(2020-06-13). [Perspectives] Accountability for medical participation in torture. thelancet.com After revelations of the participation of US health professionals in torture of detainees in military or CIA custody in the wake of 9/11, citizens filed complaints to disciplinary and licensing boards in seven states against psychologists who had been publicly identified as having been part of the torture apparatus. All of the complaints were eventually dismissed, only one with an explanation. In light of the disciplinary bodies' resistance to investigate participation in torture, much less impose sanctions, colleagues and I, then representing Physicians for Human Rights, helped a New York legislator, Richard Got…
(2020-06-13). [Correspondence] NICE guideline for rectal cancer: already out of date. thelancet.com As members of a colorectal multidisciplinary team, some of whom have contributed to previous National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance1 and European Society of Medical Oncology guidelines in rectal cancer,2 we disagree with the current recommendations in the update to NICE guidance that was published in 2020: "offer preoperative radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy to people with rectal cancer that is cT1-T2, cN1-N2, M0, or cT3-T4, any cN, M0."3…
(2020-06-13). [Comment] Offline: COVID-19—what we can expect to come. thelancet.com The verdicts are now coming in. In Mark Honigsbaum's updated edition of The Pandemic Century, he has included a new chapter on COVID-19. As a historian of epidemics, he offers his judgments about how countries have responded to what he calls "China's Chernobyl moment". His critique is sharp. For decades, we have known that the world is intrinsically and increasingly vulnerable to pandemics—and yet, "we failed to heed the warnings about Covid-19 and act when our actions could have prevented the outbreak from spinning out of control".
(2020-06-13). [World Report] COVID-19 vaccines for all? thelancet.com If an effective COVID-19 vaccine is developed, how will it get to everyone in need? Ann Danaiya Usher reports on the initiatives being planned to ensure equitable access, and their shortcomings.
(2020-06-13). [Correspondence] Questioning statin therapy for older patients. thelancet.com Single clinical trials have not yet determined whether statin therapy provides more benefit than harm to people older than 75 years with or without a history of vascular disease. The Cholesterol Treatment Trialists' Collaboration, which alone has access to patient-level data from most trials, is best able to answer these questions. However, we have several concerns about the Article by the Collaboration1 and the presentation of its results to the media.
(2020-06-13). [Review] Meningococcal disease and sexual transmission: urogenital and anorectal infections and invasive disease due to Neisseria meningitidis. thelancet.com Neisseria meningitidis is an obligate human commensal bacterium that frequently colonises the upper respiratory tract. Person-to-person transmission occurs via direct contact or through dispersion of respiratory droplets from a carrier of the bacteria, and can lead to invasive meningococcal disease. Rare sporadic cases of meningococcal urogenital and anorectal infections, including urethritis, proctitis, and cervicitis, have been reported, typically following orogenital contact with an oropharyngeal meningococcal carrier.
(2020-06-13). [Correspondence] Questioning statin therapy for older patients — Authors' reply. thelancet.com We were correct in stating that, among patients with established cardiovascular disease, the rates of use of statin therapy have been shown to decline among people older than 75 years.1 Not only do the Dutch data2 that we cited demonstrate this trend, but so do the US data reported by Salami and colleagues.3 Supplementary table 5a in the latter paper3 indicates that, after adjusting for other factors, the odds of statin use among patients with cardiovascular disease are about one-fifth lower among patients aged 75 or older than among patients aged 65—74 years.
