the only variant is putting health care systems around the world to the test. vaccination campaigns are accelerating, while restrictions are intensifying once again. but or these measures enough to stop the spread of omicron, fax data and reports coven 19 special. next on d w. we got some hot tips for your bucket list. ah romantic corner chat hot spot for foody chatting and some great cultural memorials to mood d. w. travel off we go. oh, welcome to the coven 19 special. around the world, more and more people are becoming infected with coven. 19 the new omicron variant

is extremely contagious. vaccinated people are also contracting it, though their cases are usually much milder. what treatments are available? which medications can help? we talk to medical professionals in germany. and we had to uganda where traditional remedies are also being used to fight the corona virus. plus, is vaccinations the way out of the pandemic? or could new antiviral drugs be the long awaited game changers? sch, ah, but 1st we had to poland with one of europe slows vaccination rates at just 55 percent. the o micron wave is especially worrying cracow, poland 2nd largest city after warsaw is alive. the university city here to doctors are concerned about rising infection rates and are preparing for many people to

fall seriously ill and ventilators fighting for their lives. none of the 20 people on this coven, 19 ward at krakow university hospital, a vaccinated greg or she was just been admitted to. the ward says he was scared, the vaccine would effect another medical condition. he has rather than have a junior shipper got one of them which convict until now i didn't know how to vaccine would affect me. but anyway, i'm not an anti vac sir, and avoid because the question is now for my doctor how long after leaving the hospital can i be vaccinated? kid, they don't want him of research. right now. the case load here is manageable, but they're bracing as infection numbers in poland surge and my frustrated that people are not getting vaccinated. frustration is a difficult turn to to define. i just wish people trusted or medical experts more

weak and weary. the staff try to get the patients moving again. up to half of the patience on this road will end up needing intensive care support. it's so frequent that the staff here at crackles university hospital has set up special pathways that go underground straight from this ward to the i see you doctors, here's a currently around a 5th of the people admitted with cove. it don't make it out of the hospital when i remember our 1st wave, we hat most sleep, very other people and a lot of them, in fact, died at to day. age of patients is different. we have patients who are 4050 years old. there's an ongoing discussion in poland about whether the reluctance to be vaccinated comes from longstanding, lack of confidence in public institutions, a hangover from the communist era, or whether the government's information campaign around the jobs was insufficient.

only 56.5 percent of polls are vaccinated with 2 doses. and it wasn't hard to find people on the streets of krakow, who hadn't had it back to shark, whatever vaccinated people also get the glamorous candor spreading the virus to left and carrying and suffering at the place where i was working. everyone who was vaccinated got severely ill, me, i wasn't vaccinated, and i never got sick. my in your kind of arm needs, give him so. so, so, so for that, i don't know what to say about vaccines because i'm not vaccinated. are you there something new in the world and i don't know what the side effects might be, even like your victim balsamic. oh my gosh. i love the golf. the steel production company, arsenal, metal, poland is offering. it's 10000 employees. a bonus of just over 400 euros. if they prove they're fully vaccinated, they say it's getting results. the response has, has been overwhelming because the program was only introduced on the 21st of

december last year. and in the 1st 3 weeks, we received as many as 4 and a half 1000 applications. so it means that 4 and a half 1000 of our employees have been vaccinated. while private initiatives like that might have a local effect. increasing vaccination rates needs a nationwide effort. poland has passed the unwelcome milestone of a $100000.00 coven deaths, and with the low vaccine take up. and with the 5th wave looming, hospitals like this 11, the number of deaths will spike again. ah, the pandemic is fostered a growing public interest in science and research. our reporters have been interviewing specialists to gain insight from bare expertise on the corona virus. this time christina christner is talking to marilyn otto, head of infectious diseases at the university medical center hamburg ethanol. we want to know which records have been effective in treating covered 19 and when

