(2020-09-10). Headlines for September 10, 2020. democracynow.org Wildfires Destroy Oregon Towns, Bringing "Apocalyptic" Orange Skies to West Coast, Human Activity Blamed for 68% Drop in Animal Population Since 1970, President Donald Trump Acknowledges Downplaying COVID-19 Threat to U.S. Public, Biden Blasts Trump's "Life-and-Death Betrayal of the American People" on COVID-19, Bob Woodward Blasted for Withholding Trump's Comments on COVID-19 for Months, NIH Director Says Politics Shouldn't Trump Science in Vaccine Development, UW-Madison Halts In-Person Classes After 1,000+ Students Test Positive for Coronavirus, India Reports Record Daily Coronavirus Infections as Global Death…
(2020-09-10). COVID Vaccine Trials Seek Black & Latinx Participants, But History of Medical Apartheid Sows Mistrust. democracynow.org 
As President Trump pushes to release a coronavirus vaccine before the November election, a National Institutes of Health report details how the process could be slowed by a lack of participation in vaccine studies by African American and Latinx people, many of whom mistrust the U.S. healthcare system due the history of racist medical exploitation. "The written history of medicine, the canon, has been carefully curated to elide the experience of African Americans," says medical ethicist Harriet Washington, author of "Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Ti…
(2020-09-10). "Democratic Public Health": Big Pharma Relies on Developing World While Limiting Access to Treatment. democracynow.org 
We look at the history of clinical vaccine trials and exploitation of vulnerable people in the U.S. and India, which recently surpassed Brazil as the country with the second most infections worldwide. Kaushik Sunder Rajan, an anthropologist at the University of Chicago, says there is a documented history of "ethical lapses" and lack of accountability in vaccine studies in India. "The critical issue here is not whether vaccines are good or bad, but … even more, I would suggest what is at stake is a democratic public health," he notes.
(2020-09-10). Why Herd Immunity is a Distraction. counterpunch.org 
There has been a spectrum of actions taken by governments to address near-term prevention of the spread of COVID-19. The extremes have ranged from total lockdowns (e.g., Italy, Belgium and Spain); to legal enforcement of quarantines and contact tracing (e.g., Canada and Germany); to much lighter forms of restriction (e.g., Denmark and Norway); to even more minimal restrictions, but with extensive testing and tracing (e.g., Taiwan and South Korea). There have also been some clearly incompetent policies, notably in the United States, where the country's public health infrastructure has been eviscerated not just by…
(2020-09-10). As COVID spreads: Epidemic of evictions goes viral. workers.org 
Houston — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced a federal eviction moratorium on Sept. 1 to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Coming several months into the pandemic, it may help keep many in their homes — but only until Dec. 31. This is very much a case . . . |
(2020-09-10). The Heat: Trump criticized for COVID-19 response. america.cgtn.com 
This week marks six months since the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a global pandemic. Fast forward to September and the death toll in the United States continues to climb.
(2020-09-10). Moonshot or moonshine? Experts sceptical about government's latest coronavirus plan. thecanary.co 
Boris Johnson's government is considering shelling out up to £100bn for a mass at-home coronavirus (Covid-19) testing programme. But experts are sceptical about its ability to deliver.Known as "Operation Moonshot", if it worked, up to 10 million tests could be carried out every day from the comfort of people's own homes.How would Operation Moonshot work?: Ministers and health officials are hoping for a test that doesn't need processing in a lab. It would mean users get their results in a matter of minutes rather than days.The saliva test would mean people don't need to travel to testing centres or wa…
(2020-09-10). University Of Michigan Residential Staff On Strike. popularresistance.org The bottom line is our health can't wait. Our communities can't wait. The University's inaction in the face of ResStaff's explicit concerns and action items over the last few weeks has made it clear that public health is not the priority. The University has repeatedly referred to the Wolverine Culture of Care, but has not extended this same care to us. If U of M administrators do not want to live up to the Michigan Difference, we will be the difference ourselves. Health comes first. ResStaff will not stand for anything less than policies and adequate resources that reflect this priority.
