(2020-09-09). U.S. sanctions Russian Research Institute that developed COVID-19 Vaccine. mronline.org 
The U.S. Commerce Department blacklisted a Russian research institute that helped create the world's first COVID-19 vaccine.
(2020-09-09). Thousands receive Turkish aid following Beirut blast. yenisafak.com Turkey's Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) has sent aid to 30,000 people in Lebanon following last month's Beirut port explosion.In a statement on Wednesday, the IHH said the aid delivery is still underway."So far, 30,000 beneficiaries have received aid from the IHH," the statement said.Aid has also been delivered to three health centers in the Lebanese capital, which lacks sufficient medicine and medical supplies.On Aug. 4, a huge explosion in the port of Beirut rocked the city, killing 191 people and injuring over 6,000 people, while dozens remain missing.The blast caused damage estimated at $15 billion, acc…
(2020-09-09). Remembering Kevin Zeese, Tireless Fighter For Our Democracy. popularresistance.org Defending Rights & Dissent was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Kevin Zeese over the weekend. Over his life, he was on the frontlines of many causes—whistleblower protections, election integrity, single payer healthcare, net neutrality, reforming our criminal justice system, environmental justice, and peace. He was the press secretary for Ralph Nader's 2004 presidential campaign and in 2006 ran for Senate in Maryland with the backing of both the Green and Libertarian Parties.
(2020-09-09). Racism and anti-communism: Why the U.S. has no real health system. peoplesworld.org 
Healthcare access remains an urgent issue for millions of Americans. Trump's empty promise last month to "sign a health insurance law in two weeks" confirms this reality. As many as 12 million workers in the U.S., since the economic collapse, have lost their health insurance, according to the Economic Policy Institute. Many millions more go …
(2020-09-09). Trump's rush for a vaccine endangers the nation's health. peoplesworld.org 
The Trump administration admits it is aiming for a vaccine for COVID-19 before Election Day and that the public will joyfully rise up to reward him with a second term in the White House. The news this week that AstraZeneca, a leading pharmaceutical giant, has halted its trial of a COVID-19 vaccine because of an …
(2020-09-09). Safety comes first, says Fauci, after 'unfortunate' pausing of AstraZeneca vaccine due to UK participant's adverse reaction. rt.com 
AstraZeneca's decision to put the Phase III trial of its Covid-19 vaccine on hold is unfortunate but part of how a trial is supposed to work, Dr. Anthony Fauci has said. The pause comes after a subject developed complications. | "It's really one of the safety valves that you have on clinical trials such as this, so it's unfortunate that it happened," the leading US expert on infections told CBS' 'This Morning' program. "Hopefully, they'll work it out and be able to proceed along with the remainder of the trial, but you don't know. They need to investigate it further." | A similar sentiment was expressed by the…
(2020-09-09). Democrats & Republicans agree: Politicians & corporations should be spared from prosecution over killer Covid-19 care homes. rt.com 
Republican and Democrat politicians have both embraced legislation to immunize themselves and their deep-pocketed corporate donors from legal liability for ill-thought-out pandemic policies blamed for the deaths of thousands. | Republicans in the Senate have all but plagiarized a controversial provision from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo that will offer legal immunity to corporations that ran the care homes in which hundreds of thousands of elderly Americans died with the coronavirus over the last six months, according to a trio of progressive journalists who compared the texts and interviewed some of the lob…
(2020-09-09). Michigan University students seek safe working conditions. peoplesdispatch.org On September 9, around 1,000 graduate student employees at the University of Michigan commenced a strike.They are organizing the strike against the dangerous health and work conditions under which they have been forced to return to campus.
(2020-09-09). How America continues to fail the health care workers battling the pandemic. nationofchange.org For too many Americans, health care workers are out of sight, out of mind.
(2020-09-09). America Needs a Formal Truth-Telling Process, and Right Now! dissidentvoice.org Racism proves again that it is a cancer that's ravaging American society. As of late it seems to have metastasized to an uncontrollable disease that is snuffing our relationships, human dignity, careers, and common decency in the U.S. The various incidences of racial strife over the last several years, ranging from continued police brutality to …
(2020-09-09). Social movements in Haiti denounce president's links to criminal gangs. peoplesdispatch.org Haiti has been plagued by a wave of violent murders of vocal members of the opposition, and gang violence in poor neighborhoods. Social movements say the president is an accomplice to these crimes…
(2020-09-09). Distrust of public institutions, health inequities could push more countries into conflict, UN political affairs chief warns. news.un.org The erosion of trust in public institutions, unequal access to health care and tensions around delicate peace negotiations, are among the risks amplified by COVID-19, which if not mitigated, could push more countries into violence, the UN political affairs chief told the Security Council on Wednesday.
