(2020-03-01). Calm down! WHO tells global markets not to panic after coronavirus wipes $5 trillion off stocks. rt.com 
After a sea of red swept through the global markets, resulting in the worst week since the 2008 global financial crisis, the World Health Organization (WHO) has called on investors to stop panicking and focus on facts. | "Global markets… should calm down and try to see the reality," the World Health Organization's Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told CNBC on Sunday. "We need to go into the numbers, we need to go into the facts, and do the right thing instead of panicking. Panic and fear is the worst." | According to the official, the world still has a chance to contain the rapid spread of the dea…
(2020-03-01). COVID-19 Coronavirus: A Fake Pandemic? Who's Behind It? Global Economic, Social and Geopolitical Destabilization. globalresearch.ca The media hype and disinformation campaign regarding the spread of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus have created a Worldwide atmosphere of fear and uncertainty following the launching of a global public health emergency by the WHO on January 30th.
(2020-03-01). SSP Commissioner Deletes Harassing Posts, Commits to "Professional Interactions" in Future. indybay.org Damon Bruder, Supervisor Ryan Coonerty's appointee to Santa Cruz County's Syringe Services Program (SSP) Advisory Commission, has deleted the harassing and bullying statements he made on on Facebook on February 14 about County Health officer Rachel McCullough-Sanden. Bruder, who was complaining about delays in the publication of the monthly public SSP report to the County's website, called McCullough-Sanden "daft" and made other harassing statements on social media posts that displayed a disparaging photo of her. McCullough-Sanden is an Epidemiologist and HIV Surveillance Coordinator at the Santa Cruz County Heal…
(2020-03-01). Trump Says Ready to Lend Helping Hand to Coronavirus-Hit Iran 'If They Ask'. iranian.com The United States is ready to provide assistance to Iran, which is struggling with the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), US President Donald Trump announced after imposing additional travel restrictions on Iran. "If we can help the Iranians
(2020-03-01). No coronavirus infection in Yemen: WHO. yenisafak.com No cases of the novel coronavirus have been recorded in Yemen, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed on Sunday."Currently, the risk of coronavirus in Yemen is low. There are no identified cases at the moment," WHO said on Twitter."However, like other countries, the scale up for preparedness and prevention is ongoing so if a case were confirmed, systems to control and contain would be in place to respond," it said.Media reports earlier suggested that an infection from the virus had been reported in the capital Sanaa.On Friday, the WHO said the risk of the new coronavirus in the world outside China had been…
(2020-03-01). Saudi Arabia prepares 25 hospitals to handle coronavirus cases. yenisafak.com Saudi Arabia has prepared 25 hospitals to handle any coronavirus cases that might be detected, a health ministry spokesman said on Sunday.The kingdom has not reported any cases of the virus so far.
(2020-03-01). Iraqi city shuts religious shrines over coronavirus. yenisafak.com Authorities in the Iraqi city of Babel on Sunday ordered all religious shrines shut to visitors over fears of coronavirus.In a statement, the media office of the city's governor Hassan al-Mandeel said the move was taken as a "precautionary measure to preserve the safety of citizens".On Saturday, health authorities in the city confirmed the first case of coronavirus.So far, 13 cases of coronavirus have been recorded in Iraq.Babel is home to dozens of Shia shrines.The coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, has spread to more than 30 other countries, including the U.S., the U.K., Singapore, France, Russia, Spain…
(2020-03-01). Gatherings banned, travel restricted as coronavirus cases grow worldwide. yenisafak.com Leaders in Europe, the Middle East and the Americas rolled out bans on big gatherings and stricter travel restrictions as cases of the new coronavirus spread around the world.The United States on Saturday reported its first death from the disease, a man in his 50s in Washington state, where officials said two of the state's three cases have links to a nursing home with dozens of residents showing disease symptoms.Although most Americans face a low risk from the virus, more U.S. deaths could be imminent following the nation's first, CNN quoted Vice President Mike Pence as saying."We know there will be more cases,"
(2020-03-01). Abu Dhabi hotels allow some guests to leave after coronavirus scare. yenisafak.com Two luxury hotels in Abu Dhabi, which had been in lockdown amid concerns about the coronavirus during a professional cycling event, allowed some guests to leave on Sunday after they tested negative for the disease, company spokespersons said.The W Abu Dhabi and the Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi had been placed under lockdown on Friday as authorities screened all guests, including scores of professional cyclists. There were concerns they might have interacted with two Italian cyclists who were suspected of contracting the disease.The guests at the two hotels, on Yas Island in the United Arab Emirates' capital, included 1…
