(2020-06-27). Brazilian health care workers strike for PPE and risk bonus. wsws.org On Thursday, health care professionals in the Brazilian state of Piauí started an indefinite strike as their counterparts in Rio de Janeiro launched protests.
(2020-06-27). [Perspectives] Aletha Maybank: AMA's Chief Health Equity Officer. thelancet.com The world has changed in the year since the American Medical Association (AMA) named Aletha Maybank as its first Chief Health Equity Officer and founder of the AMA's Center for Health Equity, dedicated to eliminating the barriers to optimal health for all patients. COVID-19 has exposed health inequities that have always existed, Maybank said. But when US Government data omitted the disease's impact on Black, Hispanic, and Native American communities, she advocated for a change. "You can't fix something that you don't measure", she said.
(2020-06-27). [World Report] Access to health care under threat in Afghanistan. thelancet.com Attacks on hospitals and high numbers of COVID-19 cases among health workers could hamper access to health care. Sharmila Devi reports.
(2020-06-27). [Editorial] Generation coronavirus? thelancet.com The catastrophic elements that have perpetuated the COVID-19 pandemic—global interconnectedness, climate change due to human activity, vast economic inequality, and deep veins of antiscience—have resulted in more than 9 million infections and almost 500‚Äà000 deaths worldwide. Although children might be less susceptible to infection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and generally have better outcomes than adults, COVID-19 as a phenomenon weighs heavily on their health and wellbeing.
(2020-06-27). Frontline nurses' burnout, anxiety, depression, and fear statuses and their associated factors during the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, China: A large-scale cross-sectional study. thelancet.com The frontline nurses experienced a variety of mental health challenges, especially burnout and fear, which warrant attention and support from policymakers. Future interventions at the national and organisational levels are needed to improve mental health during this pandemic by preventing and managing skin lesions, building self-efficacy and resilience, providing sufficient social support, and ensuring frontline work willingness.
(2020-06-27). [Comment] Offline: The second wave. thelancet.com The spectre of a second wave of COVID-19 hangs over us. Some infectious disease specialists believe that SARS-CoV-2 might be losing virulence. Most are less sanguine. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO's Director-General, reported last week that "the pandemic is accelerating"—across the Americas, south Asia, and the Middle East. "The world is in a new and dangerous phase", he said. "The virus is still spreading fast, it is still deadly, and most people are still susceptible." The shadow of the 1918 influenza pandemic darkens our perspective.
(2020-06-27). [Seminar] Pancreatic cancer. thelancet.com Pancreatic cancer is a highly fatal disease with a 5-year survival rate of approximately 10% in the USA, and it is becoming an increasingly common cause of cancer mortality. Risk factors for developing pancreatic cancer include family history, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and tobacco use. Patients typically present with advanced disease due to lack of or vague symptoms when the cancer is still localised. High quality computed tomography with intravenous contrast using a dual phase pancreatic protocol is typically the best method to detect a pancreatic tumour and to determine surgical resectability.
(2020-06-27). [Comment] Biomarkers in Down syndrome can help us understand Alzheimer's disease. thelancet.com Down syndrome is associated with increased risk of developing early-onset Alzheimer's disease, primarily because of the overexpression of the APP gene on chromosome 21. People with Down syndrome, as a form of genetically determined Alzheimer's disease, represent one of the largest cohorts at risk of early-onset Alzheimer's disease because virtually all adults with Down syndrome will develop Alzheimer's disease by age 40 years.1 However, the age range for the onset of cognitive decline is wide (from <50 years to >70 years).
(2020-06-27). [Articles] Clinical and biomarker changes of Alzheimer's disease in adults with Down syndrome: a cross-sectional study. thelancet.com Alzheimer's disease in individuals with Down syndrome has a long preclinical phase in which biomarkers follow a predictable order of changes over more than two decades. The similarities with sporadic and autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease and the prevalence of Down syndrome make this population a suitable target for Alzheimer's disease preventive treatments.
(2020-06-27). [Commentary] The resilience of Taiwan's health system to address the COVID-19 pandemic. thelancet.com A new book by world-leading economists gives clear advice on how to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic: "Act Fast and Do Whatever It Takes" [1]. Yet, countries that have done so are the exceptions rather than the rule — and one of them is Taiwan. With 446 cases and 7 deaths as 22nd of June 2020 in a population of 23.8 million, Taiwan has remained relatively unscathed so far despite its proximity to the virus epicentre [2]. How was Taiwan able to respond the way it did? Here, we examine Taiwan's response using the World Health Organization (WHO) health system building blocks [3].