(2020-09-09). Serious knowledge gaps must be bridged to battle deadly sepsis infections. news.un.org Efforts to tackle sepsis, which can damage multiple organs and result in death, are hampered by "serious gaps in knowledge", particularly in low- and middle-income countries, according to a report launch on Wednesday by the World Health Organization (WHO).
(2020-09-09). Children's lives at stake, COVID threatens to undo 30 years of 'remarkable progress'. news.un.org COVID-19 threatens to undo decades of hard-fought progress in reducing deaths of children under the age of five, UN agencies have warned, calling on countries to ensure vital health services for children and women do not falter amid the global crisis.
(2020-09-09). Covid-19 Workers' Comp Claims Are Being Held Up or Denied. zcomm.org Employers and insurance companies are insisting employees, even those directly exposed to the virus, can't prove they got sick at work…
(2020-09-09). Labor Day Unite Here 2 & SEIU 87 Protest Lyft Union Busting & For Healthcare. indybay.org On Labor Day 2020 September 7, 2020, SEIU Local 87 and Unite Here Local 2 protested union busting by the hotels, Lyft and Giants.
(2020-09-09). [Commentary] Implications of the artificial intelligence extensions to the guidelines for consolidated standards of reporting trials and for standard protocol item recommendations for interventional trials (the CONSORT-AI and SPIRIT-AI extensions). thelancet.com Artificial intelligence (AI), the theory and development of computer systems able of performing tasks which normally need the application of human intelligence, holds great promise for improving health outcomes and experiences [1,2]. However, there is some anxiety around the safety and transparency (or 'black box') of AI systems which may impede their integration into healthcare and society more widely. The timely release of the CONSORT and SPIRIT extensions for interventions involving artificial intelligence is welcome, and promises to improve the quality of RCTs involving AI [3,4].
(2020-09-09). Understanding clinical decision-making during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional worldwide survey. thelancet.com Our study provides insight into the drivers of the decision-making process during a new and extreme health emergency. Different factors including the perceived expertise and quality of publications, gender, geographic origin, medical specialty and implication in medical research influenced this process. The clinical severity attenuated the physician's tolerance for uncertainty.
(2020-09-09). Safety and immunogenicity of Vi-DT conjugate vaccine among 6-23-month-old children: Phase II, randomized, dose-scheduling, observer-blind Study. thelancet.com Both single and two doses of Vi-DT vaccine are safe, well tolerated, and immunogenic for infants and toddlers in a moderately endemic setting.
(2020-09-09). [Commentary] Gender differences in outcomes of cancer patients with COVID: Signal or noise? thelancet.com Cancer is the second leading cause of deaths globally, responsible for 1 out of every 6 deaths [1]. COVID-19 pandemic has already resulted in the death of nearly 0.8 million people worldwide in just seven months [2]. Combine the two, and we have one of the most lethal combinations of diseases in the history of mankind.
(2020-09-09). Trump Told Bob Woodward He Was Intentionally Deceptive on "Deadly" COVID. truthout.org President Trump was well aware of how dangerous COVID-19 was in the early days of the pandemic. He even admitted to journalist Bob Woodward in February that he understood the disease was deadlier than the flu, contradicting his public statements and attitudes toward the disease during that time and in the months following. | Excerpts and audio recordings of Woodward's conversations with Trump, set to be included in the veteran journalist's upcoming book about the Trump administration entitled Rage,…
(2020-09-09). EU secures 300M doses of COVID-19 vaccine. yenisafak.com The European Union has secured 300 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine from medical firms BioNTech and Pfizer. | The European Commission announced on Wednesday that it had concluded talks on buying the potential vaccine with Germany- and US-based companies working together on developing the serum. | The EU would buy 200 million doses under the envisaged agreement with an option of getting further 100 million doses if the vaccine proves to be safe and effective against COVID-19. | This is the sixth agreement the bloc has managed since the EU Commission announced its Vaccine Strategy in June. | The EU executive body…
(2020-09-08). Headlines for September 8, 2020. democracynow.org Record-Breaking Wildfires and Heat Scorch California, Rochester Protests Continue as Mayor Promises Changes After Police Killing of Daniel Prude, Major Drug Companies Pledge to Not Rush COVID-19 Vaccine as U.S. Cases Top 6.3 Million, India Becomes Second Most Infected Country; Spain First European Country to Surpass 500,000 Cases, Belarusian Opposition Leader Resists Expulsion at Border with Ukraine After Reports of Abduction, Alexei Navalny Out of Induced Coma as He Continues Recovery from Poisoning, Extradition Hearing Resumes for Julian Assange in U.K., Hundreds of Rohingya Refugees Arrive on Dry Land After Mo…
(2020-09-08). Gates Foundation is Also Destabilizing Africa's Food Economy. The Restructuring of Global Food Production. globalresearch.ca The same Gates Foundation which is behind every aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic from financing much of the WHO budget, to investing in favored vaccine-makers like Moderna, is engaged in a major project in Africa which is destroying traditional small …