(2020-03-01). With Another Monster Win in South Carolina Primary, 'Medicare for All Is Four for Four'. commondreams.org "Support was 57 percent to 38 percent in Iowa, 58 percent to 37 percent in New Hampshire, 62 percent to 35 percent in Nevada, and 50 percent to 44 percent in South Carolina." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-02-29). Virus Claims First Fatality in U.S.; Washington State Declares Emergency. truthdig.com 
The governor of Washington state declared a state of emergency Saturday after a man died there of COVID-19, the first such reported death in the United States. More than 50 people in a nursing facility are sick and being tested for the virus. | Gov. Jay Inslee directed state agencies to use "all resources necessary" to prepare for and respond to the coronavirus outbreak. The declaration also allows the use of the Washington National Guard, if necessary. | "We will continue to work toward a day where no one dies from this virus," the governor vowed. | Health officials in California, Oregon and Washington state are…
(2020-02-29). Debate Moderators Frame Questions to Define Acceptable Politics. fair.org 
With Super Tuesday around the corner, the Democratic presidential debates are coming to a close. The debates are ostensibly an exercise in democracy, a chance for voters to evaluate candidates' positions in order to cast a better informed vote in the nominating contest. But a review of three of the most frequent topics of debate starkly demonstrates how media hosts use their platform less to inform voters in an evenhanded way than to define which positions—and candidates—are acceptable, and which are not. | Healthcare: Both Bernie Sanders…
(2020-02-29). Reuters issues correction, deletes tweet after backlash for reporting 'just 1 American with coronavirus in hospital: VP Pence'. rt.com 
Reuters raised quite a few eyebrows, invoking a storm of online mockery after it posted an ambiguous tweet about Mike Pence's handling of the coronavirus crisis, prompting some to fear for the VP's health. | Punctuation is important, especially in the middle of a global health crisis, and Reuters learned this the hard way after it got pilloried by netizens for leaving too much room for interpretation in a recent tweet about the coronavirus situation in the US. | "Just one American with coronavirus still in hospital: Vice President Pence," the agency reported early on Saturday in an attempt to convey the words…
(2020-02-29). 1st US coronavirus death: Trump imposes more travel restrictions, says risk still 'very low' after woman dies in Washington state. rt.com 
President Donald Trump on Saturday addressed fears surrounding the coronavirus, as health officials have announced the first US death from the virus in Washington State. | The first US death from the virus was announced on Saturday by Washington State health officials. No details were given, except that it occurred in King County. | The deceased was a "medically high-risk patient in her late 50s," President Trump announced at his White House press conference on Saturday afternoon. While admitting more cases within the US are likely, the president said 15 of the 22 citizens who contracted the virus have "recove…
(2020-02-29). Washington state declares emergency over coronavirus as CDC warns risk is 'increasing'. rt.com 
Washington Governor Jay Inslee has declared a state of emergency after three new cases of COVID-19 and one death resulting from the coronavirus were confirmed there on Saturday. Inslee said that the time had come for "proactive measures," adding that state officials have been preparing ever since the first US coronavirus case was confirmed in Snohomish County. The measure will also allow the authorities to use the National Guard if necessary. | The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have so far reported that the two new coronavirus cases were linked to a Life Care Center in Kirkland, a suburb…
(2020-02-29). Lack of Paid Sick Days and Large Numbers of Uninsured in US Increase Risks of Spreading the Coronavirus. commondreams.org Protesters in 2015 rallied outside a Wendy's in Baltimore in support of The Healthy Working Families Act which would require businesses with 10 or more employees to provide up to seven paid sick days a year. (Image: Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-02-29). China is Confronting the COVID-19 Epidemic. Was It Man-Made? An Act of of Bio-warfare? globalresearch.ca The new coronavirus, 2019-nCoV, also called COVID-19, has as of this date resulted in more than 3,000 deaths and infected more than 80,000 people Worldwide, the vast majority of them in China. The epidemic is largely confined to Mainland China.
(2020-02-29). Superdelegate Pushing Convention Effort to Stop Sanders Is Health Care Lobbyist. truthout.org A Democratic superdelegate promoting an effort to stop Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., if he fails to clinch a majority of pledged delegates is a health care lobbyist who has contributed thousands to Republicans. | William Owen, a former Tennessee lawmaker and Democratic National Committee member, was among the superdelegates quoted in a
(2020-02-29). WHO says coronavirus danger is "very high" wsws.org The World Health Organization (WHO) has upgraded its assessment of the danger posed by the coronavirus to "very high," but stopping short of calling the outbreak a pandemic.
