events per year with a focus on the Rhine-Main area. “From the disco ball for the teenage party to the stage technology for a Sting concert, we cover everything”says Sandrock. Although the economy is taking off again across the country, Flo-Service still has few orders at major events due to the pandemic requirements. Most recently, among other things, the Oktoberfest was canceled. This sends a devastating signal to the industry.

Hope for further help

“We are broadly positioned and have thus been able to limit losses. The Federal Employment Agency helped us a lot through short-time work with around 31,000 euros per month. The bridging aids were also extremely important to us last year”says Sandrock. “However, our company has fixed costs of 150,000 euros every month.”

“I very much hope for further government aid” – Flo Service Managing Director Tim Sandrock. Image: Axel John, SWR

Flo-Service mainly draws on its operating reserves before Corona. In addition, there was a tough austerity course. Overall, sales have decreased by a good third. This means that Sandrock is still in a brilliant position in the industry. Other companies make a minus of 90 percent or are no longer there. “In the long run, of course, you can’t finance a company like ours. I therefore very much hope for further state aid”, he says. Cultural events have a pre-planning of three to nine months. In the uncertain Corona time, that’s half an eternity. “I am optimistic that the worst is behind us. But we still need support for a transition period. Otherwise all previous payments would be pointless”, says Sandrock.

Economics ministers discuss further aid

The federal and state economics ministers meet today in Düsseldorf – for the first time in attendance. One question is: what will happen next with the support for the economy? The bridging allowance and short-time work allowance were only recently extended to the end of September and even expanded. Now it is about a renewed extension until the end of the year.

The host of the meeting, the North Rhine-Westphalian Minister of Economic Affairs Andreas Pinkwart from the FDP, has already made a decision: “I am in favor of the aid being extended beyond the end of September until the end of the year”, he says. “Sectors such as the trade fair and event industry or the showmen will continue to suffer from a drop in sales in the fall. The Federal Ministry of Economics also sees it that way. I would also like to advocate this course at the federal government.”

NRW Minister of Economic Affairs Pinkwart is campaigning for a further extension of the corona aid. Image: dpa

North Rhine-Westphalia’s Minister of Economic Affairs also refers to legal constraints. “Unfortunately, to fight the pandemic, we had to restrict the freedom of trade. That is why the bridging aid is not subsidy, but compensation. Parts of the economy are only now gradually returning to normal”says Pinkwart. Now it is a matter of creating transitions for the companies concerned.

Share of businesses in need is falling

More and more companies seem to manage this transition. According to a study by the Institute for Employment Research (IAB), only eight percent of all companies saw their existence threatened by May. In April this value was still 13 percent. “The incidence values ​​are easing in many places, and at the same time private-sector companies in Germany are looking more optimistically into the future, “says IAB Director Bernd Fitzenberger. So far, the Federal Ministry of Economics has approved a total of more than 105 billion euros for the economy during the crisis. In addition, there is short-time work allowance of around 32.3 billion euros.

Criticism from economists

More and more economists are critical of the ongoing political assistance. Lars Feld is one of them. The 54-year-old economist is a proven regulatory politician, i.e. oriented towards the principles of market and competition. “The extension until the end of September is fine. But I do not believe in a renewed extension”, he says. “The upswing is in full swing. According to the Bundesbank, we will have growth of 3.7 percent in Germany this year. Next year it should be five percent. The need for an expansive fiscal policy that continues to be so strong is therefore decreasing.”

In addition, there are always deadweight effects at companies that find themselves in a difficult situation without this having anything to do with Corona. However, Feld limits his analysis with a view to the event industry. “If the state restricts certain companies in certain sectors of the constitutionally granted freedom of trade, then this must be compensated. But we will have to live with Corona in the long term. Therefore, I think it is questionable whether the events industry can continue as it did before the pandemic.”

Digital structural change also in the event area

Tim Sandrock in Mainz knows that too. In order to survive economically, Flo-Service had already digitized itself during the lockdown. “We have brought our analog offers into the digital space. Instead of a meeting with a projector, screen or interpreting service, we now also offer complete software solutions”says Sandrock. Corona has massively accelerated development. “There will be a growing digital share at events of all kinds in the future.”

In order not to complicate this structural change, Sandrock is also in favor of a foreseeable phase out of the aid. For the next few months, however, the company needs government aid again. If politicians decide in favor of renewed extension, Sandrock will submit an application. “But I am sure that the industry will recover quickly after Corona. I’m also counting on a catch-up effect. Man is a sociable being. That’s why we’ll be back.”

Business support Only a few corona aid accessed

Status: 06/17/2021 10:08 a.m.

The federal government had made available 150 billion euros for companies as corona aid in grant programs – according to the Ifo Institute, just 24 percent of this was accessed. Companies in Germany have so far called on much less Corona aid than planned by the federal government. “Only a fraction of the budgeted aid was paid out to the companies affected by the corona pandemic,” said Selina Schulze-Spüntrup, researcher at the Ifo Institute. “That also has to do with the fact that some of the eligibility requirements were formulated quite strictly to rule out abuse.” According to the information, the federal government provided 150 billion euros in grant programs. Of this, 24 percent have so far been accessed. For emergency aid from the federal government, 50 billion euros were estimated, according to Ifo, less than a third of it was used.

Bridging aids were also not exhausted

In the case of the subsequent bridging aid, too, the money paid out was well below the budgeted amount: According to economic researchers, it was 6 percent for bridging aid I, around 10 percent for bridging aid II, and a good 28 percent for bridging aid III.

56 percent of the available funds were paid out of the November aid, 33 percent of the December aid. The state-owned KfW Bank has so far pledged 46 billion euros from its special program.

Bundesbank survey Germans are skeptical about the digital euro

Status: 16.06.2021 1:05 p.m.

The corona pandemic has further reduced the use of cash, also in Germany. According to the Bundesbank, Germans would be skeptical about the introduction of a digital euro. The European Central Bank (ECB) wants to decide this summer whether the introduction of a digital euro should be seriously tackled. This was announced last week by Burkhard Balz, board member of the Bundesbank. But the majority of Germans are skeptical about this project. Around 56 percent of all households surveyed were cautious in their initial assessment of the possible introduction of a digital euro, said Bundesbank board member Johannes Beermann yesterday in a speech at a cash conference of the German central bank. “Many of them are not convinced that this would offer sufficient additional value compared to the existing range of payment options.” Among other things, Beermann is responsible for the issue of cash on the board of the Bundesbank.

01/21/2021

Largely unknown project

In addition, according to the survey results, 77 percent of all respondents have never heard of or read about a digital euro. And those who know about it, fear in the first place that their personal data is not adequately protected. The security of the new means of payment also raises questions among the population, as does its availability within the entire euro area and the avoidance of additional costs. According to the central bankers, the digital euro could help on the way to the Smart Economy or Economy 4.0 by enabling programmable payments and supporting processing using modern technologies. However, the Bundesbank executive also emphasizes that the digital euro is not intended to be a substitute for cash. It is about a complementary offer. “As long as there is demand for cash, we will also offer cash,” said Balz.

04/16/2021

Cash as a safety cushion

ECB Director Fabio Panetta presented surprising figures on cash use during the Corona crisis at the Bundesbank conference. Accordingly, during the pandemic, people in the euro zone increasingly used cash as a safety cushion, although they made greater use of cashless forms of payment when shopping. According to Panetta, the demand for euro banknotes increased by 190 billion euros between March 2020 and May 2021. When comparing the volumes issued in spring 2020 with the average volumes of the past five years, this is an increase of four percent. At the same time, during the pandemic, significantly less purchases were made with notes and coins. “This seeming paradox – an increasing demand for banknotes despite a decline in cash payments – may be explained by the fact that people used cash as a means of dealing with uncertainty during the crisis,” said Panetta. Recent estimates suggest that even before the pandemic, only around 20 percent of the total amount of euro banknotes in circulation in the euro area had been actively used for payments. Panetta therefore assumes that euro notes and coins will survive the digital revolution.

Digital consumer protection Vulnerabilities in health apps

As of: 16.06.2021 1:53 p.m.

In the corona pandemic, health apps have gained many users. For some, however, there is a lack of data protection. This was the result of a study by the Federal Office for Information Security. The Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) found numerous security gaps in an investigation of health apps. According to a BSI report, six out of seven thoroughly tested apps transmitted passwords in clear text to authentication services. None of the apps fully met the security requirements of the BSI guidelines for health apps. The BSI did not provide the names of the apps examined.

Exclusive 03/10/2021

Personal data is not adequately protected

“From the point of view of technical IT security, this result must at least be rated as critical, especially in view of the fact that a significant proportion of the apps process sensitive and particularly sensitive data”, criticized the office for taking care of the data security of the federal government. “Because, according to the findings of the study, this does not adequately protect user data against attacks.” The BSI checked the health apps as part of the first report on digital consumer protection 2020, which, due to the corona pandemic, focused on digital health offers.

background 07/11/2019

damage “first of all manageable”

The BSI expert Nicolas Stöcker described the danger for users of the criticized apps when exploiting the identified loopholes as “first of all manageable”. If an attack took place, it would initially only affect a single person. “It would be worse if the backend, where the data is kept, were also insecure.” The authority has a corresponding further investigation for the future “on the screen”, says Stocker. However, BSI President Arne Schönbohm warned that the deficiencies found were also dangerous: “Every gap that is there, every weak point that is there has somehow been exploited at some point.” They are currently working with the app providers to close the gaps. “If we see that this is not fixed, then we reserve the right to issue a corresponding product warning”said Schönbohm.

European market China is significantly reducing investments

Status: 16.06.2021 12:53 p.m.

China invested less in the European market in 2020 than it has for ten years. Great Britain was particularly hard hit. It’s not just the corona pandemic to blame. China significantly reduced its direct investment in the European market last year. According to a joint report by the American Rhodium Group and Merics in Berlin, direct investments by the People’s Republic in the EU and Great Britain amounted to around 6.5 billion euros in 2020. Compared to the previous year, a decrease of 45 percent. That is the lowest level in ten years.

June 16, 2021

Great minus for Great Britain

In the past year, even 77 percent less Chinese direct investment flowed into Great Britain. Even so, the UK remains one of the top three destinations for China’s investments in Europe – alongside France and Germany at the top. The three most important areas for Chinese investors were infrastructure, information and communication technology and electronics. Poland, promoted by a major acquisition, was a major new recipient last year.

01/14/2021

Stricter controls on Chinese purchases

However, many Chinese purchases are now being scrutinized more closely by the EU member states than in the past. Several planned takeovers did not materialize. In Germany, for example, the Federal Ministry of Economics stopped the planned sale of the radar specialist IMST from North Rhine-Westphalia to a Chinese company with links to the military. Several EU countries, including Italy, France, Poland and Hungary, had tightened their inspection mechanisms for direct investments from third countries last year. Investments continued to decline in the current year, according to the report. The reasons are the pandemic, high hurdles for capital outflows from China and tighter controls in the EU.

10/01/2019

Sanctions dispute exacerbates tensions

In addition, the tense relations between China and the EU are likely to play a role. That’s the way it is Investment protection agreements agreed in December between the EU and the People’s Republic is currently on hold and ratification by the European Parliament seems to be moving further and further into the distance. Another point of contention remains the human rights violations in China: In March, the EU Sanctions imposed on Chinese politicians and an organization for the first time in 30 years . The EU accuses China of violating human rights by suppressing the Uyghur Muslim minority in the Xinjiang region. As a result of the European punitive measures, China also reacted shortly thereafter with sanctions against European institutions and several EU politicians . With information from Ruth Kirchner, ARD Studio Beijing, currently Berlin

From April to now, Alpha has become the dominant strain in the US. Alpha’s superiority made scientists wonder why this virus strain spread so quickly. Recently, a study published online on June 7 was New York Times The quote has found the “secret of success” of this mutation: Alpha disables the first immune “stronghold” gland in the human body, giving the virus more time to multiply when it enters the body. up quickly. The Alpha mutation once made the UK crippled. Photo: Reuters. “Turn off the bell” alert Alpha has a total of 23 mutations – what sets it apart from other coronavirus strains. When this strain began to spread widely in the UK, researchers began examining the genetic sequence to look for an explanation of why it spread faster than other strains. Many researchers focused on nine mutations that change the proteins that coat the coronavirus and allow them to enter cells. One of those mutations helps the virus bind more closely to these cells, increasing the likelihood of successful infection. But other scientists focus on how Alpha affects the human immune response. Virologist Gregory Towers and colleagues at University College London cultured the coronavirus in human lung cells. They compared cells infected with Alpha with those infected with previous variants of the coronavirus. The team found that alpha-containing lung cells produced less interferon. Interferon is a protein produced naturally by cells in the immune system. They also found that in cells with Alpha, defense genes activated by interferon were less effective than in cells infected with other strains. Somehow, the most important “alarm bell” of the immune system barely “sounds” in the presence of the Alpha variant. “It becomes almost invisible (when it enters the human body),” Dr. Towers said. The UK has to impose strict restrictions because the strain B.1.1.7 spreads quickly. Photo: LBC. To find out how Alpha achieves this “invisibility,” the researchers looked at how the coronavirus replicates inside infected cells. They found that Alpha-infected cells made a lot of extra copies – about 80 times more than other variants – of a gene called Orf9b. According to previous research by molecular biologist Nevan Krogan and colleagues at the University of California, San Francisco, Orf9b makes a viral protein that attacks Tom70 — a protein needed to release interferon when the virus enters the body. body. From all of these studies, Dr. Krogan concluded that the Alpha variant contained a mutation that produced more Orf9b protein than normal. The Orf9b protein surrounds the Tom70 protein, reducing interferon production. The infected virus is no longer hindered by the immune system, so it rapidly multiplies in the human body. About 12 hours after infection, the immune system starts working again. Therefore, Dr. Towers speculates, people infected with Alpha have a stronger response than those infected with other strains. The virus-laden mucus lingers in both their oral and nasal cavities, making Alpha more contagious than ever. However, Dr. Laurent-Rolle insists more evidence is needed to support this conclusion. For example, scientists have not yet run a standard test to test the amount of the Orf9b protein. Dr. Krogan said he and his colleagues are looking to practice that experiment now. Totally different Dr. Krogan’s group also started similar tests on other strains, including the strain first identified in South Africa, called Beta (B.1.351) and the first identified strain. first in India, called Delta (B.1.617.2). The preliminary results surprised them. Both Beta and Delta reduce interferon in infected cells. But there is no indication that these two strains did so in the same way that Alpha did. Each strain evolved in a different way to control the immune system. Virus mutant particles B.1.1.7 from patient samples in the laboratory. Photo: NIAID. Cecile King, an immunologist at the Garvan Institute for Medical Research in Sydney, Australia, stressed that understanding how the virus evades the immune system will help in the development of a Covid-19 vaccine. Vaccines now help the immune system recognize mutated proteins. But research on patients recovering from Covid-19 shows that their immune systems learn to recognize viral proteins, including Orf9b. Some researchers are looking to include the coronavirus protein in a new vaccine. But this process needs care because some proteins reduce immunity. “It’s a pretty complicated process. But if we take a closer look, it might be possible,” Dr. King said.

ILO report millions Domestic servants are exploited

Status: 15.06.2021 6:05 p.m.

