(2020-11-01). Scientists discover 'devastating' NEW genetic disease that's killed 40% of known patients by attacking lungs and immune system. rt.com 
The new condition, which is caused by genetic mutations, has shown a particularly high death rate, as patients were not responding to any currently available treatments, the researchers said. | The disease — 'vacuoles, E1 enzyme, X-linked, autoinflammatory and somatic syndrome' — has been dubbed VEXAS. It causes symptoms that include blood clots in veins, recurrent fevers, abnormalities in the lungs, and vacuoles — unusual cavity-like structures — in the myeloid cells, which play a crucial part in the human immune system. | Researchers at the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) came acro…
(2020-11-01). Some good news: Australia records zero Covid cases for first time in nearly five months. rt.com 
As European nations rush headlong into lockdowns and several countries post record case numbers, it's not all doom and gloom on the Covid front; Australia has reported no new community infections for the first time since June. | The development paves the way for a further easing of harsh lockdown restrictions that have been in place in the country, particularly in the state of Victoria, which accounts for the vast majority of Australia's 907 deaths related to the disease. | Sunday saw Australia record no new daily infections for the first time since June 9. "Thank you to all of our amazing health & public heal…
(2020-11-01). Iran registers 7,719 COVID-19 cases in 24 hours. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 01 (MNA) — The Iranian Health Ministry has confirmed 7,719 COVID-19 infections and 434 deaths due to the disease in the past 24 hours.
(2020-10-31). Unions call for more measures to protect jobs as furlough scheme ends. thecanary.co 
Fears have been raised that people will be pushed into in hardship as government coronavirus support schemes end.Unions are calling for more measures to protect jobs as the furlough scheme ends, saying the new support plans are "not adequate", while poverty campaigners have concerns about the end of mortgage holidays.With no certainty about whether Covid-19 can be brought under control in the near future and millions of UK people living under further restrictions, Unite general secretary Len McCluskey called on the Government to bring forward clear plans for the protection of health, jobs and incomes.Mr McCluskey…
(2020-10-31). The riot in Naples and the choice between health and work. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from Italian Marxist- Leninist organization Fronte Popolare. | "Health is first and foremost, but without money no masses are sung": so, we read on one of the many banners laid out during the spontaneous protest marches in Naples in these hours. The contrast between health and work, between physical well-being and economic well-being is a choice that in a real democracy we should not even imagine to make. Yet this is the choice put in front of us, in the South as well as in the North, throughout the all country. While the North — and especially…
(2020-10-31). [World Report] US election 2020: the future of the Affordable Care Act. thelancet.com President Donald Trump pledges to replace the Affordable Care Act while his Democratic opponent Joe Biden offers detailed proposals to improve it. Susan Jaffe reports from Washington, DC.
(2020-10-31). Meeting of COVID-19 combat headquarters held on Saturday. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 31 (MNA) — National Coronavirus Combat and Prevention Headquarters held a meeting in the presence of Iranian Health Minister Saeed Namaki on Saturday.
(2020-10-31). [Correspondence] The effect of Medicare for All on rural hospitals. thelancet.com Alison Galvani and colleagues1 robustly modelled the effect of the Medicare for All Act on US national health expenditures and outcomes. Spending on hospital care and physician or clinical services accounts for 53% of total spending. Their model assumes that Medicare rates are uniformly 22% lower than are private-payer rates and that, by switching all fees to Medicare rates, overall reimbursements will be 6% lower for hospitals and 7% lower for physicians.
(2020-10-31). [Correspondence] Host or pathogen-related factors in COVID-19 severity? thelancet.com Lucy Okell and colleagues1 observed that the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is currently in marked decline in many countries. Okell and colleagues suggest two possible explanations for this decline, namely the effect of lockdowns, physical distancing, and other interventions; or, alternatively, herd immunity. After analysing trends in cumulative deaths over time in many European countries that went into lockdown at different stages of their epidemic, and data obtained from serology studies on the proportion of the population that had the infection previously, Okell an…
(2020-10-31). Video: The Corona Virus and the Health Impacts of the Lockdown: Interview with Dr. Sucharit Bhakdi. globalresearch.ca Dr. Sucharit Bhakdi is an award winning medical doctor specialised in the fields of immunology, bacteriology, virology, and parasitology. | This is not a killer virus comparable to the Spanish Flu. | . | . …
(2020-10-31). [Series] Stroke systems of care in low-income and middle-income countries: challenges and opportunities. thelancet.com The burden of stroke is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) than in high-income countries and is rising. Even though there are global policies and guidelines for implementing stroke care, there are many challenges in setting up stroke services in LMICs. Despite these challenges, there are many models of stroke care available in LMICs—eg, multidisciplinary team care led by a stroke neurologist, specialist-led care by neurologists, physician-led care, hub and spoke models incorporating stroke telemedicine (ie, telestroke), and task sharing involving community health workers.
