(2020-10-24). Insurance Companies and the Forest Service are screwing over Indigenous groups. indybay.org Insurers are increasingly wary of serving wildfire-prone areas. Happy Camp residents are struggling to rebuild without it…
(2020-10-24). [Perspectives] Kelvin Kong: trailblazer for Indigenous health in Australia. thelancet.com The equity of his nation's health services provision is a core mission for ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgeon Kelvin Kong, Associate Professor at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, and the University of Newcastle in eastern Australia. "As an Indigenous Australian, I feel obligated to strive to ensure that access to quality health care is available to all Australian citizens", he says. As a busy clinician, Kong sees the pressure on ENT and hearing services, recently compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2020-10-24). Scientist warns we may struggle to curb coronavirus spread without closing schools for older kids. thecanary.co 
Ministers may be forced to close schools to older children if coronavirus (Covid-19) cases continue to increase at the current rate, a scientist has warned.Professor Neil Ferguson said the NHS would soon be unable to cope unless the spread of the disease was stemmed. His modelling led to the original lockdown in March.He said there were currently 8,000 people in hospital with coronavirus. That's around a third of the peak earlier this year, and numbers are continuing to rise.Further action: He said the restrictions on households mixing may not be enough, and further action may be needed: If we go beyond tha…
(2020-10-24). Dystopian Plagues, Pandemic Fears, and Fascist Politics in the Age of Trump. zcomm.org The COVID-19 crisis has amplified a surrealist hallucination that floods our screens and media with images of fear, trepidation, and dread…
(2020-10-24). COVID-19: The World Is At A Critical Juncture. popularresistance.org The fall and winter surge of COVID-19 cases, as predicted, has begun. The number of cases across North America and Europe is rising exponentially in some regions. | There have been more than 42.4 million cases of COVID-19 globally, with 1.14 million deaths thus far. On Friday, the number of daily new cases reached an unprecedented 500,000-plus new infections. Global deaths have consistently tracked above 6,000 four days running. | At the World Health Organization Friday press briefing on the COVID-19 pandemic, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus ominously warned…
(2020-10-24). [Correspondence] Misuse of SARS-CoV-2 testing in symptomatic health-care staff in the UK. thelancet.com An initiative to screen asymptomatic health-care workers for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was timely and logical,1 and contrasted markedly with the UK Government's testing strategy of National Health Service (NHS) staff during the epidemic. The NHS staff testing policy was only to test symptomatic staff, precisely to reduce absenteeism by encouraging staff with negative results back to work, thus intentionally reducing their time in self-isolation. The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock, himself stated that "we want to get [NHS staff absences] down, and the…
(2020-10-24). [World Report] US election 2020: research and health institutions. thelancet.com How will the NIH, CDC, and FDA change if President Donald Trump wins a second term or if his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, defeats him? Susan Jaffe reports from Washington, DC.
(2020-10-24). [Editorial] Reimagining long-term care. thelancet.com A dichotomous narrative surrounds ageing in the 21st century. On the one hand, there is increasing research and recognition of healthy ageing, and a recognition that age is not synonymous with ill health. On the other hand, there is the fear of looming economic costs and providing care for increasing numbers of older people with increasingly complex needs. These two narratives are hard to marry. Even the name long-term care (given to the latter narrative) is at odds with a short-term neoliberal political economy and, as a result, is generally low on government agendas.
(2020-10-24). [Comment] Building a tuberculosis-free world while responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. thelancet.com In March, 2019, the Lancet Commission on Tuberculosis1 highlighted the opportunity to build a tuberculosis-free world. After years of neglect of this disease, the UN High-Level Meeting on Tuberculosis in September, 2018, made ending tuberculosis a global priority; global leaders committed to important steps, including ambitious country-specific tuberculosis case-finding and prevention targets, and a revitalised research agenda.2 The Lancet Commission concluded that the prospect of a tuberculosis-free world was a realistic objective that could be achieved with sufficient accountability and resources, and detailed…
(2020-10-24). [Correspondence] Accelerated surgery for hip fractures—the HIP ATTACK results discussed — Authors' reply. thelancet.com Daniel Pincus and Bheeshma Ravi highlight their observational study suggesting surgery for a hip fracture within 24 h of hospital arrival might result in a lower risk of 30-day mortality compared to surgery 24 h or more after hospital arrival.1 HIP ATTACK2 highlights why we need surgical and health-care system randomised controlled trials and why data from observational studies are unreliable. Moreover, other trial data have shown misleading risk adjusted time thresholds in observational studies.