Working conditions for domestic workers have continued to deteriorate during the corona pandemic, according to a report by the International Labor Organization. Women are most affected. Ten years after a UN Protection Convention was passed, millions of domestic workers are still suffering from exploitation and poor working conditions. The Corona crisis has made the precarious social situation of children, women and men even worse, said the International Labor Organization (ILO) in a report. Many would have lost their jobs during the global pandemic. While, according to the report, the situation for many employees visibly improved before the pandemic, the conditions are now often worse again. ILO Director General Guy Ryder therefore called for all domestic workers to receive fair contracts as well as job and social protection.

06/02/2021

More than a third without protection

More than a third of all 76 million domestic workers had no protection whatsoever, especially in Asia and in Arab countries, according to the ILO chief. According to the information, almost 58 million of the 76 million domestic workers worldwide are women. The ILO, which is part of the United Nations, passed the Convention for the Protection of Domestic Workers in mid-June 2011. It applies to employees who cook, clean, look after children and the elderly and do other work in other households.

05.12.2018

UN convention is ignored

According to the convention, domestic workers should receive a minimum wage, paid rest periods and holidays. They also have a right to secure jobs that do not endanger their health. The agreement also prohibits any form of harassment, abuse and violence. The employees have the right to an employment contract – if the contract is breached, they should be able to sue in court. It is also stated that domestic workers under the age of 18 enjoy special protection. However, the regulations made in the UN Convention are often ignored. Domestic workers are often employed informally and so cannot exercise their rights.

The Sun’s atmosphere can be as hot as 1 million degrees Celsius. This increase in temperature, despite the increased distance from the Sun’s primary energy source, has been observed in most stars. In 1942, Swedish scientist Hannes Alfvén hypothesized that the magnetizing waves of plasma could carry large amounts of energy along the Sun’s magnetic field from the interior to the corona, passing through the photosphere. before exploding with heat in the upper atmosphere of the Sun. This hypothesis has been tentatively accepted, but there is no evidence that these waves exist. Recent research by scientists finally confirms Alfvén’s nearly 80-year-old hypothesis and brings us one step closer to harnessing this high-energy phenomenon on Earth. The sun is made up almost entirely of plasma Halo problems have been around since the late 1930s, when the Swedish spectrographer Bengt Edlén and the German astrophysicist Walter Grotrian first observed phenomena in the sun’s corona that could only be observed. present if its temperature is a few million degrees Celsius. This represents temperatures up to 1,000 times hotter than the photosphere below it, which is the surface of the Sun that we can see from Earth. Estimating the heat of the photosphere has always been relatively simple: we simply measure the light reaching us from the Sun and compare it with spectral models that predict the temperature of the light source. Through decades of research, the temperature of the photosphere has always been estimated to be around 6,000°C. Edlén and Grotrian’s discovery that the Sun’s corona is much hotter than the photosphere – albeit farther from the core. of the Sun, its supreme source of energy – has given the scientific community a headache. Scientists looked at the properties of the Sun to explain this difference. The sun is made up almost entirely of plasma, which is a highly ionized gas that carries an electrical charge. The movement of this plasma in the convection zone – the upper part of the sun – generates enormous electric currents and strong magnetic fields. These magnetic fields are then pulled up from the Sun’s interior by convection, and enter its visible surface in the form of sunspots, which are clusters of magnetic fields that can form a variety of magnetic structures. differences in the Sun’s atmosphere. Alfvén reasoned that within the Sun’s magnetized plasma, any large movement of charged particles would perturb the magnetic field, creating waves that could carry enormous amounts of energy across vast distances. (from the surface of the Sun to its atmosphere). Heat travels along what is known as a flux tube from the sun before bursting into the corona, creating its high temperature. Measure the temperature of the Sun with an imaging spectrometer These magnetic plasma waves are now known as Alfvén waves, and the explanation for the heating of the circle led to Alfvén being awarded the 1970 Nobel Prize in Physics. The Interferometric Bidimetric Urban Spectrometer (IBIS) for imaging spectroscopy, installed at the Dunn Solar Telescope in the US state of New Mexico. This instrument has allowed researchers to make more detailed observations and measurements of the Sun. Combined with good observational conditions, advanced computer simulations, and the efforts of an international team of scientists from seven research institutions, they used IBIS to confirm the existence of waves for the first time. Alfvén in flux tubes from the sun. The researchers also expect more solar discoveries soon, thanks to new, groundbreaking missions and tools. The European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter satellite is currently in orbit around the Sun, providing images and making measurements of the star’s unexplored polar regions. The launch of the new high-performance Solar telescope is also expected to enhance our observation of the Sun from Earth.

Investors in high spirits Why the DAX rushes from record to record

Status: 14.06.2021 4:03 p.m.

While the economy is only slowly picking up pace after the Corona openings, the German stock market does not seem to be stopping. What are the main reasons for the price boom? From Lothar Gries, tagesschau.de The German leading index DAX rose by up to 0.7 percent in the morning and climbed to a record high of 15,802 points – the 23rd record this year. The index has risen by 15 percent since the beginning of the year. The stock exchanges are also in record-breaking mood at the European level. The Stoxx 600 index, comprising 600 values, also climbed 0.7 percent today and reached its 38th high this year with 460.51 points. The stock markets are fired from several sides. The most important driver is the expansionary monetary policy of the central banks in the USA and Europe. Since the European Central Bank (ECB) lowered the key interest rate to zero on March 10, 2016, i.e. more than five years ago, the returns on traditional savings offers from banks and savings banks have also shrunk to such an extent that even risk-averse German investors are looking for alternatives have looked around. In addition to real estate and precious metals, stocks are very popular.

More and more shareholders

In this country there were as many shareholders last year as last year in 2001, as determined by the German Stock Institute (DAI). According to this, 12.4 million people in Germany have invested in the stock market, i.e. they owned exchange-traded securities such as fund shares or stocks. Compared to 2019, that’s an increase of 2.7 million or 28 percent. The downward trend of previous years has thus been completely reversed. After the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, the number of equity investors in Germany steadily declined – until interest rates sank to virtually zero. But the ECB has not only boosted the number of shareholders and thus share investments, it is also active on the capital markets itself. In order to keep the economic effects of the corona pandemic as low as possible, the central bank is pumping many millions of euros into the market every day. To do this, it buys bonds issued by governments and companies. By the end of March 2022, she wants to spend the gigantic sum of 1.85 trillion euros, a number with twelve zeros. A considerable part of it flows into the stock market and drives prices to ever new heights.

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No end of the flood in sight

In the past few weeks, there have been repeated suspicions that the central banks in Europe and the USA will soon be able to turn the money off again because inflation is reporting back and price increases have shot far beyond the monetary authorities’ targets. But both Jerome Powell, the head of the US Federal Reserve (Fed), and ECB President Christine Lagarde initially gave the all-clear. Just today, Lagarde said in an interview with the magazine “Politico” that the time was not yet ripe for a discussion about an end to the crisis bond purchases by the central bank. “It is far too early to debate these issues,” said Lagarde. The economic recovery must be firm, solid and sustainable. Don’t take a patient’s crutches off until the muscles begin to build up sufficiently – so that the patient can move on their own two legs again.

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V-shaped economic recovery expected

In addition, investors are assuming that the pandemic-related restrictions will end soon. “The pandemic is no longer an issue at the latest with the now significantly lower number of new infections, and investors also seem to be able to come to terms more and more with the fear of inflation,” says market expert Milan Cutkovic from brokerage firm Axi. With the decline in Covid-19 restrictions, growth expectations are skyrocketing around the globe. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) expects the global economy to grow by 5.7 percent this year. For Germany, the federal government expects growth of up to four percent. The prognosis from the beginning of the Corona crisis that there will be a V-effect in which the economy first collapses, but then quickly recovers, seems to be confirmed. This is rather good news for equity investors, because they hope that a growing economy will generate increasing profits and thus rising prices for listed companies.

Price turbulence ahead?

This combination of a zero interest rate policy, a glut of money from the central banks, a growing number of shareholders and the expectation of a rapid recovery in the global economy is driving share prices to ever new heights. But the air is getting thinner. Many investors are watching the Fed’s monetary policy deliberations this Wednesday. It is true that the Fed is not expected to deviate from its current course and end the boom in the financial markets. “But their projections on inflation, interest rates and the economy could cause price turbulence,” says Naeem Aslam, chief market analyst at the brokerage firm AvaTrade.

Corona vaccine study Novavax is 90 percent effective

Status: 14.06.2021 2:21 p.m. According to preliminary study data, the corona vaccine from the US pharmaceutical manufacturer Novavax is safe and highly effective – even with virus variants. The product raises great hopes, especially in developing countries. According to the US pharmaceutical company, the Novavax corona vaccine protects well against the virus and its variants. The company said that the vaccine was around 90 percent effective and, according to preliminary data from a study, safe. The vaccine effectiveness study involved nearly 30,000 people in the United States and Mexico. Two-thirds of them received two doses of the vaccine three weeks apart, all others received placebos. A total of 77 people were infected with the coronavirus, 14 of them in the group of those who were vaccinated. Of the participants who received the drug, none developed severe or moderate symptoms, while there were 14 in the comparison group without vaccination.

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No cases of blood clots or heart problems

The vaccine was similarly effective against several variants of the coronavirus, including the alpha variant first discovered in the UK, as well as in high-risk groups such as the elderly and people with pre-existing conditions. The side effects were similar to those of other vaccines and mainly concerned pain at the injection site. There have been no reports of blood clots or heart problems, said Novavax boss Stanley Erck. Novavax plans to publish the results in a medical journal where they will be reviewed by independent experts.

Vaccine important for developing countries

The company said that applications for approval would be submitted in the USA and Europe, among others, by the end of September. Until then, a production of 100 million cans per month is possible. Novavax’s vaccine is easy to transport and store, which is why it is expected to play an important role in vaccination campaigns in developing countries. “Many of our first doses will go to low- and middle-income countries, and that was the goal from the start,” said Erck. Novavax’s vaccine works in a similar way to flu vaccines. It is made with laboratory-grown copies of the spike protein that envelops the coronavirus. The immune system reacts to the proteins in the vaccine and is thus prepared when it is actually confronted with the virus. Other vaccines that are widely used today contain the genetic instructions for the body to make its own spike protein.

02.03.2021

Corona vaccine Which slows down vaccine production

Status: 14.06.2021 8:11 a.m. Corona vaccine is still scarce in Germany. The production of the vaccine has been running at full speed for months. What makes it so difficult to manufacture quickly in large quantities? From David Zajonz, WDR In theory, anyone in Germany has been allowed to be vaccinated for a week if they want to. In practice, more precisely in the doctor’s office, many people who want to be vaccinated receive the same information over and over again: “We would like to vaccinate you, but unfortunately we do not have enough vaccine.” In vaccination centers in North Rhine-Westphalia, there are currently no initial vaccinations at all due to supply bottlenecks. Almost six months after the start of the corona vaccination campaign in Germany, vaccines are still in short supply. The frustration of many people who have not yet received a vaccination is correspondingly great.

Previous production “absolutely sensational”

Nevertheless, the speed of vaccine production is enormous, believes Rolf Hömke from the Association of Research-Based Drug Manufacturers (vfa). It normally takes several years to produce a new vaccine on a large scale: “Judging by all the experience of previous vaccine projects, it is absolutely sensational how quickly the additional production was built up,” says Hömke. To clarify, he cites two figures: Before Corona, according to the World Health Organization, a good five billion vaccine doses were produced worldwide every year – against tetanus, measles and many other diseases. On the other hand, more than two billion vaccine doses had been administered in the fight against Corona by early June. According to current company information, more than 700 million vaccine doses of BioNTech / Pfizer’s most frequently used vaccine in Germany alone have been produced and shipped worldwide – up to three billion by the end of the year.

There is a lack of personnel and materials

There are several reasons why vaccine production is not progressing any faster. The production is complex, says Udo Reichl, an expert in the production of vector vaccines at the University of Magdeburg. “Vector vaccines are produced in bioreactors,” he explains. “Building a new production facility with bioreactors can take one to two years.” Therefore, production cannot be ramped up at will. Manufacturers also struggle to find qualified personnel. In addition, there is a lack of materials that are needed for production, according to vfa spokesman Hömke. “For example, there is a lack of spare parts for the production systems, sterile plastic covers and special chemicals.” Lipids, i.e. fats that are needed for mRNA vaccines, are particularly popular, says Hömke. “A large manufacturer of lipids for vaccines told us that at the beginning of 2020 they expected a few kilos of these lipids to be in demand. Now they can sell a few tons of them.”

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Pharmaceutical companies work together

In order to be able to produce faster, the pharmaceutical companies enter into an unusually large number of partnerships. A prominent example is the collaboration between the small Mainz research company BioNTech and the US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer. The French manufacturer Sanofi, on the other hand, whose own vaccine project has stalled, plans to soon produce BioNTech / Pfizer’s vaccine in its Frankfurt plant. Another example: BioNTech has taken over its plant in Marburg from the Swiss pharmaceutical manufacturer Novartis – including its employees. It takes a long time to build new systems, explains vaccine expert Reichl. Conversely, converting existing production facilities is much easier.

March 31, 2021

Worry about poorer countries

The joint efforts of the pharmaceutical companies mean that the vaccine shortage in this country should soon be over: “In Europe we will see a gradual relaxation in the supply of vaccines over the summer,” believes Reichl. However, he worries about the supply of poorer countries. “A large part of the world population still has hardly any access to vaccines. If we need further vaccines in Europe to vaccinate against new mutations, these in turn will not be available for other countries.” So it could happen that Europeans and North Americans will be vaccinated three or four times while people in other parts of the world are still waiting for their first shot. It is therefore all the more important, according to Reichl, to set up further vaccine productions in poorer countries.

interview 04/26/2021

Change due to the corona crisis How the pandemic is changing the way we work

Status: 13.06.2021 3:42 p.m.

Fewer new infections, many vaccinated people and the imminent end of the obligation to work from home: in many companies, the return to the office is foreseeable. How much of the pandemic’s day-to-day work will be retained? From Peter Sonnenberg, SWR How should one put it when a terrible event like a pandemic also brings welcome and sustainable changes with it? Covid-19 brought sickness and death, unemployment and poverty, limitations and loneliness. However, the pandemic also led to progress in the world of work that was not thought possible, which without the virus would not have been conceivable or would only have been possible much later. “Before the pandemic, I sat in the car for three hours on the days I had to go to the office,” says Paula Widmer. That is bad for them and the environment. The 28-year-old is Internal Communication Manager at Schott in Mainz, but she lives in Heidelberg, a hundred kilometers away. Even before Corona, she sometimes worked at home. So she didn’t have to set up an office there first. She could just stay at home and do the many international switching conferences with the foreign locations from there. For her, working from home is a gift, and she hopes that her employer will continue to give employees this opportunity. However, she would like to see her colleagues a little more often and would like a mix of home and in-office.

05/25/2021

Corona as an accelerator

That is exactly what the future will be, assures work researcher Jutta Rump. “Corona was the burning glass, the fire accelerator for the development towards virtual work and communication,” she says. Many business trips were unnecessary in the past. You can now see who can work from home without sacrificing productivity. And most people would like the empty sky, empty streets and trains anyway. Corona has interrupted the usual processes for many people – and also called them into question. “When things go well, changes are difficult, that’s why digitization went so slowly, our workplaces hardly changed – and we have had ten years of partying in which no one wanted to change anything,” says the professor for international personnel management and organizational development. It was only the “external pandemic factor” that showed what was different and what was better, explains Rump. But the researcher also predicts a partial return to old habits. “We won’t go from one extreme to the other, no more business trips, just online conferences, but maybe only half as much of everything. People want the positive out of both, a healthy amount of everything.”

