2020-04-06: News Headlines

The Canary (2020-04-06). Covid-19: What is the UK's exit strategy from lockdown? thecanary.co Thoughts are turning to how the UK will end its period of lockdown and start the transition back to normal life.— What is the UK's exit strategy?No precise exit strategy has yet been formed, though Professor Neil Ferguson, from Imperial College, who is advising the government, said experts are looking at it in detail this week.Ending the lockdown will rely on a substantial slowdown in the epidemic of Covid-19 — the so-called "flattening the curve" — and a downward trend, which has not yet happened in the UK.The number of deaths is also still rising as the UK moves towards the peak of its epidemic,…

RT (2020-04-06). Czech Republic reports slowest daily rise in confirmed Covid-19 cases. rt.com The Czech Republic reported its slowest daily percentage rise in confirmed coronavirus cases on Monday, the Health Ministry said. The country had 4,591 cases as of Sunday midnight, up 2.6 percent from the previous day, the lowest percentage increase since early March, when there was a handful of known infections. | This followed increases of 282 on Saturday, 332 on Friday and 269 on Thursday, and was the lowest absolute daily increase since March 22. There were 4,710 tests done on Sunday, down from a record 6,889 on Friday but still up by nearly 2,000 from a week ago, when the daily number of detected infectio…

Robert Norse (2020-04-06). Updates from Santa Cruz's Struggling Benchlands Meal & Santa Barbara's Peter Marin. indybay.org Santa Barbara activist Peter Marin blasts Santa Barbara's "Let 'Em Die: " Lack of Services. Santa Cruz Food Not Bombs activist Keith McHenry Calls for More Volunteers, Warns Local Authorities Violate CDC Safeguards for Those Outside…

Dan Bacher (2020-04-06). California regulators approve new fracking permits during COVID-19 epidemic. indybay.org The increase in oil and gas drilling permits in recent years, including fracking operations — and fact that California has no health and safety setbacks like many other states do — is a result of the millions of dollars every year that WSPA and oil companies spend every year on lobbying state officials, including the Governor's Office and state regulatory agencies, as well as the many millions spent by the oil industry on campaign contributions to politicians and campaign committees.

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-04-06). COVID-19 expert answers questions on how the virus makes people sick and more. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org 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 (2020-04-06). COVID-19 expert explains what soap does to SARS-CoV-2 virus. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Health experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continue to drive home the message that excellent hand-washing is the most effective way to prevent illnesses, such as COVID-19. Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and director of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group, explains what soap does to SARS-CoV-2, and other viruses …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-04-06). Six ways home-based cardiac rehab keeps patients safe, healthy during COVID-19. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org ROCHESTER, Minn. ? COVID-19 presents evolving challenges to health care, in part because it is a new viral disease. People do not have natural immunity and a vaccine hasn't yet been developed. Patients with heart disease are at increased risk of cardiac-related complications and death, and are more likely to develop severe complications from COVID-19. …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-04-06). Working toward a COVID-19 vaccine. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org 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 …

David A. Schultz (2020-04-06). Camus and Kàºbler-Ross in a Time of COVID-19 and Trump. counterpunch.org Truth may be stranger than fiction as Mark Twain once said. Yet fiction often speaks truth to reality. In the case of civilization living under the dagger of Covid-19, many are turning to books and plays for distraction and pleasure. While some might read Waiting for Godot in hopes that the quarantines and the disease will soon

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-04-06). Mayo Clinic expert puts grim COVID-19 projections into perspective. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org 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 (2020-04-06). Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: The 'unprecedented challenge' of fighting COVID-19. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org The ongoing fight against the COVID-19 pandemic has heavily burdened front-line health care providers. "Our nation and our medical community is facing an unprecedented challenge," says Dr. Elie Berbari, chair of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Mayo Clinic. On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Berbari discusses how Mayo Clinic is minimizing exposure to …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-04-06). Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: How does SARS-CoV-2 make people sick? newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org 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 (2020-04-06). COVID-19: Advice for caring for people with Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org 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 (2020-04-06). Mayo Clinic Q&A: Poor lung health appears to play a role in deaths related to COVID-19. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org 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 …

