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Image: Ajit Solanki/AP/picture allianceImage: Ajit Solanki/AP/picture alliance

Coronavirus

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses found in animals and humans. Different strains cause illnesses of varying severity from the common cold to SARS to COVID-19.

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All Content on this topic

Medical worker in infectious disease protective clothing

Medical worker in infectious disease protective clothing

New COVID XEC variant: What you need to know

KP.3 was the "predominant" SARS-CoV-2 variant in the US. It has now joined with another variant and become XEC.

A demonstrator reacts in front of police officers during a protest against the government's coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions in Kassel, March, 20, 2021.

A demonstrator reacts in front of police officers during a protest against the government's coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions in Kassel, March, 20, 2021.

Germany grapples with divisive impact of COVID-19 pandemic

Masks, lockdowns and social distancing: Rarely has government policy polarized society as it did over COVID-19.

Michael Ballweg and lawyers in court

Michael Ballweg and lawyers in court

Fraud trial opens for prominent German coronavirus skeptic

Michael Ballweg, at the heart of the Querdenker group, is accused on thousands of counts of fraud.

Symbolbild Fitness zu Hause

Symbolbild Fitness zu Hause

How yoga can help with Long COVID

Chronic fatigue can be a long-term aftereffect of COVID-19. It's debilitating. Could yoga help?

Samples of Bavartian Nordic's mpox vaccine Imvanex

Samples of Bavartian Nordic's mpox vaccine Imvanex

Mpox outbreak: Are vaccine makers prepared?

Africa faces a shortage of mpox vaccines as a serious new mpox variant spreads on the continent.

An electron microscope image of Mpox virus particles

An electron microscope image of Mpox virus particles

Fact check: No link between mpox and COVID vaccination

Misinformation online links the current mpox outbreak to COVID-19 vaccines. What is the truth behind the claims?

A Berlin waitress is seen wearing a mask in May 2021

A Berlin waitress is seen wearing a mask in May 2021

A summer COVID surge – should we worry?

Experts are warning about a summer COVID surge. What does the latest data show, and should we take precautions?

Peace doves and peace signs can be seen on flags carried by protesters in Berlin

Peace doves and peace signs can be seen on flags carried by protesters in Berlin

Berlin: Thousands march in COVID-19 pandemic skeptic protest

Thousands march to reprise protests questioning government-imposed measures at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jens Spahn removing his FFP2 mask at a press conference in March 2021

Jens Spahn removing his FFP2 mask at a press conference in March 2021

COVID-19: German gov't suffers defeat in 'face mask scandal'

Germany tried to backtrack on a deal to pay high prices for masks, but a court has ruled it will have to foot the bill.

Ursula von der Leyen is seen thanking the European Commission

Ursula von der Leyen is seen thanking the European Commission

AfricaLink News: 18 July 2024

Von der Leyen reelected as EU head +++ US President Biden contracts COVID-19 +++ S. Africa: $1 billion loan for Transnet

President Joe Biden walks up the steps of Air Force One after he has tested positive for the coronavirus

President Joe Biden walks up the steps of Air Force One after he has tested positive for the coronavirus

Biden cancels campaign events after positive COVID test

The move comes just after he said he would drop out of the presidential race if a medical condition emerged.

A Chinese flag flaps in the wind in front of cargo containers on the dock of a Chinese port

A Chinese flag flaps in the wind in front of cargo containers on the dock of a Chinese port

Will China ever overtake the US economy?

China's ambition to be the world's largest economy has been dented by COVID-19, property woes and an aging population.

Prisoners sitting on the ledges of their cells

Prisoners sitting on the ledges of their cells

Turkey tops renewed spike in European incarceration rate

Europe's prison population rate is up for the second year in a row, marking what may be the end of a decade of decline.

DW Tomorrow Today Sendungslogo Composite

DW Tomorrow Today Sendungslogo Composite

Tomorrow Today – The Science Show

Early puberty due to COVID-19; vaccines for the next pandemic — bird flu; counting wildlife in German national parks.

Two hands holding a small heart-shaped cushion with a standard sex symbols in biology for male and female on either side, facing up

Two hands holding a small heart-shaped cushion with a standard sex symbols in biology for male and female on either side, facing up

Women often outlive men but in poorer health

There's been little progress in closing the gap between the sexes in 30 years, a study of 20 common diseases has found.

Stock image of a vaccine vial

Stock image of a vaccine vial

AstraZeneca withdraws COVID-19 vaccine, citing low demand

The company says the decision is due to commercial reasons and not related to any rare side effects it may have caused.