they're used pop up with our under soon as i'm it in spreading, professor otto great to speak with each other vendor mit on our show. we look into treating cove at 19 cases. the above you are a researcher of infectious disease but also treat patients or clinic as it's an if marsan festival, a general question you built and how do you treat covert patients admitted to the hospital that but in the clinic as burnett. christina, act one and the various factors play a role here. it is wide spectrum of patients who have gotten cells covey to. and of course, the treatment depends on the severity of the illness. i think it's has been unique and there are those that come to the emergency room with a runny nose off to having contact with someone who has the corona virus, but otherwise have no symptoms there since they sent back home to recover from what's otherwise just a cold, coolie attack than a kid who globules a lot depends on the patient, not. and if someone has riskless accesible severe illness and needs to be

hospitalized, then they would be admitted as an impatient often. um yeah, the treatment options range from supportive therapy such as reducing a fever and increasing fluid intake depending on how the patient feels. what are the example? oxygen is required, then other measures may be necessary, have been to allow us to purchase any cuz they're gonna be covered with the can. treatments. are antiviral medications to fight the virus itself. and medic amazing yost and anti inflammatory drugs, which are sometimes helpful in the later stages of the disease. if there's an inflammatory reaction. an exam continuously on becoming so, the treatment depends on the patient and the regular severity of the illness each where and where they are in the cause of the disease. so are they in the early phase or has the progress either? there are many possibilities, like it's such an america the, i'm the how, with modes of treatment developed over the course of the pandemic and,

and what's been learned from the outcomes were planned and all yet isiah. and in the ange, it's been an interesting process learning by doing for player 2 years ago. at the start of the pandemic, we didn't have any medications available because none had been specifically developed for it. or maybe we trial drugs with an anti viral effect used to treat other diseases. also an anti parasitic seattle group. we're talking about hydroxy chloride quinn, ivr, make turn, all rimmed as of air vizier. on had them lens studies were conducted and showed that some of these drugs were of no or only marginal benefit demand and but now drugs have been developed monoclonal antibodies which fight the virus and can be given early on. secret. largest studies have been carried out and shown that dexamethasone has a very good anti inflammatory effect. and with that wound. so we already have a more extensive range of treatment options compared to what was available at the beginning of the pandemic. when cache treatments differ based on whether someone's

vaccinated or not, no heater. natasha i, there is no single answer with me. now. a cox feel it all depends on the individual patient and the severity of the illness soon. i plan with high risk patients, other therapy options would be discussed with i'm not about you. the only point of differentiation is the administering of monoclonal antibodies. what happens if someone is fully vaccinated with good antibody levels of antibody treatment? wouldn't be considered. yeah, i know, i don't even, but for those with risk factors, while a severe illness is like cancer page since who haven't developed any immunity, then when administered early monoclonal antibodies are a very good option of guns would segregating my roof. wendell soon. it is now that we also know that the effectiveness of the vaccine differs depending on the virus variant. mahony is the particular variance also affect to as to which medications

and treatments are used. hold on. good. yeah, good. yes, the antiviral drugs and monoclonal antibodies don't work for a variance and what was wrong? for example, they are anti bodies that work well against delta, but not against all micron and vice versa. proper teeth must be getting data would work and i'm a so it certainly a factor of the cat at a doubt because one, i know now i know studio according to a study from the university hospital. what you, what as if there were indications that even a moderate case of cove it leaps, traces on organs and organ. and could you elaborate consensus? canola norton? and this is and guess i'm the story of the house in house and home. it's a very interesting study led by our cardiology center of, of the 400 people who were mildly or moderately ill. he used to be lighter and truly them. in a 7 hour examination, the study team looked closely at effects that may not be clinically apparent,

but are still detectable at winters who were also converse. i'm come, reflect hugely, upon instant armor. they limited the kidneys, heart, lungs, and veins. so the leg, when divine views about 9 months after a corona virus infection that they observed and measured slight reductions in the organs functioning goal and contraband, had shown that in oregon. like i mentioned, this needs to serve as a warning against the attitude. oh, let's just catches and tightened our food if it needs to be taken seriously. and patient should continue to be monitored after they've recovered or, and of beginner pilots in math or the not my address. but like i have to point out that these findings should not alarm people in that 9 months and the differences could still be detected the but this will still be the case in the long term must be investigated further, not by count as well,

that overall whistle in the early days of this whole pandemic that anson, i was and, but just as undoubtedly an important indication that the heart, lungs and kidneys can be affected in griffin, couldn't was nicholas man nicotine conquer. this is the of the good news is we didn't observe any nearer cognitive problems in the study groups, cotton backups, kind of figure. professor, professor ardo, thank you very much for taking the time to talk to us. it. my pleasure. greetings. from hamburg homework in uganda. only 13 percent of the population is fully vaccinated and there is a supply shortage to contain the spread of the corona virus. the government enforced one of the strictest locked downs in the world. the public health care system is still overwhelmed. this has caused many people to turn to traditional medicinal plants and healing methods.

