Tag: virus

Why you should always rinse your fruit and vegetables – even those from your own garden

Rinse your fruit and vegetables, advises the Norwegian Food Safety Authority: “You can treat melon similarly to raw meat”

Even clean-looking produce can carry bacteria, making proper washing essential for your safety, according to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority.

How do HIV medications work?

As long as HIV-positive individuals consistently take their medications, they are not infectious.

The silent revolution: Is the HIV epidemic over in Norway?

Recent HIV figures reveal a success story.

Long Covid does not cause lasting brain damage, study reveals

Young people with persistent post-infective symptoms from Covid-19 did just as well on tests as others.

Can Covid-19 lead to poorer memory? A study of over 100,000 individuals faces criticism

When participants assess their own memory, they may think it is worse than it is.

Is long Covid completely normal, a new disease, or mass hysteria?

OPINION: While some researchers explore blood and cells, others believe that long Covid is a psychological and social disease. We still lack answers.

Why do men get sicker from viruses than women? New study could help explain 'man flu'

Women appear to have fewer, but stronger, natural killer cells.

Common cold can make children immune to Covid-19

Children can develop immunity against Covid-19 after having fought off a particular type of cold virus. The ability to develop such immunity decreases with age.

Why do Russians trust Putin about Ukraine, but not the Covid-vaccine?

Putin may have succeeded in getting a good number of Russians to believe the story of Nazis in Ukraine and the West. But the Kremlin leadership never got control of the narrative about the coronavirus in Russia.

Covid spreads more easily in dry indoor air. Does that mean we should buy humidifiers?

One study finds that Covid spreads the least at 40 to 60 per cent humidity. Can a humidifier save your holiday party from becoming a spreading event?

Same amount of long Covid symptoms following Omicron and Delta variants

New research shows that those who have been infected by the Omicron variant of the Coronavirus report long Covid just as often as those who were infected with the Delta virus.

Only Norway and Denmark avoided increased mortality during the pandemic

The Covid-19 crisis led to a reduction in life expectancy that rich countries have not experienced since the war.

Long Covid: 46 per cent of Covid infected people in a Norwegian study report long-term effects

The study also finds that the symptoms can worsen over time.

This is how great the risk of infection from ticks is

Researchers find the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) in as few as 0.3 per cent of the ticks they examine. The Borrelia bacteria can be carried by up to 25 per cent of ticks.

COVID-19 triggered the most severe economic crisis ever in the Nordic countries – but also the shortest

Researchers have studied the success of the Nordic countries in their economic management of the crisis.

Norwegian researchers hope to be the first to figure out Omicron – collecting biological samples from infected people in their spare time

Established Norwegian covid-studies have allowed for a rapid in-depth Omicron study which is already well on the way.

Not a single person has been hospitalized after massive Oslo Christmas party Omicron outbreak

Most of the 145 infected people are now well again, says infection controller.

Europe's strictest rules for crossing the borders was not enough to stop the Delta virus

40 per cent of the Delta cases in Norway may have come from one single trip.

Making the shift to short-haul and queue-free tourism

The coronavirus has sent tourists flocking into nature.

The Internet fared surprisingly well during the pandemic

In many places the global lockdown led to a doubling or more of Internet traffic. Things went surprisingly well, a new Norwegian study shows.

Sky-high estimates were not high enough: Almost everybody says yes to the Covid vaccine in Norway

More than 90 per cent of Norwegians said yes to the offer of a Covid vaccine. This may give Norway the world's best vaccine coverage. But it also means delays in the vaccination programme.

Have we lost a generation of children during the Corona pandemic?

OPINION: I fear that we are neglecting the children most in need because of a Eurocentric focus on the Covid-19 pandemic.

What kind of side effects do people really get from the COVID-19 vaccine? Here’s how the Norwegian Medicines Agency is answering this question

“Lots of people are being given vaccines over a very short period, so it’s important to monitor them and follow what’s happening,” says Gunnar Fløan Rimul from the Norwegian Medicines Agency.