(2020-02-29). UN health agency warns against coronavirus COVID-19 criminal scams. news.un.org The World Health Organization (WHO) is warning that criminals are taking advantage of the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, to steal money or sensitive information.
(2020-02-29). Voters Head to Polls With Anxiety Over Medical Bills as Coronavirus Spreads. truthout.org As Democratic primary voters head to the polls in South Carolina ahead of Super Tuesday, a new poll found that the American public is more worried about being able to afford unexpected medical bills, insurance deductibles and prescription drug costs than about being able to pay for housing, food and transportation. | The poll, which revealed intense public anxiety about the cost of health care, came as Democrats slammed the Trump administration's response to the global outbreak of a novel stra…
(2020-02-29). Ecuador Confirms First Case of Coronavirus Imported From Spain. telesurenglish.net Ecuador's Health Minister Carolina Andramuño Saturday confirmed that an Ecuadorian citizen, who returned from Madrid, is affected by the Covid-19. | RELATED: | The patient is a 70-year-old woman who arrived in Guayaquil city on Feb. 14. Upon entering the country, she had no symptoms of the disease; at this time, however, she is in critical condition. | Ecuadorian authorities also reported that about 80 people who had…
(2020-02-29). Israel's deepening poverty, social inequality ignored in election campaign. wsws.org According to Israel's National Insurance Institute, some 26 percent of households were in poverty or near poverty in 2018.
(2020-02-29). CNN Host Michael Smerconish Rebuked for Comparing Sanders Surge to Spread of Coronavirus. commondreams.org "Nice to wake up to discover that CNN is giving a platform to the idea that the left is a disease. That's never led to anything bad happening before." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-02-29). As Trump Cries 'Hoax,' Nurses in California Warn Quarantines of 124 Health Workers Show US Hospitals Remain Unprepared for Coronavirus. commondreams.org Warning from frontline health providers comes as Trump accuses those criticizing his handling of the crisis as perpetrating a "new hoax" against him. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-02-28). Trump touts biodefense strategy but slashes funding to detect and combat outbreaks like coronavirus. mronline.org 
t the end of January, at a time when the coronavirus outbreak that began in China was dominating international headlines, The White House announced it was forming a new task force to address the growing crisis, one headed by the secretary of health and human services, Alex Azar. |
(2020-02-28). Experts: Government, business must step up fight against corona virus. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—Presenting solid facts and contradicting GOP President Donald Trump's rosy assurances, federal health officials are warning the country to take precautions against the spread of the coronavirus in the U.S. — and a warning signal went up just after Trump's press conference this week on the looming medical emergency. Meanwhile, two experts on infectious diseases …
(2020-02-28). Congressman threatens Don Jr. with 'serious altercation' over claim Dems 'HOPE' people get coronavirus & die so as to derail Trump. rt.com 
Democratic Rep. John Garamendi had some harsh words for Donald Trump Jr. after the president's son said Dems "seemingly hope" the coronavirus comes to the US and "kills millions." | The coronavirus is not only a pandemic, it's also now a political tool for Republicans and Democrats to lob across the aisle at each other. | California Congressman Garamendi perhaps went further than any politician has so far when he spoke about the disease and the political response to it in the US while appearing on MSNBC on Friday. Garamendi was particularly upset with Donald Trump Jr. over an earlier statement the president's…
(2020-02-28). Doctors Without Borders: Cheap Coronavirus Diagnostic Kits Needed in War-Torn Areas & Refugee Camps. democracynow.org 
Across the U.S., officials report a severe shortage of test kits for coronavirus. New York officials say they're preparing their own kits, after kits distributed by the Centers for Disease Control failed validation tests. Meanwhile, new cases of coronavirus continue to spring up worldwide, with Nigeria reporting its first case and one of Iran's vice presidents testing positive. We discuss how MSF USA, or Doctors Without Borders USA, is responding to coronavirus, with the organization's executive director, Avril BenoàÆt.