it's medicine time for you gunned an engineer hennington to buddha. dr. suspect that he's suffering side effects of the coven 19 treatment he received in the hospital. oh, looks doable. fuller, club, turret, gunner, and i'd go sauntered. guttenberg, fluoxetine vetted turtle experience. they put on me like 7 i, viz. on, on. this one was good to known, we're adding another on the i do your mom on for buddha is now using earth to treat persistent abdominal discomfort. he says they also help to boost his immune system. in general, gunter, it amusing a but a stroll. marla, u. e. the synchronous of medicine album, up medicine and in form of capsules. but it's during the grip there more than 6 out

of 10 ugandans use herbal remedies before seeking conventional medicine. and when coven 19 broke out, many took the herbal option. dizzy nabarra easy has been steaming with local herbs, usually used to treat the common cold. she thinks it could also help against cov, it even whenever i had a cold or cough, i would steam and it totally relieved my nasal congestion that you will see. my entire body would feel revitalized. now, when emmanuel twice a year tested positive for coven 19 a doctor prescribed him medicine. he finished the course, but still felt on well, a friend recommended a ugandan herbal remedy called covey decks. a 1st year it was trained with the venture was recommended by a colleague who had also use the attendant knowing that he got to where i had done the tick and or the as i said,

the treatments of covered by that. so i thought had to become a problem and i had to use that drops as it was prescribed, and it was perfectly because after my prescribe the dosage, i was actually fine. so codecs is made, but you got the scientists, dr. patrick oblong. the researcher claimed that his herbal solution has cured more than 300 people. but the drug regulator has cautioned the university professor against claims of curing coven 19. we have approved a remedies for symptomatic really for such symptoms, noted, symptomatic release. we haven't approved them for that sort of treatment and curative codecs is sold in drug stores as a remedy for cold or flu symptoms, including those of coven. 19 uganda is now funding its development. when to have a documented or a study that will be a clinical trial to show that this remedy actually apart from providing the you

know, the supportive relief doctor has the therapy ticker claims and what is picked up from the clinical trials. you have fissions occurring, audit fires in a controlled, a controlled environment. oh need to know that if you're carrying on a particular remedy in with, in a controlled are condition. i know what the person is ticking. i know what i expect to be or to be observed 7 out of 10, ugandan self medicate, the national drug authority. the countries regulator of health care products says that the pandemic has made it worse. it says there have been accidents resulting from improper self medication. we've had, this is here where people of course use academies. we've had people die for,

for kit wyatt, of steaming a, in an a con, toward mana, so it, it, it, can it kind of go the other way. some of the world's most common conventional medicines derive from traditional remedies scientific investigation, could prove whether or not there's real healing power in the ugandan herbal remedies. good. and perhaps the world could benefit from this traditional knowledge during the corona virus pandemic. since the beginning of the pandemic, our d. w. science correspondent derek williams has been keeping up with the latest research from the fields of science and medicine in a search for answers. if you have a question for him,

do write to us with this week been? art asks if i get covered 19, which treatments are available? pharmaceutical treatments for coven 19 can be roughly broken down into 2 categories . and the 1st is therapies for people with severe disease. now, early in the pandemic, medical authorities desperately searched for ways to keep late stage patients with serious illness from dying. i want, sorry, covey to settled into the lungs. it can cause the body's immune response to, to, to spiral out of control and start doing more harm than good. when that happens,

the experts say people are basically killed by their own hyper active immune system . so, hospitalized patients with severe disease are given anti inflammatories to help combat immune response down. the most widely used of these is a steroid called dexamethasone covey. patients with severe cases also often receive non pharmaceutical treatments that include, for instance, supplemental oxygen. the 2nd category of treatment includes drugs that are meant to be given at earlier stages of the disease, to help keep it from getting any worse. those treatments include what are known as a monoclonal antibodies, often called mabe's. now, the body learns to make its own protective anti bodies during an infection,