(2020-10-31). [Correspondence] Asymptomatic health-care worker screening during the COVID-19 pandemic. thelancet.com Mass testing of asymptomatic health-care workers (HCWs) has been suggested to reduce nosocomial transmission of COVID-19.1 This level of testing might not be necessary in hospitals with protocols for personal protective equipment,2 despite recommendations by Thomas Treibel and colleagues.3 The 1600-bed Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, is colocated with the 330-bed National Centre for Infectious Diseases, Singapore, which, together, manage most patients with COVID-19 in Singapore. At this hospital, HCWs use fit-tested N95 respirators, eye protection, gloves, and gowns in areas where patients with COVID-19 are tr…
(2020-10-31). For a European-wide school strike against the pandemic. wsws.org If non-essential businesses, schools, and day-care centres are not immediately closed, the overloading of health care systems and the premature death of millions of people is inevitable.
(2020-10-31). [Correspondence] Asymptomatic health-care worker screening during the COVID-19 pandemic — Authors' reply. thelancet.com Kevin Fennelly and Christopher Whalen emphasise that health-care workers (HCWs) are at a higher risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection than are the general population. Angela Chow and colleagues describe their experience in Singapore of very low rates of HCW infections and nosocomial transmission when effective personal protective equipment is implemented. We agree with both perspectives, and our Correspondence1 did not contradict either of these viewpoints.
(2020-10-31). [Clinical Picture] A baby with red plaques on the face and a first-degree heart block: neonatal lupus. thelancet.com A 3-month-old boy was brought by his mother to our clinic who had noticed that her child had developed several round red lesions on his face (figure). She said that the problem had begun 3 weeks post partum. The baby had been born at full term following an uncomplicated pregnancy. The patient's mother was fit and well with no medical history of note—specifically she did not report any previous infections, or dermatological or autoimmune diseases.
(2020-10-31). Iran COVID-19 update: 386 deaths, 7,820 cases in 24 hours. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 31 (MNA) — The Iranian Health Ministry has confirmed 7,820 COVID-19 infections and 386 deaths due to the disease in the past 24 hours.
(2020-10-31). [Perspectives] Kevin Fenton: pursuing equity and equality in public health. thelancet.com Kevin Fenton is a public health polymath. He's worked successfully in health prevention and health improvement for more than three decades and is currently the Regional Director of Public Health England (PHE) London and the Regional Director of Public Health for NHS London. "I have a passion for learning and throughout my career it is about looking for the next set of opportunities to make a difference to the people who I have been called to serve", he says.
(2020-10-31). [Correspondence] The effect of Medicare for All on rural hospitals — Authors' reply. thelancet.com The USA's rural hospitals are a lifeline for the communities that they serve, as evidenced by the catastrophic effects of their closures. Subsequent to the closure of a rural hospital, mortality rises by 5 ∑9% among residents of the service area.1…
(2020-10-31). [Comment] Offline: COVID-19—a crisis of power. thelancet.com COVID-19 is about the politics of the body. In a series of lectures and essays in the 1970s and early 1980s, Michel Foucault (who died in 1984) argued that the discipline of public health emerged with the birth of capitalism in the 18th century. The body came to be understood as an instrument of economic production, of labour power, and so became a subject of significant political interest. Medicine and public health were endorsed as tools to enhance these productive forces, to ensure that people were fit for work.
(2020-10-30). Why I'm Voting Green in 2020. globalresearch.ca Author's note: Kevin and I worked on this article together right before his untimely passing on September 6. I met Kevin during Ralph Nader's 2004 presidential campaign. Throughout the years since, I appreciated seeing his anti-imperialist and eco-socialist arguments strengthen …
(2020-10-30). 'Vital we start now': WHO reforms should not be left until after Covid-19 pandemic, says German health minister. rt.com 
The German government has called for immediate reforms to the World Health Organization (WHO), with Health Minister Jens Spahn stressing the importance of starting the process now and not wait until the pandemic has passed. | The UN health agency should be faster in its response to crises, Spahn added, calling for the WHO's members to give it more funding and for them to be better at sharing information. | Read more | | Spahn's call for tran…
(2020-10-30). France: No Change for Thirty Years. counterpunch.org 
France, which is already facing health, environmental, economic and social woes, has also endured a series of blows in the form of terrorist attacks. Thus the calls to mobilise for war. Again. But destroying an enemy that is often very hard to find always requires more powerful weapons than last time. Not artillery and tanks
(2020-10-30). Covid-19 as deadly for nurses as World War I, with fatalities from virus matching deaths during four-year war. rt.com 
As many nurses have died from Covid-19 as during the whole of World War I, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) has said, adding that health worker fatalities in the pandemic were likely hugely under-reported. | At least 1,500 nurses have lost their lives since the novel coronavirus outbreak was first reported in China's Wuhan some 11 months ago, according to ICN figures. The same amount is believed to have been killed during World War I, which lasted for four years between 1914 and 1918. | "The fact that as many nurses have died during this pandemic as died during World War I is shocking," ICN head Howar…
(2020-10-30). Long-term symptoms of COVID-19 'really concerning', says WHO chief. news.un.org With some COVID-19 patients reporting long-term symptoms, including damage to major organs, the World Health Organization (WHO) urged Governments to ensure they receive necessary care.
