(2020-05-31). Vaccines will be the true game changers, says Dr. Satyajit Rath. peoplesdispatch.org In this interview with NewsClick, Dr. Satyajit Rath, talks about the future of vaccine development for COVID-19 and the present usage of Hydroxychloroquine, which has been controversial.
(2020-05-30). Capitalism = Death: U.S. government response to COVID-19 mirrors ineptitude and malfeasance of response to HIV epidemic. liberationnews.org 
To compare the early years of the HIV epidemic to the COVID-19 pandemic is to relive a nightmare…
(2020-05-30). [Comment] Justice and health: The Lancet—Health Equity and Policy Lab Commission. thelancet.com Justice forms the foundation for what we owe each other and what fairness among human beings and institutions involves. Globally, there are large inequalities in health outcomes and opportunities for health. Not only is the global burden of disease distributed unevenly but capabilities to prevent and treat disease are also asymmetrical; those in greatest need often have the least access to human, physical, and financial resources for health. Global health justice provides an account of what justice across our planet embodies, offers solutions to global health problems, and identifies who has responsibilities and…
(2020-05-30). [Correspondence] The health-related determinants of politics. thelancet.com I was pleased to read Richard Horton's Comment about populist politics.1 However, the problem of political populism and solution that he charts out seem somewhat non-sequitur.
(2020-05-30). The Monster Enters: COVID-19, Avian Flu and the Plagues of Capitalism — book review. mronline.org 
Mike Davis' The Monster Enters updates his earlier book on capitalism and pandemic disease to reflect on the current failure of the neoliberal state, finds Elaine Graham-Leigh…
(2020-05-30). [Editorial] COVID-19 in Africa: no room for complacency. thelancet.com Despite over 100‚Äà000 confirmed cases and infections in every country, the passage of COVID-19 through the African continent remains somewhat enigmatic. High numbers of deaths were expected in the region due to fragile health systems, lack of access to preventive measures, barriers to testing, and potentially vulnerable populations. But, according to WHO, Africa is the least affected region globally, with 1 ∑5% of the world's reported COVID-19 cases and 0 ∑1% of the world's deaths. Although comparisons are inaccurate, mortality rates have been lower compared with outbreaks of similar si…
(2020-05-30). [Correspondence] Towards more balanced representation in Lancet Commissions. thelancet.com Enthusiastically, Richard Horton1 reports on the foundation of the Italian Institute of Planetary Health at a time when youth strikes, an emerging pandemic of a new coronavirus, and burning forests remind us of our planet being in jeopardy. We agree that something must change so that the undoubtable advances in science and medicine that were made since the time of Lucretius translate into a better life for all humans, no matter who they are, where they were born, and where they live and work.1 Yet, the lamented crisis of trust in science and medicine cannot be overcome by concepts of global health or planetary he…
(2020-05-30). [Correspondence] Cost-effectiveness of transitional US plans for universal health care. thelancet.com The USA stands alone as the only high-income country not to provide health care as a human right, leaving almost 80 million of its citizens without adequate insurance.1—3 In a 2020 study, we found that securing quality health care for the entire country would save 68‚Äà000 lives and 1 ∑73 million life-years annually.4…
(2020-05-30). [World Report] COVID-19 strains remote regions of Peru. thelancet.com The health system in Iquitos is stretched and the true number of COVID-19 cases and deaths is unclear. Barbara Fraser reports from Lima.
(2020-05-30). [World Report] Fears of "highly catastrophic" COVID-19 spread in Yemen. thelancet.com Yemen's health system has been devastated by years of conflict and COVID-19 deaths are reported to be surging in Aden. Sharmila Devi reports.
(2020-05-30). [Correspondence] Time for global health diplomacy. thelancet.com 2019 was The Lancet's Year for Nutrition. Highlights included reports from the EAT-Lancet Commission1 and The Global Syndemic Commission,2 both emphasising that global trade systems must be transformed to ensure healthy and sustainable diets. But what developments can be expected following these reports? We might get an indication by considering what has happened since The Lancet's 2009 Trade and Health Series. This Series criticised the trade agreements of the World Trade Organization (WTO) for being detrimental to global health, among other things, by facilitating unhealthy diets.