and it's their job to identify a virus very selectively based on specific viral surface proteins then oh man and doc on which neutralizes the virus or, or flags it up for destruction by other cells in the immune system, the problem is, learning to recognize a pathogen takes time for the body and for some patients, the lesson is just learned too late. um, mabe's are artificial antibodies made in bio reactors, so outside of the body. but they can help it fight often. infection at an earlier stage of the disease of several different types have been approved for emergency use in a number of countries. but, but mab's are expensive to manufacture and they can be fooled by variance to monoclonal antibodies used against earlier variance of sars covey to for instance,

appear to not really work against our micron. then there are antivirals which to have a real, a fact also have to be given soon after symptoms appear. now, antivirals interfere with viral replication, which lowers viral load, that basically gives your immune system time to catch up on the best known cove. it antiviral is called rem desert here, which has been used to treat patients really since the early days of the pandemic. um, but it's effectiveness is also hotly debated and, and it has a big drawback, which is that it has to be administered intravenously. so in a medical setting, in the last few months though, a couple of antivirals that can be taken in pill form. so at home, they've proven quite promising. experts now hope that the new medications impacts

love it and mull new pure of year. that there'll be powerful new weapons in to fight against coven 19. across the world, hospital workers have been pushed to the edge with the latest omicron waived, infections in germany are expected to peak in mid february. however, if 2 new antiviral drugs deliver what they promise, it will alleviate a lot of pressure. d w's pip. stevens visited a german hospital to find out why they're so important. jordan, i'm in much better research. this is dr. david young. he's a respiratory specialists who's been particularly in demand during the corona virus pandemic. for nearly 2 years, he's been looking after patients in the cove at ward at battle hospital in berlin. the situation last couple of weeks has been challenging as the numbers of infected

people have been rising so much, especially in by then and staff from around. there's also a problem because we've been going through wave after wave and always been hoping that the last way, if we're to finland, os version of a was ah, but at the moment to a coping. healthcare systems under pressure are a familiar tale in the pandemic. but doctors in germany are about to gain access to, to drugs that could help significantly lighten the burden. one of them and antiviral called packs livid was found in clinical trials to reduce hospitalizations and deaths by 89 percent. that's compared to a placebo. the other called mono peer over reduced hospitalizations and deaths by 30 percent in trials. that's also compared to a placebo. if the facts, all the new jobs um are as pronounced as has been reported. and that could help us tremendously to reduce the load on the hospitals in the whole

country and potentially the whole world. and that's because the drugs reduce the viral load in the patient's body and with it the number of serious cases. typically, the virus spreads rapidly in human cells as seen here. the new medicines inhibit an enzyme in the virus and halt. replication packs live, it was developed by farmer giant pfizer, which is also behind one of the main cov vaccines. both drugs can be taken in pill form. they're aimed at patients with a high risk of hospitalization and should be given within 5 days of experiencing initial symptoms in germany. prescriptions will be issued right after a patient receives a positive test result doctors in the u. s. the u. k. and now also in the e, you have been given the all clear to prescribe packs livid germany's

doctors are about to receive their 1st shipments. these kinds of drugs could help to get the problems wrought by the pandemic under control. with all these patients who probably vaccinated the number of patients who succumb is low anyway. however, the critical infrastructure, the hospital has a problem is to many patients come to distribute disease and therefore it's the right drug to the right point of time. the fact that the new anti virus come and pill form makes them an attractive alternative to the anti viral currently an offer in germany, ram desert rather than to be actually in, on the chrome has good pick a c. but it's some high v drug needs to be given, although couple of days saw finally if you wouldn't talk when they lived,

we would bring in patients for ib drug treatment to avoid hospitalization. the bus is logistic nonsense. so drugs keep patients out of the hospital that don't have to be administered in the hospital could prove to be pretty revolutionary. preventing breakdowns and overloaded health care systems is perhaps the most important goal of politicians across the world. some say it's perhaps the most critical milestone on the path to covet, becoming an endemic rather than a pandemic disease. oh, oh.

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