(2020-11-19). Africa records two million coronavirus cases amid fears of fresh surge. thecanary.co 
Africa has surpassed two million confirmed coronavirus (Covid-19) cases as health officials warn of infections starting to creep up again into a second surge.Second wave: The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Thursday that the 54-country continent has seen more than 48,000 deaths from coronavirus. The continent of 1.3bn people is being warned against "prevention fatigue" as countries loosen pandemic restrictions to ease their economies' suffering and more people travel.The Africa CDC director this week openly worried that the level of mask-wearing has gone down and called that…
(2020-11-19). UK's Raab 'directly' intervenes on behalf of arrested Egyptian activists. middleeasteye.net 
UK's Raab 'directly' intervenes on behalf of arrested Egyptian activists | Three members of a prominent human rights organisation detained after meeting with western diplomats, including the British ambassador in Cairo | Thu, 11/19/2020 – 16: 17 | Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has raised the activists' case directly with his Egyptian counterpart (Reuters) | British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has per…
(2020-11-19). Beyond COVID-19: the Power Struggle Over Alternatives for Health Care Reform. counterpunch.org 
Today we face the COVID-19 pandemic, with its resultant economic downturn and systemic racism—the triple crises that have exposed the serious problems of U. S. health care. It is now obvious to most observers that the system is broken, raising the question of how it can be put together through the political process after a hotly contested election season filled with disinformation and confusion about potential reform alternatives.
(2020-11-19). Covid Vaccine, Hazardous to Human Health? Big Pharma's Rush to Cash in on Multibillion Bonanza. globalresearch.ca All vaccines are toxic and hazardous to human health. | The great covid vaccines to the rescue scheme risks widespread harm, not protection. | In cahoots with Big Government, Big Pharma prioritizes maximum profits over human health. | Drug companies are rushing to …
(2020-11-19). Headlines for November 19, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. COVID-19 Death Toll Passes 250,000; Nearly 1% of U.S. Population Currently Infectious, Pfizer to Seek Emergency Authorization of COVID-19 Vaccine, Touting 95% Efficacy, Lawsuit Alleges Tyson Foods Managers Wagered on Meatpackers' Coronavirus Infection Rate, COVID-19 Surge Overwhelms Hospitals as Healthcare Workers Fall Ill, Biden Says Trump's Refusal to Concede Could Set Back Vaccine Rollout by Months, Arizona Secretary of State Faces Death Threats as Trump Promotes Election Conspiracy Theories, Democratic Congressmembers Reelect Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House, Australian Military Apologizes to Afghan…
(2020-11-19). Concerning trends in maternal risk factors in the United States: 1989—2018. thelancet.com Our study shows a marked increase in the prevalence of five pregnancy risk factors/complications over the past three decades (1989—2018). This may point to a significant deterioration in the health of US pregnant women, which potentially contributes to both maternal morbidity and mortality.
(2020-11-19). Multi-center nationwide comparison of seven serology assays reveals a SARS-CoV-2 non-responding seronegative subpopulation. thelancet.com wThe commercially available automated immunoassays exhibit significant differences in performance and expected PPV in low prevalence scenarios. The low false-positivity rate in under 20‚Ä≤s suggests that cross-reactive immunity from previous CoV strains is unlikely to explain the milder disease course in children. Finding no decrease in antibody titers in the first 8 weeks is in contrast to some reports of short half-life for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. The ~5% who were seronegative non-responders, using multiple assays in a population-wide manner, represents the proportion of patients that may be at ris…
(2020-11-19). Moderna Vaccine Follows Pfizer with Very Strong Results on Effectiveness: What This Means. cepr.net Last week, we got the very good news that preliminary results from its Phase 3 trial showed that Pfizer's vaccine had an effectiveness rate of 92 percent. (We now have final results that put it at 95 percent.) This week, Moderna released results showing that its vaccine also has a 95 percent effectiveness rate. In …
(2020-11-19). Media Hypes Moderna's COVID Vaccine, Downplays Risks. globalresearch.ca For the second time in a week, news of a "promising"
(2020-11-19). In the face of ridicule: one woman's fight to bring sanitation to a Nepalese village. news.un.org 4.2 billion people are living without access to safely managed sanitation, putting them at increased risk of catching a host of infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, cholera, and typhoid. On this year's World Toilet Day, which is marked on 19 November, we look at how Ratna Khawas has fought ridicule and tradition to improve hygiene in her Nepalese village, with the help of the UN.
