[Comment] A planetary health perspective on COVID-19: a call for papers
Alastair Brown, Richard Horton | thelancet.com | 2020-04-04
It is natural during the unfolding coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic to focus on emergency response planning, including containment, treatment procedures, and vaccine development, and nobody would doubt the need for these measures. However, an emergency can also open a window of opportunity for reflection and learning. We live in increasingly global, interdependent, and environmentally constrained societies and the COVID-19 pandemic exemplifies these aspects of our world. We would therefore be wise to take a broad integrated perspective on this disease, the impacts of which are already spilling over in…
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PI…(20)30742-X/fulltext?rss=yes

[Comment] Offline: COVID-19–what countries must do now
Richard Horton | thelancet.com | 2020-04-04
How should countries plan for the approaching health crisis caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)? In the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, himself struck down with infection, has written to every household warning that, "we know things will get worse before they get better". The UK Government is right to prepare the public for the coming human catastrophe. All governments have a responsibility to do the same. But this advice does not go far enough. Here are five critical actions that need to be considered immediately.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PI…(20)30787-X/fulltext?rss=yes

[Correspondence] Authoritarianism and the threat of infectious diseases
Juan M Pericà s | thelancet.com | 2020-04-04
Punitive social policy, encompassing the dismantling of the welfare state with the expansion of the penal state and its associated institutions, as nicely stated by Elias Nosrati and Michael Marmot in their Perspective,1 might indeed be considered an upstream social determinant of health. Nosrati and Marmot's analysis relates to the findings described by Navarro and colleagues,2 linking political ideology with policies aimed at reducing social inequalities such as welfare state and labour market policies.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PI…(19)32595-4/fulltext?rss=yes

[Correspondence] Chagas disease: still a neglected emergency?
Renato D Lopes, Claudio Gimpelewicz, John J V McMurray | thelancet.com | 2020-04-04
10 years after highlighting the health consequences for millions of people infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, a 2019 report from the Pan American Health Organization concluded that there has been little progress in the prevention and treatment of Chagas disease, a problem that now extends beyond Latin America.1…
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PI…(20)30171-9/fulltext?rss=yes

[Comment] The COVID-19 pandemic in the USA: what might we expect?
Gerardo Chowell, Kenji Mizumoto | thelancet.com | 2020-04-04
As of March 19, 2020, 191‚Äà127 cases of, including 7807 deaths attributed to, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been reported worldwide.1 The incidence of reported cases in China has dramatically reduced to tens per day as a result of strict social distancing measures; however, the pandemic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is now generating sustained transmission in many countries including the USA. In The Lancet, Isaac Ghinai, Tristan D McPherson, and colleagues2 report details of the first known human-to-human transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the USA, which was…
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PI…(20)30743-1/fulltext?rss=yes

[Correspondence] Mass drug administration: time to consider drug pollution?
Gorka Orive, Unax Lertxundi | thelancet.com | 2020-04-04
Mass drug administration is the strategy recommended by WHO to control or eliminate many neglected tropical diseases that cause devastating consequences worldwide. This strategic approach, which has produced unquestionable benefits, consists of treating every person, infected or not, living in a defined geographical area at approximately the same time.1 In 2017, more than 1 ∑7 billion treatments (mainly albendazole, mebendazole, ivermectin, azithromycin, and praziquantel) were delivered to 1 ∑04 billion individuals.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PI…(20)30053-2/fulltext?rss=yes

[Obituary] Philip Leder
Geoff Watts | thelancet.com | 2020-04-04
Molecular geneticist and genetic code breaker. He was born in Washington, DC, USA, on Nov 19, 1934, and died from complications of Parkinson's disease in Chestnut Hill, MA, USA, on Feb 2, 2020, aged 85 years.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PI…(20)30685-1/fulltext?rss=yes

[Department of Error] Department of Error
thelancet.com | 2020-04-04
Biswal S, Borja-Tabora C, Martinez Vargas L, et al. Efficacy of a tetravalent dengue vaccine in healthy children aged 4–16 years: a randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial. Lancet 2020; published online March 17. dox.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30414-… appendix of this Article has been corrected as of April 2, 2020.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PI…(20)30682-6/fulltext?rss=yes

