(2020-03-22). For America's Urgent Health and Safety, Trump Needs to Resign! commondreams.org U.S. President Donald Trump speaks about the coronavirus response while flanked by Vice President Mike Pence during a briefing with health insurers at the White House on March 10, 2020. (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-03-22). 5 Key Demands: U.S. Foreign Policy in the Face of the Coronavirus. commondreams.org The coronavirus outbreak must be defeated in a way that moves us forward. (Image: CDC) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-03-21). Total death toll from Covid-19 jumps to 233 in UK as dozens of new fatalities confirmed. rt.com 
Health officials in the UK have confirmed 53 new Covid-19 related deaths in England. The increase brings the UK's death toll to 233, and comes as the government races to equip its health system against the illness. | The increase in deaths — the largest in a single day since the deadly virus reached British shores last month — came as the British government scrambled to prepare hospital beds for critical patients. | The National Health Service struck a deal with private hospitals on Saturday that will see 20,000 healthcare staff join the health service's response to the pandemic, which has infected n…
(2020-03-21). Italy coronavirus death toll hits 4,825 as 793 die in ONE DAY in biggest daily increase. rt.com 
The death toll from the Covid-19 illness in Italy has nearly reached 5,000, as health authorities reported on Saturday that another 793 people have fallen victim to the coronavirus. | Saturday's staggering increase of nearly 20 percent is by far the largest daily rise since the outbreak began a month ago. | Officials announced that 4,825 people have died from the disease in the Mediterranean nation, which surpassed China to become the worst-hit country in the world on Thursday. | The total number of cases across Italy rose to 53,578, an increase of over 5,000 from a previous tally of 47,021. | The worst-affect…
(2020-03-21). Cristiano Ronaldo's mother speaks of 'difficult days' as she posts emotional message upon release from hospital. rt.com 
Maria Dolores, mother of Juventus star Cristinao Ronaldo, had been in hospital since a March 3 stroke and has issued an emotional message on social media after being given a clean bill of health by Portuguese doctors. | The 65-year-old was discharged from a medical facility on Saturday after suffering from a ischemic stroke, a condition caused by a clot blocking a blood vessel to the brain. | Her superstar son had flown to the hospital in Madeira soon after hearing the news, where he has stayed during the coronavirus outbreak which has ravaged Italy, and was seen wearing protective clothing, such as masks and…
(2020-03-21). Russia delivers over 100,000 Covid-19 test kits to 13 states, including Iran, North Korea. rt.com 
The testing tools for coronavirus were delivered to 13 countries, including Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) member states Iran and North Korea, Russia's public health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said on Saturday. | The equipment manufactured in Russia can conduct over 100,000 tests for Covid-19, and has already been used to track down the first cases of the disease in Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. Moscow is due to ship the equipment to Serbia, as well as to Egypt and Venezuela. | Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said earlier this week that Russia has no shortage of testing kits. A government…
(2020-03-21). Wake-up call for India? Social media split after police press charges against Covid-19-carrying Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor. rt.com 
Indian police have charged Bollywood star Kanika Kapoor, who has tested positive for coronavirus, with endangering public health by attending parties. Her case has sparked fierce debate in India as the virus continues to spread. | Kapoor has been accused of participating in malignant acts that could pose a danger to the public. The Bollywood star, who recently returned from a trip to London, attended a party last week with a guest list of parliamentarians and other VIPs. On Friday, it was revealed that she had tested positive for Covid-19, causing panic that Indian celebrities with whom she came into contact c…
(2020-03-21). Little Rock Air Force Base declares EMERGENCY after US airman tests positive for Covid-19. rt.com 
The Little Rock Air Force Base (AFB) in Arkansas has declared a month-long public health emergency after an airman stationed there was confirmed to carry the coronavirus, contracted during recent travel overseas. | The airman, who has not been named, is the first to test positive at the base, the Air Force said in a statement on Friday, noting that the 30-day emergency order will allow the facility's commander to take special containment measures to limit further spread of the disease. | "Right now we have one confirmed case of Covid-19 on our installation," said Colonel John Schutte, installation commander at…
(2020-03-21). Spain's Covid-19 death toll jumps by over 300 in one day, number of cases nears 25,000. rt.com 