(2020-11-19). Remembrance, Resilience, and Response: Addressing An Epidemic of Violence Against Trans and Non-Binary People. aclu.org Each year on Nov. 20,
(2020-11-19). CDC adjusts its public health messaging to appeal to Americans' individualism. salon.com Reflecting American culture, CDC is now emphasizing personal benefits of mask-wearing instead of collective ones…
(2020-11-19). Gates' Globalist Vaccine Agenda: A Win-Win for Pharma and Mandatory Vaccination. globalresearch.ca First posted on GR on April 13, 2020 | Vaccines, for Bill Gates, are a strategic philanthropy that feed his many vaccine-related businesses (including Microsoft's ambition to control a
(2020-11-19). In the face of ridicule: one woman's fight to bring sanitation to a Nepali village. news.un.org 4.2 billion people are living without access to safely managed sanitation, putting them at increased risk of catching a host of infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, cholera, and typhoid. On this year's World Toilet Day, which is marked on 19 November, we look at how Ratna Khawas has fought ridicule and tradition to improve hygiene in her Nepali village, with the help of the UN.
(2020-11-19). Why Did Hundreds Of CEOs Resign Just Before The World Started Going Absolutely Crazy? globalresearch.ca This article was first published by GR in July 2020. | In the months prior to the most ferocious stock market crash in history and the eruption of the biggest public health crisis of our generation, we witnessed the biggest exodus …
(2020-11-19). Leading Canadian Health Expert Outraged at Government Response to COVID. globalresearch.ca
(2020-11-19). Education, biological ageing, all-cause and cause-specific mortality and morbidity: UK biobank cohort study. thelancet.com The BHS captures features of the embodiment of education, health behaviours, and more proximal unknown factors which all complementarily contribute to all-cause, cancer and CVD morbidity and premature death.
(2020-11-19). Bill to tax large fortunes in Argentina advances to the Senate. peoplesdispatch.org The Argentine Chamber of Deputies passed the bill which seeks to collect 307 billion pesos to finance public health and productive projects by taxing large fortunes…
(2020-11-18). Faurecia auto parts workers join calls for national shutdown to stop the spread of COVID-19 and save lives. wsws.org Workers at the Faurecia plant in Saline, Michigan, southwest of Detroit, contacted the World Socialist Web Site over the weekend to expose the way in which their company suppresses information about the spread of disease.
(2020-11-18). Abdicating to Boeing: An Open Letter to FAA Administrator Stephen Dickson. counterpunch.org November 13, 2020 Stephen Dickson, Administrator Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) U.S. Department of Transportation 800 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20591 Dear Mr. Dickson, It is now abundantly clear that instead of clearing out top Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) operatives who have worked to make the FAA safe for Boeing, you have thrown in your
(2020-11-18). The Mattole Salmon Return Ceremony. counterpunch.org 
Large gatherings do not find favor, during this plague-haunted time, with regulatory and administrative officials. However, increasing consciousness of indigenous peoples' rights, recognition that the land management practices of the dominant culture are failing, and their own deep desires for the restoration of historic salmon visitations to our coast, persuaded the BLM and the Humboldt County
(2020-11-18). France to postpone unwinding of Covid lockdown, but gradual steps are in the works — govt. rt.com 
The prospect of starting to lift tough lockdown measures in France is not on the immediate horizon, government spokesman Gabriel Attal warned on Wednesday, a day after the country's Covid cases topped two million. | President Emmanuel Macron held a meeting with the health defense council on Wednesday and is expected to announce gradual steps for easing restrictions next week. However, Attal said on Wednesday that the unwinding of lockdown is not planned for the near future. | "Work is in progress on the developing rules for the weeks and months to come," the government spokesman said. The aim is to organize th…
(2020-11-18). As COVID Deaths Soar, El Paso at Breaking Point with Hospitals & Mobile Morgues Filling Up. 18.224.45.15 
Some Republican governors are dropping their resistance to mask mandates, as public health officials in the United States brace for a COVID-19 surge from the Thanksgiving holiday amid already record-high infection rates. However, Republican resistance to other public health safety measures continues as coronavirus cases in Texas reach record highs for a second time during the pandemic. El Paso County, an area along the U.S.-Mexico border where 80% of residents are Latinx, is also facing one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the U.S. and now has 10 mobile morgues to hold bodies. Some prisoners are being paid just…
(2020-11-18). Tutu, Nobel laureates, call for clemency for David Gilbert, NYS imprisoned elder activist. mronline.org 
The Open Letter, coordinated by Fellowship of Reconciliation former Chairperson Matt Meyer, is one of many such efforts throughout the U.S. calling for relief for over-age inmates facing fatal consequences in light of multiple health crises, and throughout the world calling for freedom for all political prisoners.