(2020-10-24). [Perspectives] Understanding planetary health. thelancet.com Planetary Health: Protecting Nature to Protect Ourselves is a milestone—the first textbook for the emerging field of planetary health. I read the book under lockdown at home in Australia, a requirement of the public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Melbourne. At the same time, wildfires were raging in the USA that made me recall the devastating 2019—20 Australian wildfire season. Those fires were unprecedented. They killed more than 30 people, burned more than 11 million hectares of land, and resulted in prolonged smoke pollution that has since been linked to more than 400 premature deaths.
(2020-10-24). [Correspondence] Misuse of SARS-CoV-2 testing in symptomatic health-care staff in the UK — Authors' reply. thelancet.com We thank Bernard Freudenthal for his response to our previous Correspondence.1 We agree that use of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) testing among health-care workers (HCWs) solely to reduce absenteeism is inappropriate. Freudenthal correctly outlines the risks, posed by false-negative results, of advising potentially infectious HCWs to return to work. Moreover, staffing levels are currently far less problematic within UK health-care settings than during the peak of the pandemic.
(2020-10-24). Headteachers 'speechless' after ministers offer food standards advice during school meals battle. thecanary.co Headteachers have been left angry by a letter from ministers reminding them to provide pupils with nutritious food in school. It comes just days after MPs rejected a campaign to extend free meals to children during the holidays. | "Speechless": | The letter came from children's minister Vicky Ford and junior health minister Jo Churchill. It was sent to school leaders on the morning of Friday 23 October to encourage them to offer a healthy and nutritious hot meal to their pupils during term-time. Heads received the letter two days after a Labour motion to offer free school meals to poorer children during h…
(2020-10-24). New Research Shows Masks Are Helping Hold Down COVID Death Rates Significantly. truthout.org The chances of dying from COVID-19 have fallen precipitously since the pandemic began, according to two new peer-reviewed studies. | One Patients treated by NYU's health system had a 25.6% chance of dying when the pandemic began but that number has fallen to 7.6%…
(2020-10-24). WHO says may have vaccine result at end of November. yenisafak.com The World Health Organization (WHO) is looking at 10 vaccines in phase three trials as the northern hemisphere with skyrocketing cases faces a critical juncture in the fight against COVID-19, the chief scientist of global body said Friday."Our best expectations, as far as we know by watching the trials that are moving ahead, is that we may have results from one or two of the vaccine trials before the end of the year, possibly starting late November," said Dr. Soumya Swaminathan.Speaking at a twice-weekly webinar hosted by the WHO, Swaminathan said that this is going to the bare minimum from results considered by…
(2020-10-23). Headlines for October 23, 2020. democracynow.org Donald Trump and Joe Biden Meet for Final Debate of 2020 Campaign, U.S. Confirms Over 71,000 Daily Coronavirus Cases as Some Hospitals Near Capacity, FDA Approves Remdesivir for COVID-19 Despite WHO Study Showing No Benefit, France Extends Curfew and Czech Republic Locks Down as COVID-19 Surges Across Europe, India's BJP Party Promises Free COVID-19 Vaccines But Only If It Wins Regional Election, Senate Democrats Boycott as Judiciary Committee Advances Amy Coney Barrett's Confirmation, Rocky Mountain National Park Closes as Colorado Experiences Two Largest Wildfires on Record, Asylum Seekers Say ICE Agents Tortur…
(2020-10-23). U.S. Spends More Than $80 Billion a Year Incarcerating 2.3 Million People. strategic-culture.org Laura FLANDERS | The U.S. today spends more than $80 billion a year incarcerating 2.3 million people in state and federal prisons, local jails, youth facilities and deportation centers. That's $80 billion that comes out of public coffers and goes into public confinement. | With the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, many were shocked to see woman, children and migrants — including many pre-trial and pre-hearing — who had never been convicted of anything crammed into overcrowded lock-ups that might as well have been petri dishes for community spread of the disease. | By the middle of October, close to 150…