Norwegian expert committee:Country should not use AstraZeneca or the Johnson & Johnson vaccines

Norwegian expert commission: Country should not use AstraZeneca or the Johnson & Johnson vaccines

A Norwegian expert committee has recommended the government do not include adenoviral vector based vaccines in the national vaccination programme.

Norway continues the pause in vaccinations with AstraZeneca

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health recommended that the AstraZeneca vaccine be removed from the Norwegian vaccination programme - but the government wants to wait until we know more.

All Norwegians above 18 may be vaccinated against Covid-19 by September

Three new vaccines will need to be approved to make it happen.

Risk of running out of ventilators for COVID-19 patients in Norway significantly reduced

The risk that Norway might need more than 500 ventilators for corona patients has been reduced from 99,5 per cent to 5,5 per cent, according to the most recent calculations from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, NIPH.

Taxi drivers and health workers are among the most exposed to the coronavirus

Bartenders, waiters, drivers, nurses and dentists. People with occupations that require contact with customers and patients are more exposed to the coronavirus.

The spread of the coronavirus can almost be stopped in eight weeks, one research group says

The researchers have calculated that strict measures coordinated by the WHO in a number of global hot spots, could reduce the spread of the virus by 90 per cent in eight weeks. Other experts question whether the strategy can actually be implemented in real life.

The coronavirus spreads more in low temperatures

Reseachers at Nord University in Northern Norway have confirmed what other researchers have also found: The virus may spread more when the weather gets colder.

Does smoking protect against the coronavirus? Nordic researchers aim to answer this question.

Early studies from China pointed toward a mysterious tobacco paradox. Smoking or nicotine seemed to protect against infection, and at the same time make those infected more ill. Nordic researchers are now going to solve this mystery.

Smokers and people who are overweight should be among the first to get the COVID-19 vaccine, researchers believe

There is a strong and clear link between obesity and getting seriously ill from COVID-19. The same goes for smoking. A new Norwegian-British study confirms these links.

Norwegian COVID-19 patients: Physicians surprised by length of stay on ventilators

At the onset of the pandemic, Norway created a new coronavirus registry for patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Here’s what we know about them so far.

A Norwegian's discovery paved the way for the coronavirus tests we use today

But the Nobel Prize went to an American who figured out how the discovery could be used.

90 per cent of those who died with COVID-19 in Norway also had a chronic disease

More than half of them had cardiovascular diseases, according to preliminary numbers from the first three months of the pandemic.

Promising treatments for COVID-19 were reported early on. So why haven’t there been bigger breakthroughs?

The whole world is looking for solutions. But while vaccine researchers seem to be storming ahead, it’s been much more chaotic for researchers studying COVID-19 treatments.

Should you get the flu vaccine this year?

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health fears that vulnerable people may be affected by both influenza and COVID-19. They have ordered more than usual of this year's flu vaccine.

Norway has secured access to a COVID-19 vaccine. So what is it actually made of?

And what will it take for the vaccine from Oxford University and AstraZeneca to succeed?

Flawed experiment sends misleading message about corona-safe gyms

OPINION: Without the presence of coronavirus, the researchers’ hypothesis, that the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in training facilities with good hygiene and social distancing measures would be low, cannot be tested.

The story of when Norway ran out of coronavirus tests, and a university started a factory to make them

The Nanoparticles had been under development for several years. The bureaucracy was on speed. The researchers were given everything they needed. And then they started a factory.

This method identified the sickest coronavirus patients best

Emergency rooms use different ways to determine which coronavirus patients will need intensive care the most. One method more accurately predicted which patients would be hardest hit, according to a new study.

A range of different COVID-19 vaccines are already being tested in humans. But how will the vaccines actually work?

SHARE YOUR SCIENCE: At least 200 different vaccines against COVID-19 are under development and more than 20 candidates are being tested on healthy individuals. This gives hope that one or more will give protective immunity. But how are the vaccines designed and are there any obstacles?

Coronavirus and training in gyms: Misunderstandings about Randomized Training Trial

OPINION: Joar Vittersø has misunderstood the rationale, design and results of our randomized trial on re-opening of gyms in Norway, write the researchers behind a Norwegian study on the transmission of coronavirus in gyms.