Sharon Lerner (2020-04-06). EPA Is Jamming Through Rollbacks That Could Increase Coronavirus Deaths. zcomm.org The EPA has been proceeding with a rule that would severely limit the use of epidemiology, or the study of how disease is distributed throughout populations…

Ellen Brown (2020-04-06). Was the Fed Just Nationalized? counterpunch.org Mainstream politicians have long insisted that Medicare for All, a universal basic income, student debt relief and a slew of other much-needed public programs are off the table because the federal government cannot afford them. But that was before Wall Street and the stock market were driven onto life-support by a virus. Congress has now

Dean Baker (2020-04-06). Getting to Medicare-for-All, Eventually. counterpunch.org With Joe Biden now looking like the certain Democratic presidential nominee, it is pretty clear that we will not get to Medicare for All in a single step. Even if Sanders had won it would have been a long shot, but without a president committed to the program, there is not even a possibility. Still,

NARAL Pro-Choice America (2020-04-06). NARAL America: Combating Health Disinformation National Training Webinar. indybay.org Online…

Labor Video Project (2020-04-06). Pandemics, History, Science, Public Health, COVID-19 & Lessons For Today With Dr. Ruther. indybay.org WorkWeek interviews Dr. George Rutherford who is a professor at UCSF and is a world expert on pandemics.

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-04-06). Tips for connecting to Mayo Clinic using Patient Online Services. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org ROCHESTER, Minn. ? Telehealth is becoming more important as a way of delivering health care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Video appointments are one form of telehealth that is seeing an increased usage. Patients also can take advantage of the telehealth offerings available through patient portals. Mayo Clinic's patient portal, Patient Online Services, offers its patients several …

WSWS (2020-04-06). Bronx hospital physician provides harrowing account of conditions on front lines of pandemic. wsws.org Miguel, a third-year resident, in internal medicine at a community hospital in the Bronx, spoke to the WSWS on the experiences of health care workers and patients.

Dan Bacher (2020-04-06). Governor Newsom Issues Moratorium on Water Shutoffs to Homes, Small Businesses. indybay.org 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.

Nomi Prins (2020-04-06). Wall Street Wins, Again: Bailouts in the Time of Coronavirus. counterpunch.org To say that these are unprecedented times would be the understatement of the century. Even as the United States became the latest target of Hurricane COVID-19, in "hot spots" around the globe a continuing frenzy of health concerns represented yet another drop down the economic rabbit hole. Stay-at-home orders have engulfed the planet, encompassing a majority of Americans, all of India, the United Kingdom, and much of Europe. A second round of cases may be starting to surface in China. Meanwhile, small- and medium-sized businesses, not to speak of giant corporate entities, are already facing severe financial pain.

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-04-06). COVID-19: The tale of 1 virus and 2 testing methods. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org 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 …

WSWS (2020-04-06). Indian medical staff speak to WSWS on COVID-19 pandemic. wsws.org Indian medical staff are struggling to fight COVID-19 under conditions of a run-down public health system and high-population densities without basic facilities.

Lynda Carson (2020-04-06). California Apartment Association is afraid of coronavirus rent strikes. indybay.org With millions in California losing their jobs, income, food, and healthcare, while being ordered to shelter-in-place as a result of the coronavirus pandemic spreading across the state and the nation, it seems reasonable to many that a rent strike not only seems feasible, but necessary.

John Nichols (2020-04-06). Wisconsin's In-Person Voting Threatens Health and Democracy. thenation.com Wisconsin's In-Person Voting Threatens Health and Democracy…

Fight Back (2020-04-06). China donates 1000 ventilators to New York. fightbacknews.org New York, NY – New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on April 4 that China has donated 1000 ventilators to the state of New York. This act further shows the contrast between how China has handled the novel coronavirus versus the United States, and how socialism is better equipped to handle public health crises than capitalism can. | China, under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, took swift action when the coronavirus hit. In mid-January, China implemented a lockdown, including movement in and out of Wuhan and 15 cities in the Hubei province. As a result, new cases went from a peak of thousands per day to…

