(2020-06-06). [Editorial] Salient lessons from Russia's COVID-19 outbreak. thelancet.com Alexander Myasnikov, Russia's COVID-19 information chief, said in mid-April that it would be "impossible" for Russians to get the virus, estimating the probability of extensive spread in Russia at "0 ∑0%". This hubris has been sorely exposed. As of June 2, Russia has 423‚Äà186 cases, the third most in the world, while relatively few deaths from COVID-19 (5031) have been recorded. The rapid spread of the epidemic in Russia has highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of the health system, and presents the traditionally strong Russian leadership with a new challenge.
(2020-06-06). [Comment] Healthier societies for healthy populations. thelancet.com The COVID-19 pandemic makes the importance of health and wellbeing clear. The pandemic's implications for societies are far reaching. Yet the response to this pandemic and the creation and promotion of health and wellbeing require action beyond the health sector—and beyond the usual ways of working in global health. Governments are not adequately tackling inequality, ongoing economic crises, or continuing environmental damage, which undermines the health of current and future generations. For example, tobacco and alcohol use, unhealthy diets, air pollution, and insufficient physical exercise contribute to m…
(2020-06-06). [Perspectives] Indigenous populations: left behind in the COVID-19 response. thelancet.com Scholar Annie Belcourt described Native American populations in the USA as having lives that are "challenging and short". Globally, across countries and populations, Indigenous peoples face a greater burden of disease than non-Indigenous peoples, including cardiovascular disease and HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases, and have higher infant and maternal mortality and lower life expectancy. Their health is impacted by epigenetic stressors of generational oppression and violence, including disproportionate numbers of missing and murdered Indigenous women, lower educational attainment, and persistent poverty.
(2020-06-06). [Perspectives] Journal of a plague year. thelancet.com Daniel Defoe's A Journal of the Plague Year is one of the best single accounts of an epidemic written in English. Published anonymously in 1722 as a contribution to public debates about the prospect of plague reaching Britain from the French port of Marseilles, it takes the form of the literary memoir by "H.F." during London's "great plague" of 1665. The sources for the memoir and its status as fact or fiction are complicated. Defoe clearly had strong opinions, informed by continental initiatives, about how societies and people should respond to plague and he used Restoration London as a place to rehearse them.
(2020-06-06). [World Report] COVID-19 vaccine development pipeline gears up. thelancet.com Vaccine makers are racing to develop COVID-19 vaccines, and have advanced ten candidates into clinical trials. But challenges remain. Asher Mullard reports.
(2020-06-06). [Department of Error] Department of Error. thelancet.com Reiner RC Jr, Hay SI. Mapping geographical inequalities in childhood diarrhoeal morbidity and mortality in low-income and middle-income countries, 2000—17: analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Lancet 2020; 395: 1779—801—In this Article, the author byline has been amended to Local Burden of Disease Diarrhoea Collaborators. This correction has been made to the online version as of June 4, 2020, and the printed version is correct.
(2020-06-06). [Obituary] Fernando Morales. thelancet.com Infectious disease specialist focusing on HIV prevention and treatment. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Aug 15, 1970, he died from suspected complications of COVID-19 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on May 5, 2020, aged 49 years.
(2020-06-06). [Comment] Regenerative medicine: challenges and opportunities. thelancet.com In 2018, the Lancet Commission on stem cells and regenerative medicine1 reported how, despite an exponential growth in experimental therapies, there had been limited clinical uptake. Regenerative medicine comprises various novel approaches such as cell and gene therapy that have produced life-saving therapies for a few genetic diseases affecting blood or skin. Enthusiasm about the broad potential of regenerative medicine led to a gap between expectations and the realities of translating technologies into clinical practice.
(2020-06-04). Operating Outside the Rule of Law: Washington Pressures International Criminal Court. globalresearch.ca There is apparently no limit to what the United States and Israel can get away with without any consequences. The United States has been waging devastating economic warfare against Iran and Venezuela while also blaming China for a global health …
(2020-06-04). Sri Lankan health workers protest wage and transport cuts during pandemic. wsws.org While hospital workers across all grades and union affiliations participated in the protests the unions are seeking to head off a confrontation with the government.
(2020-06-04). The Pandemic Is a Threat. The President Is Worse. thenation.com The Pandemic Is a Threat. The President Is Worse.
(2020-06-04). [Commentary] Testing for COVID-19 in patients with cancer. thelancet.com The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is, undoubtedly, posing unprecedented challenges on patient care including those without COVID-19 [1]. Given the complexity of cancer care, which is often multidisciplinary requiring immunosuppressive therapy, surgery and radiation, oncologists have to be judicious more than ever to protect patients, caregivers and all healthcare workers [2]. COVID-19 has challenged operations of all hospitals, travel industry, food industry, and closure of academic institutions.