(2020-10-23). The 'Three-Legged Stool': a Folksy, but Deceptive, Rhetorical Attack on Social Security. counterpunch.org 
The "three-legged stool": That phrase may not be familiar to everyone, but most people who work in public policy or private-sector insurance have heard it used to describe the U.S. retirement system. It suggests that our system for retirement security was designed to stand on three "legs": Social Security, employer pensions, and individual savings. Subliminally,
(2020-10-23). The Scourge of Herd Immunity. counterpunch.org 
Covid-19 kills, and its kill rate is significantly higher than the flu. Some who recover develop insufficient immunity to prevent getting infected again. Some don't appear to recover. They are stuck with debilities that last months, maybe longer. And it's possible that this disease is chronic and lingers in some people, like herpes, a virus
(2020-10-23). Shocking new Russian data reveals diabetics are TEN TIMES more likely to catch Covid-19, with sharply increased mortality rates. rt.com 
Diabetics are 10.3 times more likely to develop Covid-19, and their symptoms are more severe and life-threatening, with over a quarter of all infected patients already suffering from the illness as a pre-existing condition. | That's according to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova, who told officials that coronavirus is especially dangerous for those suffering with the common metabolic disorder. | "In patients with diabetes, Covid-19 infection is 10.3 times more common," Golikova explained. "Patients with diabetes experience the disease more severely, and more frequently develop acute respiratory di…
(2020-10-23). France becomes 2nd W. European state to hit 1mn Covid cases, as Macron warns we'll live with the virus till next summer. rt.com 
The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in France has crossed the million mark, with President Emmanuel Macron predicting the country will have to suffer the virus until at least summer 2021. | On Friday, French health authorities reported 42,032 new coronavirus infections over the previous 24 hours, which saw the overall number of cases reach 1,041,075. | Another 298 people succumbed to the disease over the latest reporting period — 136 more than on the previous day. The total death toll in the country now stands at 34,508. | France is the second nation in Western Europe to reach a million cases, after Sp…
(2020-10-23). A right-wing 'power grab' in the Socialist Health Association could help to privatise the NHS further. thecanary.co On 23 July, Skwawkbox Some members of the SHA, who wish to remain anonymous, spoke to The C…
(2020-10-23). China Launches Mobile COVID-19 Testing Lab. telesurenglish.net A team of researchers from Tsinghua University and CapitalBio Technology Co. has developed a COVID-19 Mobile Laboratory, which can analyze nucleic acid samples on the spot immediately, allowing people to obtain results within 45 minutes. | RELATED: | Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus epidemic, waiting in long queues for a COVID-19 test has been a major hurdle in getting tested. However, the advent of a mobi…
(2020-10-23). Ten uplifting teaching moments from President Fiasco. nationofchange.org How to achieve peace in our time, universal happiness, and healthy goodwill towards our neighbor.
(2020-10-23). 'Very tough' months ahead in COVID battle, WHO helping scale up dwindling oxygen supplies. news.un.org Facing another critical juncture in the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) chief told reporters on Friday that a "very tough" few months lie ahead with too many nations seeing an exponential increase in cases.
(2020-10-23). Eight Black workers sue S.F. health department for racial discrimination. indybay.org Eight Black workers in the City and County of San Francisco filed suit against the city for systemic racism and bullying.
(2020-10-23). Cannabis pain insights and kidney disease discoveries: News from the College. imperial.ac.uk Here's a batch of fresh news and announcements from across Imperial.
(2020-10-23). Canadian Government to Allot $163Mln for Domestic Vaccine Development. sputniknews.com TORONTO (Sputnik) – The Canadian government will allot $162.8 million for the development of domestic vaccines, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters on Friday.