The death toll from the Covid-19 illness in Spain has hit 1,326, an increase of over 300 in just one day, as the coronavirus crisis deepens in Europe. | The Spanish health ministry announced that the number of Covid-19 cases in the Iberian country climbed to 24,926 on Saturday, an increase of nearly 5,000 from Friday's tally of 19,980. | Speaking on Friday, Spanish health emergencies chief, Fernando Simon, said that the number of infected people could actually be higher than reported as the test laboratories are "overwhelmed" and unable to process all of the samples. | Spain is Europe's second-worst hit countr…
(2020-03-21). Twice-daily health checks and no spectators allowed: World Chess Candidates grabs online audience as sports hit by coronavirus. rt.com 
With stringent coronavirus tests before and after each game, the World Chess Candidates has become an unlikely sensation as action-starved sports fans go online to watch the battle of minds in the Russian city of Ekaterinburg. | Eight potential challengers are duking it out for the right to challenge the world champion, Magnus Carlsen, and for a €500,000 (US$538,000) prize fund — but the start of the three-week contest has been overshadowed by fears of Covid-19, with two competitors from China facing 14-day quarantine periods before the event began, and at least one player dropping out in protest ove…
(2020-03-21). 'US wasted precious time China has bought!' Beijing shreds Washington over 'racist' coronavirus rhetoric. rt.com 
Washington has passed off blame to Beijing for its own failures in addressing the Covid-19 outbreak, China's Foreign Ministry said, hitting back at the 'Chinese virus' rhetoric with the ironic term 'Trumpandemic.' | "Some people in the United States attempt to stigmatize China's fight against the epidemic and shirk its responsibility to China," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang told reporters on Friday, referring to the finger-pointing adopted by President Trump and other top officials (after weeks of US media outlets calling it the 'Chinese' and 'Wuhan' virus). | This practice ignores the huge sacrifi…
(2020-03-21). Businesses reopening, people allowed to spend more time outside as China reports NO local Covid-19 cases for third day. rt.com 
China has marked its third consecutive day of no new local cases of coronavirus, as officials ease lockdown measures. The number of deaths in China from the disease has also slowed dramatically. | The positive development has coincided with the government's decision to relax strict quarantine policies put in place across the country. Even in Wuhan, the epicenter of the disease, officials said residents could spend more time outside. Local businesses were also allowed to re-open in communities and neighborhoods where there were no existing cases of the virus. | The rate of infection has been brought to a near s…
(2020-03-21). Startup creates money-disinfecting cash machine that 'KILLS coronavirus'. rt.com 
With the coronavirus pandemic claiming hundreds more lives every day, one startup tech company has invented a clever way to tackle the problem feared to be helping the disease's spread: ATMs dispensing the virus along with cash. | Istanbul-based company Money Shower has created a disinfection module for ATMs that removes bacteria and viruses, including Covid-19, from paper money before it gets into people's hands. | With the average banknote carrying thousands of types of bacteria and viruses, countries sometimes take the drastic step of collecting cash, destroying it and printing fresh notes in a bid to comba…
(2020-03-21). Late-stage imperial omni-crisis: Death by virus and internal contradictions. mronline.org 
"The system…is failing. Let's admit it," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, on March 14 at a White House briefing. |
(2020-03-21). Coronavirus death toll in Italy's Lombardy surpasses 3,000 as 546 more perish. rt.com 
The death toll from the Covid-19 illness in the worst hit Italian region of Lombardy has surpassed 3,000, as the latest statistics show that 546 more people have fallen victim to the virus. | The region in northern Italy has been ravaged by the disease, with more people dying in that area than any country in the world except China. Officials announced on Saturday that a total of 3,095 people have now died from the illness. | The shocking figures come hot on the heels of Italy announcing that it had recorded its worst day for Covid-19 deaths, when 627 people died across the country between Thursday and Friday.
(2020-03-21). [Editorial] Peace and health in Afghanistan. thelancet.com After years of war and political instability, Afghanistan is at a potentially historic crossroads. On Feb 29, 2020, a peace deal was agreed between the Taliban and the USA. The anticipated resumption of talks between the Afghan Government and the Taliban could signal a new phase, but what this means for the Afghan people is unclear. Weak health systems and disrupted access to health care have left many in poor health for decades, but since the fall of the Taliban some extraordinary gains in health have occurred.