(2020-11-18). Tutu, Gandhi, King descendants call for clemency for NYS imprisoned elder activist. mronline.org The Open Letter, coordinated by Fellowship of Reconciliation former Chairperson Matt Meyer, is one of many such efforts throughout the U.S. calling for relief for over-age inmates facing fatal consequences in light of multiple health crises, and throughout the world calling for freedom for all political prisoners.
(2020-11-18). As North Dakota Faces World's Deadliest Outbreak, Native Communities Condemn States' COVID Response. democracynow.org 
As COVID-19 rampages through the U.S., we look at how the rapid spread of the disease is affecting Native American communities, which have already faced disproportionate infection and death rates throughout the pandemic. "We're having a lot of people perish. We're having a lot of death, a lot of hospitalizations," says Jodi Archambault, a citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and former special assistant to President Obama for Native American affairs. We also speak with Allie Young, founder of Protect the Sacred, who says the Navajo Nation has "worked hard to flatten the curve" of COVID-19 infections but is st…
(2020-11-18). Federal Judge Blocks Trump Order That Has Already Led to 'Illegal' Expulsion of 13,000 Unaccompanied Children. commondreams.org "Today's ruling is a critical step in halting the Trump administration's unprecedented and illegal attempt to expel children under the thin guise of public health." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-11-18). PAHO: Initial Vaccination in Latam Estimated at $2 Billion. telesurenglish.net The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reported on Wednesday that vaccinating 20 percent of the population of Latin America and the Caribbean will cost at least $2 billion. This, as the organization works with international partners to guarantee access to low-income countries. | RELATED: | PAHO Assistant Director Jarbas Barbosa acknowledges that "this is a remarkable figure," but the organization is aware that "it won't be suffi…
(2020-11-18). US medicine sanctions endangered Iranians' health: MP. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 18 (MNA) — Head of Iran-Greece Parliamentary Friendship Group said that US medicine and economic sanctions have endangered the health of the Iranian people while the coronavirus outbreak has overshadowed the international community.
(2020-11-18). Uruguay: Health Services Unions Call for a National Strike. telesurenglish.net Uruguay's National Medical Union (SMU) and the Medical Federation of the Interior (FEMI) Wednesday called for a 24-hour strike in the private sector and mobile emergencies to demand better working conditions. | RELATED: | On November 5, the General Assembly of the SMU agreed to carry out the national strike due to "the lack of progress in the negotiation with the Wage Council of the private sector." | SMU represen…
(2020-11-18). 'No Vaccine for Climate Change': Coronavirus Has Been Disastrous, Says Red Cross, But Global Warming Poses Greater Threat. commondreams.org "The Covid-19 pandemic has shown how vulnerable the world is to a truly global catastrophe. But another, bigger, catastrophe has been building for many decades, and humanity is still lagging far behind in efforts to address it." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-11-18). The Healthcare Multinational Profiting off Fraudulent Detentions. dissidentvoice.org In July 2020, US healthcare multinational UHS Delaware reached a $122million settlement with the US federal government as the result of an investigation by the FBI into fraudulent detentions of psychiatric patients for profit. Following the resolution of the investigation and civil settlement, UHS must retain an independent monitor selected by the Office of Inspector …
(2020-11-18). COVID-Positive Health Care Staff Told to Stay on the Job in North Dakota. truthout.org Nurse Leslie McKamey has gotten used to the 16-hour shifts, to skipping lunch, to the nightly ritual of throwing all her clothes in the laundry and showering as soon as she walks through the door to avoid potentially infecting her children. She's even grown accustomed to triaging COVID patients, who often arrive at the emergency room so short of breath they struggle to describe their symptoms. | But despite the trauma and exhaustion of the past eight months, she was shocked when North Dakota Gov.