(2020-10-23). World Doctors Alliance: Open Letter to UK Government, World Governments and Citizens of the World. globalresearch.ca Introduction | We were told initially that the premise for lockdown was to 'flatten the curve' and therefore protect the NHS from being overwhelmed. | It is clear that at no point was the National Health Service (NHS) in any danger of …
(2020-10-23). Over 1.3M coronavirus patients recover in Africa. yenisafak.com Africa continued to maintain a more than 80% recovery rate with 1,387,022 patients having recovered as of Friday, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).At least 40,690 people have died of the virus across the continent, revealed the latest update by the Africa CDC. The number of confirmed cases has reached 1,685,589.Southern Africa is the hardest hit region with 785,600 cases and 20,300 deaths; however, it also has the most recoveries that currently stand at 702,500.North Africa recorded 454,100 cases, East Africa 199,800, West Africa 186,600 and Central Africa 59,500.Sou…
(2020-10-23). Russia registers record number of daily COVID-19 cases. yenisafak.com Russia has registered a new record in the daily coronavirus cases on Friday — 17,340 people tested positive for COVID-19 over the past day. The total number of people, who have been exposed to the infection, exceeded 1.48 million, meaning over 1% of the Russian population has already contracted the virus. According to Health Minister Mikhail Murashko, the active cases stand at 335,870 and the situation has a tendency to further deteriorate.The virus has already claimed 25,525 lives in Russia, including 283 over the last 24 hours.Recoveries increased by 11,263 since Thursday to reach 1.11 million.Since the beginn…
(2020-10-23). German health minister expects COVID-19 vaccine in early 2021. yenisafak.com Germany's health minister expects a COVID-19 vaccine to be available early next year and believes a large proportion of Germans who want the shot could be vaccinated within six to seven months of enough doses being available.Jens Spahn was quoted as saying in Der Spiegel on Friday that a vaccine could be available in January, or maybe in February or March, or even later, but said there would be no compulsory vaccination."Of course, it would be best if a vaccine could prevent new infections. But it would also be a benefit if it makes the course of the disease milder," said Spahn, who tested positive for coronaviru…
(2020-10-23). Swiss report 10 more coronavirus deaths, 6,634 new infections. yenisafak.com Coronavirus infections rose by 6,634 confirmed cases, Swiss health authorities said on Friday, as the nation considers tightening restrictions meant to slow the accelerating spread of COVID-19.The total confirmed cases in Switzerland and tiny neighbouring principality Liechtenstein topped 100,000, rising to 103,653, and the death toll rose by 10 to 1,877.The numbers come as Germany has put Switzerland on its risk list for coronavirus hot spots and as the government in Bern considers tightening restrictions on public life if case numbers keep rising.
(2020-10-23). FDA's COVID-19 Vaccine Emergency Use Authorization Would Rely on Seriously Deficient Vaccination Data. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-10-22). 11 arrested at anti-Covid-lockdown protest in Dublin, police violently clash with demonstrators (VIDEOS). rt.com 
More than 100 demonstrators protesting against ramped-up Covid-19 lockdown restrictions clashed with police in Dublin, with 11 being arrested and an investigation launched into the organizers of the event. | Nine of the people arrested have been charged with public order offenses, as the protest broke lockdown restrictions, which only allow citizens to leave their homes for essential trips. | Law enforcement attempted to block a crowd at Grafton Street and ordered the demonstrators to disperse as they were "in breach of public health regulations." | A small group managed to break through a wall of officers dep…
(2020-10-22). Leading Russian virologist says another Covid-19 lockdown may lead to RIOTS, economic fallout could be worse than pandemic itself. rt.com 
After a strict lockdown last spring, the introduction of a second coronavirus quarantine in Russia has the potential to result in severe economic hardship and psychological suffering, which could eventually lead to mass unrest. | That's according to Fyodor Lisitsyn, a senior specialist at Moscow's Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, which was responsible for creating the world's first-registered Covid-19 vaccine, Sputnik V. | Speaking to the TV channel Russia-24, the virologist explained that the knock-on effects of a strict lockdown, such as economic problems for millions of people,…
(2020-10-22). France expands curfews to cover 46 million people as Covid-19 cases set new daily record. rt.com 
Coronavirus curfews in France will be extended to include some two-thirds of the population, with the country reporting a record 41,622 new confirmed cases of the disease on Wednesday. | French Prime Minister Jean Castex said the curfews that were imposed in Paris and eight other major cities last week will be expanded to 38 more departments. That means 46 million out of the country's 67 million population will be barred from leaving their homes between 9pm and 6am. | The country has found itself in a "serious situation" due to the second wave of the coronavirus and that is continuing to "degrade," Castex said…
(2020-10-22). Selected Articles: American Militarism Marches On. globalresearch.ca 
By One of the more interesting stories carefully hidden by the smoke being generate by civil unrest, plague and …
(2020-10-22). Employers fail to control COVID, but Sri Lankan army rounds up workers instead. peoplesworld.org 
Garment workers in Sri Lanka were herded off into quarantine by the army in the middle of the night following a rapid increase of infections at their factory. Unions say that this could have been avoided by forming the recommended health committees. According to reports, on Oct. 19, the total number of COVID-19 cases in …
(2020-10-22). When Does Incompetence Become a Crime? zcomm.org Instead of relying on experienced public health experts with a successful record in finding, containing and isolating people infected with HIV and TB, the government handed the project over to the private sector…
(2020-10-22). Saying Quiet Part 'Really Loud,' Trump Admits He Hopes Supreme Court Kills ACA as Barrett Moves Closer to Confirmation. commondreams.org "Senate Republicans who claim this was never about gutting healthcare are lying to you and Donald Trump just proved it." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-10-22). COVID-19 pandemic surges despite limited curfew measures across Europe. wsws.org With 700,000 new cases and 8,000 deaths from the virus last week, health officials are warning mortality this winter could reach four to five times that in the spring of 2020.