(2020-06-27). [World Report] LGBTQ discrimination in US health care under scrutiny. thelancet.com A US Supreme Court ruling could undermine the Trump administration's plan to roll back some protections against sex discrimination. Susan Jaffe reports.
(2020-06-27). US states reverse reopening measures as coronavirus cases hit record high. thecanary.co 
Texas and Florida have clamped down on bars as the number of confirmed coronavirus (Covid-19) cases per day in the US surged to an all-time high of 40,000.Texas governor Greg Abbott ordered all bars to close, while Florida banned alcohol at all such establishments.Health experts have said a disturbingly large number of cases are being seen among young people who are going out again, often without wearing masks or observing other social-distancing rules. Abbott said: It is clear that the rise in cases is largely driven by certain types of activities, including Texans congregating in bars. | t.co/HjottZHYQO<...
(2020-06-27). As pandemic rages, Trump administration calls on Supreme Court to strike down Obamacare. wsws.org An overturn of the Affordable Care Act would wipe out health care coverage for as many as 23 million Americans.
(2020-06-27). The socio-economic crisis is aggravating the health crisis in Peru. peoplesdispatch.org Peru is the second hardest hit country in Latin America and the seventh most severely affected nation globally by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite early and strict nationwide lockdown measures, the number of coronavirus cases have increased at an alarming rate. After 103 days of mandatory home quarantine and shutdown of economic activities, as of June 26, there are 272,364 confirmed cases of the coronavirus infection and 8,939 deaths due to the disease in the country. The capital Lima is the most affected region with 153,068 cases and 4,029 deaths. | Although Peru was one of the first Latin American countries to im…
(2020-06-27). Economic crisis deepens as pandemic surges. fightbacknews.org San José, CA – For the second week in a row, new applications for state unemployment insurance or UI did not drop by much, despite economists' expectations. New claims for the week ending June 20 were 1.48 million, down only 28,000 from last week's initial estimate. New applications for the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, or PUA, fell by 42,000 to 728,000 last week. Together the PUA and state unemployment insurance applications topped 2.2 million, only slightly lower than the 2.27 million total for the week before. | Continuing claims for state unemployment insurance, PUA, the Federal Pandemic Emergency…
(2020-06-27). Bipartisan Crimes Against Humanity In The United States. popularresistance.org Hundreds of people are unnecessarily dying every day with African Americans representing a disproportionate number of those deaths. Eighty million people are now without health coverage, millions are unemployed, over the next two months evictions will resume with an expected explosion of homelessness. And what is the response from the state that is tasked with the responsibility to promote and protect the fundamental human rights of its population? | While trillions of dollars were transferred to the corporate sector though the CARES Act meant to support the economy through the crisis, the state continues to igno…
(2020-06-27). The Pandemic As Part Of A Much Broader Crisis Of Civilisation. popularresistance.org Covid-19 was first identified in November 2019 in the city of Wuhan. It is an infectious disease caused by a virus which is highly likely to have 'jumped' from a horseshoe bat to a human. This is widely known and yet it is striking how little is said about the actual implications. What are the impacts for us when humans can contract deadly diseases from animals? Is this normal? Or is it an isolated incident? | Sadly, such cases of viruses being transmitted to humans from vertebrates are certainly no exception. 60% of infectious diseases that affect humans originate from vertebrates. These are known as 'zoonotic'
(2020-06-27). Iran reports 125 more fatalities from coronavirus. yenisafak.com Iran on Saturday confirmed 125 more fatalities from the novel coronavirus, bringing the nationwide death toll to 10,364.A further 2,456 people tested positive for COVID-19, raising the overall count to 220,180, Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said.She added that a total of 180,661 people have recovered and been discharged from hospitals so far, adding that 2,928 patients remain in critical condition.Over 1.58 million tests have been conducted in the country to date, Lari noted.Since originating in China last December, the pandemic has claimed over 494,400 lives in 188 countries and regions.More than 9…
(2020-06-27). Turkey says close to 170,000 people recovered from COVID-19. yenisafak.com A total of 1,984 people beat COVID-19 over the past day, bringing the overall count to 169,182, Fahrettin Koca said on Twitter, citing the Health Ministry data."The number of recoveries is 612 more than the number of infected people. This number was 96 yesterday," Koca noted.The country's death toll from the virus rose to 5,082, as it reported 17 new fatalities in the past 24 hours.Some 984 patients remain in intensive care, added Koca.Health care professionals conducted 45,213 tests for the disease in the past day, raising the total count to over 3.23 million.According to the test results, the total number of in…
(2020-06-27). Czech coronavirus cases rise just as holidays start. yenisafak.com The Czech Republic recorded 168 new cases of the coronavirus on Friday, authorities said, the highest daily rise in cases since early April just as the country is starting the two-month summer holiday season.It was also the fourth day of the last 10 showing a daily increase of more than 100. Over the past week, the eastern region of Karvina has been by far the most affected by the rise in cases, according to the Health Ministry website.Friday was the last day of school for most children and students, with their families getting ready for the holidays. Many Czechs will spend their holidays in the country rather th…
(2020-06-27). Indonesia reports biggest daily rise in coronavirus infections with 1,385 cases. yenisafak.com Indonesia on Saturday reported its biggest daily increase in coronavirus infections with 1,385 new cases, taking the total to 52,812, health ministry official Achmad Yurianto said.Yurianto also said there had been 37 more coronavirus-related deaths, taking the total number of fatalities to 2,720.Separately, local authorities said that nine people aboard a flight from Indonesia to Cambodia tested positive after reaching Cambodia. Of them, one was Indonesian and eight Cambodians.