A robot works through medicine shelves at a pharmacy

A robot works through medicine shelves at a pharmacy

Can EU wean itself off essential drugs from China, India?

Public health in Europe is dependent on Asian supplies. As the EU attempts to reshore production, does this make sense?

A discarded mask on the lawn outside the Bundestag in Berlin

A discarded mask on the lawn outside the Bundestag in Berlin

COVID: Is Germany prepared for another pandemic?

WHO is negotiating the world's first global accord on pandemics. How well is Germany prepared to cope?

German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach

German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach

German minister kidnap plot: Sixth suspect charged

German prosecutors have said they have charged a 61-year-old man over a far-right plot to kidnap the health minister.

Berlin | Coronavirus | Demonstration

Berlin | Coronavirus | Demonstration

German Bundestag considers COVID-19 inquiry

Many German politicians and health experts are now calling for a review of the government's COVID-19 pandemic response.

Male doctor wearing a mask vaccinates a person at COVID-19 vaccination center in France

Male doctor wearing a mask vaccinates a person at COVID-19 vaccination center in France

Nocebo ― a placebo's evil twin

You've heard of the placebo effect. The nocebo effect is exact the opposite: it's when negative thinking makes you sick.

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro speaks before the UN in September, 2021

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro speaks before the UN in September, 2021

Brazil's Bolsonaro indicted over fake COVID certificate

Ex-President Bolsonaro is accused of tampering with a public health database to make it seem as if he was vaccinated.

A child in China gets swabbed for COVID-19

A child in China gets swabbed for COVID-19

COVID-19: Why we're looking for the pandemic's origin

We still don't know whether COVID originated in nature or leaked from a lab, but here's why finding out matters.

Slowakei Bratislava | Proteste gegen Strafrechtsreform

Slowakei Bratislava | Proteste gegen Strafrechtsreform

Focus on Europe - Spotlight on People

Slovakian painter Andrej Dúbravský is openly gay and a target of the country's culture minister.

Fokus Europa Zypern Katzen Covid

Fokus Europa Zypern Katzen Covid

Cyprus: feline coronavirus raises fears

In Cyprus, many cats have been infected with a deadly variant of feline coronavirus.

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Weekly roundup — Make yourself do things

Ever put something off — but don't know why? Also, if you have a tough time confronting rule breakers, listen in.

DW Podcast | Science Unscripted

DW Podcast | Science Unscripted

The German man who got 200+ COVID vaccinations

He was doing it (in part) to make money. And when doctors found out, they asked him to get jabbed a few times more.

A company sign outside of a Deutsche Pfandbriefbank office in Germany

A company sign outside of a Deutsche Pfandbriefbank office in Germany

Empty US offices cause headache for German bank

Deutsche Pfandbriefbank has embraced investments in US commercial property. What comes next?

A group of Russian tourists pose for a picture at Pyongyang International Airport, North Korea

A group of Russian tourists pose for a picture at Pyongyang International Airport, North Korea

Russians enter North Korea as first post-COVID tourists

It's the first foreign tour group to visit the reclusive state since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A worried Indian woman is seen indoors

A worried Indian woman is seen indoors

Why India's Gen Z and millennials feel more stressed

India's millennials and Gen Z report feeling much more stressed compared to older generations, a new study has found.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro removes his mask worn due to the COVID-19 pandemic to address a ceremony to sign a law that expands the federal government's ability to acquire vaccines

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro removes his mask worn due to the COVID-19 pandemic to address a ceremony to sign a law that expands the federal government's ability to acquire vaccines

Brazil: Probe shows Bolsonaro faked his COVID vaccine record

Although Bolsonaro publicly opposed the vaccine, records had shown that he received the COVID-19 shot.

General public in Spain wears masks to protect themselves from flu and viruses like the coronavirus

General public in Spain wears masks to protect themselves from flu and viruses like the coronavirus

WHO says 10,000 died from COVID-19 in December

The UN health agency said holiday gatherings and a new variant have fueled COVID cases globally.

A bottle of tablets containing hydroxychloroquine

A bottle of tablets containing hydroxychloroquine

Hydroxychloroquine: COVID 'cure' linked to 17,000 deaths

Amidst the panic of the first wave of COVID-19, existing drugs were repurposed as a treatment. Some ideas were fatal.

Rescue workers during the Kahramanmaras earthquake in Turkey

Rescue workers during the Kahramanmaras earthquake in Turkey

A look back at the happiest news stories of 2023

From rescues in Turkey to a resurgent rainforest in Uganda, DW takes a look at some of the year's positive stories.

