(2020-03-28). [World Report] Venezuelan migrants "struggling to survive" amid COVID-19. thelancet.com Humanitarian organisations are concerned that border closures and health-care shortages are amplifying the challenges posed by COVID-19. Joe Parkin Daniels reports from Bogotá.
(2020-03-28). [Comment] Offline: COVID-19 and the NHS—"a national scandal" thelancet.com "When this is all over, the NHS England board should resign in their entirety." So wrote one National Health Service (NHS) health worker last weekend. The scale of anger and frustration is unprecedented, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the cause. The UK Government's Contain—Delay—Mitigate—Research strategy failed. It failed, in part, because ministers didn't follow WHO's advice to "test, test, test" every suspected case. They didn't isolate and quarantine. They didn't contact trace. These basic principles of public health and infectious disease control were ignored, for reasons that r…
(2020-03-28). [Correspondence] COVID-19 cacophony: is there any orchestra conductor? thelancet.com The first wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is currently invading the world, and several countries are now struggling to fight it or trying to delay its start to help smooth its peak size for the purpose of lowering morbidity and mortality, and thereby reduce the overall tension on their health-care system. China's first major outbreaks of COVID-19 happened in January, 2020. Then South Korea, Iran, and Italy entered into this Ravel's Bolero-like epidemic in late February and early March, 2020, and many other countries are preparing to play the same rhythmic pattern in the coming days and weeks.
(2020-03-28). [Editorial] COVID-19: learning from experience. thelancet.com Over the past 2 weeks, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has marched relentlessly westward. On March 13, WHO said that Europe was now the centre of the pandemic. A few days later, deaths in Italy surpassed those in China. Iran and Spain had also reported over 1000 deaths as of March 23, and many other European countries and the USA reported increasing numbers of cases, heralding an imminent wave of fatalities. Following the sweep of COVID-19 is a series of dramatic containment measures that reflect the scale of the threat posed by the pandemic.
(2020-03-28). [World Report] PrEP finally approved on NHS in England. thelancet.com After years of wrangling, pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention will finally be available on the National Health Service in England. Tony Kirby reports.
(2020-03-28). [Comment] Why WHO needs a feminist economic agenda. thelancet.com In September, 2019, Alan Donnelly and Ilona Kickbusch called for a chief economist at WHO.1 Such a position, they argued, would enable WHO to better advocate for greater recognition of, and thus action on, the interdependency of health and the economy. We support this proposal: recognition of the interdependence of health and the economy is vital for WHO to achieve its mandate: "the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health…without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition".
(2020-03-28). [Editorial] Building on the PrEP victory. thelancet.com On March 15, the UK Department of Health and Social Care announced funding to make pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medication available on the National Health Service in England for HIV prevention. This decision will be met, finally, with a sense of achievement by HIV activists and care providers, who have fought long and hard to make tenofovir-based PrEP drugs widely accessible in the UK, 8 years after the US Food and Drug Administration approved them and more than 4 years after WHO recommended their use for people at high risk of acquiring HIV.
(2020-03-27). "I Will Not Kill My Mother for Your Stock Portfolio" counterpunch.org 
despite his repeated reference to the battle against COVID-19 as a "war" against a "vicious invisible enemy," Trump has so far refused to follow the pleas of public health experts, mayors, and governors for him to invoke the Defense Production Act. The legislation empowers the White House to order corporations to convert production over to manufacture of items needed to fight the war: masks, medical gowns, ventilators, respirators, test-kits, hospital beds and the like.