04/28/2021

No need to work in new ways

But not all of them can or want to be part of this new world of work. “I also missed setting up a nice study,” says Daniel Brixius. “But I don’t have far to go to the office, and I have two small children at home. I’m better at flow at work.” The marketing manager was mostly with the company even during the pandemic. A hygiene situation has been created there for colleagues who prefer to work in the company, which makes this possible. His colleagues in production couldn’t stay at home either, for nothing has changed for them. He is happy if the workplace situation remains flexible in the future, but more so for his colleagues. He himself feels more comfortable in the office, especially when a few more colleagues come again. And they don’t even have to all have their fixed desks.

05/26/2021

Companies have to offer flexible forms of work

Work researcher Rump calls these hybrid models. Anyone who wants to remain fit for the future as a company must offer flexible forms of work and also communicate virtually. Work-life balance is becoming more and more important to employees. If you have nothing to offer, you have to give an applicant a good reason. That is why the sectors with a shortage of young talent and skilled workers are driving the transformation that has begun. “But the whole business world will change faster with Corona than it would have done without it,” says Rump. “Retailers are becoming online retailers, virtual business processes run much faster than analog processes, and e-commerce and artificial intelligence also intervene in logistics and production.”

Expect new elbow mentality

But not everything is great, she points out. The “we-feeling” in the teams suffers when colleagues hardly meet, and the solidarity that was felt for one another during the pandemic will give way to a new elbow mentality. Because before that the coffers were full, the markets were distributed. Now both the state pots are empty and the reserves of many companies have been used up. But now, it is said, is the time to invest in order to stay “up to date”. “I fear a stronger global distribution struggle for a smaller cake and therefore less consensus,” said the professor.

05/19/2021

“Team spirit is more likely to arise when working in the office”

Nina Moyer does not fear that for the special glass manufacturer Schott. She is responsible for the company’s global talent management and now feels, on the alleged home stretch of the pandemic, internal joy and gratitude of the employees towards the company, which is getting through the crisis well. “But I am also convinced that we shouldn’t keep everything we’ve done in the past 18 months. In my opinion, the right spirit and team spirit is more likely to come about when working together in the office.” But you have learned a lot across all departments, says the HR manager. “Today we can make meetings much more compact and effective and realize that you don’t have to fly around the globe for every meeting, a lot goes online. After the pandemic experience, we appreciate the encounter, the togetherness in the office, much more – it used to be Of course. Never before have so many colleagues asked whether the summer party will take place again this year. ”

FAQ 01/12/2021

Mix as the best model

The labor scientist Rump also says that the mix will be the best model. As practical as home office is for many, it is even physically restrictive. You look at a monitor all day and hardly move. “Most people work more effectively at home, hardly take breaks, forget which day of the week is because every day appears the same. Who can handle it?” And with it, it also answers the question of whether employees work well in the home office or just mow the lawn. “Anyone who does not work properly in the home office has shit their employer in the office beforehand and slipped away where he could.” It is important that the new world of work is created together with the employees. Surveys have shown that there is a great desire to be able to choose – between the more conventional or the new way of working.

Economic recovery Is Germany’s upswing lagging behind?

Status: 11.06.2021 6:09 p.m.

The corona numbers are falling, economic life is normalizing and the economy is picking up again. Germany seems to be lagging behind its neighbors. Is it really like that? From Lothar Gries, tagesschau.de The British economy grew by 27.6 percent in April compared to the same month last year – a record as the National Statistics Office (ONS) announced. The strong growth figures reflect the economic recovery in the wake of the gradual opening of the economy, which crashed in spring 2020 after the start of the pandemic and the following protective measures. Projected over the year, the British central bank now expects an increase in gross domestic product (GDP) of 7.25 percent. That would be the highest growth rate since 1941. Other European countries such as France are also assuming a strong economic recovery of 5.5 to 5.7 percent for the current year. The Spanish government even expects an increase of 6.5 percent. In fact, in the opinion of most economists, the prospects for economic growth in the euro area have brightened significantly in view of the falling number of corona infections and the global economic recovery. According to the latest information, the European Central Bank (ECB) is therefore assuming an increase in GDP in the euro area of ​​4.6 percent this year.

06/11/2021

Germany far behind in terms of growth

After a strong upward trend, things should go up in the USA, which is still the largest economy in the world. There, the Federal Reserve (Fed) is expecting an increase in economic output of 6.5 percent with a view to the advanced vaccination campaign and the prospect of an economic stimulus package. In China, Germany’s most important trading partner, the economy is likely to grow by as much as 8.5 percent this year. And Germany? Lies far behind in one of the farthest places. The Bundesbank currently expects GDP growth of 3.7 percent for 2021. Federal Minister of Economics Peter Altmaier is even more optimistic. “Thanks to extensive government aid of almost 300 billion euros, the German economy survived the worst of the coronavirus crisis. This year, growth of three and a half to four percent would be possible,” said the minister.

05/12/2021

So is the recovery of the domestic economy lagging behind that of its most important trading partners? The economists of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) give a differentiated answer. It is true that the economy in countries that quickly vaccinate their population against Covid-19 and that contain the infection rate through effective measures is recovering faster than elsewhere.

Already in the summer pre-crisis level

In South Korea and the United States, for example, per capita income is likely to have reached pre-pandemic levels by the end of this month. In large parts of Europe, however, this will only be the case after three years, in Mexico and South Africa it may take five years or more, the OECD fears. Seen in this way, Germany is in a much better position than when looking at the bare growth figures. The Bundesbank estimates that economic output could reach pre-crisis levels again this summer. The economists of the OECD expect that this will not be the case until the end of the year.

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Nevertheless, the recovery in Germany would still be faster than in Italy, France or Spain. In these countries, GDP per capita is unlikely to be above the level of the end of 2019 until the middle of next year, according to the forecast of the OECD. It looks particularly bleak for Spain, whose economy will not be above pre-crisis levels again until the summer of 2023. The experts predict that Great Britain will not return to pre-crisis levels until the middle of next year.

Fatal dependence on tourism

This shows the great dependence of these states on the service sector and especially on tourism. In Spain, for example, this industry slumped by 48.4 percent last year, in Italy by 35.1 percent, in Greece even by 55.4 percent, while in Germany it fell by almost 15 percent. Accordingly, GDP fell less sharply in Germany last year than in most of the neighboring countries. This is also due to the comparatively higher share of industry in the overall economy and its unchanged strong exports to China. “How strong the economic recovery will be in each country depends on the level of government support for businesses and vulnerable workers, the degree of dependence on certain industries such as tourism, and health and vaccination policies,” said a May report Study by the OECD. Despite the global economic recovery, global income is likely to be around three trillion dollars lower than before the pandemic by the end of 2022, the OECD estimates. This roughly corresponds to the performance of the French economy.

Private wealth at a record high Especially the super-rich get richer

Status: 10.06.2021 8:34 a.m.

Never before have people worldwide amassed so much private wealth as in the Corona year 2020. The wealth of Germans alone climbed – thanks to savings and real estate – to almost 20 trillion dollars. 20,000,000,000,000 dollars – this is the impressive sum of private wealth that private households in Germany had at their disposal in 2020. This emerges from the new “Global Wealth Report” by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

Better real estate than stocks

The Germans were helped by their much-cited propensity to save: financial assets, including cash, account balances, stocks, pensions and life insurance, grew by around six percent to around nine trillion dollars, according to the information. Investors in Germany saved above average, emphasized Anna Zakrzewski, BCG partner and author of the study. “Traditionally, Germans prefer to invest in real estate rather than in securities, as the real value quota of almost 60 percent clearly shows,” says the BCG expert. In the crisis year 2020, the real assets of Germans, i.e. real estate, jewelry, art and gold, increased by five percent to 13 trillion dollars. After deducting debts, private households in Germany had a total of just under $ 20 trillion.

Rising stock market prices, growing savings

The developments in Germany are a reflection of a global trend: people around the globe accumulated more wealth than ever in the year of the Corona crisis. Private financial assets rose year-on-year by a good eight percent to a record $ 250 trillion. Rising stock exchange prices and growing savings contributed to this. The BCG experts were surprised, as they expected a year ago that private assets would melt as a result of the corona pandemic. For the first time in 2020, the BCG experts will also consider property such as real estate or gold. Total assets minus debt was $ 431 trillion.

2900 super-rich in Germany

However, wealth is unevenly distributed. Above all, the club of the rich and super-rich grew strongly. The super rich – these are people with a net worth of more than $ 100 million. In the crisis year 2020, 6000 more people were accepted into the club of the super-rich, the number of members grew to 60,000. According to the BCG, these 60,000 people own 15 percent of the world’s investable wealth. In Germany alone there are 2,900 super-rich. This puts the Federal Republic of Germany in third place in the global ranking. The USA is at the top, followed by China.

Getting richer?

Against the background of the expected economic recovery after the Corona crisis, BCG expects steady growth in global private wealth for the coming years. By 2025, it should grow by an average of just under five percent annually to $ 544 trillion. Global inequalities are likely to increase further: According to the BCG forecast, people in North America, Asia excluding Japan and Western Europe in particular will get richer.

Corona pandemic Pfizer trials vaccine on young children

As of: June 9th, 2021 8:38 pm

BioNTech and Pfizer also want their vaccine approved for children under 12 years of age. The first studies on this have already started. The product will soon also be tested on babies. From Antje Passenheim, ARD Studio New York BioNTech and the pharmaceutical company Pfizer are advancing the development of their Covid-19 vaccine for use in younger children. As Pfizer announced in New York, the group has expanded its clinical study to children under twelve years of age.

Admission already in October?

In the first tests, a small number of minors were given different doses of the vaccine. According to Pfizer, around 4,500 children between the ages of six months and eleven will now take part in studies in more than 90 facilities in the United States, Finland, Poland and Spain. Tests on five to eleven year olds began this week. They receive either a placebo or two doses of ten micrograms each. This corresponds to a third of the dose that adolescents and adults receive. Pfizer expects to get US approval for five- to eleven-year-olds by October. In a few weeks, children aged six months and over will be brought in for a study. These should only receive three micrograms per vaccination. A short time later, the group wants to apply for approval for children up to five years of age.

Severe disease courses in children are rare

Pfizer sells the serum developed by BioNTech, a Mainz-based company. Since children are generally less likely to get seriously ill with Covid compared to adults, the group relies on a lower dose vaccination for younger children, which should also have fewer side effects. In the European Union, the USA and Canada, the vaccine is already approved for children from the age of twelve and is sometimes used. In the United States, nearly seven million teenagers have received at least one dose of vaccine, according to health officials.

Judgment on Presale Fees Defeat for ticket retailer CTS Eventim

As of: 06/09/2021 5:24 p.m.

Are ticket retailers allowed to keep advance booking fees for concerts that have been canceled due to corona? The Munich Regional Court has declared a clause ineffective that excludes a refund. However, there is no general claim. Several CTS Eventim customers are upset. You had booked a concert at the ticket dealer early on, which was then canceled due to Corona. Nevertheless, CTS Eventim withheld the advance booking fee. Now they want the fee back. The North Rhine-Westphalia consumer center therefore took it to court and sued the company. With success: the consumer advocates were partially right at the Munich I Regional Court. The judges declared ineffective a clause in which the company had excluded a reimbursement of the advance booking fee if the event was canceled or postponed. A corresponding sentence in the general terms and conditions is illegal.

It depends on the contracts

In the opinion of the court, the ticket retailer must bear the risk of an event alone and should not pass costs on to the customers if the event does not take place. After all, the dealer collects a commission if an event goes off successfully, the judges argue. In addition, the amount of the advance booking fee is often not visible in the ticket prices, the court complained. This is not transparent. However, the judgment, which is not yet final, does not mean that all customers are now entitled to a refund of the advance booking fees for the concert that has been canceled due to Corona. That depends on the respective design of the contracts. CTS Eventim would only be responsible for the reimbursement at a commercial agency. Eventim arranges event tickets either through a commercial agency or through an organizer through a commission. In the latter case, the concert promoter would be responsible for the reimbursement. “We are assuming that in a large number of cases Eventim wrongly withheld amounts of money,” said Wolfgang Schuldzinski, board member of the consumer advice center in North Rhine-Westphalia. Now those affected who are in dispute with the group could ask it to pay and refer to the judgment.

CTS Eventim suffers from the lull in concerts

The dispute over the advance booking fee shows how tense the situation in the concert event industry is. The largest German ticket retailer CTS Eventim is suffering from the unusual concerts and events. In the first quarter of this year, sales collapsed by almost 90 percent compared to the same period in the previous year. The Bremen company slipped into the red. The number of employees including temporary workers fell by almost a third. Nevertheless, CEO Klaus-Peter Schulenberg does not give up hope of a new start soon. He relies on the “longing of people to experience culture together”. The more people vaccinated, the greater the chance of concerts.

Economic aid will be extended The Bridging aid III gets a “plus”

As of: 06/09/2021 1:56 p.m.

Many companies that have been closed for a long time due to Corona can reopen. But because the situation is still difficult in some industries, several aids will be extended until the end of September – including the short-time working rules. The simplified access rules for short-time work due to the corona pandemic will be extended by a further three months beyond the end of June. The economic crisis caused by the pandemic is “not over yet” and it is therefore important to continue protecting jobs, said Minister of Labor Hubertus Heil. The cabinet has therefore decided to extend the rules, as there are companies “that need short-time work beyond June 30”. The SPD politician referred, among other things, to the event industry. In the justification for the proposal for the cabinet, it is said that, in the view of the federal government, there are still “uncertainties” despite falling corona numbers and vaccination progress. It is about “stabilizing employment relationships and thereby avoiding unemployment and possibly bankruptcies as far as possible”. Above all, financially heavily burdened companies in the retail trade, in the entertainment, travel and tourism industries and in the hotel and restaurant industry, need easier access to short-time working beyond June 30, 2021.

Additional costs for BA of 2.6 billion euros

In addition to easier access to short-time working allowance, the full reimbursement of social security contributions for companies is to be extended. The federal government is making around 2.6 billion euros available for both instruments. Salvation announced the move in May and speaking of planning security for companies. Since the beginning of the year, the BA has already spent over 13 billion euros on short-time work. It is about “continuing to consistently secure employment” and building a “bridge to the time of economic recovery,” said Heil. Short-time working has already saved millions of jobs during the crisis and will continue to do so “where necessary”. The CSU in the Bundestag also pointed out that companies would be brought over the summer in this way. Criticism came from the Greens, who spoke of a “missed opportunity”. The extension “should have been combined with the introduction of a minimum short-time work allowance” in order to provide security and prevent going to the job center, explained the labor market expert Wolfgang Strengmann-Kuhn.

Bridging Aid III will also be extended

Further economic aid will also be paid longer. As the Ministry of Finance and Economics announced, Bridging Aid III for companies and self-employed people will be continued until September 30, 2021 – under the new name “Bridging Aid III Plus”. Economics Minister Peter Altmaier (CDU) said the “economic engine” was running. Nevertheless, the exit from the pandemic is gradual. That is why the extension of the aid, which was previously limited to the end of June, is an important signal. Finance Minister Olaf Scholz (SPD) emphasized that Germany had weathered the pandemic better than many others economically because the government had resolutely provided aid. “And this support is not stopped shortly before the goal, that would be economic nonsense.” The bridging aid is the government’s central crisis instrument to cushion the consequences of the pandemic on jobs and companies. With the extension, the upper limit for the subsidies will also be increased – especially larger companies from the fashion and hotel industries, for example, had complained that they had not yet received the aid. At the same time, companies that take employees out of short-time working earlier or hire new employees should receive a “restart bonus”.