Sign dangling on a door: "Streik! Praxis geschlossen!" (On Strike! Practice closed!)

Sign dangling on a door: "Streik! Praxis geschlossen!" (On Strike! Practice closed!)

German doctors on strike at the height of COVID, flu season

Doctors are protesting low earnings and stifling bureaucracy. But the Health Ministry has rejected their demands.

Corona test at an airport in China

Corona test at an airport in China

COVID-19 rates are rising again — what you need to know

People are getting infected with COVID subvariant JN.1, but you can protect yourself and others over the holiday season.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock with her Rwandan counterpart Vincent Biruta

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock with her Rwandan counterpart Vincent Biruta

Baerbock visits Rwanda as Africa's first mRNA factory opens

The German pharmaceutical company BioNTech is opening a vaccine factory in Rwanda.

Child in bed, coughing - next to teddy bear wearing a mask

Child in bed, coughing - next to teddy bear wearing a mask

COVID-19 makes wintertime comeback in Germany

Wastewater tests in Germany show that COVID-19 infections have reached the highest levels in over a year.

This screen grab from the UK COVID-19 Inquiry live stream shows Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak giving evidence at Dorland House, in London

This screen grab from the UK COVID-19 Inquiry live stream shows Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak giving evidence at Dorland House, in London

UK's Rishi Sunak questioned at COVID-19 inquiry

The British PM has been grilled about allegedly encouraging people to eat out at restaurants during the pandemic.

Boris Johnson arrived at the UK COVID inquiry hearing three hours early

Boris Johnson arrived at the UK COVID inquiry hearing three hours early

Boris Johnson apologizes to UK COVID victims

While the former UK prime minister admitted making mistakes, he defended his record during the height of the pandemic.

A sidewalk with a mask mandate sign in the German capital, Berlin

A sidewalk with a mask mandate sign in the German capital, Berlin

German accused of founding armed group to fight COVID rules

The man reportedly believed the rules were being used as a pretext to abolish basic rights.

Ampoules of the Nuvaxovid vaccine against Covid-19 by Novavax are stored in a fridge at the Tegel vaccination center

Ampoules of the Nuvaxovid vaccine against Covid-19 by Novavax are stored in a fridge at the Tegel vaccination center

Germany: Get COVID shots for Christmas, minister urges

Ahead of Christmas, the country is currently experiencing a wave of COVID-19 infections, and vaccination rates are low.

People sit in a crowded hospital waiting room in China

People sit in a crowded hospital waiting room in China

Is China muddling its response to cold and flu spike?

Images of full hospital waiting rooms and memories of China's response to COVID have caused concern.

Children and their parents wait at an outpatient area at a children hospital in Beijing on November 23, 2023

Children and their parents wait at an outpatient area at a children hospital in Beijing on November 23, 2023

China demands more fever clinics amid pneumonia surge

A sharp rise in respiratory illnesses, particularly among children, has sparked fears of a new virus from China.

Chinese tourists pose for a photo at Dresden's Kronentor in eastern Germany

Chinese tourists pose for a photo at Dresden's Kronentor in eastern Germany

Chinese tourists return with an eye on budget, safety

With incomes squeezed by China's weak economy, international travelers are cutting back on luxury goods and hotels.

A child has their temperature taken

A child has their temperature taken

China claims all clear on child respiratory disease

The WHO requested data and China delivered: It says a known virus is causing a spike in child lung infections.

Man wearing a face mask

Man wearing a face mask

Long COVID: prevalence vastly overestimated?

Scientists claim long COVID has been vastly overestimated, with figures inflated by studies with methodological flaw

German Finance Minister Christian Lindner talks with Defense Minister Boris Pistorius during the weekly cabinet meeting of the German government.

German Finance Minister Christian Lindner talks with Defense Minister Boris Pistorius during the weekly cabinet meeting of the German government.

German defense and finance ministers test positive for COVID

The upcoming appointments for Boris Pistorius and Christian Lindner have been canceled.

A protest in Berlin this May against the criminalization of the Last Generation climate activism group

A protest in Berlin this May against the criminalization of the Last Generation climate activism group

Is our society as divided as it seems?

There are many warnings about the risks of ever-deepening cultural rifts. But things may not be as bad as they seem.

Lab workers analyze coronavirus tests

Lab workers analyze coronavirus tests

COVID-19 variant BA.2.86 found in Germany

The highly mutated COVID-19 variant has recently been detected in countries like Denmark, the UK and the US.