(2020-05-30). [Comment] Offline: After COVID-19—is an "alternate society" possible? thelancet.com How do we make sense of this pandemic? The first interpretations are now appearing. Slavoj ≈Ωi≈æek is a prolific philosopher and cultural theorist. He is the first to produce a volume of reflections—Pandemic! COVID-19 Shakes the World (Polity, 2020). ≈Ωi≈æek doubts the epidemic will make us wiser: he insists that "we should resist the temptation to treat the ongoing epidemic as something that has a deeper meaning". Despite these cautions, we still have an important question to answer: "What is wrong with our system that we were caught unprepared by the catastr…
(2020-05-30). [Perspectives] A call for food system change. thelancet.com In shutting down entire societies, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the fundamental inequities and inadequacies of market-driven economies that prioritise profits over human welfare. Inequities show up in businesses that furlough employees while paying high salaries and bonuses to executives. They are also revealed by the dependence of food systems on poorly paid workers and cheap global supply chains. The COVID-19 crisis demonstrates how current food systems fail to protect populations from hunger and diet-influenced non-communicable diseases and why the poor, disenfranchised, discriminated against, and chronic…
(2020-05-30). [Clinical Picture] Drusen in dense deposit disease: not just age-related macular degeneration. thelancet.com A 40-year-old woman was referred to our clinic by her optometrist because she had lesions on her retina suggestive of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). She was otherwise well: with no systemic or visual symptoms.
(2020-05-30). Life and death for Yemen's women and girls, as funding evaporates. news.un.org In mid-May, just as the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in Yemen, funding for UNFPA's life-saving reproductive health services dried up. The agency has been forced to suspend the provision of reproductive healthcare in 140 out of the 180 health facilities, it supports, meaning only 40 now remain.
(2020-05-30). Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Health and Human Services plays key role in supporting Americans amid COVID-19 crisis. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org The COVID-19 pandemic has been a unique situation that has required work across federal and state agencies to support communities and frontline workers during this challenging time. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has played a key role by providing effective health and human services and fostering advances in medicine, public health …
(2020-05-30). Coronavirus cases surpass six million globally. wsws.org New epicenters in Eastern Europe, South America, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent are rapidly causing massive public health crises.
(2020-05-30). Trinity Health to terminate psychiatric beds in Massachusetts in midst of pandemic. wsws.org If approved by the state, the closure will eliminate 74 beds for adults, the elderly, and children, along with 202 jobs.
(2020-05-29). U.S. Declares a Vaccine War on the World. counterpunch.org Donald Trump launched a new vaccine war in May, but not against the virus. It was against the world. The United States and the UK were the only two holdouts in the World Health Assembly from the declaration that vaccines and medicines for COVID-19 should be available as public goods, and not under exclusive patent
(2020-05-29). Bethune's socialized medicine and the public health crisis today. mronline.org 
We are at war! The heads of states throughout the globe are posing as chieftains in this quixotic war against an enemy who no one understands.
(2020-05-29). Millions jobless, benefits hard to get — We need a federal unemployment system. peoplesworld.org 
The current federal-state unemployment insurance (UI) system in the United States was a disaster waiting to happen. And when COVID-19 forced large parts of the economy to shut down in recent months, the disaster proved to be even worse than feared. With the number of newly unemployed people now officially passing 40 million (with millions more uncounted), …
(2020-05-29). Coronavirus and the Telecom Crisis. counterpunch.org The current Corvis-19 pandemic provides a unique vantage point to assess key social institutions of American life. Sadly, none has failed so gravely as the nation's health care system, especially as underwritten by the private insurance model. The crisis of the U.S. healthcare system raises the deeper, more fundamental, question as to whether health care
(2020-05-29). Maine's ISP Privacy Law Does Not Violate the First Amendment, Much as ISPs Would Like for It To. aclu.org Without many of us even realizing it, our use of the Internet reveals deeply private information about us, ranging from the contents of our communications to details about our finances, health, and exact location. This information — especially when aggregated — provides an intimate window into our personal lives and can reveal a great deal of personal, private information about us, like our health care needs and personal or political beliefs., , For each of us, there's at least one entity that can see perfectly through that window: our "broadband information access service" provider, more commonly…
(2020-05-30). What's NATO Up to These Days? Provoking Russia, Draining Healthcare Budgets and Protecting Its Own From COVID. strategic-culture.org T.J. COLES | In November 2019, as experts At least 2 percent of n…
(2020-05-30). The "Pro-Life" Movement's Response to COVID-19 Reveals Its Hypocrisy. truthout.org As communities reel from the devastating impacts of COVID-19, conservative politicians and lawmakers in an alarming number of states have capitalized on the fear and scarcity surrounding the pandemic. They are using legitimate health concerns as a smokescreen to enact anti-choice abortion bans. They have done so under the pretense of public safety, but their actions jeopardize the health and well-being of their communities. | Abortion clinics in Texas have been locked in a legal battle with the state go…
(2020-05-30). The Heat: U.S.-China tensions. america.cgtn.com 
United States President Donald Trump lashes out at China and says the U-S is pulling out of the World Health Organization.