Corona protection in companies Are employers allowed to force vaccination?

Status: 08.06.2021 7:13 p.m.

Since the beginning of the week, company doctors have also been able to vaccinate against Covid-19. But what about legally? Can companies require their staff to be vaccinated? And are they allowed to grant privileges to those who have been vaccinated? From Jens Eberl, WDR The companies have a great interest in preventing infections with the coronavirus and sick leave. This is why many employers want their employees to be vaccinated. With the start of vaccinations by the company doctors, various legal issues between employers and employees come to the fore. An overview.

Can the employer oblige his staff to vaccinate?

Employees only need to be vaccinated if there is a legal obligation to do so. There is no statutory vaccination requirement with Covid-19. “However, special features apply in facilities such as hospitals, prevention or rehabilitation facilities and medical practices,” says the Brühl-based specialist lawyer for labor law, Michael Felser. “They must ensure that all measures required by the state of the art of medical science are taken there to prevent infections and the spread of pathogens. Curiously, however, this does not apply in care facilities for the elderly, although the problem here is likely to be comparable”, so Felser. In the health care facilities mentioned, the employer cannot force employees to vaccinate either. However, he must ensure that non-vaccinated people pose no risk to patients. Patient protection can therefore make it necessary that non-vaccinated people can no longer work in certain areas.

Do employees have to inform the employer about their vaccination status?

Actually, there is no obligation to provide information about the personal vaccination status to the employer. However, the Gelsenkirchen labor lawyer Arndt Kempgens emphasizes that companies have to take corona protective measures for their employees. But they could only do that if the corona vaccination status was known. Kempgens concludes from this that in connection with Corona, under labor law – as an exception – there could be an obligation on the part of employees to notify the vaccination status and, under certain circumstances, to prove it.

Are vaccination incentives such as bonus payments from the employer permitted?

Employers could pay a “vaccination bonus”, for example through a one-off sum of money, vouchers or extra vacation days. Lawyer Felser says: “This is not entirely uncritical, because rewards can exert undue pressure not to exercise one’s rights. For example, courts have only declared rewards for employees who rarely get sick to be admissible under strict conditions.” The trade unions consider incentives for those willing to vaccinate to be permissible. However, they have a say in any case, as such a bonus is subject to co-determination. Kempgens emphasizes, however, that it must be fair: “There must not only be a bonus for those who don’t like vaccinations as an incentive to vaccinate, but if so, then for everyone.”

Can the employer exert “vaccination pressure”? Can the staff defend themselves against this?

If there is no statutory vaccination requirement, the employer cannot exert any pressure, neither with instructions nor with threats such as transfer or even warnings and dismissal. Such measures would be illegal. However, attorney Kempgens reports: “We are currently hearing more and more of such cases in legal practice. Pressure is exerted to convince those unwilling to vaccinate.” In extreme cases, employees can even defend themselves against this with an action for an injunction before the labor courts.

Are professional disadvantages possible if you don’t get vaccinated?

If there is no compulsory vaccination, the employer cannot differentiate according to whether someone is vaccinated or not or whether they have not wanted to be vaccinated in the past, as long as there was no obligation to do so. In medical institutions, however, the employer can reject applicants if they are not vaccinated and do not want to be vaccinated. Lawyer Kempgens, however, restricts: “Unvaccinated employees require other protective measures in the company and also lead to disagreements among the employees. For this reason, non-vaccinated employees will certainly not be preferred in the company in the near future.”

Are employers allowed to distinguish between vaccinated and non-vaccinated people?

“In my opinion, they even have to,” says Kempgens. “As with official measures, labor law restrictions are more difficult to justify for vaccinated people, while labor law protective measures have to be stronger for non-vaccinated people.” Felser believes privileges are conceivable, such as the earlier return of vaccinated employees from the home office to the office or the use of communal facilities such as the canteen. However, the incentive or pressure from such preferences should not be disproportionate.

Crisis in the training market Where the trainees are most absent

Status: 08.06.2021 2:09 p.m.

Much fewer apprenticeships, far fewer applicants – Corona has massively thinned the training market. What alarms experts: Professions in which there is already a shortage of skilled workers are severely affected. From Philipp Reichert, SWR Since the beginning of the corona pandemic, significantly fewer training positions have been offered than before. This is shown by figures from the Federal Employment Agency SWR has evaluated. According to this, companies across Germany reported only around 430,000 apprenticeship positions from October 2020 to the end of April, i.e. after more than half of the current application year. That is around 60,000 fewer than in the same period of 2018/2019, i.e. before the pandemic. This means that by the end of April, around every eighth training position in the country was no longer offered. The number of applicants also fell significantly in the same period: from around 418,000 to 345,000 – a decrease of around 18 percent.

The healthcare and hospitality industries are particularly hard hit

Accordingly, there were particularly strong slumps in the tourism industry and in the hotel and restaurant sector. By the end of April, an average of every third apprenticeship position was no longer offered compared to 2019. But also in large occupational groups in the craft, for example in food production, the metal industry and in some technical professions, thousands fewer training positions were reported. The SWR -Data analysis shows that all federal states are affected by the development – albeit to different degrees.

Young people feel insecure

The Federal Employment Agency attributes the decline in training places and applicants primarily to the Corona crisis. “This mainly reflects the pandemic restrictions and the associated economic uncertainties,” it says SWR -Inquiry. Young people are also unsettled because personal consultations were more difficult in the pandemic and, for example, training fairs were canceled. “We also suspect that some of the young people are withdrawing from the dual training market in the current situation and switching from the outset to alternatives such as further schooling or possibly studying,” says the Federal Employment Agency. In addition to the corona crisis, changes in the labor market, for example in the automotive and supplier industry, as well as demographic change have contributed to the development.

Can the gap still be closed?

For labor market experts like Stefan Sell from the Koblenz University of Applied Sciences, the development is alarming. “These are extremely strong slumps, they are extraordinarily high.” Sell ​​therefore fears long-term consequences if fewer young people start an apprenticeship in the fall of the new training year. “Losses of this magnitude could never be made up again.” Past crises would have shown that. “Unfortunately, we have to expect that the level of apprenticeships will remain significantly lower overall than before the Corona crisis,” said Sell. From the labor market expert Sell’s point of view, it is particularly problematic that such occupational groups are also affected in which companies already need an above-average long time to fill vacancies. According to calculations by the Institute for Employment Research, for example, companies in the field of mechatronics and in some technical and health professions are looking for skilled workers for a particularly long time. “Even before Corona, we did not train enough in these professions,” says Sell.

Criticism of “small funding programs” by the government

The SWR data analysis shows: It is precisely in these occupational groups that there are now also significant drops in the number of applicants. At least one in ten applicants broke away there compared to the time before Corona. Labor market expert Sell sees the significant drop in applicants in the professions with a shortage of skilled workers extremely critical. “In some of these areas, such as the health professions, we will run into significant shortages,” said Sell. The responsible Federal Ministry of Education divided up SWR request with, you take the decline in the training market very seriously. That is why a program to secure training positions was decided last summer, which for example provides training and employment bonuses as well as grants for training and trainer remuneration. 700 million euros are earmarked for this and the coming year. Sell, however, criticizes that the program is insufficient to cushion the decline in the training market. “This is a small funding program, one should have set clearer signals.” The program was also too late and too complicated for companies.

From Gisela Staiger, BR The corona pandemic has made it difficult for many refugees to gain a foothold in the labor market. A current study by the Nuremberg Institute for Employment Research (IAB) shows the reasons and reveals the dimensions of the problem: A comparison of December 2019 and 2020 shows that unemployment in the population as a whole rose by just one percentage point within one year . By contrast, unemployment among refugees rose by 2.7 percentage points.

Lockdown makes career entry difficult

Mariam Alashkar is one of those who suffered. The Syrian is a single parent and is looking for an apprenticeship in the medical field. In February 2020, the mother of a four-year-old daughter successfully completed her language course at B2 level. But the time shortly before the first lockdown was extremely bad for starting a career. She writes two applications a week, says Alashkar. The yield is sobering: So far, no one has responded to their letters. In her home country, the 33-year-old first worked in tourism, then as a journalist for a Syrian television station. Now she is further deepening her language skills in order to be fit for the German job market. But their path is still rocky. “I’m ambitious, I had a lot of dreams in Germany,” she says. “I thought: If I finish B2, I’ll find a job straight away, but then Corona came and destroyed everything I had planned.”

IAB study: stopping language courses jointly responsible

According to the IAB study, the pandemic-related suspension of language courses and qualifications in particular led to an above-average increase in unemployment among refugees. According to IAB migration expert Herbert Brücker, the institute had expected that without the pandemic, the employment rate of refugees would have risen by five to eight percentage points in 2020. In reality, however, the rate only increased by one percentage point. “In this respect, one can say that integration has been interrupted. This applies to both the training and the job market,” says Brücker.

Expert: The more time goes by, the worse it gets

For Brücker, Alashkar is a typical example of the current phenomenon among refugees in Germany: “This is precisely the group of people who would have had a very good chance of entering the job market in 2020 or 2021. And these opportunities were able to materialize through the Do not realize the pandemic. ” The longer people have to wait, the greater the risk that motivation and related qualifications such as language skills can be lost. And that makes the subsequent labor market integration more difficult. “In this respect, the pandemic is a particularly tragic event for the refugees.” Alashkar has been moving into Hartz IV for almost a year and a half. The Syrian hopes that the easing will also increase her chances. She has a childcare place for her daughter and could get started at any time. If there was an answer to your applications.

The lack of information raises more questions. Recently, 24 scientists sent a letter to the World Health Organization (WHO) asking for an independent and rigorous investigation because they thought that the international investigation to China in early February was not deep enough. US President Joe Biden on May 26 also ordered intelligence forces to “double efforts” to investigate the origin of the Covid-19 pandemic, including the possibility of a leak “from a laboratory accident”. While the theory that the corona virus leaked from the laboratory was “resurrected”, two competing groups of experts in the study of bat diseases in Wuhan became the target of criticism. The reason is that they are willing to ignore safety measures during research. Many new diseases in the past originated in bats. Photo: SCMP. “Batwoman” and Wuhan Institute of Virology Nicknamed “bat woman”, Dr. Shi Zhengli is a famous Chinese corona virus researcher. She has identified many strains of the virus similar to SARS (severe acute respiratory distress syndrome) over the years and forewarned of new pandemic risks. Thach’s laboratory at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) also discovered and studied viruses that are closely related to corona virus. However, the scientists point out that the two viruses are still decades apart in natural evolution. According to the report of the WHO expert team, Ms. Thach said that all field activities were carried out with full protective clothing, including N95 masks, overalls, visors, and gloves. However, in a speech in June 2018, Ms. Thach said that is not the case. “Most of the time, we’ll wear simpler protective gear, and that’s fine,” Thach said in her speech. That’s because most diseases in bats can’t be directly transmitted to humans, but can only be through intermediate animals, Ms. Thach explained. To illustrate, Ms. Thach showed the audience during the presentation a photo of her team casting nets to catch bats in the cave and sorting the samples. Some people on the team only wore medical masks and thin rubber gloves, while others used their bare hands and did not wear masks. “When are we going to strengthen the protective gear? For example, when there are too many bats in the cave or when there is a lot of dust when entering the cave,” Thach said. When the pandemic hit, Ms. Thach became quiet and appeared only occasionally. On February 2, 2020, she posted to friends on the social network WeChat and “swore on her life” that her lab was not related to the pandemic. Three months later, Ms. Thach continued to post denying rumors that she had brought intelligence files to the West, according to Global Times . Chinese virologist Shi Zhengli at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Photo: AFP. When suspicions fell on the WIV, Ms. Thach sent a statement to the scientific journal Science in July. She said the corona virus could not have come from the WIV because her team did not encounter this strain during research. In addition, every employee here has tested negative for corona virus antibodies. According to Ms. Thach, before the pandemic, her team “never exposed or studied this virus, and did not know of its existence”. But she also admitted that her lab has not yet sequenced the genes of every sample due to financial and human constraints. She declined to say how many samples remain unsequenced. In January, Thach’s laboratory was questioned even more after the US State Department announced that there were “reasons to believe” that some WIV researchers showed symptoms similar to Covid-19 in the fall of 2019. May, Wall Street Journal also cited intelligence reports that three WIV researchers had been so sick that they needed to be examined. Vien Chi Minh, WIV’s laboratory director, called this a “blatant lie” in response to state media. Bat explorer and Wuhan CDC CDC During this time, the Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lab was less visible than the WIV. The WHO expert team’s report on the trip to the Wuhan CDC did not include notes on research safety measures. According to the report, the laboratory moved on December 2, 2019 to a location near the Huanan market – the market that was linked to the first cases of corona virus infection. “Such activity can disrupt the operation of any laboratory,” the WHO expert team said. However, the Wuhan CDC laboratory did not record any interruptions, according to the WHO expert. The Wuhan CDC is the place to monitor China’s initial response to the pandemic. At the Wuhan CDC, there is also a person who regularly works with bats – Dien Tuan Hoa. According to the Washington Post , in terms of position, Dien Tuan Hoa is a deputy technician in the pest control department of the Wuhan CDC. But Mr. Dien is known for being an aggressive adventurer when it comes to working with bats and insects. “He often goes to places that other people cannot find to get the necessary specimens,” a colleague said of Mr. Dien on a local TV station in January 2020. “He can confidently say that he can catch what others can’t.” Tian Junhua on a field trip to collect insects in Hubei province. Photo: China Daily. Using nets and traps, Mr. Dien’s team caught 155 bats in his home province of Hubei, and hundreds of bats in other areas for research in 2013. Mr. Dien was also a member of the team. discovered 1,445 new vertebrate RNA virus species. This result was published in a famous scientific journal Nature in 2016. Once, Wuhan CDC held an internal meeting with the theme “Learning from the achievements of Dien Tuan Hoa”. “No one can remember how many mountains he climbed, how many rivers he waded, how many bat caves he explored, how many stables he crawled, and how many landfills he had to search,” the CDC wrote of the event. However, Mr. Dien also admitted that sometimes he did not comply with research safety rules. In 2017, Mr. Dien told the state newspaper Wuhan Evening News that he once forgot his personal protective equipment, so he had to be isolated at home for 2 weeks after being shot in the body by bat urine. On several other occasions, he got bat blood on his skin while trying to control the animal with forceps, Mr. Dien said. On February 3, 2020, Mr. Dien’s team continued to appear in the journal Nature with early-stage clinical descriptions of a corona virus patient in Wuhan. The team’s research indicates that bats can be a host for pathogens. But when Covid-19 spread, Mr. Dien became quiet. March 2020, the state newspaper Health Times An anonymous source said Mr. Dien was not infected with corona virus. According to the article, Mr. Dien was in a bad mood because of rumors about whether he was patient zero. According to a report at the end of March by the WHO expert team, the Wuhan CDC denied storing or experimenting with bat viruses before the pandemic took place. However, in a video, Mr. Dien said he had been to dozens of bat caves and studied 300 types of virus vectors. Also from March, Mr. Dien no longer spoke in public. This highlights the challenge of an independent investigation into the origins of Covid-19: Many of the people who might have had key information in Wuhan are now silent. Mr. Dien continued to research during this time. In August 2020, Mr. Dien was a co-author on a study on ticks. Another of his November 2020 studies focused on antibiotic resistance genes in fish. Mr. Dien no longer speaks or publishes research on bats.