(2020-02-28). 'The Shillary Show?' Hillary Clinton is launching a podcast and Twitter isn't on board. rt.com 
News that failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is planning to launch her very own podcast has been met with a collective eye roll and plenty of sarcasm on social media. | Clinton is planning to launch the podcast in late spring, "just in time for her to have a powerful new megaphone during the 2020 election," Politico reported on Thursday. | The show will be co-produced by iHeartMedia, which distributes a bevy of right-wing radio shows as well as the left-wing Joe Rogan Experience, which has endorsed Clinton's 2016 archrival Bernie Sanders for president. | As if a literal plague weren't bad enough, Hi…
(2020-02-28). Toxic Agriculture and the Gates Foundation. dissidentvoice.org The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was launched in 2000 and has $46.8 billion in assets (December 2018). It is the largest charitable foundation in the world and distributes more aid for global health than any government. One of the foundation's stated goals is to globally enhance healthcare and reduce extreme poverty. The Gates Foundation …
(2020-02-28). 'Mayhem' in Syria's Idlib amid ongoing violence, as Guterres urges immediate ceasefire. news.un.org Rapidly escalating conflict in northwest Syria has created healthcare "mayhem", amid reports of displaced people moving closer to the Turkish border in search of shelter, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday, as the UN Secretary-General appealed for all warring parties to "step back from the edge of further escalation."
(2020-02-28). Coronavirus COVID-19 risk increased to 'very high' but containment still possible. news.un.org Countries must act quickly and robustly to contain the coronavirus COVID-19 epidemic, the World Health Organization said on Friday, as it raised the global risk assessment of the infection to "very high".
(2020-02-28). Critics slam Johnson for being slow to act on coronavirus. thecanary.co Critics have accused Boris Johnson of failing to take a lead on the UK response to the coronavirus. Labour had labelled him a "part-time" prime minister for waiting until next week to chair his first emergency Government meeting into the deadly global virus. | Meanwhile, the PM has claimed that tackling the spread of coronavirus is a "top priority". He told reporters that he had met with the health secretary and chief medical officers to discuss the NHS's preparations. | As you can imagine, the issue of coronavirus is something that is now the Government's top priority. | I have just had a meeting with the chief…
(2020-02-28). Corona and Flu in Beijing: a Report From the Chinese Capital. counterpunch.org Beijing. There is no room for complacency or outright fear. The new coronavirus outbreak, COVID-19, sounds menacing and is. But there's another viral epidemic hitting countries around the world: the flu. COVID-19 has, since December, led to more than 75,000 illnesses and 2,000 deaths, primarily in mainland China. But, statistically the flu is more menacing. The Centers
(2020-02-28). Warren Accuses Trump of 'Bungling Every Aspect of This Crisis' as WHO Elevates Coronavirus Threat to Highest Level. commondreams.org The World Health Organization on Friday raised the global risk of the new coronavirus to its highest level and reiterated the necessity of worldwide containment efforts as U.S. President Donald Trump continued to face widespread criticism over how his administration has handled the public health crisis so far. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-02-28). Prominent Iranian physician clears up misconceptions about outbreak & impact of sanctions. iranian.com Prominent Iranian physician & member of the Health Ministry Minoo Mohraz has for her part defended the health ministry's data but has also said the number of people infected has been underreported because sanctions had blocked access to diagnostic kits: twitter.com/SinaToossi/status/1233409214… twitter.com/SinaToossi/status/1233409467… twitter.com/SinaToossi/status/1233409591… twitter.com/SinaToossi/status/1233409679… twitter.com/SinaToossi/status/1233409919… twitter.com/SinaToossi/status/1233410030… twitter.co…
(2020-02-28). The Fear Virus Pandemic. "Fake News"? "Look at the Numbers. It's not a Pandemic". globalresearch.ca While they raise the greatest alarm for the coronavirus, they hide the fact that seasonal flu, a much more deadly epidemic, has caused in Italy during the 6th week of 2020 — according to the Higher Institute of Health — …
(2020-02-28). A Message for Trump: Coronavirus Threat Is About Public Health—Not the Stock Market or Your Reelection. commondreams.org Larry Kudlow, the director of Trump's National Economic Council. (Photo: Gage Skidmore / Flickr) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-02-27). 'Princess Diana would've been alive in America': Conservative speaker manages to offend both Brits & French in anti-medicare rant. rt.com 
A speaker at CPAC claimed the late Princess Diana died not because of her tragic car accident, but because France's socialized medicine prevented her from getting proper medical care. | Conservative fears of socialized medicine — a policy that presidential hopefuls like Bernie Sanders have floated — hit fever pitch at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Thursday with a panel discussing how the late Princess Diana would have survived her 1997 car crash in Paris, France if she had been in America. | "Socialized medicine killed Princess Diana," an announcer for a panel on healthcare i…