(2020-06-04). [Commentary] Governments and international institutions should urgently attend to the unjust disparities that COVID-19 is exposing and causing. thelancet.com During the COVID-19 pandemic, world leaders should pay more attention to those populations living in the poorest conditions, such as the homeless, those in prisons, poor ethnic & racial minorities, and millions of distressed migrants and refugees in unsanitary camps, settlements, shelters or detention centres. These vulnerable groups are most likely to suffer the consequences of inadequate and equitable access to testing, treatment and medical care [1]. Socio-economic circumstances determine the distribution of health conditions in populations and the severity of outcomes.
(2020-06-04). Nearly half a million health care workers worldwide infected with coronavirus. wsws.org The International Council of Nurses reports that 600 nurses have died in the COVID-19 pandemic and estimates that 450,000 health care workers of all kinds have been infected worldwide.
(2020-06-04). Mayo Clinic Minute: Why tobacco users should call it quits. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Tobacco users have an increased risk of becoming very sick if they contract the virus that causes COVID-19. If you use tobacco and want to stop, consider World No Tobacco Day on Sunday, May 31 as a start date. "During this time when the COVID-19 pandemic has made maintaining the health of ourselves and our …
(2020-06-04). Survey exposes COVID-19 dangers facing call centre workers. wsws.org Several call centre workers have lost their lives to COVID-19, with thousands in fear that their health and safety is being jeopardised.
(2020-06-04). Protect the environment, prevent pandemics, 'nature is sending us a clear message'. news.un.org On this year's World Environment Day, celebrated on June 5, the UN is drawing links between the health of the planet, and human health, and highlighting the importance of protecting biodiversity, the system that supports life.
(2020-06-04). 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 …
(2020-06-04). Trump Exploits Public Health and Racial Crises to Silence Public, Increase Pollution, Steamroll Vulnerable Communities. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-06-04). US nurses speak on dangers of COVID-19 exposure at their workplaces. wsws.org WSWS reporters spoke to nurses across the US who shared their anger and frustration over governmental and employer neglect throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2020-06-04). When Profits and Politics Drive Science: Rushing a Vaccine to Market for a Vanishing Virus. globalresearch.ca More than 100 companies are competing to be first in the race to get a COVID-19 vaccine to market. It's a race against time, not because the death rate is climbing but because it is falling — to the point …
(2020-06-04). 'Global solidarity' needed, to find affordable, accessible COVID-19 vaccine. news.un.org In the race to end the coronavirus pandemic, the UN chief reminded a virtual medical conference on Thursday that "a vaccine, by itself, is not enough".
(2020-06-04). New claims for state unemployment insurance 1.9 million in last week of May. fightbacknews.org San José, CA – On Thursday, June 4 the federal Department of Labor reported that 1.9 million new claims for state unemployment insurance or UI benefits were filed in the week ending May 30. This was down by 250,000 claims from the previous week, continuing the slow decline in new applications. However, this was still more than two and a half times higher than the previous pre-pandemic record of almost 700,000 claims made during the deep 1981-82 recession. | The total number of people receiving state unemployment benefits – which is delayed by a week – rose by 650,000 to 21.5 million for the week ending May 23. Th…
(2020-06-04). How to safely go to your doctor during the COVID-19 pandemic. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Are you wondering if it's time to schedule those doctor appointments you've been putting off? Restrictions related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are easing in many places, but you may still have concerns about COVID-19. Learn how to stay safe from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) while getting the care you need. Do your homework Before you …
(2020-06-04). Coronavirus grief: Coping with the loss of routine during the pandemic. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org It isn't easy adjusting to changes brought on by the pandemic. Consider how to deal with grief caused by the loss of your normal routine. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has changed people's lives in many ways. In addition to feeling grief over the loss of life caused by COVID-19, you're likely grieving the loss …
(2020-06-04). Protesters in Palo Alto Masked Up and Close Together. indybay.org On May 31 protesters spurred by the murder of George Floyd wore masks of many varieties, but social distancing was difficult. When asked about the 6 feet rule, some said they hadn't noticed how close they were to fellow demonstrators. Others said racism is a dire health threat that demands protest.
(2020-06-04). Health Over Profits!" Where The Hell Is OSHA At? Oakland Speak-out For Health Safety &. indybay.org Trade unionists and workers spoke out about the failure of Cal-OSHA to defend health and safety on the job. Cal-OSHA because of Governor Newsom and the California legislature has less than 200 OSHA inspectors and there are no physical inspections. Workers also talked about how they are retaliated against for making health and safety complaints.