In this South Asian country, it is easy to find similar shrines dedicated to Covid-19 and other plagues. “Goddess Corona is the only hope” Since the outbreak of the pandemic, India has recorded more than 27 million cases and more than 322,000 deaths from Covid-19. The latest outbreak that began in March has left the country’s health system in crisis because of a lack of hospital beds and oxygen. In states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Assam, women gather near temples or under sacred trees to worship the corona virus, which is realized in the form of a goddess known as “Corona Maa”. . They sit around in a circle and perform rituals, offering milk, coconuts, flowers and sweets to the deity. Some chanted prayers to appease the goddess’ wrath. Bimla Kumari, a resident of Patna, the capital of Bihar state, said: “We are worshiping ‘Corona Maa’ so that our family members remain safe from the virus. The goddess’s wrath will be appeased with offerings, for she is an angry goddess, not a benevolent goddess. The hospitals are overcrowded and the government doesn’t care. So the goddess is our only hope.” After worshiping “Corona Maa” under a banyan tree with his friends, Kumari said “luckily, everyone gathered here today is healthy”. Monks perform a prayer ritual before the god “Corona Devi” at Kamatchipuri Adhinam temple in Coimbatore city to ask for blessings and help people overcome the Covid-19 pandemic. Photo: AFP. In India, there is a long tradition that in times of disaster, people turn to faith to alleviate suffering. The worshipers of Sheetla Mata – the goddess of smallpox – believed that she would protect them from the disease by killing the demons believed to cause it. Goddess Sheetla Mata is said to be the reincarnation of the Hindu goddess Durga. A 300-year-old temple in Gurgaon, near New Delhi, is dedicated to this goddess Sheetla Mata. In addition, some other temples specialize in praying for healing. These places worship male deities, for example Vaitheeswaran temple in the town of Mayiladuthurai in the state of Tamil Nadu. Here, devotees pray before the incarnation of Lord Shiva. Mahadeva Temple in Kerala state is where devotees come to cure epilepsy and chronic asthma. In the Tumkur district of neighboring Karnataka state, cancer patients regularly visit the Areyuru Vaidhyanatheshwara temple. They believe that this temple can cure them without treatment with modern medicine. The Pataleshwar Temple in the city of Muradabad, Uttar Pradesh – now closed due to the pandemic – is often a popular destination for people with skin diseases. Many pilgrims come here to ask for blessings by bringing brooms as offerings or sweeping the floors of the temple. Broom shops near temples are usually very expensive on weekends. After offering, most brooms are returned to the seller and continue to be sold to the next person. Elsewhere in the state of Uttar Pradesh, a hand pump at the Jagnewa Hanuman temple pumps up water that many believe has healing powers. Believers believe that a saint touched the pump and infused it with healing powers. They take water in a glass bottle and pour it over the patient’s body in the belief that they will be cured. Anant Kumar, a local, said: ‘My daughter’s chronic asthma – a disease that modern medicine could not cure for many years – disappeared within a month after she took it. water is taken from this manual pump”. Monks worship idols of god Shiva and goddess Parvati at a temple in Prayagraj city, India. Photo: AP. Cultural traditions or superstition? Millions of Indians place their trust in such “healing” temples. Meanwhile, many people are still skeptical about this and think that this is superstition. Harsh Bhagnani, an engineer in Mumbai, said: “Healing temples are just as effective as a placebo for fanatics. Curative therapies should be rooted in modern science and medicine.” Some opponents of these temples argue that the reason people flock here is because the health care system in India is not focused on investment. According to the results of the Human Development Report 2020 of the United Nations Development Program, India ranks 155 out of 167 countries in terms of the number of hospital beds available to meet people’s needs. The country-specific rate is 5 hospital beds and 8.6 doctors per 10,000 population. However, for RP Mitra, a professor of anthropology at Delhi University, these religious rituals are deeply rooted in the Indian subconscious. Indian hospitals are overwhelmed by the second wave of Covid-19, with shortages of hospital beds and medical oxygen. Photo: Reuters. “These temples are a fulcrum, helping believers in times of insecurity, fear, and suffering caused by deadly diseases. The temples can be seen as a supernatural complex.” Professor Mitra analyzed. He said religious people may still want to receive divine blessings and still have faith in modern medicine, as the two are not necessarily mutually exclusive. “Whether it’s traditional Chinese medicine or ancient therapies practiced across countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal or India, religious beliefs have always been incorporated into traditional medicine,” he said. said more. Countries rush to send medical supplies to India Before the request for support from India, some countries rushed to send medical equipment, including ventilators and oxygen generators, to support the South Asian country in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.

I felt like I was fatherless because of what we call American exceptionalism. He is still alive, I must make it clear. But our relationship is really over. In this divided country, our situation is not uncommon. Anger over the election results last November seems to have cooled down, and homes and streets have begun to quieten again. However, the instability that former President Donald Trump sparked continues, as Americans choose sides in the longer war: “Who on Earth matters?”. Opposition between the two factions One faction thinks it is right to worry about others, who are different from them, and for those they need to protect. The other side also claims to be right in worrying about themselves, their like-minded people, and even those they see as needing protection. Exceptionalism is a deeply rooted belief in America. We Americans have always believed that we are better than others. God, the universe, the gods – all supernatural powers that bless humanity – have given Americans a special freedom. Even now, in the middle of summer 2021, we can decide whether we want to believe in the existence of a global pandemic, and if we want to participate in controlling the spread of the coronavirus. While many Americans have to endure starvation, poverty or experience fear and loss because of the Covid-19 pandemic; On the contrary, millions of other Americans still believe that tragedy will never come. Those experiencing the pain of Covid-19, or those who have witnessed others go hungry or lose friends and family forever, believe that we are all in a very difficult situation. We’re just fine until everyone else is safe. Often, the only difference between these groups of people is the news channel they watch, and how that channel covers science or conspiracy theories. In a chaotic world where hundreds of millions of people are begging for a vaccine, this country is throwing away thousands of doses a day because Americans – in so many places – refuse to get vaccinated before the vaccine expires. My father is one of them. Influence from news sources During the pandemic, while we were following the government’s lockdown and social distancing requirements, I didn’t get a chance to visit him. But now, I don’t know when I’ll be able to see you again. I, you and everyone around will not be safe if you do not get vaccinated. I myself do not know how long he will hold out to witness this situation. My dad and I both spent a lot of time reading news during the pandemic, from different sources, of course. To be honest, I am proud to have opened up and changed my mind about SARS-CoV-2 and the threat to humanity since it was discovered. Every day, I try to stay up to date with the latest epidemiological information and public health recommendations. I’m the type of American who believes my sources are trustworthy. As a nurse, I believe I am knowledgeable enough to read published medical studies and draw my own conclusions. I’m on the side of science. On the contrary, my father is also very proud because he follows the news every night, reads and shares articles he finds online, and is careful with the advice he receives. He is the type of American who believes that Fox News is the only news channel that tells the truth, even if they are influenced by other news sources, by big corporations and the “bad guys” of the Democratic Party in power. in Washington, DC He was the kind of American who taught himself enough to understand what was going on in the world, to know who to believe. But he chose to believe the seemingly secret information his friends shared on Facebook about the conspiracy of scientists and the government. He read an article saying that hundreds of people died from vaccination, so now he claims to never vaccinate. Not one of his acquaintances has died from Covid-19. As a white middle-class man with a military pension and lifelong medical care for veterans, he never had to fear poverty, disease, loss, or disease. To him, the threat posed by the coronavirus is nothing more than the exaggeration of the press and propaganda apparatus. In a country house with a beautiful lawn and large backyard, is it wrong for you to hold fast to American exceptionalism, even if it causes your relationship with your son to fall apart? The son you believe he is the victim of corona virus conspiracies? Lots of other people don’t have the privilege of choosing like my dad. Millions of Americans are grieving the loss of someone they love, a job, and what we once called “normal”. They are fighting every day for their lives, while those around them angrily protest against the restrictions, even if it is to protect public health. Each person chooses to listen to a separate news channel, so the way they suffer is also very different. The influence of paranoid conspiracy theories My best friend, a wonderful couple, belongs to a group of Americans convinced that free public education is a tool of government propaganda and oppression. So they let the kids learn at home. When some people start to believe in paranoid conspiracy theories and let it affect children, it’s hard to tell them to give up their beliefs. There is a very small gap between homeschooling and believing in untested medical methods. It’s like believing in the magical qualities of crystals or some type of oil with herbal extracts that can heal diseases. And so, the road from believing in an untested cure to becoming an anti-vaccine is also very short. I wonder when those kind people are trapped in the trap of unscientific information and far from reality, do they ever question whether the news they receive every day can be trusted or not? Such is the situation of my friends. They are neither white nor financially stable, their jobs are difficult during the pandemic, and they know people who have lost loved ones to Covid-19. They do not have the privilege of sitting on the lawn mower in their front yard while waiting for the inconvenience of the blockade to end. They are forced to look for other sources of information and monitor the spread of the virus and listen to warnings about the disease. They surreptitiously and shamefully vaccinate themselves and their children. A discreet wife told me this secret. She also talks about how dozens of parents share supporting information and materials in homeschooling advocacy groups. They talk non-stop about the threat vaccines pose to children, echoing conspiracy theories about the dangers of masks and social distancing. She confided in me about the feeling of letting people down when she got vaccinated. American exceptionalism gives people the belief that they can avoid the difficulties others face. White and affluent parents believe they can “escape” the infection, but not everyone can. Definitely not my friends. When comparing two streams of information, what will they believe? Only fools believe in science without proof, and with the expectation that truth cannot be false. Science changes when new research is published. News channels are gaining a reputation for distinguishing between bad science and good science, and then they deliver news to readers who are increasingly confused about what is good and bad. Freedom goes too? “Why?” – some people may ask – “Can I believe what I hear, only to hear something completely different after a few months? Should I believe something dangerous is happening when no one I know is suffering?” It was my father, who read the news about the racist cases he had never heard of, and then deduced that the broadcaster would be full of lies to advance his own policy purposes. It was my friends who heard the online community say the truth was nothing compared to what their families went through. American pride is shaken when many cannot distinguish between science and conspiracy theory. And they are afraid. So I lost my dad to American exceptionalism. During the pandemic, I couldn’t see him. With an underlying medical condition, I am at high risk of death if I contract Covid-19. I could not speak to him without often ending in a heated argument. “Why doesn’t the other person come to his senses when he falls into conspiracies?” – Each of us asked ourselves the same. Why do some people believe that they are special, blessed by God, the universe, the gods? Just because something bad hasn’t happened, doesn’t mean it never will. We Americans are free to decide whether or not to believe in the existence of a global pandemic; as well as believing it affects all of us; Or do we participate in preventing deaths by simply getting two shots and wearing masks in public? We are free to decide who on Earth matters while expired, unopened vaccines are rejected across the country. I often wonder, do we have too much freedom?

The study suggests that the “hot spots” will be places where horseshoe bats live and have factors that make the risk of corona virus spread to humans and outbreaks into epidemics. This study does not provide additional information about the SARS-CoV-2 virus, but rather points to locations where similar corona viruses may appear in humans in the future. The study results show that southern China is a very high-risk place, and urges us to reduce risk factors, such as reducing deforestation, not just deal with the virus when it has become an epidemic. . Perfect combination” Research by the Intergovernmental Policy-Science Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), a German NGO, shows the number of outbreaks caused by zoonotic diseases object is on the rise. Accordingly, it is humans who are the cause of this increase, through deforestation and destruction of natural ecosystems. At least a third of disease outbreaks since 1960, including Ebola, have been linked to changes in human land use, the report said. Deforestation is one of the many causes of the increasing number of zoonotic diseases being transmitted to humans. Photo: Greenpeace. As humans encroach on natural forest land, the risk of humans coming into contact with wild animals, as well as the pathogens they carry, increases. Newly published research reinforces this hypothesis, as it shows that the risk of humans coming into contact with wildlife increases if the area of ​​primary forest is reduced by 25%. In addition, the destruction of natural habitats also causes disease-carrying species, such as bats and rodents, to become more numerous. Scientists also warn that the occupation of forest land is just one of many causes of zoonotic diseases spreading to humans. High population density, as well as large-scale livestock production, are two other factors that increase the risk. That’s because pets can catch diseases from wild animals or become vectors of disease to humans. The risks to industrial farms are even greater, where large numbers of livestock live in small spaces, and these animals are often less resistant. Outbreak “hot spots” Paolo D’Odorico, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley and co-author of the study, said that most research on corona viruses currently focuses on human-to-human transmission, not on the possibility of elimination. This virus is transferred from animals to humans. Therefore, he and his colleagues collected data on forest land occupation, livestock density, population density and a number of other factors and compared it with the habitat of horseshoe bats in Asia and Africa. Europe. Horseshoe bats are considered to be carriers of a large number of corona viruses, including a species closely related to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The “hot spots” of potential coronavirus outbreaks are shown in dark red. Photo: Natural Food. The results of the study are represented by a map, in which dark red dots represent areas with a high risk of corona virus spreading to people. In contrast, the blue dots indicate places where there are relatively few conditions for disease outbreaks. Professor David Hayma, another co-author of the study, said that the main concern is that large areas of southern China are still at high risk for a new disease from the corona virus to emerge. In addition, the scientists also pointed out that some areas, including Shanghai, Japan and the Philippines, are at risk of becoming “hot spots” if deforestation continues. “We need surveillance in these areas to prevent the emergence of new diseases,” Hayman said. How to prevent a new outbreak? Scientists estimate that as many as 1.7 million virus species have not been detected in mammals and birds, and half of them have the potential to spread to humans. Professor Andrew Dobson of Princeton University, thinks that the Covid-19 epidemic is a wake-up call for us. “The most important thing is to figure out what we can do to reduce the likelihood of similar events happening,” said Dobson, arguing that we should start from stopping deforestation. Horseshoe bats are considered to carry many pathogens and are capable of spreading to humans. Photo: Wall Street Journal. Professor Dobson said that people living in “hot spots”, such as in southern China, should “put pressure on politicians” to introduce appropriate policies and mechanisms to protect forests. The cost of protecting forests will be much lower than the price we pay each time a pandemic breaks out, IPBES research shows. Besides, experts also warn that the livestock industry should take appropriate measures to prevent livestock from being infected. At the same time, they also call for a greater focus on the earth’s ecosystems. “We knew how to launch rockets into space decades ago. But understanding how diseases spread from animals to humans is a much more difficult problem,” Professor Dobson commented.