(2020-06-27). Malaysia COVID-19 cases drop to 191. yenisafak.com The number of active novel coronavirus cases dropped to 191 in Malaysia, according to health officials.General Directorate of Malaysian Health Ministry said cases increased to 8,606 with six additional infections while recoveries reached 8,294 with 23 patients leaving hospitals.A total of 121 patients died from the virus and the country did not report any deaths in the last 13 days.Malaysia has reported a single-digit case increase for the last four days and hopes to announce the stop of the spread of the virus in July.As part of COVID-19 measures, it declared a curfew March 18 and the normalization process began…
(2020-06-27). Irish parliament elects Micheál Martin as prime minister. yenisafak.com Micheál Martin was elected as Ireland's new prime minister by parliament on Saturday to head a coalition tasked with tackling the economic repercussions of the coronavirus crisis and moving fast on climate action as demanded by its smallest member, the Greens.Martin's Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, Ireland's two dominant centre-right parties who have swapped power since emerging from opposing sides of Ireland's 1920s civil war, will rule together for the first time in the three-party government.Martin, who has held several senior ministries including health, trade, foreign affairs and education in previous administra…
(2020-06-27). Africa's coronavirus cases near 360,000. yenisafak.com The number of coronavirus cases in Africa has reached 359,408, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said on Saturday.The death toll has risen to 9,283. The number of patients who have recovered hit 173,057.South Africa is the worst affected in terms of cases with a whopping 124,600, while Egypt follows with 62,800.Nigeria in West Africa recorded 23,300 cases, Cameroon in Central Africa 12,600 and Sudan in East Africa 9,300.Egypt leads in terms of deaths losing 2,600 people to the virus, South Africa 2,300, Sudan 572, Nigeria 554 and Cameroon 313.Southern Africa registered 129,700 cases, 2,400 fat…
(2020-06-27). COVID-19 cases surpass 220,000 in Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 27 (MNA) — The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infected 2,456 people and claimed the lives of 125 patients in the past day, a senior health official said.
(2020-06-26). Headlines for June 26, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. Sets Another Daily COVID-19 Record as Infections Surge in 31 States, Supreme Court Ruling Will Deny Asylum Seekers Their Day in Court, Trump Admin Asks SCOTUS to Annul Obamacare Even as Millions Lose Health Coverage, India Nears 500,000 Confirmed Coronavirus Cases as Pandemic Worsens Globally, WHO Declares End to Ebola Outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo, House Democrats Pass Sweeping Police Reform Bill That Trump Promised to Veto, Activists Demanding $1B Cut to NYPD Budget Occupy City Hall for Third Straight Night, NC Police Dept. Fires Officers Caught on Tape Discussing "Slaughtering" Black Reside…
(2020-06-26). "No Layoffs" "Stop The Greed" Frontline UCSF Workers Protest Cutbacks In Middle Of Covid. indybay.org UCSF AFSCME 3299 Frontline healthcare workers and other union members from UC rallied and protested against the 3,000 cutbacks by UC management and regents. These cutbacks in the midst of a major pandemic will not only threaten the workers the care of the patients and the public.
