Observations from around the globe suggest that the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is much more infectious than its predecessor, Delta. But on the other hand, Omicron infections seem to cause milder disease: Hospital admissions and the number of deaths have increased only moderately compared to the huge rise in the number of cases.
Scientists from the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH), together with colleagues from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the university hospitals in Bonn and Aachen, have found a type of immune cells that is particularly active in severely ill COVID-19 patients. The CD16 positive T cells have an increased cytotoxic effect, especially…
The clinical phase II trial CATCOVID initiated by the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH) has cleared the final regulatory hurdles with the receipt of a positive ethics committee vote and with approval from the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), enrolling its first patient this week at University of Leipzig Medical…
The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has had us in its grip for almost two years. Scientists have accomplished a great deal during this time: They have decoded the virus’s genome, developed tests and vaccines, and investigated how the virus takes hold in the body and spreads from person to person. Yet despite all this knowledge, the end is still not in…
Although all the world has been focusing on vaccinations, infection rates and ICU occupancy levels, BIH scientists believe the real big wave is still coming: Long COVID. The patients who successfully survived COVID-19 but are still suffering from long-term effects will in all likelihood continue to present a challenge to the healthcare system for a…
Professor Sylvia Thun is a physician, engineer, and expert in IT healthcare standards. The Director of the Core Unit eHealth and Interoperability at the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH) has now been awarded a lifetime W3 Professorship in Digital Medicine and Interoperability. Her aim is to better connect data from healthcare and…
Children can also be infected with the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, but have a substantially lower risk for developing severe COVID-19 disease compared to adults. A team of scientists from the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH), Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, University of Leipzig Medical Center, and the German Cancer Research…
In May, homeDX was launched as the first virtual rapid test center in Berlin-Mitte. With the certificate of homeDX, which is equipped with the tamper-proof BärCODE, users got exclusive access to Berlin restaurants. Now the project is being extended to the whole of Berlin.
EBRAINS is a digital research infrastructure, created by the EU-funded Human Brain Project, that aims to digitally explore and decode the human brain. Now, after a highly competitive selection process, EBRAINS has been included in the 2021 Roadmap of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI), laying the foundation for…