The study said the new virus is more distantly related to the previously found strains of the coronavirus that cause Covid-19. However, this new virus has a high degree of similarity in gene sequence with the virus that causes Covid-19. This is the first time that the Wuhan Institute of Virology has released detailed information about the virus it has collected several years ago. “These results suggest that the coronavirus we detected from bats may be just the tip of the iceberg,” the team wrote in the paper. Wuhan Institute of Virology, China. Photo: AFP. Many research results have never been published Through the paper, the institute also provides more insight into the viruses they host. The latest study examines eight viruses collected during a 2015 survey trip to a town in southwestern China’s Yunnan province. During this trip, researchers from the Wuhan Institute of Virology collected more than 1,000 specimens from bats living in and around the cave over a three-year period. The Wuhan Institute of Virology has studied the corona virus found in bats. Photo: South China Morning Post. This trip started after a few workers came to the cave and became ill. After testing, the doctors said they had an unprecedented virus, so they started looking for a virus from bats. The team also added that the group of workers at that time did not have Covid-19. Previously, in the journal Nature published in November 2020, Wuhan researchers said that during their exploration of the cave, they found 9 viruses that cause severe acute respiratory syndrome and Covid- 19. One of them is RaTG13 – published by researchers in February – still considered the closest “relative” to Sars-CoV-2, the cause of Covid-19. The remaining eight viruses were newly classified in the May 21 paper. The origin of Covid-19 is still unclear and controversial. Doubt In February, after a trip to China, international experts investigating the origin of Covid-19 by the World Health Organization (WHO) suggested that the virus probably came from a bat-like animal. . The virus then passes to another animal that has close contact with humans and infects them. Chinese virologist Shi Zhengli of the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Photo: SCMP. However, critics, including the head of WHO, say the investigation is not deep enough. May 23, Wall Street Journal Citing a confidential US report, it was revealed that in November 2019, before China reported its first Covid-19 cases, some researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology were hospitalized. . Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian stated on May 24 that the article was “completely untrue”. Article by Wall Street Journal was released ahead of the WHO meeting, which is expected to discuss in detail the next phase of the investigation into the origins of Covid-19. The amazing variety of corona virus virus Evolutionary biologist Edward Holmes at the University of Sydney said that the paper by researchers from the Wuhan Institute of Virology provides further evidence that the Wuhan laboratory does not have a virus closely related to Sars -CoV-2 – the origin of the Covid-19 outbreak. A database of hundreds of thousands of bats is needed to see a complete picture of the coronavirus. Photo: AP. “This paper shows us the incredible diversity of coronaviruses found in animals in the wild,” added Mr Holmes. He and another team of experiments also found four viruses in bats closely related to Sars-CoV-2 among more than 400 samples collected in Yunnan province. The area is considered by WHO to be an important place for further research into the origins of Covid-19, although it remains unclear whether research is ongoing. The May 21 article also highlights recent work that highlights the possibility that Covid-19 is related to another species, besides bats. A pangolin coronavirus has the ability to effectively bind to human cells, distinct from the bat viruses associated with Sars-CoV-2 that have been identified so far. However, according to Maciej Boni, an associate professor at the Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics at Pennsylvania State University (USA), there are not enough viruses yet to see an overall picture. “We need to have databases of hundreds of thousands of viruses in bats. Until then, we won’t have many new discoveries about the origin of Sars-CoV-2,” he said. Satellite photos show that Covid-19 can spread in Wuhan from August 2019 According to a study from Harvard Medical School (USA), satellite photos of hospital parking lots in Wuhan show that the corona virus may have been spreading since August 2019.

Clinical trials of the Pfizer vaccine showed up to 95-96% effectiveness against invading coronaviruses. According to the New York Times , each batch of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine with 7.5 million doses is produced in 60 days. The most advanced mRNA technology The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine uses mRNA technology. This vaccine is recommended by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for use in people 12 years of age and older. The SARS-CoV-2 virus carries proteins that allow it to enter human body cells. These proteins – known as spike proteins – are the subject of research in the production of vaccines and drugs to treat Covid-19. Coronavirus. Photo: New York Times. Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine is based on the genetic makeup of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to create artificial protein spikes. Vaccines use messenger RNA (mRNA), a type of genetic material that human cells process to make proteins. The messenger RNA molecules are very fragile, so they will be broken down by natural enzymes in the human body if injected directly into the human body. To protect the mRNA in the vaccine, Pfizer-BioNTech wraps the mRNA molecules in an oil bubble made of microscopic fat particles. mRNA molecule. Photo: New York Times. Due to their unstable nature, the mRNA molecules in the vaccine will be degraded at normal temperatures. Therefore, vaccines of Pfizer-BioNTech need to be stored at deep cold temperatures, at least -70 degrees Celsius or less. To keep the vaccine of Pfizer-BioNTech stable, special containers are required, including dry ice, heat sensors and GPS trackers. Inject vaccines into the body After vaccination, the molecular particles in the vaccine will collide and fuse with human body cells, releasing mRNA. Human body cells will read the genetic content contained in the mRNA and from there produce protein spikes. The mRNA molecule from the vaccine is eventually destroyed by human cells forever. Vaccine molecules interact with cells. Photo: New York Times. Some protein spikes will form spikes, which rise to the surface of the cell and protrude outward. Cells that have been affected by the vaccine also break down the protein into small pieces on the surface. The protein spikes protruding from the cell, and the protein molecule on the cell surface, will eventually wake up the human immune system. When cells that have interacted with the vaccine die, their fragments contain many protein spikes and protein fragments. These fragments will be picked up by a type of immune cell called molecular antigen-presenting cells (APCs). APC cells activate helper-T cells. Photo: New York Times. Fragments of protein spikes will stick to the surface of APC cells, until helper-T cells detect these fragments. The helper-T cells then trigger the immune system to produce antibodies against the coronavirus. Antibody production Other immune cells, called B cells, can collide with the coronavirus spike protein on the surface of the cell that has interacted with the vaccine, or the floating protein spike debris. Some B cells can adhere to protein spikes. Helper-T cells activate B cells that help produce antibodies. Photo: New York Times. When B cells are activated by helper-T cells, they begin to produce antibodies that attack the spike protein. Antibodies neutralize corona virus. Photo: New York Times. The antibody produced will attach to the spike protein of the invading corona virus. Antibodies mark the virus for later destruction by the body’s immune system. More importantly, the antibody prevents the viral spike protein from attaching to the healthy cells of the human body. To destroy the virus, APC cells activate another type of immune cell called cytotoxic-T cells. This cell is responsible for finding and destroying cells that have been infected by the virus through the signal of protein spike fragments on the surface. Cytotoxic-T cells destroy infected cells. Photo: New York Times. Remember information about corona virus Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine is given in two doses, 21 days apart, to help the immune system work most effectively against the corona virus. But because of the lack of time to study, scientists cannot be sure how long the immunity created by the vaccine will last. Preliminary research shows that within 10 days of receiving the first dose, the vaccine begins to build a strong immune system against the virus. It is likely that, after several months of vaccination, the number of antibodies and cytotoxic-T cells will gradually decrease. But the immune system also contains special cells that store information about the corona virus for years, even decades. Each vial of vaccine contains 5 injection doses of 0.3 ml. Vaccines need to be thawed and diluted with saline. After dilution, the vaccine must be used within 6 hours.

Pandemic is a war that all people must unite against. If people are obliged to stay at home to reduce the spread of infection; nurses and doctors volunteered to the front lines; writers find themselves responsible. Linking books with human problems is both a real emotion and a topic of high responsibility. Book En primera luinea (rough translation: First alarm) by Dr. Gabriel Heras. Photo: Codem. En primera linea (rough translation: First alarm ) This is the first book of Dr. Gabriel Heras. The work is a premise document about a bloody battle with the epidemic from the perspective of a doctor who has been on the front lines of fighting the epidemic since the first case was recorded. The book was written when the author was in the process of taking care of the sick at UCI – Spain’s intensive care unit, telling about the experience of the days of fighting directly with the virus. According to the author, the difficulty lies not only in the danger of Covid-19, but also in the fear of a lack of resources and in-depth knowledge about this virus. Coronavirus, la última pandam? (rough translation: Corona virus, the last pandemic? ) The book by Eduardo López-Collazo and José Alcamí Pertejo is a clear explanation of the emergence and mechanism of Covid-19 based on science. According to the writer, in the 21st century, we have suffered three pandemics, but perhaps the epidemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has a wide spread, health effects, and economic consequences. , the largest society. The book raises a series of questions: Why did this virus appear in Wuhan city? How did it spread? What is its origin? Are we ready to face this epidemic? How to treat and control the epidemic? Impact of Covid-19 on life? More worryingly, all of humanity is still in the process of both fighting the epidemic and learning about the progression and severity of the disease this virus produces. The author believes that all studies on SARS-CoV-2 up to now have not been absolutely accurate. Book Coronavirus, la última pandam? (rough translation: Corona virus, the last pandemic?). Photo: FB Oberon Libros. Coronavirus: Prevencíon, pandemia y contencíon (rough translation: Corona virus: Prevention, pandemic and containment ) The time when Sonia de Miguel Fernández and Juan Carlos Ruiz de la Roja wrote the book was when the SARS-CoV-2 mutation was spreading at a rapid pace, making doctors and nurses unable to anticipate every move. its. This is not the deadliest pandemic in history, so far (the time of writing is May 2020), but it is the worst pandemic we’ve ever experienced: “It’s a ‘black’ plague, an enemy we don’t see, and that casts doubt on its attack forms and its weaknesses,” said Sonia de Miguel Fernández and Juan Carlos Ruiz de. la Roja wrote. La esperanza en tiempos de coronavirus (rough translation: Hope during the corona virus season ) Unlike the rest of the books, José Carlos Bermejo’s book is also about Covid-19 but does not use any academic or specialized terms to describe the pandemic. Book La Máscara del Coronavirus (rough translation: Mask of the corona virus). Photo: El independiente. The book provides readers with a humanistic perspective hidden behind the dark curtain of the epidemic. Such is the life of families taking care of each other during the pandemic; is the loss, the pain of the loss of loved ones… The pages of José Carlos Bermejo’s books take away the tears of readers, especially in many details describing the lonely life in the quarantine area and the scenes of doctors and nurses dedicated to saving patients during the epidemic season. But above all, the author still instills in the hearts of readers an optimistic hope that light will be found at the end of the “Covid-19 dark bath tunnel”. La Máscara del coronavirus (rough translation: Mask of corona virus ) The work of writer José María Sánchez Lázaro is a journalistic narrative style, assessing how the disease arose, and its devastation to human life in both Spain and the rest of the world. . Besides, in mask of corona virus, The author also outlines the effects of the pandemic on the economies of the countries with the largest number of infections in the world. Commenting on this book, journalist Roberto Resino wrote: “Dr. José María Sánchez Lázaro is the one who stands at the front of the mouth with information about the Covid-19 pandemic. His work sparks a heartfelt tribute to those who are in need. died in hospitals, nursing homes and private homes; it is also a recognition of the great merits of the army of medical workers who have fought against the pandemic.”

Humans have only found about 5% of the composition of the universe. So what is the remaining 95%? Although we know of its existence, we cannot see or study it specifically, directly because these components are invisible. Science fiction still frequently mentions the existence of other universes. In fact, in recent years, the scientific community is gradually accepting this hypothesis. A typical example is the multiverse theory, which comes from William James’s term of the same name in 1895. Accordingly, it is said that there are many parallel universes along with the one in which we live. The origin of cosmic rays has puzzled astronomers for a long time, who have spent a century studying the origin of these charged particles. However, the origin of this mysterious phenomenon remains an unanswered question. Since the birth and development of space science, a question that has always bothered the whole human society is whether there is anyone outside of Earth? Humans have launched spacecraft, explored many planets in search of other life, but so far, the above question has not been answered. Life likely existed on Mars and may even exist today. Mars used to have vast oceans. Scientists have found evidence that liquid water is still periodically flowing on the surface of Mars. Many countries are planning to send explorers to Mars to find the answer tree to this problem. Solar physicists have been baffled by the mystery of the Sun’s ability as it reheats its corona, the fragile crown surrounded by light that emerges brightly during a total eclipse. Crystal rain is a mysterious phenomenon that can only be seen in the universe. The star HOPS-68 is a star that closely resembles the Sun at its inception. Around this star exists a cloud of dust and gas, of which the main component is green olivine crystals. Due to the rather cold temperature of these dust clouds (about -170 degrees Celsius), the olivine crystals condense into small particles and fall like a magically beautiful blue crystal rain. Black holes are one of the great mysteries of the universe. This entity is one where the density of matter is greater than any other entity in the universe. With its huge weight, the black hole can bend time and space and nothing can escape if it accidentally falls into its gravitational field. Astronomers estimate that the Sun will destroy the Earth in about 6 billion years. Several theories about the end of the universe have been put forward. The universe can perish when all matter in the universe has the same temperature. That means all stars will perish and all matter will perish. Another opinion is that an event contrary to the Big Bang, the Big Crunch, will occur. If the universe continues to expand, eventually gravity will become too great, causing everything to contract. The entire universe will become a solid mass and the universe will come to an end. There is a mystery about the moon that has puzzled astronomers for a long time. That’s why only certain parts of the moon’s surface appear to have magnetic fields. But after conducting many tests and analyzing the moon’s surface, scientists believe that the moon once had a magnetic field – about 450 million years ago. Femi bubbles are giant and mysterious structures that arise from the center of the Milky Way and span about 20,000 light-years, accompanied by intense gamma rays and X-rays. Since it was first discovered until now, the Fermi Bubble has caused astronomers around the world a headache because it has not been able to find the origin of this giant gamma-ray structure. Please watch the video: NASA astronauts drop a mirror in space. Source: VTV

Ancient corona virus illustration, 25,000 years ago. The current COVID-19 pandemic has claimed the lives of more than 3 million people and shows how vulnerable people are to the genetically modified corona virus. However, this threat seems to have occurred since the early days when humans had to fight these dangerous viruses. “There are always viruses that infect humans,” said senior study author David Enard, associate professor of ecology and evolution at the University of Arizona, USA. Viruses are actually one of the main drivers of natural selection in the human genome. That’s because genes that increase the chances of the pathogen’s survival are more likely to be passed on to new generations. ” Using modern tools, researchers can detect traces of these ancient pathogens by precisely identifying how they promote natural selection in today’s human DNA. Accordingly, this information can provide valuable insight to help predict future pandemics. Enard said: “Almost always is when things that happened in the past are more likely to happen in the future.” Using information available in public databases, Enard and his team analyzed the genomes of 2,504 people across 26 different human populations around the world. When corona viruses get inside human cells, they attack the cell’s machinery to replicate. This means that the viral success depends on its interaction with hundreds of different human proteins. Researchers magnified a set of 420 human proteins known to interact with the corona virus, 332 of which interact with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Most of these proteins help viruses multiply inside cells, but some help cells fight viruses. The genes that encode those proteins mutate continuously and randomly, but if the mutation gives the gene an advantage, such as a better resistance to the virus – then the gene has a chance to be passed on. next or selected higher. Indeed, the researchers found that, in people of East Asian descent, certain genes interacting with the corona virus were selected. In other words, over time certain variations show up more often than expected. This set of mutations may have helped the ancestors of the human population in this region become more ancient antiviral by altering the amount of protein produced by the cell. The genetic variations encoding 42 of the 420 proteins they analyzed began to increase in frequency about 25,000 years ago, the researchers found. The spread of beneficial variants continued until about 5,000 years ago. This suggests that the ancient virus continued to threaten these populations for a long time. Viruses cause pressure to adapt “Viruses exert some of the strongest selective pressures on humans to adapt, and corona viruses have probably been around since,” said Joel Wertheim, associate professor at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego. long before man existed. However, it is difficult to say whether the virus that caused this evolution is the corona virus, but it seems to be a plausible theory. David Enard agrees that the ancient pathogen that harmed our ancestors may not have been the corona virus; instead, it is possible that another virus that has happened to interact with human cells in the same way that corona viruses do. Another group of researchers recently discovered that sarbecovirus, a family of the corona virus that includes SARS-CoV-2, first evolved 23,500 years ago, at the same time as variations in the genes that encode the proteins related to the corona virus have appeared for the first time in humans. Findings of the sarbecovirus virus were also published in bioRxiv on February 9 and have yet to be peer reviewed. While these findings are compelling, they do not change our understanding of which populations are more likely to survive SARS-CoV-2 infection. Although, there is no evidence that adaptation of this ancient gene protects modern humans from SARS-CoV-2. Enard and his team now hope to work with virologists to understand how this adaptation helped ancient humans survive exposure to this protozoan strain of the corona virus. The team also hopes that such ancient genomic studies could eventually be used as an “early warning system” for future pandemics. David Enard adds, although we clearly see the impact of this ancient virus on human ancestors, future generations will not be able to see traces of SARS-CoV-2 in the genome. our. Thanks to vaccination, there is no time for the virus to promote evolutionary adaptation.

