They are proving to be almost as persistent as the coronavirus: false reports and misinformation in connection with the pandemic are circulating in large numbers on social networks. The state of Upper Austria is now trying to take action against this fake news with a new information campaign. In a series of videos, well-known medical professionals provide background information and explanations of rumors that are particularly preoccupying for people. An example: Christine Schatz, a specialist in gynecology, invalidates the rumor that the corona vaccination would make you sterile. “The vaccination does not make you sterile, neither men nor women, but it protects against infection and, in the event of pregnancy, the unborn child,” she says. The videos are to be continuously updated in the coming weeks. “People need reliable and secure information that they can trust,” says Deputy Governor Christine Haberlander (VP). The information is also made available in 13 foreign languages on the state’s website in cooperation with the state’s integration office. A look at the current infection numbers confirms that this information campaign comes at the right time.
1005 new corona infections
1005 new corona infections were registered in Austria in the last 24 hours (as of Friday 9:30 a.m.). That is the highest value in three months. The last time the number of new infections was on May 12th was four-digit (1194). The number of Covid patients in hospitals has also continued to rise. 205 patients currently have to be treated as inpatients, as many as last at the end of June. The number of Covid patients in intensive care units has meanwhile decreased slightly, from Thursday 51 to currently 48. There have been no deaths in the last 24 hours in connection with the virus. Eight people have died as a result of an infection since last Thursday. In total, the Covid 19 pandemic has claimed 10,753 deaths in Austria since the outbreak.
As of Friday there were 7717 active cases in Austria, 1815 more than exactly a week ago. The seven-day incidence nationwide rose from 38.1 to 55.6 cases per 100,000 population in one week. In Upper Austria, the authorities recorded 176 new infections yesterday. 66 of them are due to return travelers, mainly from Croatia, North Macedonia and Kosovo, it said.