Norwegian coronavirus “experiment” was misleading. People who train in gyms can infect each other with COVID-19.

OPINION: An undocumented message about it being safe to work out in gyms during the coronapandemic has been disseminated.

Chinese COVID-19 vaccine candidate gets USD $66 million in development funds

The Norwegian-led vaccine coalition called CEPI has contributed USD $66 million to ensure testing of a Chinese vaccine candidate. The agreement will ensure a fair distribution of the vaccine, if it is successful.

Immigrants and men with low incomes and low education levels more likely to die of COVID-19

Men with low incomes, low education and who have never been married are at increased risk of dying from COVID-19. Immigrants from low-income countries are similarly vulnerable, according to a Swedish study.

The coronavirus pandemic has taught us something important: Technocrats are no longer precautionary

OPINION: In present-day Sweden, an expert – state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell – is de facto head of state. Tegnell has based his strategy on model projections rather than testing and tracing, and the venture is proving a spectacular failure, writes Emil Flatø

Is it ok to publish racist representations if your intention was for it to be funny and cute?

OPINION: In the face of criticism far too many people tend to hide behind the “intention” of their words, writes senior researcher Edwin Schmitt. But does it matter that Norway’s national broadcaster didn’t intend for a children’s song to be racist against Chinese people, if in fact it is?

Norway’s coronavirus tracing app halted by Data Protection Authority – too invasive and not useful

“This reduces our ability to fight the spread of the virus that is happening now”, warns Camilla Stoltenberg, director of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

Public broadcaster's controversial coronavirus article spread disinformation to millions

The public broadcaster NRK corrected the original article and published a follow-up. Nonetheless, the contents of their controversial story about the origins of the coronavirus reached millions of people online.

Swedes' trust in their experts may be dropping, meanwhile, Norwegians do not want open borders to their neighbour

The Swedes had a great deal of confidence in their coronavirus experts at the start of the pandemic. This is about to change, a recent survey suggests.

The EU’s global response to Covid-19: The challenge of promoting ownership

An effective external response to Covid-19 by the EU must be rooted in the requirements and priorities of southern partners, argue Niels Keijzer and David Black.

Here’s how Norway’s public health institute will figure out what to do if the coronavirus flares up again

A new mathematical model used by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) is like a tiny laboratory inside a computer, says the head of the institute’s modelling group.

Face masks: Why do different countries in the world have such different recommendations?

Some of the answer to this question lies in the history of face masks and western prohibitions and unease related to the covering of faces in public.

Another brick in the wall: Covid-19 and the crisis of the liberal order

Covid-19 risks being another hit to the liberal world order, argues GLOBUS researcher Sonia Lucarelli.

Data on how Norwegians move around allow for a finetuned model of calculating the spread of coronavirus

But how accurate are these calculations, and what exactly can they be used for?

Can vitamin D protect you from COVID-19?

Several researchers believe we should recommend vitamin D supplements to fight the coronavirus. Some of the cited evidence, however, is produced by researchers sponsored by vitamin-D manufacturers, and one study appears in a predatory journal.

We will have pandemics every ten years, Norway’s Minister of Health told a national newspaper. Is that right?

We've taken a closer look at Minister of Health and Care Services Bent Høie’s assertion.

Norwegian-British cancer medicine to be tested on British COVID-19 patients

BerGenBio believes it is 80 per cent likely that their bemcentinib pill will help people who are sick with the coronavirus. The pill is now being tested on 120 British patients who have COVID-19.

Norway’s mortality rate during the coronavirus pandemic is probably lower than usual

So far this year — during the coronavirus pandemic — the number of deaths in Norway is probably below the mortality rate from the same weeks in previous years.

Norwegian evidence map may be one of the world's most systematic overviews of research on COVID-19

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health is compiling and categorizing global corona research in what will be one of the most complete resources on COVID-19 research in the world. The research map will soon also include quality assessments of the studies.