(2020-09-10). Peace through weapons sales to the UAE. nationofchange.org If the American people really want to pursue peace in the Middle East and instead use our taxes to build up U.S. infrastructure, healthcare, education and address the climate crisis, then we must immediately pressure our Congressional representatives to make sure that the U.S.-UAE weapons sales deal does not go through.
(2020-09-10). Leaders pledge 'quantum leap' towards fully funding COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. news.un.org Global leaders, including more than 30 Heads of State and Ministers, have underlined their commitment towards fast-tracking the development and production of COVID-19 tests, medicines and vaccines, that will be available for anyone, anywhere, who needs them.
(2020-09-10). The Trump Administration's Attack on Abortion Access Disproportionately Harms Communities of Color Already Devastated by COVID-19. aclu.org Six months into the COVID-19 pandemic, it is devastatingly apparent that the United States' longstanding racial inequalities have only been amplified during this crisis. Nowhere is that truer than in health care, including reproductive health care., , Even before the pandemic, people of color faced severe barriers to accessing essential reproductive health care as a result of interrelated factors such as structural racism, gendered oppression, and associated economic disparities. Abortion restrictions, such as bans on insurance coverage for abortion or laws mandating delays in abortion care and an extra unnec…
(2020-09-10). UN Warns Pandemic-Intensified Famines Are Looming. zcomm.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."
(2020-09-10). Postponed: Memorial for People Killed by Police/Vigilantes since the George Floyd Uprising. indybay.org Due to unhealthy air quality, this memorial event is postponed until next Thursday.
(2020-09-10). Hospitals and Nursing Homes Are Failing to Separate COVID Patients. truthout.org Nurses at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center were on edge as early as March when patients with COVID-19 began to show up in areas of the hospital that were not set aside to care for them. | The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had advised hospitals to isolate COVID patients to limit staff exposure and help conserve high-level personal protective equipment that's been in short supply. | Yet COVID patients continued to be scattered through the Oakland hospital, according to complaints to California's…
(2020-09-10). WHO says $700 million raised so far for COVID-19 vaccines initiative for poor. yenisafak.com International donors have raised $700 million – less than half the target – to purchase future coronavirus vaccines for poor countries in a global initiative to ensure eventual vaccines do not go only to rich countries, a World Health Organization official said on Thursday.The COVAX Advanced Market Commitment has an initial target of $2 billion to buy the vaccines."Up to today, what has been mobilised so far is $700 million … So there is a great deal of work to be done to diversify the possible sources of funding," Matshidiso Moeti, Africa regional director for the WHO, told an online press briefing.COVAX is co…
(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). Moscow to vaccinate 40,000 volunteers with 'Sputnik V' as Russian capital begins 3rd phase trial of pioneering coronavirus vaccine. rt.com 
Volunteers in Moscow have started to receive doses of Sputnik V, the world's first registered Covid-19 vaccine. The formula, developed by Russian scientists, is entering the third stage of clinical trials. | According to Anastasia Rakova, the city's deputy mayor for social development, the first volunteers were vaccinated on Wednesday. This week's trial participants are part of a wide-ranging final test phase, and the capital is looking observe Sputnik V's effect on 40,000 of the city's residents. | "The number of applicants is growing daily," Rakova said. "More than 35,000 Muscovites have already applied."
(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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). South African health care workers strike as opposition to ANC government mounts. wsws.org According to official figures from last month, more than 27,300 health workers have tested positive and 230 have died from the disease.
(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). The University of Michigan graduate student strike: A significant step forward for workers and students. wsws.org On Tuesday morning, approximately 1,000 graduate student workers went on strike in opposition to the dangerous health and working conditions they face in the pandemic.
(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). 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). 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). [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). [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). 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). 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…
(2020-09-09). Medicare for All Would Help End Racial Disparities in the South. commondreams.org "Medicare for All would not end racism in our health care system, but it is a necessary first step to address the racial health disparities that plague the South and our entire country," write the authors. (Photo: Jim Watson/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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.