(2020-10-30). A New Constitution: What the United States Can Learn From Chile. zcomm.org Do the problems that beset us, so similar to those that plague our Chilean brothers and sisters, not cry out for a radical reimagining of who we are?>
(2020-10-30). COVID-19: Government Poised to Amend Regulations to Allow Use of Unlicensed Vaccine. globalresearch.ca The UK government has set out plans to amend drug regulations in case it decides that covid-19 vaccines should be used before they are licensed, in a bid to roll them out more quickly.1 | In a consultation on the proposals …
(2020-10-30). EPA Sued for 'Once Again Putting Corporate Interests Over Public Health or the Environment' by Reapproving Herbicide Atrazine. commondreams.org "We're not going to just stand by and watch another generation get poisoned by one of the most dangerous pesticides still in use." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-10-30). There Already Is a Republican Plan for Pre-Existing Conditions: It's Called Obamacare. commondreams.org There is simply no way to protect people with pre-existing conditions, other than an Obamacare/Romneycare approach of subsidized insurance exchanges, or a Medicare For All, everyone in, nobody out approach. That's why it's been impossible for Republicans to propose their own alternative plan to protect pre-existing conditions. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-10-30). Uninsured COVID Patients Aren't Being Told Their Hospital Bills Are Covered. truthout.org When Darius Settles died from COVID-19 on the Fourth of July, his family and the city of Nashville, Tennessee, were shocked. Even the mayor noted the passing of a 30-year-old without any underlying conditions — one of the city's youngest fatalities at that point. | Settles was also uninsured and had just been sent home from an emergency room for the second time, and he was worried about medical bills. An investigation into his death found that, like many uninsured COVID-19 patients, he ha…
(2020-10-30). Biden Can't Abandon US Oil Industry. thealtworld.com The challenges confronting US democracy in the upcoming presidential election are very real. With a genuine risk of post-election violence, the country's unbroken history of a peaceful transition of power may have run its course. The challenges facing the victor will also be enormous, running a broad gamut of domestic and foreign policy issues that will remain the same regardless of who wins. Energy security will be near the top of this list, given its dual characteristic as a domestic and foreign policy matter, and the critical role it plays in the economic health of both the US and the world. President Donald T…
(2020-10-30). Labor's health cut plan a warning on eve of Australian state election. wsws.org By demanding $1 billion in "savings" by Queensland Health, the Labor Party has pointed to a pandemic-accelerated assault on social spending.
(2020-10-30). World court continues adjudicating throughout COVID health crisis. news.un.org Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the head of the United Nations world court said on Friday that its judiciary work in The Hague, Netherlands, continued unabated.
(2020-10-30). In Bid to Beat 'Public Health and Economic Crises,' Senate Dems Urge Utilities to Suspend Shutoffs During Pandemic. commondreams.org "Minority and low-income families who have disproportionately borne the brunt of the current economic crisis are particularly at risk." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-10-30). Kenyan federal government health workers begin national strike demanding promotions. peoplesdispatch.org The previous two nation-wide strike actions, notified in May and August against non-implementation of promotions, were called off after assurances from the government. Seeing no progress, workers have vowed to not resume work till demands are met…
(2020-10-30). Carbon-releasing 'zombie fires' in peatlands could be dampened by new findings. imperial.ac.uk New simulations have provided clues on reducing peat fires, which hide underground and are notoriously bad for human health and the environment.
(2020-10-30). San Diego educators and students demand access to COVID-19 outbreak data. wsws.org The public must be granted access to proper data and information so that individuals can make informed decisions on their health, and to ensure the proper protection of themselves and their families.