Multi-drug resistant bacteria: When the immune system during COVID-19 is attacked from two fronts

SHARE YOUR SCIENCE: Norwegian COVID-19 patients who get a secondary bacterial infection leading to pneumonia, are better equipped in their struggle against this than Italian patients. Are we doing enough to find new technology against multi-drug resistant bacteria?

Norwegian researchers want to make a universal vaccine covering all coronaviruses

It is possible to make a universal vaccine against the flu virus – one that would give broad protection against all the mutations this virus is famous for. Norwegian researchers are now exploring whether the same method can be used for the coronaviruses.

A Norwegian virus app to help stop the spread of COVID-19

Norway will soon launch an app that can notify people if they have been in contact with someone infected by the coronavirus. The app will also allow authorities to monitor the effect of other measures to stop the spread. One in four Norwegians are sceptical, but half of those surveyed said they will download the app.

Professor and immunologist: I don't want COVID-19

SHARE YOUR SCIENCE: Anne Spurkland, professor of moleculary immunology, has devoured available research on COVID-19. What she's found, has made her worried: “Give me a vaccine against this virus as soon as possible. “

Norwegian health minister: “We have control over the corona epidemic”

According to new numbers, every person infected by the coronavirus in Norway now infects 0,7 others. But this is not a time to ease up on the strict corona measures, warns the health minister.

Here’s how researchers will find out if Norway’s efforts to fight the corona virus work

Researchers are surveying what people do and who gets infected, but they won’t be able to say exactly how the coronavirus spreads.

Swedes trust their experts in the coronavirus crisis

Many Norwegians shake their heads in disbelief at their neighbour Sweden’s approach to the coronavirus. But Sweden’s population greatly supports the country's corona experts, a recent study suggests.

Quarantining Hungarian Democracy

The Covid-19 crisis is exploited by Viktor Orbán to consolidate power and undermine democracy. The increasingly authoritarian Prime Minister has used the pandemic to further authoritarian ends. Democratic backsliding in Hungary has for long been a cause of concern for the European Union.

Global Corona-study led from Norway: Life-saving drugs may be in place this summer

The first results from the large WHO-trial on the effects of existing drugs on Covid-19 could be only 3-4 months away, says John-Arne Røttingen, coordinator of the study.

Norwegians support corona measures – but do not trust that the social security system can handle the consequences

Only one in five trust that the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) can handle the consequences of the financial crisis that the virus has created.

A revolution in vaccine development – but will we all benefit?

OPINION: By manipulating the “instruction manuals” that control cell function in our bodies, we will soon be able to combat many diseases, including the new coronavirus outbreak. But in the worst-case scenario, such innovations will only benefit the rich.

Researchers to test giving blood from recovered coronavirus patients to the sick

Researchers at Ullevål University Hospital are reviving a 100-year-old method from the 1918 influenza pandemic.

Very low mortality rate from coronavirus in Norway compared to other countries

The mortality rate in Norway from Covid-19 is about 0.45 per cent. This is extremely low compared to other countries where the virus is widespread. Why?

Norwegian government: "The goal is to beat the coronavirus epidemic as much as possible"

The goal is to delay the spread of infection as much as possible, says Espen Rostrup Nakstad from the Norwegian Directorate of Health. Geir Bukholm from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health says the end point will likely be immunity in the Norwegian population.

Norwegian health official: "We don’t think it's possible to stop the COVID-19 epidemic"

Will the coronavirus disappear from Norway after weeks or months of social isolation? Not at all. In all likelihood, there will be more sick and infected people than ever. We have asked Geir Bukholm from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health about what the plan for Norway actually is.

Why the coronavirus vaccine will take months to make

Scientists all over the world are working to develop a vaccine against the coronavirus. Norway is playing a leadership role in this race. The first vaccine candidate is already being tested on people in a Phase 1 trial.

Norwegian financial crisis package may help stabilize the economy in the face of coronavirus shutdowns, says professor

The Norwegian government’s stringent measures against the coronavirus can affect house prices, wages and consumption. The situation could be just as serious for the Norwegian economy as the financial crisis in 2008 and the market crash after the peak in the 1990s, one economics professor says.