(2020-02-27). 'Defund racist border wall!' Warren's 'solution' to coronavirus crisis causes mass eye-rolling on Twitter. rt.com 
Senator Elizabeth Warren announced a bill that would use funding for President Donald Trump's "racist border wall" to combat the coronavirus outbreak — a plan that is earning plenty of eye rolls on social media. | Warren is not letting the coronavirus crisis go to waste. The Massachusetts senator tweeted on Thursday a bill that would move funding from construction of the southern border wall in the US to the Department of Health and Human Services and US Aid to fight the disease. | The senator warned that the virus poses a "serious health, diplomatic and economic threat." Her bill would remove "all fundi…
(2020-02-27). "Pence Is Not a Medical Expert": Is the Trump Admin Ready to Stop a U.S. Coronavirus Pandemic? democracynow.org 
The coronavirus disease that was first diagnosed in China's Hubei province has now spread to at least 47 countries and every continent except Antarctica. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak an international health emergency. President Trump sought to play down the threat from coronavirus and announced Vice President Mike Pence would be his point person to coordinate government efforts to prevent a widespread outbreak. As Trump spoke, a new milestone in the novel coronavirus outbreak was reported, in a possible example of community spread: A person was diagnosed with the virus in Northern Calif…
(2020-02-27). Contradicting Trump, federal health officials warn of coronavirus spread. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—Presenting solid facts and contradicting GOP President Donald Trump's rosy assurances, federal health officials are warning the country to take precautions against the spread of the coronavirus in the U.S.—and a warning signal went up just after Trump's press conference. Health officials stressed common-sense precautions people can take to prevent the spread of infection: Thorough …
(2020-02-27). How the Climate Crisis Is Making the Spread of Infectious Diseases Like Coronavirus More Common. democracynow.org 
Sonia Shah is an investigative science journalist and author of "Pandemic: Tracking Contagions, from Cholera to Ebola and Beyond." Her new book is titled "The Next Great Migration: The Beauty and Terror of Life on the Move" and will be published in June. She says the climate crisis is making outbreaks of infectious diseases more common, with the destruction of natural animal habitats and the changes in migration bringing humans and animals into ever-closer contact and making new pathogens more likely. Her latest article, published in The Nation, is titled "Think Exotic Animals Are to Blame for the Coronavirus? Th…
(2020-02-27). No escape from low growth. mronline.org 
Discussions on the state of the world economy centre around the likely negative impact of the novel coronavirus epidemic and the potential positive effect of the truce reflected in the "phase 1" trade deal between China and India. |
(2020-02-27). No country should make 'fatal' mistake of ignoring COVID-19: Tedros. news.un.org All countries should do more to prevent the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus and none should make the "fatal" mistake of assuming that it won't be affected, UN health agency chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said on Thursday.
(2020-02-27). Iranian Vice-President Contracts Coronavirus — Reports. iranian.com Iran has 245 confirmed cases of infection with the COVID-19 disease, including 26 virus-associated deaths. The Islamic Republic's deputy health minister tested positive for the virus earlier this week. The Iranian vice president for women and family affairs, Masoumeh Ebtekar, has come down with the new strain of coronavirus, media reported Thursday. "Ms. Ebtekar showed …
(2020-02-26). Headlines for February 26, 2020. democracynow.org CDC Warns of "Severe" Disruption to Daily Life in U.S. as Coronavirus Spreads, DHS Secretary Grilled over Coronavirus Preparedness as Trump Downplays Risks, Two Billionaires Join Democratic Debate in SC as Rivals Target Bernie Sanders, At Least 24 Killed in India After Hindu Nationalists Attack Muslim Demonstrators, President Trump Wraps India Trip with Praise for $3.5 Billion Weapons Deal, 20 Civilians Killed in Syria's Idlib as the Red Cross Pleads for a Ceasefire, Airwars Reports U.S.-Led Strikes Killed Up to 139 Somali Civilians Since 2007, Supreme Court Rules Border Patrol Agents Who Shoot into Mexico Can't…
(2020-02-26). COVID-19: More new virus cases outside China than in, 'no time for complacency', says UN health agency. news.un.org The number of new COVID-19, or coronavirus, infections outside China has outpaced those inside the country for the first time, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
(2020-02-25). Iran deputy health minister has coronavirus: Adviser. iranian.com Tehran previously stated that at least 95 people had been diagnosed with the dangerous disease. The majority of confirmed cases in the country come from the city of Qom – a centre of traditional pilgrimage for Shia Muslims, with at least 15 Iranians dying from the disease. Iran's Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi has tested …