(2020-03-27). Why is the U.S. so Exceptionally Vulnerable to Covid-19? dissidentvoice.org 
The United States has become the new center of the global coronavirus pandemic, with over 86,000 cases, more than China or Italy. More than a thousand Americans have already died, but this is surely only the very beginning of this deadly collision between the U.S.'s uniquely inadequate public healthcare system and a real pandemic. On …
(2020-03-27). Italy's WORST day: Coronavirus death rate highest since start of outbreak with 900+ fatalities. rt.com 
Italy has experienced its worst day yet in the country's devastating coronavirus epidemic, with 919 deaths recorded in the last 24 hours — the highest single-day total since the pandemic began. | The highest-ever single-day spike in fatalities brought Italy's death toll to 9,134, a number that has long since surpassed the outbreak's original epicenter in China. Italy had 86,498 confirmed cases as of Friday, also exceeding China's numbers as Beijing has seen new infections all but flatline. | While single-day deaths in the country had been on the decline for several days, Friday's numbers show Italy is no…
(2020-03-27). Orban imposes 2-week lockdown, expects coronavirus peak in Hungary by July. rt.com 
Hungary is imposing a two-week lockdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus epidemic. It is expected to peak in the country in June or July, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday. | Citizens will be allowed to go to work, shop and take limited exercise outside during the lockdown, which starts on Saturday. However, they should keep distance from each other, Orban said on public radio. Restrictions would be enforced by police, he added. | Hungary has recorded around 300 coronavirus cases and 10 deaths, Reuters reported. Orban has said the actual number of cases is probably much higher. "Restrictions put…
(2020-03-27). Fighting resumes in Libya amid efforts to stop coronavirus pandemic. rt.com 
Battles raged on several fronts in Libya on Friday after a night of heavy bombardment in Tripoli, Reuters reported, citing combatants and residents. After a comparative lull, serious warfare resumed this week despite international calls for calm to allow Libya's fragmented health system to prepare for any spread of the coronavirus. Libya confirmed its first case of the infectious disease on Monday. | The Libyan National Army (LNA) of eastern-based commander Khalifa Haftar has been assaulting Tripoli for nearly a year, hoping to capture the capital in the northwest where the internationally recognized Governmen…
(2020-03-27). UK health secretary Hancock follows PM Johnson in testing POSITIVE for Covid-19. rt.com 
The UK's health secretary Matt Hancock has tested positive for coronavirus just hours after Prime Minister Boris Johnson revealed that he is carrying the disease. | In a video posted on Twitter, a nasally Hancock said that he had been working from home in recent days because he was displaying "mild symptoms" of the Covid-19 infection. He said that doctors told him to get tested and the test came back positive so he will be self-isolating until next Thursday. | Following medical advice, I was advised to test for I…
(2020-03-27). Corona culture: Europe and the new normal. peoplesworld.org 
PARIS—After its outbreak in China, Europe had been called the new epicenter of the disease, and particularly Western Europe, where the responses have varied from the new Socialist-Podemos coalition in Spain nationalizing the country's industry to a total quarantine in France by the neoliberal Macron, criticized for being three weeks too late. Some predict that …
(2020-03-27). UK medical chief in ISOLATION after experiencing Covid-19 symptoms. rt.com 
England's Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty has gone into self-isolation in his home after experiencing symptoms that are compatible with Covid-19. | Professor Whitty, who is the top medical adviser to the UK government, said on Friday that he began experiencing symptoms on Thursday night and he would be in isolation for seven days. | The health official's announcement caps a remarkable day in the UK in which the prime minister and the health secretary both revealed that they have contracted the disease. | Whitty has worked closely with Prime Minister Boris Johnson in recent days. The professor said he will c…
(2020-03-27). Surveying the virus battlefield: Russian military medics inspect Covid-19 health facilities in Bergamo, Italy (VIDEO). rt.com 
Russian military medics carried out reconnaissance at health facilities in Bergamo, where the elderly are being treated for the coronavirus, before engaging in the fight against the disease on Italian soil. | The Russian experts, sporting full protective gear, inspected four hospitals with their Italian colleagues on Friday. They examined the layout of the buildings and talked to staff to come up with a list of urgent measures needed to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and establish the scope of disinfection activities. | The Russian contingent of around 100 servicemen and 22 Kamaz trucks arrived in Italy on…
(2020-03-27). Coronavirus creeps closer to Putin as Kremlin staffer diagnosed with Covid-19. rt.com 
With news of Boris Johnson's coronavirus infection and Justin Trudeau's self isolation, it's clear that jobs which involve lots of meetings and shaking hands aren't the safest occupations at present. | Now, in Russia, fears are growing that the disease might have already infiltrated President Putin's closest circle. The anxiety has been fueled by confirmation on Friday that at least one employee of the presidential administration has contracted Covid-19. | Putin's spokesman told reporters he was aware of the situation. However, Dmitry Peskov said the individual concerned did not have direct contact with Putin.
(2020-03-27). God's Vengeance: the Christian Right and the Coronavirus. counterpunch.org 
Steven Andrew is pastor of the USA Christian Church in San Jose (CA) who warns, "Obeying God protects the USA from diseases, such as the coronavirus." He goes on, Bible thumping, "Our safety is at stake since national disobedience of God's laws brings danger and diseases, such as coronavirus, but obeying God brings covenant protection.
