News in February that moves us: There is no compulsory testing in care facilities and hospitals +++ Maternal mortality is still very high worldwide +++ Only a limited mask requirement +++ Earthquakes cause houses to collapse
The most important news in the BRIGITTE ticker
What moves the world? What moves the BRIGITTE editors? In this ticker we summarize the most important news in February for you.
February 27, 2023
These corona measures are falling earlier than expected
The pandemic wave continues to weaken. The federal government has therefore decided to suspend further corona protection measures as of March 1st. Almost all remaining test and mask requirements are to be phased out – this also applies to employees and residents of health and care facilities. Only visitors to practices, hospitals and nursing homes must continue to wear a mask.
Originally, the corona protection measures were supposed to apply until April 7, 2023. In view of the situation, which has been stable for weeks, further regulations can now be dropped prematurely. However, the domiciliary rights of the affected medical and nursing facilities remain unaffected by the decision of the federal government. This means that the facilities can decide for themselves which protective measures they consider necessary.
February 24, 2023
Every 2 minutes a mother dies during pregnancy
According to the UN, every two minutes a mother dies during pregnancy or childbirth. The high number is alarming, according to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO) published on Thursday. This report was commissioned by UN agencies such as the children’s charity Unicef. The report shows maternal mortality from 2000 to 2020.
According to the data, there were positive developments between 2000 and 2015, but after that there was more of a standstill. In some parts of the world, the positive development even reversed. In 2020, there were an estimated 287,000 deaths worldwide. There is therefore only a slight decrease compared to 2016 with 309,000 deaths. The situation in poorer regions and countries with conflicts was particularly dramatic, the report said. 70 percent of the deaths occurred in sub-Saharan Africa alone.
The most common causes of death are heavy bleeding, high blood pressure, infections, complications of abortions and underlying diseases such as HIV/AIDS and malaria. Most of these deaths would be largely preventable if expectant mothers had access to medical care. The UN is now focusing on reducing maternal mortality as one of the development goals. By 2030, it is to be reduced from 339 deceased mothers per 100,000 live births to 70. In 2020 the number was still 223. In Germany, according to the Federal Institute for Population Research, the number was less than four deceased mothers per 100,000 live births.
February 15, 2023
Earlier than expected – further corona measures are taken
The health ministers are canceling further corona protection requirements much earlier than planned. Almost all measures will fall on March 1st instead of April 7th. Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach announced that only visitors to the doctor, hospital and nursing home would still be required to wear a mask. “The protection of vulnerable groups should be worth it to us,” says Lauterbach. For employees and residents in health and care facilities, on the other hand, the mask and test obligation no longer applies.
But the last regulations for visitors will also expire on April 7th, the minister said at a press conference. A continuation is no longer planned. Justice Minister Marco Buschmann welcomes the decisions as “a further step towards normality”. Lauterbach justifies the premature step with “the stable infection situation”. The 7-day incidence is currently stagnating. The hospitals are not overloaded. According to Lauterbach, the pandemic is not over yet, but it has lost its terror and can be managed in everyday life.
February 8, 2023
Major earthquakes in Turkey and Syria
They kept finding survivors under the rubble. The death toll from the severe earthquakes in Turkey and Syria has now risen to more than 8,700. More than 40,000 people are injured. Rescue teams from all over the world provide on-site support.
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit the Turkish-Syrian border region on Monday morning. According to the GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam, the epicenter of the earthquake was in the Turkish province of Kahramanmaras. Numerous aftershocks shook the countries. Here you can help.
February 6, 2023
This is the age of the oldest dog in the world
Dogs are part of the family. The farewell when the little fur noses have reached the end of their lives is correspondingly painful. On average, dogs live up to 15 years – some longer, some less. However, a four-legged friend does not seem to think much of these average values. Bobi is at home in sunny Argentina and has been since 1992. In May, the thoroughbred Rafeiro do Alentejo will be 31 years old.