(2020-06-13). How Thailand Contained COVID-19. zcomm.org In politically turbulent Thailand, a public health system with popular support — not decrees from above — made all the difference…
(2020-06-13). Health care leaders urge patients to seek necessary care. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., Mayo Clinic's president and CEO, joined Tomislav Mihaljevic, M.D., chief executive and president of the Cleveland Clinic, in a public call for patients not to delay needed health care or screenings. In a New York Times Opinion piece, Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., Mayo Clinic's president and CEO, and Tomislav Mihaljevic, M.D., chief executive and president …
(2020-06-13). UK Stock Exchange considers cutting market trading hours, says LSE. truepublica.org.uk A public consultation has found strong support for cutting stock market trading hours in the UK to help improve gender diversity and mental health across the financial sector. Feedback from the LSE's public consultation found that a "significant majority" were sympathetic to arguments that the move would increase employee wellbeing and broaden the appeal of a high-pressure career in …
(2020-06-13). Mayo researchers define type of Alzheimer's that affects people in their younger years. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org ROCHESTER, Minn. ? Mayo Clinic researchers have defined a form of Alzheimer's disease that strikes younger people as early as their 40s, presents with atypical symptoms, and affects a different part of the brain not usually associated with Alzheimer's. In their study, the researchers describe a progressive dysexecutive syndrome which they say affects a person's …
(2020-06-12). Remember the "Fake" 2009 H1N1 Swine Flu Pandemic: Manipulating the Data to Justify a Worldwide Public Health Emergency. globalresearch.ca A Worldwide public health emergency is unfolding, 4.9 billion doses of H1N1 swine flu vaccine are envisaged by the WHO.
(2020-06-12). In the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Towards A New World Order? The Global Debt Crisis and the Privatization of the State. globalresearch.ca This is the true picture of what is happening. Poverty is Worldwide. While famines are erupting in Third World countries, closer to home, in the richest country on earth, "millions of desperate Americans wait in long crowded lines for handouts"
(2020-06-12). Coronavirus spread in Colombia triggers orange alert in Bogota, curfew in Barranquilla. colombiareports.com 
Colombia's capital Bogota declared an orange alert and port city Barranquilla decreed a curfew on Thursday as the coronavirus threatens to collapse the cities' healthcare systems. Bogota mayor Claudia Lopez…
(2020-06-12). Living is no laughing matter. mronline.org 
The United States government has withdrawn its support for the World Health Organisation (WHO) based on accusations that the WHO has not been forthcoming about the novel coronavirus and based on U.S. President Donald Trump's questioning of the WHO's independence from China, calling the organisation a 'puppet of China'.
(2020-06-12). Covid-19 Hits the French Health System. counterpunch.org 
On 28 February the WHO issued a report on China's efforts to control the Coronavirus outbreak, highlighting the necessity for a comprehensive government-led response to the threat. On 29 February, the French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe chose to divert priorities from a Ministerial Council dedicated to Covid-19 by utilising article 49-3 of the Constitution to
(2020-06-12). Fighting For Our Future, Fighting Back Against Austerity. counterpunch.org 
Like many other cities across the US both big and small, Burlington, Vermont's economy has been hit hard by the fallout from the coronavirus epidemic. Because much of its economy depends on restaurants, bars, pubs and entertainment, the unemployment is higher than it has been in decades. As a result, tax revenues are down and
(2020-06-12). New Haven is Minneapolis: Racist police terror is alive and well in Connecticut. liberationnews.org 
New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker is among the many political officials across Connecticut who are trying to distance themselves from the state's long history and ever present epidemic of racist police terror. On May 29, in his first statement on the wave of protests that have spread across the country following the murder of George …
(2020-06-12). Will Science and Reason Save Us? The Liberal Left's False Wall of Defense. counterpunch.org Lies on social media, life-threatening health advice, "alternative facts," info wars, etc. It is easy to be concerned about the disregard for truthfulness, reflection, and sensibility involved in the far-right offensive that has entered government buildings around the world. Yet, it is also troubling that an increasing number of leftists embrace a neoliberal line of
(2020-06-13). The Right To Refuse Unsafe Work Is More Important Than Ever. popularresistance.org The COVID-19 pandemic is taking a heavy toll on workers. Reports of job hazards grow increasingly dire as several governors and President Trump push past CDC guidelines to "reopen" the economy while forecasts predict soaring infections and deaths. | Some states at the direction of the Labor Department threaten termination of unemployment benefits for workers fearing return to dangerous jobs. A disturbing June 5 New York Times' report reveals how far those machinations have gone. The result: workers fired without pay or benefits or trapped in a deadly vice between poverty and disease. | In short, the news is terri…
(2020-06-12). It Won't Be Protests That Bring On The Next Big Wave Of COVID19. popularresistance.org As people across the nation and the world came out to protest the police murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, corporate media carried a warning: Demonstrations against police violence risk creating a major upsurge in the spread of the coronavirus. | As ABC (6/3/20) put it: | As thousands of demonstrators continue to protest the killing of George Floyd, health experts are worried that a second wave of Covid-19 infections could be sparked by the mass gatherings. | An opinion piece in USA Today (6/8/20) warned, "George Floyd Protests Create Risk of Deadly Coronavirus Resurgence." "The absence of social distan…
(2020-06-13). [Correspondence] Major burns: debt recovery or ethics? thelancet.com As one of the UK's largest tertiary burns centres, St Andrew's Burns Service has an ethical obligation to raise awareness about issues that compromise the care of patients. In 2017, new regulations placed a legal requirement on Health Authorities to establish patients' eligibility for free National Health Service treatment.1 An increasing number of patients ineligible for free care have been admitted to the St Andrew's Burns Service and subsequently presented with large invoices as soon as they recover.