(2020-11-18). The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Augurs Hope. globalresearch.ca In the mist of the gloom generated by the twin health and economic crises, the birth of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a ray of light auguring hope. | More than a million lives have been lost world-wide as …
(2020-11-18). Clearcutting is a Crime Against Nature. counterpunch.org Clearcutting is a crime against nature. Many people believe wrongly that the U.S. Forest Service no longer clearcuts our public forest. The Lolo National Forest has planned 114 acres of clear-cut logging in the proposed Soldier-Butler logging project in the Nine-Mile drainage just West of Missoula, Montana. The forest in Nine-Mile is not "unhealthy." Forests
(2020-11-18). Iran COVID-19 cases exceed 800,000. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 10 (MNA) — The Iranian Health Ministry has confirmed 13,421 COVID-19 infections in the past 24 hours, bringing the total cases in the country to 801,894.
(2020-11-18). New Report: 'Billionaire Wealth vs. Community Health'. popularresistance.org Washington, DC – Essential workers went underpaid, unsupported and forced to risk their health at corporations owned or operated by billionaires, even as the total wealth of America's billionaires rose by more than $1 trillion under the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report by the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS), United for Respect, and Bargaining for the Common Good Network. An analysis of billionaire wealth by IPS found that 647 U.S. billionaires gained $960 billion, almost $1 trillion in wealth between March 18, 2020 and November 17, 2020.
(2020-11-18). Poll: 71% of Voters Support Strong Regulation to Protect the Public. zcomm.org Poll Shows Overwhelming Bipartisan Support for Regulation Protecting Workers, Public Health, Our Environment…
(2020-11-18). UK MP Suggests People Shouldn't be Allowed to Work Without COVID Vaccine. globalresearch.ca A British MP faced backlash Monday after suggesting that employees in the UK should not be allowed to go to work unless they can prove that they have been vaccinated against COVID-19, when the shot becomes available. | "If vaccination works …
(2020-11-18). Violence, insecurity continues to plague South Sudan communities. news.un.org Over 1,000 people have been killed and more than 400 abducted in the past six months in intercommunal violence in South Sudan, amid fears that tensions may worsen with the onset of the dry season, the UN envoy for the country has said.
(2020-11-18). Crisis, What Crisis? Hypocrisy and Public Health in the UK. dissidentvoice.org On 12 March 2020, British PM Boris Johnson, referring to COVID-19, informed the public: We've all got to be clear; this is the worst public health crisis for a generation. Since that time, we have seen lockdowns, an ongoing government-backed fear campaign, fundamental rights being stripped away, dissent censored, inflated COVID-19 death numbers and the …
(2020-11-18). Mobile Morgues Fill Up in El Paso as Gov. Greg Abbott Refuses New Lockdown. truthout.org Image Credit: Reuters / Ivan Pierre Aguirre | Some Republican governors are dropping their resistance to mask mandates, as public health officials in the United States brace for a COVID-19 surge from the Thanksgiving holiday amid already record-high infection rates. However, Republican resistance to other public health safety measures continues as coronavirus cases in Texas reach record highs for a second time during the pandemic. El Paso County, an area along the U.S.-Mexico border where 80% of re…
(2020-11-18). Biden's health care plans could mean new changes to your health care options. nationofchange.org Biden's health care plans could benefit millions of Americans, especially as the nation faces a potential second wave of the coronavirus.