(2020-06-04). Blue Planet Live presenter condemns 'way we manipulate wildlife'. thecanary.co The mismanagement of the environment and the destruction of natural wildlife habitats have allowed viruses like coronavirus (Covid-19) to emerge, according to a zoologist and broadcaster. | Liz Bonnin, who co-presents Blue Planet Live, described the coronavirus pandemic as an "existential crisis" and blamed the over-extraction of natural resources and the "manipulation" of wildlife. | Scientists believe Covid-19 has origins in animals, likely from bats, and may have come from live animal markets in China. | Previous global epidemics including severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) and Ebola have also been linke…
(2020-06-04). Iran records 3,574 new COVID-19 cases. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 04 (MNA) — The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has infected 3,574 people and claimed 59 lives in Iran in the past 24 hours, a senior health official said.
(2020-06-06). [Review] Quality of primary health care in China: challenges and recommendations. thelancet.com China has substantially increased financial investment and introduced favourable policies for strengthening its primary health care system with core responsibilities in preventing and managing chronic diseases such as hypertension and emerging infectious diseases such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, widespread gaps in the quality of primary health care still exist. In this Review, we aim to identify the causes for this poor quality, and provide policy recommendations. System challenges include: the suboptimal education and training of primary health-care practitioners, a fee-for-service payment s…
(2020-06-04). Maintaining public health top priority for gov't: Pres. Rouhani. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 04 (MNA) — Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that maintaining the health of the people and all members of society is a top priority for the government.
(2020-06-04). Measures Against Nord Stream 2 Show Neglect of Interest in EU Consumers, Company Says. sputniknews.com Earlier, US Senators introduced legislation expanding sanctions against Nord Stream 2 that apply to all companies that provide certification, insurance and port facilities for the project.
(2020-06-04). WHO 'very concerned' by new Ebola outbreak in DR Congo. yenisafak.com The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday said it is "very concerned" about a new Ebola outbreak that has recently claimed four lives in the western Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)."We are very concerned about this new outbreak in Mbandaka, where we have worked very closely with the government in 2018 to contain the last outbreak," WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr. Matshidiso Moeti said at a joint media briefing of the WHO and the World Economic Forum.The DRC government confirmed on Monday that a new outbreak of Ebola virus disease is occurring in Mbandaka in the western Equateur province.The Health M…
(2020-06-04). Virus shouldn't deepen injustices across world: Erdogan. yenisafak.com Turkish president on Thursday said coronavirus vaccination should be a common property of all humankind and produced at an adequate quantity for all.In a video message issued for the 2020 Global Vaccination Summit held in London, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the outbreak should not be allowed to lead to further divisions in the world."There is no doubt that the availability of the vaccine to humanity as a whole and its production in adequate quantities for all are critical as its development," he said. | "COVID-19 has reminded us once again that we are actually one big family sharing a common fate and future," Erdog…
(2020-06-04). EU to use $2.7 billion fund to buy promising COVID-19 vaccines. yenisafak.com The European Union is preparing to use an emergency 2.4-billion- euro ($2.7 billion) fund to make advance purchases of promising vaccines against the new coronavirus, EU officials told Reuters.The move was discussed at a meeting of EU ambassadors on Wednesday, after Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands said they were speeding up negotiations with pharmaceutical companies to secure access to vaccines currently under development.The EU rainy-day fund, known as the Emergency Support Instrument (ESI), would also be used to increase vaccine production capacity in Europe and offer liability insurance to pharmaceu…
(2020-06-04). Our Disaster — The Horrific War On Yemen. popularresistance.org An entire generation of Yemeni children has suffered the traumas of war, many of them orphaned, maimed, malnourished, or displaced. The United Nations reports a death toll of 100,000 people in that nation's ongoing war, with an additional 131,000 people dying from hunger, disease, and a lack of medical care. A report from Save the Children, issued in November 2018, estimated at least 85,000 children had died from extreme hunger since the war began in 2015. | Since then, 3.65 million people have been internally displaced and the worst cholera outbreak ever recorded has infected 2.26 million and cost nearly 4,000 l…
(2020-06-03). Big banks profit from COVID-19 as food, shelter, even water at risk for millions. workers.org 
On top of COVID-19, another epidemic — one of growing hunger, evictions and foreclosures — now looms over millions of poor people in the United States. They are disproportionately Indigenous, African Americans, Latinx and other people of color. Many live far from big population centers. From March to the end . . . |
(2020-06-03). U.S. campaign against Cuba's medical brigades targets healthcare, not 'forced labor'. mronline.org 
For decades, Cuba has sent tens of thousands of its medical professionals abroad to work in countries where natural disasters or poverty have left people without healthcare. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the catastrophic U.S. response to it, the absurdity of a propaganda war against Cuban medical missions has become more obvious …