(2020-06-13). COVID-19 death toll rises in Oman, Bahrain, Libya. yenisafak.com Health authorities in Oman, Bahrain and Libya confirmed new fatalities due to the novel coronavirus on Saturday, while Morocco reported fresh infections. | The Omani Health Ministry said three patients had died from COVID-19, while 1,006 new cases were reported over the past 24 hours. | The country's confirmed cases now stand at 22,077, including 99 deaths, and 7,530 recoveries. | In Bahrain, the Health Ministry said the country's death toll rose to 37 after two people had died from the disease, while a further 444 new cases were registered, taking the figure to 17,713. | Libya's National Center for Disease Contr…
(2020-06-13). COVID-19: New cases reported in China, South Korea. yenisafak.com China confirmed 11 new novel coronavirus cases while South Korea reported 48, authorities said on Saturday.China's National Health Commission said in a statement that five of the cases were locally transmitted, all based in the capital Beijing, while the six others were from travelers overseas.The commission reported no deaths due to the virus in the last 24 hours.A total of 83,075 cases have been reported in the country so far, according to the statement.The epidemic has claimed the lives of 4,634 people while 78,367 others have recovered from the virus.Meanwhile, South Korea reported 48 more cases of the virus…
(2020-06-13). Iran to re-impose virus restrictions if rules violated. yenisafak.com Iran has seen a spike in the number of coronavirus cases since the authorities relaxed a lockdown in mid-April. | "If we do not want to see the spike of the disease in the country [Iran] again, we must observe health instructions and avoid unnecessary travel," Rouhani said in a televised speech. | The Iranian president said his government has relaxed the restrictions on condition of abiding by the health rules to combat the virus. | He warned that if the people are in danger, the authorities will have to re-impose the restrictions again. | Iran's Health Ministry confirmed 71 fatalities and 2,410 cases due to t…
(2020-06-13). Virus cases in Africa top 225,000. yenisafak.com As Africa grapples with the fast-spreading coronavirus, the number of cases spiked to 224,105, according to a Saturday update by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.The virus took 100 days to infect 100,000 people in Africa since the first case was detected in mid-February, but then just 23 days to double to 200,000, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), in a pace that is accelerating.The update has it that 6,040 patients have died across 54 African countries.The number of people who have recovered from COVID-19 in the continent has reached 102,846, according to the update.Southern A…
(2020-06-13). COVID-19: Afghan Health Ministry reaches limit of tests. yenisafak.com Speaking at a gathering in the capital Kabul, Ahmad Jawad Osmani said from now on, any people with symptoms of COVID-19 would ultimately be considered as a positive case of the novel coronavirus infection."At present, we have laboratories in 11 provinces of Afghanistan and we plan to increase the number of services in all 34 provinces, but it takes time which is out of the control of the ministry," he said.Latest figures issued by the Health Ministry revealed that 556 cases proved positive after 1,045 samples were collected in the past 24 hours. The latest figures brought the tally of cases to 24,101 with 4,201 p…
(2020-06-13). Popular blood pressure medicines do not put patients at greater COVID-19 risk: study. yenisafak.com New research offers reassuring evidence to hundreds of millions of people with high blood pressure that popular anti-hypertension drugs do not put them at greater risk from COVID-19 as some experts had feared.Two blood pressure-lowering drug classes, called ACE inhibitors and ARBs, came under scrutiny after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in April that 72% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients 65 or older had hypertension.ACE inhibitors and ARBs are thought to trigger activity along the same biological pathways used by the COVID-19 novel coronavirus to attack the lungs.Researchers at Oxfo…
(2020-06-12). EU warns COVID-19 health crisis not over yet, urges vigilance. yenisafak.com The public health crisis caused by the COVID-19 epidemic in Europe is not over yet, the European Union's top health official warned on Friday, urging governments to remain vigilant and plough ahead with testing and tracing the population."This is not behind us yet. We need to be vigilant," EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides told EU health ministers in a videoconference, amid fears of a new surge in infections as EU states gradually reopen business and borders and after mass protests in recent days across the continent [ nL8N2DO589].