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-04-06). Autonomous shuttles help transport COVID-19 tests at Mayo Clinic in Florida. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org JACKSONVILLE, Fla. ? For the first time in the U.S., autonomous vehicles are being used to transport medical supplies and COVID-19 tests at Mayo Clinic in Florida. At a time when health care resources and staff are stretched thin, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) has partnered with Beep and NAVYA to use autonomous vehicles to …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-04-06). Tips to stay mentally healthy while staying at home. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org 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 …

sputniknews (2020-04-06). UK Gov't, Top Gaming Studios '1-Up' COVID-19 Safety Alerts in Campaign to Tackle Deadly Disease. sputniknews.com The UK government has partnered with leading British gaming companies to broadcast safety messages in a campaign to stop the spread of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, it announced on Monday.

sputniknews (2020-04-06). Indian MPs, PM Modi, President Kovind Cut Their Salary by 30% for a Year to Support COVID-19 Fight. sputniknews.com Earlier today, the Indian Health Ministry reported that the number of coronavirus-related deaths in India had reached 109, while 490 people had tested positive in the past 24 hours, bringing the total count to 4,067.

sputniknews (2020-04-06). Russia to Allocate $1 Million to WHO in 2020 to Fight COVID-19. sputniknews.com Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko stated on Monday that most specialists believe that the coronavirus appeared naturally and not as a result of some experiment.

sputniknews (2020-04-06). COVID-19 Through the Lens of a Microscope. sputniknews.com The World Health Organisation declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic on 11 March. To date, more than 1.17 million people have been infected with the coronavirus worldwide, with nearly 65,000 related fatalities, according to a WHO report.

sputniknews (2020-04-06). If You Are Expecting a Child, Doctors Suggest Being Extra Cautious Amid COVID-19. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): The outbreak of COVID-19 has brought the entire world to a standstill because of the number of lives it has taken so far. Some 62, 784 have perished as of 6 April, according to the World Health Organisation. The impact can also be seen in India with 4,067 postive cases, 693 new ones emerging since Sunday alone.

sputniknews (2020-04-06). Prime Minister Modi Urges 'Digital Indians' to Use Govt's COVID-19 Detection App 'Aarogya Setu'. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, India's federal government has launched a mobile application named Arogya Setu (literally Health Bridge) to enable people to self-assess the risk of catching the infection. The app also helps to find out whether the user has interacted with someone who could have tested positive for COVID-19.

yenisafak (2020-04-06). Africa: COVID-19 cases reach 9,198, deaths surpass 400. yenisafak.com This came in a coronavirus surveillance update issued by the Africa Centers for Disease Prevention and Control.COVID-19, according to the update, has spread to 51 of the 54 countries in Africa, the latest being South Sudan that confirmed its first case on Sunday.The number of deaths has also gone up to 414 on Monday, up from 399 the previous day.A total of 747 coronavirus patients have been recovered so far, according to the update.The African Union Bureau of Heads of State and Government on COVID-19 prevention and resource, led by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, last Friday reiterated the need for rapid…

yenisafak (2020-04-06). Coronavirus global death toll tops 70,000. yenisafak.com The global death toll from coronavirus crossed 70,000 on Monday, according to figures compiled by the U.S.' Johns Hopkins University. Since emerging in Wuhan, China last December, the COVID-19 disease has spread to at least 183 countries and regions around the globe, while confirmed cases have climbed to nearly 1.3 million.With the exact number of deaths as of 0730GMT stands at 70,356, worldwide more than 270,000 people diagnosed with the virus have recovered.Italy, Spain, France, and the U.K. continue to be the hardest-hit countries in terms of fatalities.The U.S. has reported the most number of cases

yenisafak (2020-04-06). Dutch confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 5.3% to 18,803. yenisafak.com The number of confirmed cases of the new coronavirus in the Netherlands has risen by 952, or 5.3%, to 18,803, health authorities said, with 101 new deaths.The Netherlands' Institute for Public Health (RIVM) said in its daily update that total deaths had risen to 1,867.The RIVM continues to caution that the numbers reflect only confirmed positive cases and confirmed deaths, while actual numbers are larger.

yenisafak (2020-04-06). Swiss coronavirus deaths hit 584, positive tests rise to 21,652. yenisafak.com The Swiss death toll from the novel coronavirus has risen to 584, the country's public health agency said on Monday, from 559 people on Sunday.The number of positive tests also increased to 21,652 from 21,100 on Sunday, it said.