(2020-10-29). Russia's regional Covid crisis: Health Ministry investigates after two patients with serious lung damage left without hospital bed. rt.com 
Healthcare in the Siberian city of Omsk is under the microscope after ambulances carrying seriously ill patients were turned away by hospitals due to a lack of beds. The Russian Health Ministry has launched an investigation. | On Tuesday evening, two ambulances with elderly patients were driven around the city of Omsk for several hours, as multiple hospitals told them that no beds were available. The patients, aged 70 and 85, had suspected cases of Covid-19. After a few hours, the ventilation machines in the ambulances began to run out of oxygen, and the lives of the two patients were threatened. After that, t…
(2020-10-29). 'Seismic Shift' in World's Approach to Land Use, Wildlife, and Climate Action Needed to Avoid New 'Era of Pandemics,' Study Says. commondreams.org A U.N.-backed report released Thursday emphasized that the ability to avoid more public health crises like the coronavirus is entirely within the human populations' control. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-10-29). Health Workers Sue Trump Labor Secretary, OSHA Over 'Unconscionable Delay' of Protections Against Infectious Disease. commondreams.org The Trump administration has refused to resume work on new federal regulations—tabled in 2017—despite the coronavirus pandemic. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-10-29). 'It's Not Just That You're a Crook': Watch Jon Ossoff Eviscerate Sen. Perdue Over Insider Trading, Covid Lies, and Healthcare Attacks. commondreams.org "You're attacking the health of the people that you represent," the Democratic challenger said to Georgia's incumbent GOP senator. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-10-29). Hariri is Back in the Game—MES EP.78. thealtworld.com Former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri who was toppled in a popular uprising nearly one year ago, has been tasked with forming the crisis-plagued country's next government. Hariri's dramatic return was enabled by the votes of 65 MPs from across the country's political spectrum. Hariri now faces the grueling task of forming a cabinet in a country still reeling from the aftermath of a massive explosion that ripped through the capital in August. The country is mired in a financial meltdown, political infighting and widespread anger at Beirut's ruling elite. | To discuss this issue with us from Beirut is Dr. Dani…
(2020-10-29). COVID-19 infections soaring in Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 29 (MNA) — The daily coronavirus infections broke previous records on Thursday, with Iran reporting 8,293 new infections, the Health Ministry announced.
(2020-10-29). 'Folks Are Not Showing Up': US COVID-19 Spikes Deterring Families From Routine Health Screenings. sputniknews.com COVID-19 is deterring people from obtaining preventative treatment, which is likely to reverberate through the US public health and insurance systems, Dr. Yolandra Hancock, board-certified pediatrician and obesity medicine specialist, told Radio Sputnik's Political Misfits Thursday.
(2020-10-29). Reduce risk to avert 'era of pandemics', experts warn in new report. news.un.org Unless there is a "seismic shift" in how countries collectively deal with infectious diseases, future pandemics will emerge more often, spread more rapidly, cause greater damage to the global economy and kill more people than COVID-19, international experts warned in a UN-backed report published on Thursday.
(2020-10-29). Is Pharma Our Covid Savior? zcomm.org Pharma has already eceived $1 billion of our hard earned tax dollars to develop Covid vaccines…
(2020-10-29). Nearly 10,000 eviction actions filed across the US since September despite CDC moratorium. wsws.org According to a recent clarification issued by the CDC, landlords can proceed with the legal procedures required for an eviction as long as tenants are not forced out before the end of the year.
(2020-10-29). Why Marylanders Must Test The Water Near Military Bases. popularresistance.org Last month, independent testing of oysters in the St. Mary's River and St. Inigoes Creek was performed on behalf of the St. Mary's River Watershed Association and financially supported by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, PEER. | Oysters in the St. Mary's River and in St. Inigoes Creek were found to contain more than 1,000 parts per trillion (ppt) of the highly toxic chemicals. Oysters were analyzed by Eurofins, a world leader in PFAS testing. | The Harvard School of Public Health and leading scientific institutions around the world tell us not to consume more than 1 ppt of these substances daily…
(2020-10-29). Health systems in the United States are facing growing strains with the surge in COVID-19 cases. wsws.org The number of US COVID-19 cases surpassed nine million yesterday, with 500,000 of these cases added to the ledger just in the last week.
(2020-10-28). Germany set for new partial lockdown as cases surge amid second wave of Covid-19. rt.com 
Restaurants, gyms and theaters will be shut for a month from November 2 as part of new measures aimed at preventing spiking coronavirus cases from overwhelming German hospitals, Chancellor Angela Merkel has said. | The situation in Germany, which registered 14,964 new infections and 85 deaths from the disease over the last 24 hours, is "very serious," Merkel said on Wednesday. "We need to take action now." | "Our health system can still cope with this challenge today, but at this speed of infections it will reach the limits of its capacity within weeks," she added, explaining the need for the tough measures.
(2020-10-28). UK bill shielding soldiers from prosecution slammed by parliamentary committee. middleeasteye.net 
UK bill shielding soldiers from prosecution slammed by parliamentary committee | Law to stop prosecutions over torture, murder and war crimes would damage Britain's reputation, human rights body warns | Wed, 10/28/2020 – 17: 15 | UK Houses of Parliament. There are fears that the Conservative government's large majority could allow it to press ahead with controversial new law (Reuters) | A proposed new law t…