(2020-03-27). Spain's Covid-19 death toll SPIKES again as 769 die in new single day record. rt.com 
Spain's health ministry has announced that it has suffered another record breaking day for Covid-19 deaths as 769 people fell victim to the disease in one day. | Health officials revealed on Friday morning that the number of fatalities jumped to 4,858, while the number of confirmed infections in the country has risen from 56,188 to 64,059. | The rate of infection has seemingly slowed, however, with the 7,871 jump in new cases making a 14 percent increase on the previous day. That compares favorably to the 18 percent increase announced on Thursday and Wednesday's 20 percent surge. | Worryingly, however, the mor…
(2020-03-27). Russia records third coronavirus patient death as number infected surpasses 1,000. rt.com 
Another person diagnosed with Covid-19 has died in Moscow, bringing the overall death toll in Russia to three people. 196 new cases were announced on Friday, which means the nationwide number of infected now stands at 1,036. | The latest victim was a 70-year-old woman with a number of underlying conditions. She had suffered from diabetes for 20 years and also had terminal renal failure and other diseases. | The two other Russian deaths, announced on Wednesday, also involved elderly patients, aged 88 and 73 respectively. Last week, a 79-year-old woman was initially thought to have succumbed to coronavirus, but…
(2020-03-27). Cat contracts coronavirus FROM sick owner in new case of human-to-animal transition. rt.com 
As scientists around the world battle for a cure or vaccine to Covid-19, a new case of human-to-animal transmission has arisen in Belgium, where health experts say a cat contracted the disease from its coronavirus-stricken owner. | Just one week after the pet owner in Liege, Belgium was diagnosed with Covid-19, their cat also started showing symptoms of the disease, including respiratory problems and diarrhea. | As panic over the outbreak keeps gaining ground, spokesman for Belgium's coronavirus crisis center, Emmanuel Andre, tried to reassure the public that the infected animal was an "isolated case." | "Ther…
(2020-03-27). Could the Death of the National Security State be a Silver Lining of COVID-19? counterpunch.org 
Could something good come from the catastrophe of COVID-19? Might the epic insecurity of a plague teach us something about national security? Political scientist Micah Zenko calls the current pandemic "the worst intelligence failure in U.S. history." Former CIA analyst Melvin Goodman sees "the urgent need to redefine national security." Ilan Goldenberg, a former defense
(2020-03-27). France's coronavirus death toll nears 2,000 as 300 more die in Covid-19 pandemic. rt.com 
The death toll from the Covid-19 outbreak has reached 1,996 in France after the country's health authorities confirmed that 299 more people have died there in a 24-hour period. | Announcing the latest fatalities on Friday evening, France's director-general of health also said that there have been a total of 32,964 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the state, up from 29,155 a day prior. | Earlier Friday, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe warned of "very difficult" days ahead as the country sees a rise in cases, and said the government would extend a raft of nationwide restrictions aimed at curbing the s…
(2020-03-27). Iran records 144 new Covid-19 deaths as military sets up emergency 2,000-bed hospital in Tehran. rt.com 
Iran saw nearly 150 new fatalities from coronavirus, health officials disclosed on Friday. The country's military has deployed a makeshift hospital in Tehran as the Islamic Republic continues to battle the respiratory illness. | A health ministry official confirmed that Iran suffered 144 deaths from the previous day, pushing its death toll to 2,378. The Islamic Republic currently has 32,332 confirmed cases of Covid-19, according to a government tally. | The latest figures coincide with the creation of a makeshift hospital in the nation's capital. The Iranian military reportedly converted an exhibition center i…
(2020-03-27). How austerity and anti-immigrant politics left Italy exposed to viral blitzkrieg. peoplesworld.org 
As the viral blitzkrieg rolls across one European border after another, it seems to have a particular enmity for Italy. The country's death toll has far surpassed China's, and scenes from its hospitals look like something out of Dante's imagination. Why? Italy has the fourth-largest economy in the European Union, and in terms of health …
(2020-03-27). UK sees its biggest day-on-day jump in coronavirus deaths. thecanary.co 
The UK has seen its biggest day-on-day rise in deaths since the Covid-19 outbreak began.A total of 759 people have now died in UK hospitals after being diagnosed with coronavirus, while 113,777 have tested positive, the Department of Health and Social Care said.Many more people are thought to be infected.(PA Graphics)It took 13 days for the number of deaths in the UK to go from one to just above 100.It took a further eight days to reach the latest total of 759, analysis by the PA news agency shows.The jump in coronavirus-related deaths in the UK from 578 to 759 is an increase of 181 — the biggest day-on-day…
(2020-03-27). Washington cancels major Philippines maneuvers. rt.com 