(2020-06-03). Trump, WHO, the pandemic and big pharma. workers.org 
Smack in the middle of the biggest pandemic in a century, President Donald Trump has announced he is withdrawing the U.S. from the World Health Organization. One would expect Trump's decree to bring an outcry from all the people here who specialize in public health. That's happening, but it's not . . . |
(2020-06-03). Lockdowns Saved No One, Made COVID Worse, and Sentenced Many More to Death From Non-COVID on Top. anti-empire.com 
: | 1. Lockdowns Saved No One: | When we were headed into lockdowns in March — when ironically there was in some ways actually more honesty and sobriety about the disease — nobody suggested they would result in fewer people contracting the infection in the final count. | All that was said was that they would slow down the rate of infection and prevent everyone from falling sick at once, which would supposedly overwhelm the health systems and cause people to die from lack of treatment (including for non-Covid ailments). | However in the event, we never came even close to exhausting hosp…
(2020-06-03). Lancet 'expresses concern' over hydroxychloroquine paper. thecanary.co 
The Lancet has raised concerns about a study it recently published that prompted the World Health Organisation to suspend trials of two anti-malarial drugs as a potential Covid-19 therapy.The paper, published on 22 May, found hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine had been linked to increased risk of death and heart arrhythmias among people admitted to hospital with coronavirus.US president Donald Trump has been criticised for promoting the drugs — which are used to treat malaria, arthritis and lupus — as a cure for the new virus.The authors of the study said neither drug should be used to treat Covid-19 ou…
(2020-06-03). Urban red foxes 'becoming more similar to domesticated dogs'. thecanary.co 
Urban red foxes are becoming more similar to domesticated dogs due to how they have adapted to city environments, according to new analysis.The study found urban foxes in the UK have a smaller brain size capacity than their rural counterparts with a different snout shape also helping forage for food in urban surroundings.With most lockdown measures still in place, the study also suggested there have been more frequent animal sightings in the cities where red foxes have become well-established.Dr Kevin Parsons — of the University of Glasgow's Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine &…
(2020-06-03). The Sadism of American Power. counterpunch.org It was just a couple of weeks ago that President Trump was both inciting and praising anti-lockdown protesters around the country. These included armed white militia men who stormed state capitol buildings demanding an end to public health measures to curb the spread of the deadly Covid-19 virus. Many of them were filmed harassing nurses
(2020-06-03). The impact of ethnicity on clinical outcomes in COVID-19: A systematic review. thelancet.com Data on ethnicity in patients with COVID-19 in the published medical literature remains limited. However, emerging data from the grey literature and preprint articles suggest BAME individuals are at an increased risk of acquiring SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to White individuals and also worse clinical outcomes from COVID-19. Further work on the role of ethnicity in the current pandemic is of urgent public health importance.
(2020-06-03). WHO chief updates journalists on Ebola outbreak, COVID-19 treatment study. news.un.org Nearly 50 staff from the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners arrived in Mbandaka in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Wednesday, location of the country's latest Ebola outbreak.
(2020-06-03). Bicycles: Setting the wheels of change in motion during and after COVID-19. news.un.org World Bicycle Day highlights the potential for transforming the way the world moves around, before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, helping create a healthier, more sustainable future, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday.
(2020-06-03). Why Should Anyone Care About Paying Big Bucks for Vaccine Government Funded? cepr.net The New York Times ran a piece on the second round of government funding for the development of a coronavirus vaccine. The piece only mentions in passing the issue raised by some Democrats in Congress about the price of any vaccine that gets developed through this funding. This is probably too simple for the NYT …
(2020-06-03). Public Health England denies parts were missing from BAME coronavirus report. thecanary.co Public Health England (PHE) has insisted it published its review on black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) groups in full following claims that parts were removed by government officials. | The study, unveiled by health secretary Matt Hancock on Tuesday, found BAME individuals have a much higher risk of death from Covid-19 than white people, as do those from poorer backgrounds, men and anyone who is obese or suffering from diabetes. | A report in the Health Service Journal (HSJ) said that sources had informed it that the Department of Health removed a key section from the review. | It said a draft that was circu…
(2020-06-02). Independent Autopsy Concludes George Floyd's Death Was A Homicide. therealnews.com 
An independent autopsy released by Floyd's family raises serious questions about the previous findings, which implied underlying health issues were responsible for his death. Forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht says police should never place downward pressure on a person in a prone position…
(2020-06-02). Who are the real terrorists? Mainstream media misreports uprisings across New England. liberationnews.org 
There is no where in the United States that is free from the epidemic of police terror.