Spain spearheads drive to downgrade COVID-19 pandemic

Has the pandemic changed what tourists are looking for? In this edition we dive into the new trends and the impact of rising inflation, as well as how staff shortages could hamper the liftoff of the aviation sector. Plus we head to a theme park near Paris where attendance figures are booming after a rollercoaster two years.

The two pathogens that cause monkeypox and COVID-19 have a few things in common, but there are also many differences – especially when it comes to ease of transmission.

The COVID-19 variant Omicron BA.5 has the ability to reinfect people within weeks of contracting the virus, experts have warned. BA.5 is currently outpacing other variants in infection and is the dominant strain in the US and abroad. "What we are seeing is an increasing number of people who have been infected with BA.2 and then becoming infected after four weeks," Andrew Roberston, Chief Health Officer In Western Australia.

German hospitals are struggling as beds fill up and nursing staff falls ill with COVID. Even freshly trained health care workers complain about unsustainable levels of stress and worsening conditions.

The pandemic and a weak economic recovery have pushed back progress on closing the gender gap around the world. Saadia Zahidi, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum, says that issues including family care policies, an increasingly digital economy, and ongoing struggles in certain industries have all been setbacks for women. The WEF Global Gender Gap Report 2022 now projects it will take 132 years to reach gender parity.

United States of America's President, Joe Biden has tested positive for COVID-19. White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, disclosed in a statement, noting that the 79-year-old president is experiencing “very mild symptoms.” Biden is fully vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine

Despite the pandemic and a huge crisis in the aviation industry, Lufthansa has launched a new airline. Eurowings Discover flies to holiday destinations in Africa. Staff are paid less than at parent company Lufthansa, but are happy to have work after the pandemic.

New Zealand's borders are fully open for the first time since March 2020, when they shut in an effort to keep out Covid-19.

German leaders are debating how to deal with a potential increase in coronavirus infections once the colder months begin. But COVID plans are controversial. DW's Thomas Sparrow has the details.

The World Health Organization (WHO) found that roughly 10% to 20% of Europeans who recovered from COVID-19 suffered from long-term health effects such as fatigue, breathlessness and cognitive dysfunction.

US President Joe Biden's claim in a TV interview that "the pandemic is over" has triggered a sell-off, wiping over $10 billion off the market value of the main Covid-19 vaccine makers. Investors are worried about public apathy towards Covid and the resulting impact on demand for vaccines and boosters.

US President Joe Biden has declared the pandemic to be "over," but hundreds still die in the US daily. Patient advocates and researchers warn that public health and the economy are still at risk.