(2020-11-17). Uruguay: Leftist Party Presents Proposal To Reject Budget Bill. telesurenglish.net Uruguay's left-wing Broad Front (BF) presented a document at the Senate on Monday in order to reform the 2020-2024 Budget Bill which they claim establishes several cuts in basic policies, such as education, health care, and the administration of justice. | RELATED: | "The 2020-2024 Budget presented by the Executive Branch and approved by the Coalition in the Lower Chamber turns its back on the needs of the great maj…
(2020-11-17). The enemy of our enemy: Scientists re-engineer bacteria to attack pathogens and leave healthy cells unharmed. rt.com 
Scientists have managed to successfully re-engineer bacteria that normally attack human cells to attack pathogens instead, adding to a growing arsenal humanity can deploy to defend itself from disease. | Numerous pathogenic (disease-causing) bacteria harness specific types of proteins and use them as battering rams in order to break through the cell membranes of their hosts and kill them. | The types of proteins targeted are called cholesterol-dependent cytolysins (CDCs). Cholesterol is a fatty molecule from which human cell walls are made, and CDCs are particularly adept at punching holes in these membranes.
(2020-11-17). With COVID Vaccines on the Horizon, U.S. Urged to Help Ensure Equitable Distribution Across Globe. 18.224.45.15 
As the U.S. COVID-19 death toll nears 250,000, drugmakers Pfizer and Moderna have both announced promising vaccine trial results showing over 90% effectiveness in preventing illness. But officials and health experts warn widespread distribution of a vaccine for the coronavirus — which has killed 1.2 million people across the globe — will be tremendously difficult to store and distribute. Vaccine researcher Dr. Saad Omer calls the recent news "reassuring" but says drugmakers need to be much more transparent about their data and issue more than just press releases. "There should be a little bit more det…
(2020-11-17). "No End in Sight": 9 Months into Pandemic, Nurses Are Tired, Demoralized & Still Lack Adequate PPE. democracynow.org 
As the COVID-19 pandemic enters its ninth month, a new report by National Nurses United, the largest nurses' union in the United States, finds hospitals are still failing to provide adequate PPE and are unprepared as the surge is expected to get worse during the flu season. Nurses also report mental health struggles related to the pandemic. The union estimates at least 2,000 frontline healthcare workers have died due to COVID-19, with nurses of color accounting for half of those deaths, even though they're less than a quarter of the workforce. Jean Ross, president of National Nurses United, says the lack of prepa…
(2020-11-17). Russia to produce freeze-dried Covid-19 vaccine to solve challenge of keeping formula cold while being moved around vast country. rt.com 
Russia plans to switch the production of its first Covid-19 vaccine, Sputnik V, to a freeze-dried form, as the country looks to find a solution for the logistical challenges of transporting it throughout the country and abroad. | The problem of storage is not unique to Sputnik V. Two Western vaccine producers also face the challenge of keeping theirs sufficiently cold. In particular, the formula proposed by American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer needs to be stored at -70 degrees Celsius (-94 degrees Fahrenheit). | Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) boss Kirill Dmitriev told Reuters the freeze-dried vaccine wo…
(2020-11-17). Covid in Lebanon: Minister's 'let women cook' in lockdown comment causes uproar. middleeasteye.net 
Covid in Lebanon: Minister's 'let women cook' in lockdown comment causes uproar | Interior Minister Mohammed Fahmi also said women 'too timid' to be prime minister, sparking widespread backlash | Tue, 11/17/2020 – 12: 51 | Mohammed Fahmi has come under fire for his comments (Reuters) | Social media users in Lebanon have organised a campaign challenging controversial comments made by caretaker Interior Minis…
(2020-11-17). Scotland to enter 'short and sharp' lockdown in bid to curb Covid-19 before Christmas. rt.com 
Pubs, restaurants, gyms, and non-essential shops will close in 11 council areas of Scotland, including Glasgow, from Friday, in a bid to reduce pressure on the health system, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced. | The country's toughest 'tier-four' Covid-19 restrictions will affect some 2.3 million people across west and central Scotland, and are set to remain in place until December 11. | The