[Correspondence] Obsolete medical law in Japan harms doctors' health
Genichi Sugihara, Nori Takei | thelancet.com | 2020-04-04
Japan has achieved one of the most successful health-care systems in the world.1 Under the nation's insurance scheme, Japanese citizens have taken for granted that anyone can choose any health-care facility and receive the most advanced medical care across the nation. However, little attention has been paid to the fact that such a health system is supported by dedicated and self-sacrificing medical professionals. Such overloaded expectation is especially high in rural areas where the number of doctors remains low.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PI…(20)30176-8/fulltext?rss=yes

[Editorial] Open versus endovascular repair of aortic aneurysms
The Lancet | thelancet.com | 2020-04-04
When the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) released draft guidelines on the diagnosis and management of abdominal aortic aneurysms in May, 2018, it caused outcry. By recommending that endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) of unruptured aneurysms should not be offered–even in patients for whom open surgical repair was contraindicated–critics said that many patients would be denied life-saving treatment and that the guidelines were unworkable.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PI…(20)30759-5/fulltext?rss=yes

[Editorial] Redefining vulnerability in the era of COVID-19
The Lancet | thelancet.com | 2020-04-04
What does it mean to be vulnerable? Vulnerable groups of people are those that are disproportionally exposed to risk, but who is included in these groups can change dynamically. A person not considered vulnerable at the outset of a pandemic can become vulnerable depending on the policy response. The risks of sudden loss of income or access to social support have consequences that are difficult to estimate and constitute a challenge in identifying all those who might become vulnerable. Certainly, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, vulnerable groups are not only elderly people, those with ill health and comorbidities, or…
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PI…(20)30757-1/fulltext?rss=yes

[World Report] 2020 Canada Gairdner Award winners announced
Talha Burki | thelancet.com | 2020-04-04
On March 31, the Gairdner Foundation announced the winners of its annual prizes in biomedical science and global health. Talha Burki spoke with the laureates.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PI…(20)30789-3/fulltext?rss=yes

[Correspondence] Education and research are essential for lasting peace in Yemen
Fathiah Zakham, Olli Vapalahti, Hilal A Lashual | thelancet.com | 2020-04-04
Yemen, known to many as the land of Sheba, and Manhattan of the desert, is now referred to only as one of the poorest countries on Earth. The name Yemen has become synonymous with cholera, famine, death, instability, and war. The war continues to erase the lives, history, and the future of Yemenis, and meaningful aid and peace have yet to reach Yemen.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PI…(20)30162-8/fulltext?rss=yes

COVID-19: Advice for caring for people with Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-04
With the COVID-19 pandemic at the forefront of daily life, how much information should you share with a loved one who has Alzheimer's disease, dementia or mild cognitive impairment? And how do you explain the necessary precautions and social distancing requirements? Dr. Joseph Sirven, a Mayo Clinic neurologist, says it depends on the person's exact …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/co…

Working toward a COVID-19 vaccine
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-04
The push to create a vaccine that prevents people from contracting SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, continues. Dr. Stacey Rizza, a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases specialist, says developing a vaccine takes research, money and time. "Everyone wants to have a vaccine ready right now," says Dr. Rizza. "Researchers around the globe and at Mayo …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/wo…

Breast cancer risk for men: Mayo Clinic Radio Health Minute
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-04
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among American women. Nearly 250,000 are diagnosed with the disease in the U.S. every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But, as Dr. Kathryn Ruddy tells us in this Mayo Clinic Radio Health Minute, breast cancer isn't exclusive to women. To listen, click …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/br…

COVID-19 and food safety
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-04
Social distancing, hand-washing not touching your face and disinfecting surfaces are some ways to avoid contracting SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. But what about the food you eat? Can you get sick with COVID-19 by eating contaminated fruits, vegetables or other foods? Dr. Abinash Virk, a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases specialist, says the risk …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/co…

Mayo Clinic expert puts grim COVID-19 projections into perspective
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-04
This week, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious diseases expert, shared sobering estimates that COVID-19 could kill 100,000 to 240,000 Americans. Top government scientists warn that the death toll could be even higher if Americans don't follow the strict guidelines put in place to slow the spread of the virus. Dr. Gregory Poland, a …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ma…

Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: How does SARS-CoV-2 make people sick?
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-04
A novel coronavirus is a new strain that has not been seen before in humans. SARS-Co-V2 is a novel virus, causing the disease COVID-19. Because COVID-19 is a new disease, much is still being learned about how it spreads and the severity of illness it causes. On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Gregory Poland, …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ma…

COVID-19 expert answers questions on how the virus makes people sick and more
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-04
Experts continue to learn more about SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and how it behaves. Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and director of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group, is answering questions about how the virus makes people sick, how it compares to influenza, and how the COVID-19 pandemic response is affecting the …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/co…

Ireland woefully unprepared for COVID-19 onslaught
wsws.org | 2020-04-04
The European Centre for Disease Control warns that the intensive care system in Irish hospitals will not be able to cope with rising numbers of coronavirus patients in critical condition.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/04/irel…

Mayo Clinic Q&A: Poor lung health appears to play a role in deaths related to COVID-19
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-04
DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Why is COVID-19 so harmful to the lungs? Are smokers more at risk of the virus causing damage? As a smoker, should I be taking more precautions than the average person? ANSWER: COVID-19 can significantly affect the lungs. People whose lung health is affected by factors such as lung disease or smoking …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ma…

No Fennel in the Sausage, No $600 for the Jobless
Sam Pizzigati | zcomm.org | 2020-04-04
In plagues past and pandemic present, the wealthy exude the same contempt for those without wealth…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/no-fennel-in-the-s…

Impotence of Global Capitalism
Mike Davis | zcomm.org | 2020-04-04
Our demands must be for properly international public-health infrastructure…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/impotence-of-globa…

Nepal: Masses confront enormous hardships from coronavirus pandemic
wsws.org | 2020-04-04
Nepal's government has made no serious effort to ensure that the country's overwhelmingly poor population will have daily essentials, medicine and health safety equipment.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/04/nepa…

Tips to stay mentally healthy while staying at home
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-04
Social distancing guidelines in the U.S. have extended until April 30 and many states now have stay-at-home orders to protect the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic. But isolation and loneliness can affect people's emotional health, especially older adults. "Social interaction and emotional health are definitely intertwined, and during this time when social interaction can't be …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ti…

Governor Newsom Issues Moratorium on Water Shutoffs to Homes, Small Businesses
Dan Bacher | indybay.org | 2020-04-04
In a statement, Alexandra Nagy, Food & Water Action California Director, lauded Newsom for making the "common sense decision" to halt water shutoffs in California. | "We're very pleased that Governor Newsom has made the common-sense decision to halt water shutoffs in the state while we confront this overwhelming public health crisis. He must also ensure that water is restored to every home where it was previously cut off.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/03/1883208…

Ongoing need of blood donation at Mayo Clinic, nationwide
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-04
Healthy blood donors are urged to make appointments to meet the ongoing demand for blood products. Mayo Clinic and health organizations nationwide are trying to prevent a blood shortage while helping patients in need of blood products. Such patients include those in motor vehicle accidents, those undergoing surgery and those with cancer. Social distancing and …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/on…

COVID-19: The tale of 1 virus and 2 testing methods
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-04
When a new virus emerges that infects and sickens humans, the wheels of innovation start turning quickly in the world of health care and biomedical research. Teams versed in different aspects of laboratory medicine work together to better understand the virus and develop tests to identify those who are infected or have been exposed to …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/co…

The Struggle Of The Grand Princess Crew & All Crew Members For Healthcare & Justice
Labor Video Project | indybay.org | 2020-04-04
Terry Valen, the president of the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON) talks about the conditions of the Grand Princess crew which is docked off Hunters Point shipyard. He also talks about the conditions of repatriated seafarers from the Grand Princess who are now in the Philippines…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/02/1883207…

In Time of Pandemic Praise for the UN
Richard Falk | zcomm.org | 2020-04-04
What the WHO and the SG of the UN have so far done during the health crisis, while worthy of headlines, posed no direct challenge to sovereignty or geopolitics…
zcomm.org/znetarticle/in-time-of-pandemi…

US health care workers face retribution for criticizing unsafe hospital conditions
wsws.org | 2020-04-04
The shortage or entire absence of personal protective equipment (PPE) is driving health care workers to voice their concern over the danger of becoming infected.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/04/safe…