(2020-03-21). Not Giving up on Happiness. zcomm.org Care of the Self and Well-Being in a Plague Year…
(2020-03-21). Italy's Misleading Figures on the C-Virus. indybay.org In addition to false positives from the C-virus testing kits, we have these figures from Italy's Italian Institute of Health (ISS):…
(2020-03-21). [Editorial] COVID-19: protecting health-care workers. thelancet.com Worldwide, as millions of people stay at home to minimise transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, health-care workers prepare to do the exact opposite. They will go to clinics and hospitals, putting themselves at high risk from COVID-2019. Figures from China's National Health Commission show that more than 3300 health-care workers have been infected as of early March and, according to local media, by the end of February at least 22 had died. In Italy, 20% of responding health-care workers were infected, and some have died.
(2020-03-21). San Francisco Food Not Bombs Is Still Sharing Food. indybay.org San Francisco Food Not Bombs will keep its regular schedule during the San Francisco Department of Public Health's Shelter In Place Order.
(2020-03-21). [Comment] Ethical implications of poor comparative effectiveness evidence: obligations in industry-research partnerships. thelancet.com Which treatment is best for me? This question is at the centre of the clinical consultation. And yet, too often, the question is not answerable with available evidence on drugs and devices. The two Lancet Series papers on comparative effectiveness1,2 document the shortcomings of the process for regulatory approval in incentivising the generation of comparative effectiveness evidence that is useful for patients, clinicians, and the health-care system. The paucity of meaningful comparative data on drugs and devices before and after market entry compromises clinical decision making.
(2020-03-21). [World Report] Building bridges in Yemen. thelancet.com 20 million Yemenis lack health care. A new air-bridge scheme won't help them all, but it could help to build trust. Sharmila Devi reports.
(2020-03-21). [Editorial] Ebola in DR Congo: getting the job done. thelancet.com With the world's focus on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, a good news story receiving far less attention is that of Semida Masika, the last person in DR Congo confirmed to have Ebola virus infection and discharged from care after her recovery on March 4. This important milestone is a remarkable achievement given the insecurity in DR Congo, which led to serious attacks on health-care facilities, workers, and patients, and a continual disabling of the outbreak response.
(2020-03-21). San Francisco Food Not Bombs Is Sharing Food on Wednesday, March 18. indybay.org San Francisco Food Not Bombs will keep its regular schedule during the San Francisco Department of Public Health's Shelter In Place Order.
(2020-03-21). New York, California ordered locked down in response to COVID-19. wsws.org US President Trump closed the border to Mexico as the World Health Organization continues to call for urgent action to overcome the coronavirus pandemic.
(2020-03-21). Health Care Workers and COVID 19. truthdig.com …
(2020-03-21). [Comment] Offline: COVID-19—a reckoning. thelancet.com "To be clear we have one strategic aim: save lives." So stated a UK Government health adviser in an email sent to me last weekend. It was an email filled with frustration. "Part of the considerable difficulty in managing this epidemic", he wrote, "where we know a number of things but have some major gaps in knowledge (especially around asymptomatic transmission by age, which has major implications), is to do this in a way where we minimise the negative health impact of interventions on other aspects of health, both physical and mental…And try to think through the endgame from the start, where the endgame is qui…
(2020-03-21). Italian health care workers speak out on coronavirus pandemic. wsws.org The health care system in Italy, now the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, is under unbearable strain amid an exponential increase in infections and deaths.