(2020-06-12). Sweden and Poland only EU nations who STILL haven't reached Covid-19 peak — EU health watchdog. rt.com 
There are now just two European countries still headed for the height of their coronavirus outbreaks. Sweden — widely criticized for having chosen a different pandemic strategy — and Poland both expect a greater rise in numbers. | A paper published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) compares the number of coronavirus cases reported during a 14-day
(2020-06-12). Health experts concerned about indirect effects of COVID-19 on women and youth. news.un.org As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to escalate, the World Health Organization (WHO) is concerned about its impact on women, children and young people.
(2020-06-12). Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Precautions for a summer of COVID-19. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org With the onset of warmer weather and more and more states loosening their COVID-19 restrictions, lots of folks are wondering about some summer staples, like cookouts and a day at the beach or pool. On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse, an infectious disease specialist at Mayo Clinic, discusses how you can minimize your …
(2020-06-12). Pakistan records over 6,000 more COVID-19 cases. yenisafak.com Pakistan on Friday recorded more than 6,000 coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours, the highest single-day rise since the outbreak, according to official statistics on Friday.With 6,397 new cases, Pakistan's tally of coronavirus cases has reached 125,933, already surpassing China and Saudi Arabia, putting the country at number 15 worldwide in terms of cases, the data shows.Another 107 patients lost their lives due to COVID-19 across the country, bringing the death toll from the deadly virus to 2,463, while 40,247 patients have successfully recovered and discharged from the hospitals, according to the Health Min…
(2020-06-12). Liquefied Gas Tank Explosion in Russia's Kazan Kills 1, Injures 2, Tatarstan Health Ministry Says. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – A gas explosion at a Gazprom distribution centre in the Russian city of Kazan has killed one person and left three injured, the Russian Emergencies Ministry said.
(2020-06-12). Iran, Iraq discuss expansion of healthcare cooperation. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 12 (MNA) — Iran's Ambassador to Iraq Iraj Msjedi and Iraqi Health Minister Hassan Mohammed al-Tamimi stressed the need for promoting cooperation in the health sector.
(2020-06-12). Friday Prayer in Arak after 110 days with health protocols in place. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 12 (MNA) — The first Friday Prayer ceremony in Arak after the outbreak of coronavirus was held on June 12 while health protocols were in place.
(2020-06-12). LMICs will face 'extreme strain' on health systems despite younger populations. imperial.ac.uk Developing countries are likely to face extreme demand on health systems from COVID-19, despite having younger populations, according to researchers.
(2020-06-12). Corona epidemic and Yemen. indybay.org Authorities first wanted to calm down and played down the pandemic. Afterward, they had to convince the population to keep unusual physical distance, to wash their hands well at all times, and to refrain from major events. Finally, they wanted the population to accept the week-long lockdown, with business closures, exit, and travel restrictions.