Mounting opposition among German health care, industrial workers
wsws.org | 2020-04-04
The German government has implemented a bailout program for major companies and banks, but health care and industrial workers are forced to work under catastrophic conditions.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/04/germ…

'We Will Not Sit Back and Let Transit Workers Be Treated Like Cannon Fodder'
John Nichols | thenation.com | 2020-04-04
'We Will Not Sit Back and Let Transit Workers Be Treated Like Cannon Fodder'…
thenation.com/article/activism/public-tr…

Spanish PM Extends State of Emergency Over Coronavirus Until 26 April – Reports
sputniknews.com | 2020-04-04
Earlier this day, the Spanish Health Ministry reported that the death toll from the coronavirus had risen to 11,744 this day from 10,935 the previous day.
sputniknews.com/europe/20200404107883265…

Iran's coronavirus death toll rises to 3,452
yenisafak.com | 2020-04-04
Iran's death toll from the coronavirus outbreak climbed to 3,452 on Saturday, with 158 more fatalities recorded over the past 24 hours, Health Ministry Spokesman Kianoush Jahanpur said.The total number of cases diagnosed with the disease reached 55,743, of whom 4,103 are in critical condition, he said on state TV. Iran is the country worst affected by the pandemic in the Middle East.
yenisafak.com/en/world/irans-coronavirus…

French doctor apologises for suggesting COVID-19 treatment be tested in Africa
yenisafak.com | 2020-04-04
A French doctor apologised on Friday for suggesting a possible treatment for COVID-19 should be tested in Africa, after the remarks sparked an outcry on social media.Jean-Paul Mira, the head of the intensive care unit at the Cochin hospital in Paris, made the comments on Wednesday during an interview on French television channel LCI with the research director of France's national health institute, Inserm.The research director, Camille Locht, was discussing the BCG tuberculosis vaccine, which is being trialled in several European countries and Australia against COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new c…
yenisafak.com/en/world/french-doctor-apo…

Red Cross concerned about impact of COVID-19 in Somalia
yenisafak.com | 2020-04-04
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Saturday said it is deeply concerned about the impact that COVID-19 could have on Somalian communities weakened by violence and conflict.Somalia is at a critical juncture where immediate action can still curb the spread of COVID-19 and save lives, ICRC said in a statement.Somalia has seven confirmed COVID-19 cases so far, with no deaths, and one recovery, according to figures compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University."Somalia is at a crossroads, where we can rapidly scale up to get information and resources out to communities and health care facilit…
yenisafak.com/en/world/red-cross-concern…

Spain records 809 more deaths, lowest figure this week
yenisafak.com | 2020-04-04
Spain recorded the lowest daily deaths of this week on Saturday, the country's Health Ministry said.With 809 more fatalities in the last 24 hours, the death toll in the country stands at 11,744.Additionally, 7,026 new cases were confirmed, bringing the tally to 124,000.Only Italy has a death toll higher than Spain with over 14,600 reported fatalities.Yet with Italy's population of 60 million and Spain's population of 46 million, Spain has almost reached the same proportional mortality as its Mediterranean neighbor.Spain also surpassed Italy in the number of confirmed cases in a day. Only the United States has rep…
yenisafak.com/en/world/spain-records-809…

Mainland China reports 19 new confirmed coronavirus cases
yenisafak.com | 2020-04-04
Mainland China reported on Saturday 19 new confirmed cases of coronavirus, down from 31 a day earlier, including one new infection in central Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak in the country.Of the new cases, 18 involved travellers arriving from abroad, the National Health Commission said in a statement. The new infections bring the total number of confirmed cases in mainland China to 81,639 as of Friday.China also reported four new deaths, raising the death toll to 3,326 as of Friday.
yenisafak.com/en/world/mainland-china-re…

'Overwhelmed' health systems have little room for sick refugees, migrants, UN agencies warn
news.un.org | 2020-04-03
Four prominent United Nations system entities have called on countries to protect refugees, migrants, stateless persons and those forcibly displaced by disasters and conflict