(2020-05-31). COVID-19 death toll in Mexico nears 10,000. yenisafak.com A total of 364 people have died in the past 24 hours from the novel coronavirus in Mexico, bringing the total fatalities to almost 10,000, health officials said Sunday.The number of confirmed cases climbed to 87,512 with new 2,885 infections, and the death toll rose to 9,779 in the country.Mexico confirmed its first case on Feb. 28 and the first death from COVID-19 on March 19.Globally, more than 6 million cases have been confirmed in 188 countries and regions since the virus emerged in China last year.The pandemic has killed nearly 370,000 people worldwide, while over 2.57 million people have recovered so far, a…
(2020-05-31). Iran records 63 new virus deaths, 2,516 more cases. yenisafak.com A further 2,516 people have tested positive for COVID-19, raising the overall count to 151,466, Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said.Jahanpour said 112,988 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals so far, while 2,543 patients remain in critical condition.Despite the rising number of cases, government employees went back to work, and mosques resumed daily prayers across the Middle Eastern country on Saturday.Shopping malls are now open beyond the 6 p.m. (13: 30 GMT) closing time imposed as part of the virus restrictions.Iran started loosening the containment measures in April, and cla…
(2020-05-30). Fortress On A Hill: Interview With Gareth Porter. popularresistance.org Gareth Porter has long been one of my favorite foreign policy writers and investigative journalists. | Do check out his recent columns at the GrayZone! | He stopped by the podcast to discuss his long standing work on the Vietnam war, his thoughts on COVID-19 via the USS Theodore Roosevelt along with his previous work on the 1919 flu epidemic, the terrifying connections between Mike Pompeo and Bibi Netanyahu, and Israel's secret long standing nuclear stockpile. | Gareth Porter is an independent investigative journalist who has covered national security policy for decades, really, and was the recipient of the 2012…
(2020-05-30). Health Care Workers Call On Labor Movement To Take Action. popularresistance.org As health care workers, we condemn the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers as an act of racist violence. We condemn the murder of Breonna Taylor by Louisville police officers as an act of racist violence. We condemn the murder of Tony McDade by Tallahassee police officers as an act of racist violence. Their killings are just a handful of countless examples of police brutality responsible for the early deaths of many Black people in the United States. Black people are three times more likely than white people to die by police violence. As health care workers, we witness first-hand how widespread…
(2020-05-29). The Fear Is Real, Not Orchestrated. thealtworld.com For years I have been watching what little intelligence the human race ever had slowly evaporate before my eyes as governments built up arsenals of thermonuclear and biowarfare weapons that they cannot use without destroying us all. So many important social needs are forsaken, such as a national health service, in order to acquire useless weapons of mass destruction. My opinion of human intelligence is currently being reinforced by the hysteria over the attempts, however inadequate, to protect us from the consequences of a virus about which little is known. | The precautions of social distancing, masks, and close…
(2020-05-29). Nine in 10 smokers start before they are 18 years old, warns WHO. news.un.org Tobacco products continue to kill eight million people a year who get hooked via a $9 billion a year marketing strategy. That's the warning from the UN World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday, which has said that even during a global pandemic, the tobacco and nicotine industry has continued to promote products that limit people's ability to fight new coronavirus and recover from the disease.