The US military has canceled a large-scale exercise involving thousands of troops in the Philippines because of the coronavirus pandemic. | The decision to scrap Balikatan 2020 was taken "in light of the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic and in the best interest of the health and safety of both countries' forces," AFP quoted US Indo-Pacific Command chief Admiral Phil Davidson as saying. | The war games, scheduled for May 4-15, would have involved more than 10,000 troops from the two long standing allies and a smaller contingent from Australia. | The US troops who take part in Balika…
(2020-03-27). China registers first local Covid-19 infection in 3 days as Beijing curbs international travel in hopes of halting imported cases. rt.com 
China reported its first locally transmitted coronavirus infection in half a week as officials continue to struggle with cases coming from abroad. Beijing has cut the number of flights allowed in and out of the country. | Fifty-five new Covid-19 cases were reported across mainland China on Thursday, according to the latest figures from the country's National Health Commission. All but one of the infections involved imported cases. | While China has been largely successful in stopping the spread of the virus, the country has wrestled with cases arriving from abroad. Beijing announced on Thursday that Chinese ai…
(2020-03-27). UK's coronavirus deaths up almost ONE THIRD in one day, new figures show. rt.com 
The latest British government figures on coronavirus show the country's sharpest increase to date in the number of deaths, up 181 in one day to a new total of 759 as of Thursday evening. | As of 9am local time Friday, the UK's Department of Health and Social Care said 113,777 people had been tested for the novel coronavirus. Of those, over 14,500 were positive. | UPDATE on coronavirus ( As of 9am 27 March, a total of 113,777 have been tested: | 99,198 negative. | 14,579 positive. | As of 5pm on 26 Marc…
(2020-03-27). Italy yet to reach coronavirus contagion peak, national health chief warns, as 712 die in one day. rt.com 
Italy has yet to see the worst of the coronavirus pandemic spreading through the country, a senior health official has warned, a day after more than 700 people died in a single 24-hour period. | "We haven't reached the peak and we haven't passed it," the head of the Superior Health Institute, Silvio Brusaferro, told a press conference on Friday. He noted, however, that there were "signs of a slowdown" in the number of infections, suggesting that the health crisis could turn a corner soon. | Figures released on Thursday showed 712 new Covid-19 deaths, bringing the nationwide total to 8,215. | Brusaferro said th…
(2020-03-27). Six months in jail for standing too close to strangers? Countries worldwide roll out draconian measures to fight Covid-19. rt.com 
New regulations in Singapore which threaten prison time for anyone found violating "social distancing" protocols exemplify the harsh rules being imposed around the world in the fight against coronavirus. | According to a press release from the Ministry of Health, Singaporeans who fail to maintain a distance of one meter from other people in "non-transient" public interactions can be fined up to 10,000 Singapore dollars ($6,985) and even risk a six-month jail sentence. | The strict measures come as nations around the world adopt similarly extreme provisions to halt the spread of coronavirus. | Jordan
(2020-03-27). In light of the Global pandemic, focus attention on the people. mronline.org 
SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19, now declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation, has begun to wreak havoc in large parts of the world, with other parts waiting in anticipation. We are in a real struggle, which needs total mobilisation; a struggle that needs to put life before profit.
(2020-03-27). Migrants in Hawaii care for the elderly, the aloha way. news.un.org Migrants are playing an increasingly important role in the provision of health care around the world. The number of doctors, nurses and other medical professionals who move from developing countries to take up posts in developed countries is expected to rise as the global population of older persons and children continues to grow.
(2020-03-27). The Italian war-like measures to fight coronavirus spreading: Re-open closed hospitals now. thelancet.com As recently highlighted by The Lancet, the Covid-19 outbreak started in Northern Italy has shocked Europe, while it has been questioned if China benefits from an authoritarian advantage in disease response [1,2]. In Italy, after the shutdown of the educational system (schools and Universities will remain closed at least for one month) and the collapse of the touristic sector (90% of travels and reservations cancelled), the Government officially locked down residents of all the region of Milan (Lombardia) and other 11 provinces.
(2020-03-27). No More "One Mask Per Shift"! SF NNU Nurses Demand Real Protection At St. Mary's Hospital. indybay.org San Francisco NNU CNA nurses rallied on 3/26/20 outside St. Mary's hospital to protest the management's order use the same mask all day which threatens the health and safety of nurses and patients. They collected donated masks and also were angry against the CDC regulations which have been downgraded threatening their health.