This broke a record that was more than 100 years old. The oldest dog to date died in 1939 at the age of 29 years and five months. At the time of the entry in the Guinness Book of World Records, Bobi was 30 years and 269 days old. Its owners attribute its longevity to a number of factors. Among them, living in a quiet countryside is said to have contributed to his old age, as well as the fact that he was never chained or held on a leash. In addition to this, he has always been given “human food”.
Nevertheless, age has of course left its mark on Bobi. He still likes to go for a walk, but he’s not as active as he used to be, his fur is thinning and his eyesight is also declining. He needs lots of rest and sleep.
February 2, 2023
BSE and bird flu – new cases and mutations
A cow suffering from mad cow disease was discovered on a Dutch farm. The Ministry of Agriculture informed the Parliament in The Hague. When the carcass was checked, the disease BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) was found. The affected yard was cordoned off – neither manure, meat nor animals are currently allowed to leave the yard. The control authorities now want to track down the calves of the infected animal – which unfortunately have to be killed. The same applies to the animals that have been given the same food.
The BSE variant that has now been discovered is the atypical one. This can appear spontaneously in old animals, the ministry said. The last time there was such a case was in the Netherlands in 2011. BSE is an animal disease commonly known as mad cow disease. It is a brain disease.
In addition to another case of BSE, the avian influenza H5N1 is rampant among wild birds – zoos and farms in central Germany are also increasingly affected. In the Börde district, 20,000 animals had to die in a turkey breeding facility. Half of them were killed for security reasons. The pathogen had previously also been detected in birds in the zoo in Bad Kösen and in the mountain zoo in Halle.
Although there had previously been isolated transmissions of bird flu to humans, most of them were mild. Human-to-human transmission is not known to date. However, scientists are now particularly concerned about the outbreak of avian influenza on a Spanish mink farm. Some mink became infected in wild birds last year. The virus spread quickly. In the end, 52,000 animals had to be culled for safety reasons.
During the investigations it turned out that it was already a gene mutation of the H5H1 virus. This probably caused the widespread distribution among the animals. Researchers now fear that the previous genetic barrier to animal-to-human and then human-to-human transmission could be broken. It is feared that mink could become an intermediate host for H5N1 influenza, allowing transmission between birds, mammals and humans.
February 1, 2023
Masks are not compulsory in other federal states
In Hamburg and North Rhine-Westphalia, the obligation to wear a mask in local transport ends. From February 2nd, this will also apply to long-distance transport. With the easing, the federal states are returning to some normality after almost three years of the pandemic. Thuringia will follow on February 3rd as the last federal state to eliminate the obligation to wear a mask in public transport.
“The corona protective measures that have been in effect since October have been successful. Because of these protective measures, the pandemic has so far been within a controlled framework in autumn and winter. The health system and critical infrastructure have not been overloaded,” says a statement by the federal government. According to the federal government, the step to suspend the mask requirement in long-distance public transport was “carefully considered”.
However, the federal corona rules still apply until April 7th. After that, the mask requirement for patients and visitors in medical practices will be lifted. In Bavaria, employees in medical practices and other outpatient medical facilities were already allowed to take off their masks on Wednesday. The reason for the earlier easing is the more relaxed situation, as there was no dangerous winter wave and such a risk is no longer feared.
The obligation to isolate will be lifted in other parts of Germany
With the start of February, the five-day isolation requirement for corona infected people in North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Hamburg, Saxony, Bremen and Saxony-Anhalt will fall. It had already been abolished in Hesse and Saarland. Thuringia and Saxony want to follow suit in the coming days. In Berlin, Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, there is still a five-day isolation requirement. CDU politician Karl-Josef Laumann emphasized that the principle of personal responsibility and consideration for other people is now all the more important. He made it clear that sick people should stay at home.
Even more news
That was the news in January 2023.
Sources used: bundesregierung.de, tagesschau.de, deutschlandfunk.de, mdr.de, spiegel.de, instagram.com, zeit.de