The Canary (2020-04-05). Colleagues pay tribute to NHS staff who have died during Covid-19 crisis. thecanary.co Tributes have flooded in for NHS staff known to have died after contracting Covid-19.Two nurses — both young mothers — five doctors and two healthcare assistants have contracted the coronavirus and died since the start of the outbreak.Nurse Areema Nasreen, 36, died just after midnight on April 2 in intensive care at Walsall Manor Hospital in the West Midlands — the hospital where she had worked for 16 years. | Richard Beeken, chief executive of Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, paid tribute to her, saying: "Any death is devastating but losing one of our own is beyond words."He said Nasreen had started…

RT (2020-04-05). Scottish health chief RESIGNS after police tell her off for breaking Covid-19 lockdown rules. rt.com Dr Catherine Calderwood is stepping down from…

The Canary (2020-04-05). Tory incompetence revealed as Hancock admits NHS may not hit ventilator target before virus peak. thecanary.co The health secretary has said the government is on track to meet its goal of ventilator capacity for 18,000 patients. However, he also admitted that may not be in place before the expected peak of the virus.Matt Hancock said the virus is expected to peak within a week to 10 days but said the ventilator capacity will likely be below 18,000 by then.He defended the government's handling of the outbreak and said the army is now helping to get personal protective equipment (PPE) to the NHS front line.He also said now is "not the time" to be discussing a pay rise for nurses, but said he was "sympathetic" to calls for t…

Eric Zuesse (2020-04-05). Sanders Will Present Legislation to Pay All Medical Costs for Coronavirus Patients. dissidentvoice.org Bernie Sanders, the Junior Democratic (nominally Independent) U.S. Senator from Vermont, is working with other progressives in Congress to come up with proposed emergency legislation that would pay all coronavirus medical costs throughout the coronavirus epidemic in America, and that would pay salaries of laid-off workers, so that the economy will not crash. In a …

Staff (2020-04-05). By Refusing to Cancel In-Person Voting, Wisconsin GOP Weaponizes Coronavirus. truthout.org Despite warnings from public health experts and legal challenges by voting rights groups, the Democratic primary and state and local elections are set to go forward on Tuesday after Republican state legislators refused to take up a proposal to cancel most in-person voting in light of the coronavirus pandemic. | After Democratic Gov. Tony Evers

news.un (2020-04-05). Iraq: UN health agency helps beat 'latest bottleneck' in COVID-19 battle. news.un.org With a global shortage of supplies and equipment to fight the deadly coronavirus pandemic, the UN health agency has assisted in successfully producing urgently needed laboratory items for testing suspected COVID-19 cases in Iraq.

Staff (2020-04-05). The Billionaires Putting Their Wealth Above Public Health Amid the Pandemic. truthout.org While millions are facing health and financial uncertainty and unemployment rolls are reaching record levels due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, a small group of wealthy elites are thriving. Not only do the rich and powerful seem to have access to otherwise near-impossible to obtain

Emily Apple (2020-04-05). No-one's buying Matt Hancock's excuse for more draconian restrictions on our lives. thecanary.co Health secretary Matt Hancock appeared on The Andrew Marr Show on 5 April. He warned that unless people follow the rules on essential travel and social distancing then tougher restrictions would be introduced. Hancock If you don't want us to take the next step and ban exercise… then the message is very clear… you have to follow the rules.

Fight Back (2020-04-05). Latinos and Asian Americans hit hardest by early COVID-19 job losses. fightbacknews.org San José, CA – The headline news that the unemployment rate for March jumped by almost a full percentage point, to 4.4%, was bad enough. The actual unemployment rate was much higher by the end of March, given that the more 10 million people who lost their jobs and filed for unemployment insurance benefits in the last two weeks of March were not counted. Adding in these workers would have increased the unemployment rate by more than 6%, raising the total rate at the end of March to about 10.5%. | The official government unemployment rate also understates the number of jobless workers, as you have to be out of work…

IRNA (2020-04-05). Iran to produce 4 million face masks daily. iranian.com As the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, Iran is to increase its production of protective face masks to 4 million a day in coming weeks, according to the Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Reza Rahmani. Iran's daily capacity for production of face mask was about to 700,000 before the outbreak of the …