(2020-03-21). At Port of Oakland, ILWU Tells SAA We Want Health/Safety Protection from COVID-19. indybay.org ILWU Local 10 and 34 leaders and rank and file had a press conference in front of SSA in Oakland demanding that they have proper health and safety in their port jobs. Tra-Pack was forced to clean the equipment and they are demanding the same action from SSA. They also discussed the issue of the conditions of the Grand Princess Crew docked in Hunters Point…
(2020-03-21). Bolsonaro's Hospital Must Disclose Covid-19 Positives List. telesurenglish.net Brazil's Federal judge Raquel Soares Chiarelli ordered the Armed Forces Hospital (HFA) to present the list of people who turned out to be Covid-19 positives, among whom President Jair Bolsonaro could be. This order responds to the hospital's refusal to release data to the Federal District Health Department. | RELATED: | "Proper identification of Covid-19 cases is essential for defining public policies to contend with the pandem…
(2020-03-21). ACLU Demands the Release from Prisons and Jails of Communities Vulnerable to COVID-19. indybay.org ACLU Also Calls for Release of People Currently in Pretrial Detention Because of Cash Bail to Prevent a Public Health Crisis…
(2020-03-21). New York Gov. Cuomo's Panel Proposes Medicaid Cuts Amid Coronavirus Crisis. truthout.org A panel appointed by New York governor Andrew Cuomo unveiled on Thursday its plan to reduce the state's Medicaid spending by some $400 million over the next year. The plan will now go to the state legislature for consideration. Remarkably, the proposal is being put forward in the middle of a healthcare crisis that threatens the very lives of the many vulnerable New Yorkers who depend upon such services as Medicaid. | The proposed $400 million cut is part of a bigger program to slash the medicaid b…
(2020-03-21). Nearly two dozen New York City transit workers test positive for COVID-19. wsws.org The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has responded by continuing to ignore basic health precautions, risking the lives of workers, their families and the general public.
(2020-03-21). Covid-19 Updates: Death Toll Rises to 12 in Portugal. telesurenglish.net Update: 10: 00 | Portugal: the death toll rises to 12 and 1,280 infections are reported‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã | Health Minister Marta Temido announced that Portugal has 1,280 Covid-19 cases and 12 dead. Her country expects to reach the peak of the pandemic on April 14, which is an estimate based on the evolution of the number of cases to date. | RELATED: | Three percent o…
(2020-03-21). WorkWeek On SF Housing With Dean Preston, ILWU Port Safety & UCSF AFSCME Cancer Cluster. indybay.org WorkWeek interviews SF Supervisor Dean Preston about the housing crisis and the fight against evictions. Next WorkWeek hears about UAW auto worker wildcats over the failure to protect the health and safety of auto workers. We interview UAW 551 Chicago Ford worker Scott Houldierson. | Next WorkWeek hears about the conditions of Bay Area Longshore workers who are members of ILWU Local 10 with Trent Willis, president of the Local. | Last, WorkWeek interviews Stella Miranda, the wife of a UCSF AFSCME 3299 worker whose worksite was on radioactive contaminated land at the Hunters Point shipyard. | She talks about what…
(2020-03-21). Australian governments refuse to close schools over COVID-19. wsws.org Schools are being kept open, at the expense of public health, in order to minimise disruption to corporate profit-making.
(2020-03-21). [World Report] What now for DFID? thelancet.com The UK Department for International Development is a key global health and development institution, but political changes are casting doubt on its future. Talha Burki reports from London.
(2020-03-21). New York, California order locked down in response to COVID-19. wsws.org US President Trump closed the border to Mexico as the World Health Organization continued to call for urgent action to overcome the coronavirus pandemic.
(2020-03-21). China Approves Human Trials of Covid-19 Vaccine. telesurenglish.net China's Defense Minister announced that Chinese scientists developed a Covid-19 vaccine that has already been tested on a group of infected monkeys, which responded effectively and were immune. | RELATED: | "The quality of the vaccine will be controlled during the production process. We are ready to start formal clinical trials at any time," Chen Wei, a Military Academy of Medical Sciences researcher, who is recognized worldwide for her st…
(2020-03-21). [Comment] UN General Assembly tuberculosis targets: are we on track? thelancet.com The 2018 UN General Assembly (UNGA) Political Declaration on Tuberculosis was a turning point in global efforts to end the tuberculosis epidemic.1,2 Ambitious targets were set for scale-up and roll-out of diagnostic, treatment, and prevention services, political commitments, principles of equity and human rights, and financing, implementation, and research. Targets included diagnosing and treating an additional 40 million people with tuberculosis by 2022 and generating US$13 billion per year for tuberculosis care and prevention and $2 billion per year for research and development.