From Stefan Maier, SWR From successful manager to psychological wreck: Karl-Heinz Schiller has had a tough time. He was an employee of a large corporation, after a burnout he was sorted out by the company. He tried to start his own business as a business consultant, then his sister died, and finally Corona came along. He didn’t gain a foothold. “Then the panic attacks began,” says Schiller. “How are things going in the future? Keeping the finances in line. It’s not easy. You get into a vortex where you are really no longer able to do things that were previously taken for granted.” Today he is better again – after a stay of several weeks in the Max Grundig Specialist Clinic for Psychosomatics on the Bühlerhöhe in the Black Forest.

Mental illnesses put a strain on the health system

There are still hardly any studies on the increase in mental illnesses since the outbreak of the pandemic. But Christian Graz, head physician at the Max Grundig Clinic, gives a few figures that make the extent of the problem clear. Even before Corona, 15 percent of people in Europe suffered from anxiety disorders: 62 million sufferers who caused health costs of 80 billion euros annually. “We see a highly significant increase, especially among children and adolescents,” says Graz. “When I speak to colleagues, they double the number of child and adolescent psychiatric inpatient care. And these people will eventually get older, and these will be the patients of tomorrow who will deal with us.”

Experts fear long-term consequences

The COPSY study conducted by the Hamburg University Hospital, for which more than 1,000 children and 1,600 parents were questioned, also found an increase in mental illnesses. Result: eight out of ten children feel stressed by the pandemic, seven out of ten suffer from a reduced quality of life, before the pandemic there were three. Every third child is psychologically abnormal, 50 percent more than before. Children and young people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds and with a migrant background are particularly affected – a problem that, according to Christian Graz’s experience, will burden an entire generation. “Anyone who has ever suffered from a psychosomatic illness has a higher risk of falling ill again,” says the doctor. “And young people are less resilient to dealing with such crises than older people.”

Despite greater resilience: The special circumstances of work at home affect both the old and the young. Many employees are prone to self-exploitation and work longer than in the office, often at night when the children are asleep. According to a study by the Hans Böckler Foundation, half of those in employment perceive their home office situation to be severe or extremely stressful, while the figure for single parents or low-income earners is as high as 62 percent. The multiple burden of work, housework and help with learning affects women in particular. This affects the mental state. Anxiety disorders, according to the psychosomatic specialist Graz, are twice as pronounced among women as among men. They need treatment.

Karl-Heinz Schiller (left) with chief physician Christian Graz. Schiller hopes to have overcome his anxiety disorder. Image: SWR

Anxiety and depression are still taboo subjects

Fear, says Graz, actually makes sense physiologically – a useful feeling, because we protect ourselves by withdrawing. But fear can become pathological. It then expresses itself physically: through headaches, sleep disorders, faster pulse, increased tension, the tendency to brood. Reasons are feelings of powerlessness, black painting, the tendency to “catastrophize”. Young women and men who are self-employed are particularly affected, says the specialist in psychosomatics. Generalized anxiety disorders have tripled since the outbreak of the pandemic. But mental illnesses are often still a taboo, and those affected often feel stigmatized, especially the so-called top performers. They then come to the hospital because of the physical problems to find out that the symptoms have psychological causes – and often require weeks or months of treatment. Karl-Heinz Schiller, who is now about to be discharged from the Max Grundig Clinic, also had to experience this. Not completely healed, but on the way back to a normal life. He was lucky, because in Corona times there are hardly any psychosomatic treatment places in Germany.

Photo: Getty Images On October 5, 2020, the GISAID global database shared the genetic makeup of the mutant virus B.1.617 for the first time. India is the country with the most patients infected with B.1.617, followed by the UK, then the US, so far there are a total of 22 countries infected with different degrees. It is not clear what country B.1.617 is from. There are two misunderstandings that should be avoided: one is the concept of the B.1.617 mutant strain originating from India, the other is the term “double mutation”. India is only a country with many patients infected with B.1.617 but no evidence of this mutant virus originated from India. The term “double mutation” is used to refer to two mutations, E484Q and L452R. According to the evolutionary principle of all viruses, strain B.1.617, when sequencing its genes, scientists found there were many different mutations. But there are two mutations that have caught the most attention of scientists; that is, the E484Q mutation could help the virus evade the immune system, and the L452R mutation could help the virus spread faster. In fact, the evolutionary virus had so many mutations at once, so two mutations like strain B.1.167 are not uncommon, and were even frequent in SARS-CoV-2 during pandemics. . Can not say “double mutation” B.1.617 is doubling the danger. The E484Q mutation is similar to E484K – a mutation previously found in the virus variant in the UK, South Africa and Brazil. Similarly, mutation L452R appeared in variant CAL.20C causing disease in the state of California (USA). Scientists disagree with the term “double mutation” when referring to variant B.1.617 because it is misleading that if two mutations occur, the danger level will increase. double. Variation B.1.617 not too dangerous Most experts believe that the mutant virus strain B.1.617 is not the cause of the epidemic in India out of control. Dr Jeffrey Barrett, COVID-19 genomic research director at the Wellcome Sanger Institute (UK), said that variant B.1.617 is less severe than variants in the UK, South Africa and Brazil. On the extent of the spread, Mr. Barrett argues, it is clear that this variation has increased the frequency in India creating a huge and tragic wave, but it will take months to reach the present dangerous state, which This suggests that variant B.1.617 is less contagious than the UK mutant. Professor Richard Neher, who leads the research group on viral evolution at the University of Basel (Switzerland), also said that variant B.1.617 is not more severe than other variants. Although B.1.617 is causing a serious, out-of-control crisis that threatens to collapse the health system in India, according to Dr. Christian Drosten, Head of Virology at Charité Hospital (Germany), There is no reason to worry too much about the B.1.617 variant being called a “double mutation”. Virology experts shared that the B.1.617 variant was no more dangerous than the variants that appeared in the UK, South Africa and Brazil. Vietnam once appeared outbreaks due to the B1.1.7 variant of the UK occurred in Hai Duong, Quang Ninh, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and some other localities, but we have controlled and extinguished completely. B.1.617 has become the “tsunami” that knocked down the Indian giant, but with Vietnam, will we once again win? My answer is: Vietnam has won against B.1.617 again. Deadliest day For India, yesterday was the deadliest day with 3,293 deaths, bringing the total number of deaths from COVID-19 in the country to 201,187. Ambulances line up for hours in the New Delhi capital to take the bodies of COVID-19 victims to the temporary crematoriums in the park, the parking lot where the bodies were cremated, Times of India reported. Subjective, off guard India has had 215 new infections and 1 death every minute, and world records are being set every minute. With more than 18 million patients and nearly 200,000 deaths, India became the second most affected country in the world, only temporarily behind the US. The reason for the disaster was not due to sudden B.1,617. But due to some inaccurate information that has created the illusion, such as India has achieved excellent herd immunity, excellent epidemic control, a series of “humanitarian vaccine” policies are praised by the world. The Indian government prides itself on crushing the epidemic curve. In early 2021, the government’s anti-epidemic measures were loosened, and people’s guarding is inevitable. Google tracks the flow of people across countries. Accordingly, since January this year, Indians shop and move much more, the density of people is quite high in public areas, on public transport, the frequency of activities of people are close to normal status when the epidemic has not happened. When people are subjective, personal protective measures such as wearing a mask, measuring body temperature, disinfecting, and keeping social distance are almost not complied with. That is a significant factor contributing to the rapid spread of the epidemic. A series of exciting activities in the locality, such as campaigning, rally, election, demonstrations of farmers, even holding a big wedding are also opportunities for COVID-19 to break out. Before the serious epidemic in India, on April 28, State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc paid a visit to Indian President Ram Nath Kovind. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh paid a visit to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On the same day, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son sent his greetings to Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. But the most unfortunate is probably related to the traditional festivals, especially the Kumbh Mela festival with a huge influx of Hindu pilgrims, estimated in the hundreds of millions, stretching through April. During the festival, nearly 5 million people jumped into the Ganges and baptized, every day about a million people join the pilgrimage to pray, they squeeze their shoulders like wings and do not wear masks because they think that India has exempted. community epidemic, while in reality both the infected person and the person being vaccinated are less than 10% of the population.

From Axel John, SWR In Germany, the vaccinations against SARS-CoV-2 have been running for almost four months. It seems to be becoming increasingly clear that the vaccines from the manufacturers BioNTech / Pfizer and Moderna with the new mRNA principle work best. AstraZeneca’s preparation with its gene-based vector vaccine is only given to elderly patients after a few cases of thrombosis. The Johnson & Johnson vector vaccine also had concerns long before it has now been released . Will mRNA technology dominate the market in the future?

Initially skeptical about mRNA methods

Norbert Pfeiffer can still remember the beginning of the Covid crisis in the spring of last year. The chairman of the board of the Unimedizin Mainz had quickly heard that Özlem Türeci and Ugur Sahin work on an mRNA vaccine against corona. Pfeiffer knows the BioNTech founders well. Türeci and Sahin had worked as cancer specialists in the clinic for years. Already there they pushed their idea of ​​an mRNA process – albeit in the fight against cancer.

Messenger RNA Messenger RNA, or mRNA for short, is a messenger molecule that brings genetic information from the cell nucleus to the ribosomes. These are the areas of the cell in which – according to the instructions for the genetic information – proteins are formed. The vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 use mRNA to stimulate the human body to produce its own antibodies as “drugs” against the coronavirus. Vaccines based on mRNA can be developed, adapted and manufactured more quickly than conventional preparations such as vector or dead vaccines. “There was skepticism about the mRNA technology against corona. Conventional vaccinations, such as those against flu, have been administered with great success for decades. But vector vaccines, for example against Ebola or dengue fever, have also been in use for a long time many hoped again in the Corona crisis. But this assessment has completely reversed “, Pfeiffer draws an initial interim balance. “The mRNA active ingredient against Covid-19 was finished earlier. With around 95 percent, the vaccination with the BioNTech active ingredient is very effective. It is thus far above the other protection rates. That was not expected.” And even after the clinical tests, the mRNA vaccine has proven itself, said Pfeiffer. “Overall, the side effects were very moderate. At AstraZeneca with the vector vaccine, there were very rare exceptional cases of thrombosis. Even if this is a good vaccine, the mRNA vaccine performed better in many areas and made a breakthrough. ”

Norbert Pfeiffer still knows the BioNTech founders Türeci and Sahin from their work as cancer specialists at the University of Mainz. Image: Mainz University Hospital

Vector vaccines are, however, indispensable

But is this only a one-off success in the fight against Corona or will the mRNA process also establish itself in other areas? “I’ll compare that with the development of cameras,” explains Pfeiffer. “Cameras with film were very good 20 years ago. The first digital cameras were very expensive and could hardly keep up in terms of quality. Today there are hardly any cameras with film. Many companies have invested, researched, produced and competed. I suspect that in the mRNA process it could be similar. ” At present, mRNA vaccines could by far not meet the global demand with a world population of almost 7.8 billion people, says Pfeiffer. “They can produce, store and administer vector vaccines cheaply all over the world. The preparations are very robust. The mRNA process, on the other hand, is expensive, and the ingredients are very susceptible to fluctuations in the cold chain, for example. We can use them in the longer term Vector vaccines don’t do without. ”

“The world of vaccines will never be the same”

Different location, similar assessment: Matthias Kromayer works on the board of MIG AG. The former management consultant has a doctorate in molecular biology. MIG AG is currently investing in 30 start-ups – one focus: biotechnology. The company was one of the first donors at BioNTech. In 2008 the Mainz start-up received a good 13 million euros from MIG. The potential of the mRNA process was recognized early in Munich. “During the corona crisis, only one company from the pharmaceutical giants GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi, Merck and Pfizer backed the right horse – namely Pfizer with BioNTech,” says Kromayer. Even before that, not much had happened in terms of research for years. The HPV vaccination against cervical cancer was the last real innovation. Vaccines have only been combined – nothing more. “Medical research has changed completely in the past year due to mRNA. The world of vaccines will never be the same again,” Kromayer is convinced. With the mRNA technology, the researchers would have a completely new approach. Every disease has a biological origin, explains Kromayer. mRNA as a messenger substance is always included in these processes, and that’s why you can start here – not only with SARS-CoV-2. Kromayer cites a current example from BioNTech: Just a few weeks ago, the company achieved the first promising results against multiple sclerosis – also using mRNA. “These are huge possibilities. The mRNA technology can also help the fastest in the fight against Corona. Should a new mutation soon appear after the British variant, you would have a new vaccine against it within 48 hours. After quality controls, the new preparation could then available after six weeks. ”

EU relies on mRNA in the long term

The subject of speed in the pandemic now also plays a major role in Brussels. After the EU Commission ordered too late and too few vaccines last year, people now seem to want to learn from their mistakes. So far, the EU has ordered 300 million cans from AstraZeneca and 200 million from Johnson & Johnson. It shouldn’t be more here, because both manufacturers offer vector vaccines.

“Only Pfizer bet on the right horse,” says MIG AG board member Matthias Kromayer. Image: MIG AG “I see no reason to saddle up again. The mRNA vaccines protect better and have fewer side effects,” explains Peter Liese. The Christian Democrat is the health policy spokesman for the EPP Group in the European Parliament. “In the long term, the main issue is how do we get the best vaccine that will protect us from further mutations in 2022? All of this speaks in favor of mRNA. The Commission should also rely on it in the long term.” This assessment fits in with the fact that the Commission only started negotiations with BioNTech / Pfizer on a third contract a few days ago. It is about 1.8 billion doses of vaccines for the years 2022 and 2023. There was no mention of other providers.

mRNA technology speeds everything up

The mRNA technology accelerates research enormously – but what does that mean for the testing authorities such as the Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO) or the European Medicines Agency (EMA)? For medical professional Pfeiffer this is clear: “The authorities have to speed up. Further Covid mutations must be expected in the short term. The mRNA principle has already been approved and will only be sharpened for a new variant.” The same applies to other diseases – such as cancer. “If an individualized therapy is only developed for one patient using mRNA, the authorities cannot check everything again. That would take far too long for successful treatment. The principle has to be checked and approved once.” In Munich, too, analyst Kromayer speaks a lot about speed. “We would never have dreamed of this rapid development. We had the hope of getting the first approved personalized cancer vaccines based on mRNA from 2024. BioNTech and Moderna were the pacemakers in the Covid crisis. Many other companies are now turning to mRNA -Technology jump and that will speed everything up again. “

On average, consumers spent at least 1250 euros less on consumer spending last year. This is the result of calculations by the Institut der Deutschen Wirtschaft (IW). In total, this corresponds to a decrease of 116 billion euros, according to a study by the employer-related research institute. The percentage decline in spending was 6.1 percent compared to 2019, the biggest slump in 70 years. “Short-lived consumer goods” such as clothing or shoes were particularly hard hit by the decline, according to the study. The purchase of durable consumer goods such as cars or furniture also declined in the course of the first lockdown, but demand in the second half of 2020 increased by five percent compared to the previous year. The temporary VAT cut could also have had a stimulating effect on consumption.