(2020-10-22). Ten percent of US households face eviction by year's end. wsws.org As the CDC eviction moratorium order reaches its expiration date on January 1, the eviction and homelessness crisis in the US is heading toward an explosion of unprecedented proportions.
(2020-10-22). Excess US deaths during COVID-19 pandemic top 300,000. wsws.org The estimate by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is nearly 50 percent higher than the official coronavirus death toll of 220,000 in the United States.
(2020-10-22). U.S. Billionaires Wealth Surges $931 Billion since Beginning of Pandemic. zcomm.org An Unseemly Juxtaposition: 220,000 Dead and Millions Lose their Health, Wealth and Livelihoods…
(2020-10-22). OxyContin Maker Purdue Pharma To Plead To Three Criminal Charges. popularresistance.org Washington – Drugmaker Purdue Pharma, the company behind the powerful prescription painkiller OxyContin that experts say helped touch off an opioid epidemic, will plead guilty to federal criminal charges as part of a settlement of more than $8 billion, the Justice Department announced Wednesday. | The deal does not release any of the company's executives or owners — members of the wealthy Sackler family — from criminal liability, and a criminal investigation is ongoing. Family members said they acted "ethically and lawfully," but some state attorneys general said the agreement fails to hold the Sackle…
(2020-10-22). Linguistic markers predict onset of Alzheimer's disease. thelancet.com The results suggest that language performance in naturalistic probes expose subtle early sings of progression to AD in advance of clinical diagnosis of impairment.
(2020-10-22). The Government Should Pay Bars to Close for Several Months. truthout.org If we really want to stem the spread of the coronavirus as winter looms and we wait for a vaccine, here's an idea: The government should pay bars, many restaurants and event venues to close for some months. | That may sound radical, but it makes scientific sense and even has a political precedent. We
(2020-10-22). Justice for Eric Briceno, killed by ELA Sheriffs. fightbacknews.org Los Angeles, CA – Family, neighbors, supporters and Centro Community Service Organization (CSO) attended an October 16 press conference, rally and celebration of the life of Eric Briceno, who was killed by East LA Sheriffs in Maywood, California. Other families who have lost loved ones to police killings also joined the Briceno family. Well-known civil rights attorney Samuel Paz had asked Centro CSO to help the Briceno family. | Briceno was killed on March 16 after his parents called 911 for help with a mental health crisis. Briceno was beaten and tased to death in his bedroom, after he woke up to sheriffs shouti…
(2020-10-22). Top Belgian diplomat in intensive care with COVID-19. yenisafak.com Belgium's foreign minister has been hospitalized in intensive care for treatment of the coronavirus.A Foreign Ministry spokeswoman on Thursday confirmed Sophie Wilmes had been in hospital since last night.Wilmes announced Saturday on Twitter that she had tested positive for the novel coronavirus, adding: "An infection that probably occurred in the family circle, given the precautions I have taken outdoors." She was in self-quarantine since Friday.In the past few days, Belgium has recorded a steep rise in the infections. With the country's health minister warning of a "tsunami" of infections, the government has or…