(2020-09-08). Cuba and China's successes against coronavirus face global media blockade. peoplesworld.org 
HAVANA—Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez condemned a media blackout on the country's progress against COVID-19 this weekend. Rodriguez pointed out that while Cuba is the only Latin American country with a vaccine candidate, it suffers a "media blockade" about its achievements. "Cuban scientists share their progress with the world, show protocols against the pandemic and …
(2020-09-08). Lukashenko says he won't talk to opposition's Coordination Council as Tikhanovskaya's representative in Minsk 'disappears'. rt.com 
Alexander Lukashenko has no plans to negotiate with the opposition's Coordination Council, accusing them of wanting a 'catastrophe' for the country by cutting ties with Moscow, and destroying the health and education systems. | He was speaking to Russian journalists who arrived in Minsk on Tuesday for Lukashenko's first interview since he was officially declared the winner of a disputed election last month. | "I won't talk to the opposition's Coordination Council because I don't know who these people are. They are no opposition. What they suggest will be a catastrophe for Belarus and the Belarusian people," th…
(2020-09-08). Patient Social Risk and Physician Performance Scores in the First Year of the Merit-based Incentive Payment System. jamanetwork.com This study uses data from the Medicare Physician Compare database to assess associations between patient social risk, defined as dual eligibility for Medicare and Medicaid, and physicians' Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) data scores, a proxy for patient outcomes and care value.
(2020-09-08). Open letter in Le Soir: Belgian ruling class calls to spread COVID-19. wsws.org Calls for a policy of "herd immunity" underline the indifference of the ruling class to the number of deaths caused by its health policy.
(2020-09-08). Potential Adverse Financial Implications of the Medicare Merit-Based Incentive Payment System. jamanetwork.com Health care payment design requires careful monitoring and evaluation to understand and avoid unintended adverse consequences. In 2019, US clinicians began to be rewarded or penalized up to 4% of revenue under the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). Clinicians can choose measures for evaluation from 3 categories: quality, meaningful use, and improvement activities.
(2020-09-08). COVID-19 Precautions Helped Limit Cases Linked to Milwaukee Primary. jamanetwork.com High rates of voting by mail and other prevention strategies during Milwaukee's April primary limited the election-related spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), according to a report by CDC and City of Milwaukee Health Department researchers.
(2020-09-08). Chikungunya Virus—Like Particle Vaccine. jamanetwork.com To the Editor The chikungunya virus—like particle (CHIKV VLP) vaccine described in a recent article by Dr Chen and colleagues is one of several chikungunya vaccines that have completed either phase 1 or preclinical phases. The phase 2 randomized clinical trial reported focuses on pertinent clinical questions of safety and tolerability of the vaccine in a chikungunya-endemic area. The trial enrolled healthy adults aged 18 through 60 years who had tested negative for chikungunya virus IgM/IgG and randomized them to receive 20 Œºg of the vaccine or a placebo. Both safety and tolerability were demons…
(2020-09-08). Health disaster and class conflict on horizon as millions of students return to US schools. wsws.org Following the Labor Day holiday, the vast majority of schools have now reopened in the US, sending millions of students and educators back into schools and threatening a massive spread of the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the country.
(2020-09-08). Investments in public health, an investment in safer future, urges Tedros. news.un.org The world must be ready when the next pandemic comes, the head of the UN World Health Organization (WHO) has said, urging countries to invest more in public health as part of their efforts to recover from COVID-19.
(2020-09-08). FDA-required tests on puppies slows progress to Covid treatment. nationofchange.org Dosing puppies with drugs designed for humans won't make people safer. In fact, it poses serious risks to human health.
(2020-09-08). Association Between Clinician Health System Affiliation and Outpatient MIPS Performance. jamanetwork.com This study uses data from the Medicare Physician Compare database to assess associations between clinician affiliation with health systems and performance scores and value-based reimbursement under the 2019 Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS).
(2020-09-08). TB Control Suffers During Pandemic. jamanetwork.com Extraordinary demands during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have diminished efforts to diagnose and treat people with tuberculosis (TB) at half of US public health departments, according to a report by the CDC and the National TB Controllers Association.
(2020-09-08). Allocation of COVID-19 Relief Funding to Disproportionately Black Counties. jamanetwork.com This study describes correlations between the dollar amount of relief funding authorized by the US Congress to fund prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and to reimburse health care entities for lost revenues, and county-level Black population fraction accounting for county COVID-19 burden, comorbidity, and hospital financial health.