Service providers hit particularly hard

The service sector was hit particularly hard by the lockdown measures in 2020. In 2020 as a whole, the decline totaled 78 billion euros, according to the IW. That is more than two percent of the German gross domestic product. “The state-decreed closure of body-related services, restaurants, hotels, leisure and event facilities have made many consumer wishes impossible,” said IW scientist Hubertus Bardt. The data confirm a study by the Federal Statistical Office in March. This had also indicated that the development in the Corona crisis differs significantly from that in the financial and economic crisis of 2008/2009. At that time, private consumption was less affected and even proved to be a pillar of the German economy.

It will continue to save

The researchers do not yet see a fundamental recovery in the propensity to consume in German private households. For the first quarter of 2021 they put the consumption shortfall at a further 40 to over 60 billion euros. According to a survey carried out by the IW together with other research groups, 43 percent want to save the part of their income that remains after basic expenses. Usually it is less than 30 percent. In addition, only a third of those surveyed stated that they currently plan to spend on vacation – usually 45 to 50 percent.

By Reinhard Spiegelhauer, ARD studio Madrid The weather has recently been a little worse than it was before Easter. Three weeks ago, the first holidaymakers were able to let the sun shine on their fur in the beach cafe, but now it’s rather gray and cool. This particularly affected guests from Hesse and Schleswig-Holstein, the two federal states in which there were still Easter holidays last week. But even wrapped up and in the wind – the main thing is to get out of the Corona routine in Germany, said a vacationer from Frankfurt at the end of the week. You enjoy the time, even if the weather could be better – and it will be. About 40,000 Germans were in Mallorca over Easter, now calm is returning for the time being. There wasn’t a big party atmosphere anyway – after all, pubs and restaurants had to and have to close at 5:00 p.m., from 10:00 p.m. there is a curfew. On the Ballermann was “dead pants”. In addition, only a little more than ten percent of the hotels were open, and there were hardly any Germans to be seen in the holiday resorts in the northeast. The area around Palma benefited most. Christina Ostrem, manager of a hotel on the beach in Palma that reopened in early March, says she was “very happy” with the way the Easter business went, and that her hotel quickly got a lot of reservations. There were no corona cases in her house, neither with the guests nor with the employees.

Some vacationers are in quarantine

So far, nothing has been heard of major corona outbreaks during or after the Mallorca vacation. 27 Germans are in a ten-day quarantine in a hotel near the airport, but not all of them are there because they tested positive – there are also close contacts and suspected cases in the hotel. The seven-day incidence on the island has been in the range of 25 to 30 for the last two months. Nevertheless, the vacation trips were an unreasonable risk, says Claudio Triay, spokesman for the medical union. The governments in Germany and Great Britain did not want any vacation trips, he recalls – but since only a few hotels are open, there have apparently been no negative consequences.

Mallorcans hope for more tourists

Most of the islanders see the Germans’ vacation trips rather positively. For them the guests were finally at least a first ray of hope, after half a year practically without any tourism. In the summer it should be even more if possible, at least that’s what Gabriel from Palma hopes. The island longs for tourists, he says, so that the economy can start up again: “We were very happy about the Germans – and we hope that they will come home healthy and tell us how nice it was.”

From Lucretia Gather, SWR “One two Three …!” The three-year-old Elian jumps again and again from the edge of the pool into his mother’s arms, turns a short lap in the water with his armbands and gets out again, ready for the next jump. His parents and a family friend rented a swimming school “Flip” in Meisenheim, Rhineland-Palatinate, and a whole indoor pool for themselves for two hours. “It’s really great,” says Elian’s mother Nina Köberlein-Bareiß, “not exactly cheap, but we’ll just take a break.” The water fun costs 75 euros per hour.

Pumps have to keep running

The swimming pool is operated by Stefan Nerbas, and in addition to the one in Meisenheim, he also runs a second one in Bad Kreuznach. Both are owned by the Kreuznach Diakonie Foundation. The pools have been empty for months, only water therapy for people with disabilities is still offered here from time to time. But the fixed costs remain. Nerbas calculates that the maintenance of a bathroom alone costs 10,000 euros per month. The water must be kept clean, the technology must continue to run. “I can’t just switch off the pumps,” says Nerbas.

By renting the swimming pool by the hour, pool operator Stefan Nerbas wants to pour some money into the empty cash register. Image: Lucretia Gather / SWR

Grant business swimming pool

According to the “Bäderatlas” published by the German Society for Bathing in Germany, there are around 9,000 swimming pools and public bathing areas. The majority of them, around 6,000, are run by municipalities. Sports economist Lutz Thieme from the Koblenz University of Applied Sciences is leading a federally funded research project that is collecting reliable data on pools in Germany for the first time. Almost every bathroom that is operated privately is dependent on municipal subsidies, according to the expert. “There are perhaps a handful of private investors in Germany who manage to operate a bathroom at break even,” says Thieme. Sooner or later, the high maintenance costs will bring every investor to their knees, and subsidies from cities or municipalities will be necessary. Thieme fears that the Corona crisis will further worsen the situation of bathroom operators in Germany. Because if the financial strength of the municipalities decreases, they are forced to make savings. Since the field of sport is not one of their compulsory tasks, the red pencil is often applied precisely there, says the sports economist. “And what’s most expensive in sports? The swimming pools.”

Many closings feared

Christian Mankel from the German Society for Bathing also predicts that many pools that are dependent on municipal subsidies could get into trouble. He fears that the direct and indirect consequences of the corona pandemic could lead to a large number of pool closures in the coming years. Mankel calls for an open perspective and would also like the municipalities to acknowledge that baths are an indispensable part of public services and that they are financed.

Many bankruptcies among sauna operators

Sauna operators are also suffering from the corona pandemic. The managing director of the German Sauna Association, Martin Niederstein, says: “We fear that a large number of the smaller, private sauna businesses will have to close permanently.” 45 percent of public sauna baths in Germany are run by the municipality, more than half are privately owned. The challenges in this sector are similar to those in the baths: Due to the personnel and energy-intensive cost structure, it is particularly difficult to run an economically successful sauna business without municipal subsidies. Well-known operators should have already closed due to insolvency. The second lockdown, which has lasted since November 2nd, falls in the middle of the main sauna season. Despite government economic aid, the financial reserves of many saunas have been exhausted. If they are allowed to reopen, it will be difficult to compensate for the loss of income in the summer. The bathing and sauna landscape in Germany will probably be thinned out after the Corona crisis. There are enough people willing to swim: The swimming pool rental in Meisenheim is well received. Operator Nerbas says he was surprised by the huge interest himself. “We put the call on the Internet and within 24 hours the whole of April was booked out.”

From Tina Wenzel, BR The HR department of the IT service provider Datev viewed around 18,000 applications last year. The Nuremberg-based company has hired more than 400 employees and more than 70 trainees. “We will have a continuous and high number of hires in 2020”, reports HR manager Michael Link. The company competes for the best minds in the industry and faces the challenge of integrating new employees well into the team in times of home office. “We invest a lot there, otherwise the drop-out rate would be high,” emphasizes Link.

IT and logistics industries are booming

The IT industry has not buckled in the Corona crisis. On the contrary: digitization has received a significant boost with the pandemic, says expert Enzo Weber from the Institute for Employment Research (IAB). Companies have switched to working from home, events are taking place digitally, and online trading has also grown significantly. The IT service provider Datev has also benefited from digitization and mobile working in the home office. In 2020, sales increased by 5.1 percent. The booming online trade, in turn, means that the logistics industry is still looking for workers – especially for parcel services.

Urgently wanted: Nurses

Systemically relevant professions such as food retailing and drug stores are also being hired. The health sector also needs more staff – and that on a permanent basis, because society is getting older and older. At the Nuremberg Clinic, the list of current vacancies is long – especially for nurses. They are also crucial when it comes to coping with the corona pandemic. The intensive care units are currently filling up again rapidly. In order to catch the first corona waves, the clinic has withdrawn staff from other areas and reduced capacities, reports HR director Peter Schuh. For example, some operations had to be postponed. Finding caregivers is not easy, however. Schuh has long been looking not only at the domestic job market, but also abroad. The clinic has been recruiting nurses from abroad for a year. There are already more than 80 employees. However, getting started was tedious. Due to the pandemic, language courses could not take place as planned. Nevertheless: “We are now seeing the first successes and have received positive feedback,” said Schuh.

Qualifications are crucial

The crisis shows that job seekers are ready to change industries. Studies by the IAB show that they have increasingly been satisfied with worse jobs under the pressure of the crisis. “This is something critical, because our job market should actually ensure that people get ahead and not that they lag behind,” said IAB researcher Weber. There is another development to keep an eye on: The pandemic ensures that the economy and the labor market change even faster, and that digitization advances even faster. “This poses clear challenges, especially for qualification policy,” emphasizes Weber. “The further development of qualifications is the decisive means to do justice to such a transformation process.” Otherwise people will be left behind in the labor market – in the worst case permanently.

By Thomas Pösl, BR Border controls and tough lockdowns in Europe: 2020 began with a burden for logistics groups. The drastic drop in consumption quickly spread to the forwarding, transport and logistics sector, said Frank Huster, General Manager of the Federal Association of Freight Forwarding and Logistics, DSLV. After the initial shock, however, things went up rapidly. Losses and slumps that companies experienced a year ago were more than overcompensated just a few months later, according to Huster. Example: the logistics company Dachser in the Allgäu. The Kempten-based company also went up economically in the second half of the year.

Dachser’s sales almost constant in the corona year

The Bavarian family company Dachser with 30,000 employees worldwide has adapted to the situation and has largely been able to avert economic damage. At the annual press conference – it is already the second that has to be held purely virtually – CEO Burkhard Eling now presented figures. According to Eling, sales fell by just under one percent to 5.6 billion euros. He is very satisfied with this: “It was a demanding and extraordinary year in every respect, which was shaped by the corona pandemic and its effects on the international supply chains.” Eling, who has been CEO of Dachser since this year, speaks of “overall positive indicators”.

Air and sea freight are the profit makers

In the corona year 2020, logisticians initially felt the pain of the production stops in industry. Because, among other things, the production lines at the car manufacturers were at a standstill, many trucks also stayed at the loading yards. According to Dachser, however, air and sea freight later turned out to be profitable. According to CEO Eling, the company was able to increase sales by 5.2 percent to 1.2 billion euros. Dachser also recorded an increase of almost two percent in the area of ​​food logistics. The annual turnover here is 982 million euros. The Allgäu family company does not provide any information on the profits.

Logistician facing “Herculean task”

The effects of Corona remain a constant burden for logisticians like Dachser. According to the Allgäu company, the signs point to growth. The Federal Association of Freight Forwarders also expects an increase this year compared to 2020, according to DSLV General Manager Huster. Because of the pandemic, a forecast is still difficult. According to Huster, the German logisticians have proven their efficiency in the pandemic. With the overcoming of the Corona crisis, the switch to alternative drives and a continuing shortage of skilled workers, the logistics industry now has three Herculean tasks to cope with at the same time. In the long term, investments should fuel sales. The Allgäu logistics company Dachser will also take money into their hands, it said. This year, 190 million euros are to flow into the areas of machine learning and artificial intelligence, among other things. For example, incoming goods shipments should be better predicted. In the end, that saves costs again.

Now it’s official: employers in Germany will have to offer their employees compulsory corona tests from next week if they are not working from home. That is what the federal cabinet decided. It is only about an obligation for companies to make an offer – there is no obligation to test for employees. The employers also do not have to document whether the employees have accepted the offer. Labor Minister Hubertus Heil said that he had already signed the ordinance and that it would come into force “next week”. Initially, it applies until the end of July. Usually the employer has to offer one test per week. Employees in professions with a high risk of infection should receive an offer twice a week.

Up to 30,000 euros fine

The health and safety authorities of the federal states should monitor compliance with the obligation – for example in response to a complaint from employees. Violations can result in a fine of up to 30,000 euros. Government spokesman Steffen Seibert called on employees to accept the offers. “The Federal Government appeals to employees to act responsibly and to accept the offers for testing that are made to them, although they are not obliged to do so.” The employers have to pay for the costs. Federal Finance Minister Olaf Scholz rejects a reimbursement by the state. “This is now a national effort and everyone has to participate,” said the SPD politician in Deutschlandfunk. “Companies that have a business that can continue their production are in a far better position than the companies that now really struggle every day with the fact that, for example, the restaurant is not opening, the hotel is not operating properly can be.”

“Effort not disproportionate”

Scholz also referred to the extensive economic aid in recent months. “Last year it was 80 billion. If you add the tax breaks, just under 190 billion, all together,” said the SPD candidate for chancellor. “That is why I believe that this mandatory test is a reasonable and necessary measure.” Minister of Labor Heil also defended the new requirements. “It’s an effort, but it’s not disproportionate,” said Heil im ARD morning magazine. The CDU Economic Council expects the tests to cost German companies more than seven billion euros a month. Some small and medium-sized businesses couldn’t afford the hassle. Companies that have been badly hit by the Corona crisis can count the expenses for the tests as a cost item for the bridging aid.

Business associations are storming

Nevertheless, the business associations are storming against the regulation. “Once again politicians are trying to shift their duties on to employers, not to mention the costs,” said the President of the Federal Association of Wholesale, Foreign Trade and Services (BGA), Anton Börner, to the newspapers of the Funke media group. Nine out of ten companies would already test their employees for the corona virus or will do so shortly. As a matter of principle, Börner only advocates event-related tests: “Fixed test intervals are unsuitable.” The German middle class announced that they would file a lawsuit against the agreed obligation to offer corona tests. “Medium-sized companies must and will defend themselves against this. As an association, we are currently preparing the necessary legal steps for this,” said Markus Jerger, Federal Managing Director of the Federal Association of Medium-Sized Business (BVMW) to the newspapers of the “Funke Mediengruppe”. “Corporate testing is a lesson in policy failure.” He accused the federal government of having failed all along the line when it came to testing and vaccination logistics. The craft also clearly opposed compulsory testing. “We still consider a statutory test obligation for our craft businesses to be neither necessary nor expedient,” said the President of the Central Association of German Crafts (ZDH), Hans Peter Wollseifer, of the Rheinische Post. He also criticized that the state wanted to “shift responsibility for fighting the pandemic to the economy”. Most companies are volunteering to test their employees or are preparing to do so immediately. A test obligation is “a legally unnecessary action”.

Still a long way off from a nationwide offer

In fact, only a third of companies currently offer their employees one test per week. Another 30 percent were aiming for this in the next four weeks, as the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) announced after a survey of 2000 companies from the end of March to the beginning of April. Minister of Labor Heil that is not enough. The offer must be comprehensive, he told him ARD morning magazine. At the moment the situation is very different depending on the industry and company size. As the IAB survey shows, the most tests are carried out in large companies. According to this, 60 percent of the companies with at least 250 employees offer their employees corona tests, a third of these companies planned to do so recently. As the size of the company decreases, the proportion of companies that already give their staff a test opportunity drops rapidly. According to the IAB survey, there are also clear differences between the sectors. Corona tests are most widespread in education, health and social services, where 58 percent of companies already offer corona tests and a further 22 percent were planning to do so. In the area of ​​transport and logistics, the test offer is only 17 percent.

Sufficient tests available?

Small companies in particular are wondering whether enough self-tests are now available at all. According to Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn, the deficiency that existed in March has been eliminated. On Friday he had assured that there were “more than enough of the tests”. The federal government has ordered over 130 million self-tests for the months of March and April from various manufacturers, above all Roche and Siemens. According to the ministry, there are also enough rapid tests for use by trained staff. For this year they have secured a quota of 550 million and, if necessary, a further 100 million pieces.