(2020-05-29). Bill Gates' Web of Dark Money and Influence — Part 3: Health Surveillance, Event 201 and the Rockefeller Connection. thelastamericanvagabond.com Lockdowns, Contact Tracing, Digital Certificates, and Vaccines Over the last four months Bill Gates has made dozens of media appearances where he has called for several controversial "solutions" to COVID-19. Gates says these proposals must be implemented before society can go back to "normal." From calling for extended lock downs, health surveillance (aka contact tracing) …
(2020-05-29). A Growing Wave of Bankruptcies Threatens U.S. Recovery. counterpunch.org The bankruptcy epidemic in the U.S. started last year, long before any COVID-19 pandemic had touched down. U.S. retailers ranked among the greatest casualties of 2019 with a total of 17 bankruptcies. Big names among the retail bankruptcies in 2019 included Gymboree on January 16; Charlotte Russe on February 3; Things Remembered on February 6;
(2020-05-29). "Mass Sterilization": Kenyan Doctors Find Anti-fertility Agent in UN Tetanus Vaccine. globalresearch.ca This article is of relevance to the ongoing debate on vaccines. | It was first published in February 2015 | According to
(2020-05-29). The Gates / Fauci Vaccine Developed by Moderna. Video Featuring Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Andrew Kaufman. globalresearch.ca This is a four-minute video featuring Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Andrew Kaufman that explains exactly what is in the Gates/Fauci covid19 vaccine currently being developed by Fauci's own vaccine company, Moderna. | Most of the vaccines currently under process …
(2020-05-29). Unemployment Insurance Is a Vital Part of Economic Freedom. thenation.com Unemployment Insurance Is a Vital Part of Economic Freedom…
(2020-05-29). I've Signed Death Certificates During COVID-19. Here's Why You Can't Trust Any of the Statistics on the Number of Victims. globalresearch.ca As an NHS doctor, I've seen people die and be listed as a victim of coronavirus without ever being tested for it. But unless we have accurate data, we won't know which has killed more: the disease or the lockdown?…
(2020-05-29). Amid Global Pandemic—With Nearly 363,000 Dead—Trump Terminates US Ties With the World Health Organization. commondreams.org "When every single country in the world is able to work with the WHO, except for one whose president advocates treating coronavirus with bleach and UV light, who do you think is at fault?" | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-05-29). Imperial develops coronavirus outbreak simulation tools for 137 countries. imperial.ac.uk Imperial have developed coronavirus outbreak simulation tools for 137 countries to help healthcare services plan their response to the pandemic.
(2020-05-29). Identifying clusters central to South Korea's COVID-19 response. imperial.ac.uk South Korean interventions controlled the transmission of COVID-19 quickly, resulting in a smaller epidemic made up of "clusters" of cases.
(2020-05-26). Traumatic Brain Injuries' Health Care Costs. jamanetwork.com Traumatic brain injury (TBI) was diagnosed in more than 1 million US inpatient stays and emergency department (ED) visits in 2017, a recent Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) report estimated.
(2020-05-26). Genital Powder Use and Ovarian Cancer. jamanetwork.com To the Editor Dr O'Brien and colleagues combined data on powder use in the genital area and ovarian cancer from 4 cohort studies and reported an overall hazard ratio (HR) of 1.08 (95% CI, 0.99-1.17). Except for data from the Nurses' Health Study II and additional follow-up, little new information was presented. Previously, combined data from 3 of the cohorts showed an odds ratio (OR) for perineal powder use and ovarian cancer of 1.06 (95% CI, 0.90-1.25). In the latter study, the cohort data did not outweigh the evidence from 24 case-control studies, with a combined OR of 1.31 (95% CI, 1.24-1.39).
(2020-05-26). Nonfatal, Fatal Overdoses Rising. jamanetwork.com Nonfatal drug overdoses treated in US emergency departments have increased for every type of drug except benzodiazepines, the CDC has reported.
(2020-05-26). Hybrid Influenza Strain Found in Idaho Teenager. jamanetwork.com A 13-year-old Idaho boy was treated in February 2019 for a hybrid influenza strain that contained genetic components of both seasonal influenza and 2009 influenza A(H1N1), according to a CDC report.
(2020-05-26). No Benefit for Lopinavir—Ritonavir in Severe COVID-19. jamanetwork.com Treatment with the HIV combination drug lopinavir-ritonavir did not accelerate recovery or improve mortality rates among hospitalized patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a trial in the New England Journal of Medicine reported.
(2020-05-26). Emerging Lessons From COVID-19 Response in New York City. jamanetwork.com In a little more than 1 month, US society and its hospitals were transformed by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The once-boisterous streets of New York City became quiet, while the hospital wards reverberated with the swooshes and beeps usually heard in intensive care units (ICUs). COVID-19 echoed that duality. There are so many outside the hospital who were silently infected, while so many fought for their lives in the hospital, struggling just to breathe.