(2020-09-08). Mexican medical workers, facing highest death toll in the world, protest layoffs and lack of protective gear. wsws.org The most damning indictment of the the López Obrador government's response to the pandemic, are the deaths of 1,410 health care workers, the highest number in the world.
(2020-09-08). Cascading Risks of COVID-19 Resurgence During an Active 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season. jamanetwork.com This Viewpoint discusses the prospects for exacerbation of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic during hurricane season in the US, and proposes reinforcement of public health measures, clear communication, and learning from each experience to reduce the risks of hurricane-related harms and increases in COVID-19 cases.
(2020-09-08). Chikungunya Virus—Like Particle Vaccine—Reply. jamanetwork.com In Reply We described the results of a phase 2 clinical trial demonstrating the safety, tolerability, and durable immunogenicity of a CHIKV VLP vaccine at 6 chikungunya-endemic sites in the Caribbean. Dr Jaiswal and colleagues highlight the favorable safety profile of the vaccine and inquire as to the reason for the study participant withdrawals described as "investigator or study decision" and requested the genotype-specific neutralization assay results.
(2020-09-08). Patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms and high levels of systemic inflammation develop age-related macular degeneration. thelancet.com Patients with MPNs suffer from accelerated accumulation of subretinal drusen and therefore AMD from an earlier age than healthy individuals. We find that the retinal changes are located only between the neuroretina and the choroidal bloodstream. Further, we find that the drusen accumulation is associated with a higher JAK2V617F allele burden and a higher NLR, suggesting that low-grade chronic inflammation is a part of the pathogenesis of drusen formation and AMD.
(2020-09-08). Namaki urges for global call to end US illegal sanctions. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 08 (MNA) — In a letter to Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Iranian Minister of Health Saeed Namaki called for a global request for an end to the US illegal and unilateral sanctions that endanger global health.
(2020-09-08). Researcher and chef make 'hyperfoods' cookbook with disease-fighting ingredients. imperial.ac.uk An Imperial researcher and a chef have teamed up to create a cookbook of recipes using 'hyperfoods' — ingredients with anti-cancer molecules.
(2020-09-08). Young Children May Develop 'Lethal' Syndrome After COVID-19 Diagnosis. sputniknews.com Newly published research has indicated that the long-term effects of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), a pediatric disease linked to COVID-19, are "dangerous" and "potentially lethal."
(2020-09-08). Sanders Condemns Trump Effort to Rush COVID Vaccine Before Election. truthout.org After President Donald Trump on Monday suggested a Covid-19 vaccine could be fully developed and put to market "before a very special day" — apparently referring to the November 3 presidential election — Sen. Bernie Sanders warned that Trump's ongoing politicization of the vaccine process threatens to undermine public trust and safety. | "I think you got a president who's losing it, and I think most people are sick and tired of the ranting and the ravings of Donald Trump," the Vermont sena…
(2020-09-08). Erdogan hails dialogue with Iran on region. yenisafak.com The president of Turkey on Tuesday praised his country's dialogue with Iran to find possible solutions to problems in their shared region."Dialogue between Turkey and Iran has played a determinant role in resolving many regional problems," said Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaking at the sixth meeting of the Turkey-Iran High-Level Cooperation Council."I believe our cooperation will return to its previous levels as the epidemic subsides," Erdogan said at the meeting, which was being held via video link and co-chaired by himself and his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani.Turkey's Communications Directorate had said in a…
(2020-09-08). The Face of British Trade: Tony Abbott Goes to Blighty. counterpunch.org The question was put by interviewer Kay Burley on Britain's Sky News network to UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock. "Is Tony Abbott the right kind of person to represent us — even if he's a homophobic misogynist?" Hancock, while preferring to focus on the former Australia Prime Minister's expertise in trade, also performed something of
(2020-09-08). Trump, Biden and a Possible October Single-Payer Surprise. commondreams.org National Nurses United (NNU), along with a broader coalition of pro-Medicare for All organizations, rallied outside of the national headquarters of PhRMA in support of Medicare for All. (Photo: NNU/Flickr/cc) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-09-08). 'This Is What It Has Come To': Amid Fears of Politicization at FDA, Big Pharma Pledge to 'Stand With Science' Is Met With Skepticism. commondreams.org "It is simply remarkable and beyond dangerous that President Trump has so politicized the vaccine process to the point that drug corporations—the least trusted industry in America—are now the messengers on vaccine safety." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-09-08). UN Warns Pandemic-Intensified Famines Are Looming, 'Endangering the Lives of Millions'. commondreams.org "A lack of funding for emergency relief and the complications created by the coronavirus scourge have now pushed some of the world's neediest populations closer to famine conditions." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