(2020-06-11). U.S. Passes 2 Million Coronavirus Cases as States Lift Restrictions, Raising Fears of a Second Wave. democracynow.org 
The number of confirmed U.S. coronavirus cases has officially topped 2 million as states continue to ease stay-at-home orders and reopen their economies and more than a dozen see a surge in new infections. "I worry that what we've seen so far is an undercount and what we're seeing now is really just the beginning of another wave of infections spreading across the country," says Dr. Craig Spencer, director of global health in emergency medicine at Columbia University Medical Center.
(2020-06-11). Leaked CDC document shows new danger in continuing coronavirus plague. peoplesworld.org 
Despite cheerleading from GOP President Donald Trump, the raw numbers show the coronavirus pandemic still plagues the U.S., and a leaked document from the Centers for Disease Control adds we're not out of the woods. That's because, compared to the other nine nations which lead the world in total coronavirus cases, the U.S. showed a …
(2020-06-11). WHO Believes That Mass Protests Are Important Even in a 'Pandemic' Provided They're More Popular Than WHO. anti-empire.com 
In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the World Health Organization took time at its daily press conference to address another pressing issue: the wave of protests against police violence and racial injustice. The demonstrations began in the U.S. when George Floyd died on May 25 after a police officer had pressed a knee into his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds while detaining him in Minneapolis. | The protests are now spreading around the world to Europe, Africa and other regions. | "WHO fully supports equality and the global movement against racism. We reject discrimination of all kinds," said WHO director…
(2020-06-11). Car convoy supports UK Sonic Health workers. greenleft.org.au 
(2020-06-11). Alternatives to Policing—The Case for Public Health and Community Development Investments. projectcensored.org By Amber Yang As outrage sparks over police brutality, systemic racism, and socio-economic inequality, activists are calling to defund police. Despite other calls for anti-bias training, civilian review processes, and…
(2020-06-11). Health Workers March To Expose Racism As A Health Crisis. popularresistance.org Seattle, WA – Dr. Nkeirika Banda's phone was vibrating. "I'm scared to check it," said the HealthPoint family medicine resident. Her mom, who lives in Zambia, is a worrier — and Banda had just sent her family a photo from the intersection of James Street and Sixth Avenue, where she was supporting the Seattle's Doctors for Justice rally against racism and police brutality. "So I obviously didn't tell her that I was coming [to the protest]," Banda said. | Banda and thousands of other health care professionals gathered at 10 a.m. June 6 at Harborview Medical Center in solidarity with Seattle's Black community.
(2020-06-11). Philippines: Denounce threats against protesters using Covid-19 as pretext. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement of Marco Valbuena, Chief Information Officer, Communist Party of the Philippines. | The Party denounces the Philippine National Police, whose spokesperson today, June 5, disparaged the mass actions against the Anti-Terror Bill saying the protesters compromised public health. The PNP's statement is a thinly veiled threat against the people's civil and political rights. | The PNP has now set the stage to stop further protest actions in an attempt to stop the mounting protest movement against the ATB. Earlier today, in the name of "public health," polic…
(2020-06-11). [Commentary] Covert family planning as a symbol of agency for young, married women. thelancet.com Family planning has long been seen as both a marker and a potential driver of women's autonomy and overall population health. Family planning is strongly linked to child and women's health outcomes, and tends to be better for nearly every household measure [1,2].
(2020-06-11). COVID-19 highlights 'life and death' stakes for greater digital cooperation. news.un.org Managing the digital divide better, has become "a matter of life and death" for people unable to access essential healthcare information during the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN chief has told a virtual high-level meeting on rapid technological change.
(2020-06-11). Report finds European lockdowns saved millions of lives, ending it threatens millions. wsws.org The report is an indictment of governments' initial delays in implementing public health measures and a warning of the terrible consequences of the return to business as usual.
(2020-06-11). Police shoot dead mentally ill man in Melbourne, Australia. wsws.org The man's death marks another incident where police have killed someone suffering a mental health crisis.
(2020-06-11). COVID-19 in Africa: WHO urges constant vigilance as cases top 200,000. news.un.org COVID-19 is accelerating in Africa, with more than 200,000 cases and more than 5,600 deaths, the regional office for the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Thursday.