(2020-06-26). The Responsibility to Protect? Bipartisan Crimes Against Humanity in the U.S. counterpunch.org 
Hundreds of people are unnecessarily dying every day with African Americans representing a disproportionate number of those deaths. 80 million people are now without health coverage, millions are unemployed, over the next two months evictions will resume with an expected explosion of homelessness. And what is the response from the state that is tasked with
(2020-06-26). Scheer Intelligence: For Many Young People, Socialism Is As American As Apple Pie. popularresistance.org In the devastating aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, many young Americans who felt betrayed by capitalism were introduced to socialism by Bernie Sanders' presidential campaigns. Meagan Day, a staff writer for the popular left-wing magazine Jacobin and a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), serves as an example of how the Vermont senator radicalized a generation with a platform that called for policies like Medicare for All and tuition-free college. Day credits Sanders with her decision to choose socialism when she felt the time came to "pick a side" in American politics and has since been w…
(2020-06-26). In Racial Justice Victory, Johnson & Johnson to Pay $2B to Women in Asbestos-Laced Baby Powder Suit. democracynow.org 
Johnson & Johnson has been ordered to pay $2.1 billion to a group of women who developed ovarian cancer after using talcum powder contaminated with asbestos. Johnson & Johnson heavily marketed the powder to African American women despite warnings that the products could cause cancer. Six of the plaintiffs in the Johnson & Johnson case died before the trial started. Five more of the women have died since 2018. We get response from M. Isabelle Chaudry, senior policy manager at the National Women's Health Network, who says the company must ban the products globally and do more to address the harm it has caused, part…
(2020-06-26). Denying health crisis won't save jobs. workers.org 
June 21 — For the thirteenth week in a row, the number of initial claims the Bureau of Labor Statistics counts for unemployment insurance was over 1.5 million. Now every state plus the District of Columbia has begun the process of loosening the restrictions it had imposed in order to . . . |
(2020-06-26). Coronavirus is an SOS: Mend our broken relationship with nature, says UN and WHO. mronline.org 
Pandemics such as coronavirus are the result of humanity's destruction of nature, according to leaders at the United Nations, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) International—and the world has been ignoring this stark reality for decades.
(2020-06-26). CDC chief Redfield: 24 million may have coronavirus. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—The head of the federal Centers for Disease Control now estimates that 24 million people in the U.S., ten times the actual numbers recorded, may be ill from the coronavirus. CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield provided that estimate in a June 25 conference call with other reporters, the same day his agency expanded the list …
(2020-06-26). As COVID-19 rages, America's meatpacking workers battle for their lives. peoplesworld.org 
As new COVID-19 infections surge to their highest levels since April, the deadly virus continues to ravage meatpacking plants across the nation. Companies are not implementing CDC guidelines for safe working conditions, so workers, their children, and union are finding ways to resist and demand action. The gruesome work of killing, cleaning, and deboning beef, …
(2020-06-26). Florida and Texas close bars and scale back reopening, after spike in Covid-19 cases. rt.com 
The US states of Texas and Florida are shutting down bars and taking other measures to combat major rises in coronavirus infections, following their recent "reopening" after lockdown. | Florida set a one-day record for new cases on Friday, reporting 8,942 fresh infections, according to the state's department of health. The previous record was 5,508, which had been set only two days prior. | The spike in numbers has led to an announcement that, despite the state having previously endorsed the reopening of bars, on-site alcohol consumption will now be banned. Confirmation of the move was made by Halsey Beshears,…
(2020-06-26). Bill Gates says 'final hurdle' to distributing a Covid-19 vaccine will be convincing people to TAKE IT. rt.com 
Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates lamented the US is 'not even close' to doing enough to fight the pandemic, before warning that the vaccine he wants to inject into every human on the planet does require their consent first. | Speaking to Anderson Cooper at a CNN town hall on Thursday, Gates insisted the US was "experiencing a rebound" in Covid-19 infections even accounting for the increase in testing. That increase, the software tycoon reminded his interviewers, was accomplished by local governments in spite of – not because of – the White House. | Gates seemed miffed that Washington wasn't following his instr…
(2020-06-26). Covid-19 was in Spanish sewage as early as MARCH 2019, study claims. rt.com 
Traces of the novel coronavirus have been discovered in Barcelona sewage water months before the first case of the dreaded disease was reported in China, a new study by a group of Spanish researchers claims. | Scientists with the Enteric Virus Group at the University of Barcelona
(2020-06-26). The Dangerous Incompetence of Narendra Modi and Jair Bolsonaro. zcomm.org Alarming news about the COVID-19 disease comes from Brazil and India, where the infection numbers are high, and the death count grows steadily…
(2020-06-26). 20 Million Could Lose Health Coverage As Trump Aims to End Obamacare. truthout.org The Trump administration filed a late-evening briefing to the United States Supreme Court on Thursday, joining a number of states urging justices to overturn the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the signature health care law passed by the Obama administration. | Repeal of the ACA, which is sometimes called "Obamacare," could cause significant harm to the American people, particularly those who depend on the program to access health insurance through state exchanges. If the law were to end suddenly, it's es…
(2020-06-26). America's War on Her Own Children. thealtworld.com On April 29, 2020, a 16-year-old African American boy was involved in what institutional staff decided was a dangerous confrontation at a 'for profit' child prison run by a politically connected healthcare firm. | The child threw a piece of bread and was crushed to the ground, pleading for air, until his breathing stopped, and he went into cardiac arrest in a full George Floyd moment, one behind locked doors. | About the same time, four African Americans were found hanging in trees, all ruled suicides by police. | There is a tie in here, which we will be developing but first we will look at this Michigan case and…
(2020-06-26). Nurses and support staff at HCA Healthcare set to strike California hospital over cuts and PPE shortages. wsws.org One thousand nurses and support staff at HCA Healthcare are set to strike over concessions the hospital chain is demanding from frontline health care workers as the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread across the US.