The U.S. Continues Deporting Guatemalans Amid the Pandemic
telesurenglish.net | 2020-04-03
Guatemala continues to receive flights with migrants deported from the United States, despite the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations to restrain passenger traffic. | RELATED: | Guatemala Suspends All US Deportation Flights Over COVID-19 | On March 17, President Alejandro Giammattei administration suspended flights from the U.S., Honduras,…
telesurenglish.net/news/guatemala-deport…

France To "Temporarily" Nationalize Companies Hit by COVID-19
telesurenglish.net | 2020-04-03
The French government is considering nationalizing, for a limited period of time, those companies suffering from the financial market turmoil due to the coronavirus epidemic, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Friday. | RELATED: | France: Tenth Day of National Protests Against Pension Reform | "It is simply a matter of having the state protect companies, for a limited period, by taking a stake or possibly by making a temporary nationalization," Le Maire told France 24 and RF…
telesurenglish.net/news/France-To-Tempor…

NYC Nurses Demand Protective Gear as COVID-19 Death Toll Skyrockets
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-04-03
Nurses in California, Florida, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada and Texas are protesting one of the nation's largest hospital chains for a "lack of preparedness" amid the coronavirus pandemic. They're calling on HCA Healthcare to provide optimal personal protective equipment, or PPE, for nurses and other staff. In New York, the epicenter of the pandemic in the United States, nurses and doctors at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx protested Thursday over the lack of PPE. Today another protest is underway…
truthout.org/video/nyc-nurses-demand-pro…

"Our Bodies Are On the Line": NYC Nurses Demand Protective Gear as COVID-19 Death Toll Skyrockets
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-03
Nurses in California, Florida, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada and Texas are protesting one of the nation's largest hospital chains for a "lack of preparedness" amid the coronavirus pandemic. They're calling on HCA Healthcare to provide optimal personal protective equipment, or PPE, for nurses and other staff. In New York, the epicenter of the pandemic in the United States, nurses and doctors at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx protested Thursday over the lack of PPE. Today another protest is underway in front of Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan calling for more PPE, better staffing and COVID-19 testing for front…
www.democracynow.org/2020/4/3/nyc_frontl…

How Taiwan Contained COVID-19: Early Action, Technology & Millions of Face Masks
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-03
Taiwan, despite being just 100 miles from mainland China with regular flights to and from Wuhan, has successfully staved off the worst of the coronavirus pandemic. The country has so far seen five deaths and just under 350 confirmed cases, and most schools and businesses remain open. How did Taiwan do it? "Aggressive action," says Dr. Jason Wang, the former project manager for Taiwan's National Health Insurance Reform Task-force. He is now the director of the Center for Policy, Outcomes and Prevention and associate professor of pediatrics and medicine at Stanford University. He speaks with us about Taiwan's strat…
www.democracynow.org/2020/4/3/taiwan_cor…

Brazil Supreme Court asks to suspend Bolsonaro for 180 days
Eds. | mronline.org | 2020-04-03
Marco Aurélio Mello, a Minister of Brazil's Supreme Court, sent the Attorney General's Office a request to suspend President Jair Bolsonaro from his post for 180 days for committing various actions that have put the country at risk in the face of the covid-19 health emergency, according to a Telesur report.
mronline.org/2020/04/03/brazil-supreme-c…

Inmates at Privately-Run ICE Camp Go on Hunger Strike Amid COVID-19 Outbreak, Deteriorating Conditions
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-04-03
ICA Farmville already has a reputation for overcrowding and poor sanitation. Last year the private ICE prison was hit with an outbreak of mumps, a classic disease of overcrowding and poor sanitation.
mintpressnews.com/inmates-ice-camp-go-hu…

US Leads Global Wave of Nations Stealing, Seizing and Diverting Coronavirus Equipment
Alan Macleod | mintpressnews.com | 2020-04-03
Governments have resorted to seizing, diverting, outbidding and outright stealing equipment from each other in a desperate bid to stem the tide of the coronavirus epidemic.
mintpressnews.com/united-states-leads-na…

As a nurse dies fighting coronavirus, Matt Hancock drops a bombshell about the monitoring of their deaths
Tracy Keeling | thecanary.co | 2020-04-03
A nurse fighting coronavirus (covid-19) has tragically died due to the disease. Areema Nasreen worked at Walsall Manor Hospital. | pic.twitter.com/ZJOFSvI1fo |