(2020-03-21). [World Report] Canada and COVID-19: learning from SARS. thelancet.com The 2003 SARS epidemic killed 44 people in Canada, and led to many proposals for reforms. Paul Webster looks at how the SARS outbreak has affected Canada's COVID-19 response.
(2020-03-21). DPRK wages mass campaign to combat pandemic. fightbacknews.org Washington, DC — According to a March 20 report from the Korean Central News Agency, the government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has formed the Central Emergency Anti-Epidemic Headquarters to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The headquarters is also tasked with summing up experience and popularizing achievements in the fight against the illness. | According to the report, people in a number of provinces are no longer being held in quarantine following medical observation. | The report states, "The emergency anti-epidemic headquarters at all levels encourage all the people to keep stre…
(2020-03-21). [Perspectives] Sean Wasserman: rising star in TB-HIV research and medicine. thelancet.com A year spent working in a township hospital outside Cape Town, South Africa, was a defining career moment for Sean Wasserman, winner of the 2019 Stephen Lawn TB-HIV Research Leadership Prize, which is supported by The Union. "I remember seeing the devastation caused by untreated HIV and common opportunistic infections including TB and meningitis, and was inspired by the high quality of medicine practised by my consultants in this challenging environment. I knew from that point on that I wanted to make a contribution in the emerging field of infectious diseases medicine in South Africa", he says.
(2020-03-21). [Comment] No time to waste: preventing tuberculosis in children. thelancet.com Tuberculosis takes the life of one in five children developing the disease.1 Data from the pre-chemotherapy era suggest very young children are at highest risk for tuberculosis after exposure, and highly susceptible to the most severe forms of the disease.2,3 As a result, tuberculosis control efforts among children in high-burden countries are focused on those below 5 years of age.2 One of the most important efforts is provision of tuberculosis preventive therapy after tuberculosis exposure, yet only one in four children below 5 years of age who might benefit from life-saving preventive therapy will receive it.
(2020-03-21). What's Bernie's next move? A coalition with Biden? nationofchange.org But with the coronavirus plague sweeping the country, Biden and Bernie should take the time to negotiate a coalition platform and even write the new laws on which they can both agree.
(2020-03-21). Actual Number of COVID-19 Patients Much Higher in India, Medical Research Chief Claims. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): Amid the exponentially growing number of coronavirus cases across the world, India has reported a very low number. So far, the Health Ministry has confirmed that 271 people have tested positive for the virus, which is considered miniscule given the raging pandemic in other countries.
(2020-03-21). 'No Health Service Could Be Totally Prepared For Pandemic' — Political Commentator. sputniknews.com The British government has asked former NHS doctors to come out of retirement to help the UK fight off the coronavirus. The NHS could be set to struggle with a potentially rapid influx of patients suffering from the virus in the coming weeks, and the latest move by the authorities suggests that they are rapidly attempting to address the issue.
(2020-03-21). Coronavirus Fallout in Russia: Which Industries Will Benefit in Quarantine Era? sputniknews.com On 11 March, the World Health Organisation declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic, urging all countries to activate and scale up emergency response mechanisms.
(2020-03-21). President Erdogan, Turkish VP issue Nowruz messages. yenisafak.com Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued his message through the Communications Directorate to mark Nowruz, which is celebrated across a wide region from Central Asia to the Balkans.He said Nowruz is a festival of fertility, prosperity, and spring, and a celebration of fellowship, affection, and the hopes that flourishes in hearts."I hope Nowruz will be instrumental in remembering, preserving and transferring the values and heritage we have to future generations," he said.Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay also issued a Nowruz message on Twitter, saying he hopes it brings "health, love, peace and happiness to all humanity, esp…
(2020-03-21). Two Arab states confirm new coronavirus cases. yenisafak.com Health authorities in Palestine and Oman reported fresh cases of the novel coronavirus on Saturday.In statements, Palestinian Health Minister Mai al-Kaila said four new cases were recorded in the West Bank cities of Ramallah and Hebron, taking the total infections in the occupied territory to 52, including 17 recoveries.Notably, the Gaza Strip has not reported any infection until Saturday.In Oman, the Health Ministry reported four new infections, taking the total cases in the Gulf state to 52.A ministry statement said 13 people have recovered from the virus.The virus, which emerged in Wuhan, China last December,…