(2020-06-26). Global partners require $31 billion to speed up COVID-19 medicines for all. news.un.org More than $31 billion is needed over the next 12 months to develop medicines that will be effective against COVID-19, and make them available to all people, the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners said on Friday.
(2020-06-26). COVID-19 in Brazil: The people's response. peoplesdispatch.org The coronavirus pandemic has sent a shockwave through Brazil which as of June 26 stands second in the world with 1 million 228 thousand confirmed cases of coronavirus and 54 thousand deaths. Hospitals are at capacity and the country also has experienced one of the highest rates of death of medical professionals amid the pandemic. However, Brazil's social movements have not stood by idly. They have been organizing around a list of demands with regards to economic support to vulnerable populations, public health policies and above all protection of the people. They have also organized solidarity initiatives across…
(2020-06-26). Weekend Read: A huge victory for safe and accessible voting in Alabama. splcenter.org The right to vote is vitally important, and casting a ballot should never require risking your health.
(2020-06-26). Workers Are Striking During The COVID18 Pandemic. popularresistance.org The coronavirus pandemic has revealed much about work in the United States: There have been countless examples of workers speaking out against unsafe work conditions and demanding personal protective equipment (PPE) to try and stay healthy and safe on the job. We also have seen that essential workers are often not paid commensurate with the critical nature of their work. Few U.S. workers have access to paid sick time or paid leave of any kind. And, when workers have advocated for health and safety protections or wage increase, they have often been retaliated against, and even fired for doing so. As a result, many…
(2020-06-26). 'Major incident' declared as Brits pack beaches. yenisafak.com A major incident was declared on England's southern coast yesterday as thousands upon thousands of people packed onto the beaches, causing a wave of condemnations and anger on Friday.The order was issued by Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole council to deal with overcrowding and violence on beaches. Health Secretary Matt Hancock threatened to shut down beaches in response.Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood said half a million people had flocked to the beaches in and around his constituency in southern England, adding: "A lot of people have chosen to be not just irresponsible but dangerous."- 'Perfect storm'Ellw…
(2020-06-26). Turkey sets example to world in fight against drugs. yenisafak.com Analyzing data compiled by the country's Health Ministry, Anadolu Agency found that Turkey uses a variety of methods and programs to combat drug use, including treatment, rehabilitation and social adaptation of former abusers.Political, bureaucratic, civic and scientific actors complement and reinforce each other in the country's nationwide efforts that have been organized on a multi-stakeholder structure that has been praised by the World Health Organization (WHO).WHO has since prepared an English-language publication on Turkey's program so other countries could benefit from its experiences.Turkey's anti-drug po…
(2020-06-26). Friday Prayer in Hamedan with health protocols in place. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 26 (MNA) — The first Friday Prayer ceremony in Hamedan was held on June 26 after a four-month hiatus due to the outbreak of coronavirus. All health protocols were in place during the event.
(2020-06-25). Coronavirus casts 'huge shadow' over Afghan life as multi-dimensional crisis continues. news.un.org The COVID-19 pandemic is not just a health emergency, but a multi-dimensional crisis for Afghanistan, dealing its people a painful blow just as Kabul and the Taliban prepare for peace talks in Qatar, the top UN official in the country says.
(2020-06-25). Local businesses sue Seattle for 'enabling' chaotic CHAZ encampment that led to 'rampant violence'. rt.com 
More than a dozen businesses are taking the city of Seattle to court over its handling of the 'autonomous' police-free zone that sprung up two weeks ago, arguing that the city has failed to maintain basic public safety. | The plaintiffs claim that the city government looked the other way as protesters took over a six-block neighborhood earlier this month, after police abandoned their East Precinct station. | The area was dubbed the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ), but was later re-branded as the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP). The unpoliced encampment was soon plagued by crime, vandalism and violence…