(2020-03-27). Western Media Focusses On Big Pharma's Search for a Coronavirus Vaccine While Suppressing Coverage of High Dose Intravenus Vitamin C to Save Lives in China. globalresearch.ca Not a day passes without some hyped up media story of how big-pharma is racing to the rescue of humanity with its search for a coronavirus vaccine. There are over 40 companies now searching for a vaccine. Collectively they are …
(2020-03-27). Bernie Sanders Voted for Corporate Bailout Bill. "Hand Outs" to Big Money, Crumbs for Ordinary Americans. globalresearch.ca Make no mistake. Legislation that should be called the GOP/Dem-Don't-Care/CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act is a corporate bailout bill with crumbs for ordinary Americans. | It's a bandaid approach to a public health emergency/economic crisis, the latter mostly …
(2020-03-27). New claims for unemployment insurance soar to record high. fightbacknews.org San José, CA – On Thursday, March 26, the Labor Department reported the new claims for Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits rocketed to 3.3 million for the week ending March 21. This was almost five times the previous record of almost 700,000 new claims in October of 1982, when the recession drove the unemployment rate to 10.8%. The number of new claims for UI was 15 times higher than the report just two weeks earlier. | This number certainly understated the number of lost jobs. Many states don't allow part-time and gig workers, independent contractors, and the self-employed to file for unemployment benefits. Man…
(2020-03-27). Veteran Chicano leader Carlos Montes blasts Trump response to crisis. fightbacknews.org Los Angeles, CA – Long time Chicano leader Carlos Montes blasted the Trump administration's mishandling of the pandemic, March 25, stating, "President Trump's irrational and disjointed response to this COVID-19 pandemic is causing major harm to working people." | Montes continued, "Especially hard-hit are non-unionized workers in the lower sectors of the economy that who have little to no benefits. They are primarily Black and brown workers who lack health insurance, sick leave, vacations and access to unemployment benefits. This pandemic with the economic crash is causing extreme hardships to Black and brown com…
(2020-03-27). Horn of Africa and East Africa face coronavirus and locust swarm. wsws.org Some 80 percent of the population in the Horn, a region long synonymous with famine, conflicts and refugees, relies on agriculture for subsistence, meaning that the consequences will be devastating for the already vulnerable population.
(2020-03-27). Seven Rules for the Boeing Bailout. counterpunch.org Call it the "Boeing bailout." As the world struggles with the pandemic, Boeing should be seen as the vector for a parallel epidemic. It's Patient Zero in an epidemic of corporate failure. As we change the way we live our lives, corporations like Boeing should change the way they are run. Corporate mismanagement made this
(2020-03-27). Gilead Sciences Backs Off Monopoly Claim for Promising Coronavirus Drug. zcomm.org "Gilead is notorious for price gouging. Gilead holds the key to bringing down and ending both HIV and hep C epidemics, and in both cases, prices have played a real factor in our inability to stop both epidemics. And that's terrifying."
(2020-03-27). S.F. has 8,000 Homeless, 30,000 empty homes, 42,000 empty hotel rooms. indybay.org We are now seeing the boarding up of businesses in San Francisco, including the huge Sir Francis Drake Hotel near Union Square due to loss of tourist business. Meanwhile, San Francisco has an estimated 8,000 homeless, 30,000 empty homes and 42,000 empty hotel rooms. The homeless must be housed right now to save their lives from the coronavirus and to stop the epidemic. At sfunitedincrisis.org/, 100 medical professionals have a letter with their recommendations.
(2020-03-27). The Landfill In Our Bodies… How Human Biomonitoring Detected Toxins from a federal Hunters. indybay.org Building 830 houses the UCSF Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases (IND)and Lab Animal Resource Center (LARC). It is, arguably, the most high risk building on the naval base. A gas monitoring probe located adjacent to Building 830(GMP3) detects methane concentrations at the landfill surface as high as 50% volume in air.
(2020-03-27). Covid-19: The Panic Is Worse Than the Pathogen. globalresearch.ca The Corona Virus Disease 2019 or "Covid-19" is a coronavirus similar to the virus that causes pneumonia. Covid-19 is a danger to at-risk groups including the elderly and the chronically ill. | If you are not elderly and if you are …
(2020-03-27). Reported COVID-19 cases exceed 1,200 in Washington, D.C. region as public health disaster looms. wsws.org The coronavirus has exposed the fragility of the social infrastructure throughout the region surrounding the United States' capitol city.
(2020-03-27). Detroit hospitals warn many "extremely sick" patients will be denied lifesaving treatment. wsws.org As COVID-19 cases throughout the metro Detroit area soared, the Henry Ford Health system has warned patients that "because of shortages," patients who are "extremely sick" may be "ineligible for ICU or ventilator care."
(2020-03-27). Europe's COVID-19 death toll reaches over 16,000. wsws.org Years of slashing health and social care budgets, together with government inaction, have taken a grim toll, with health workers forced to make decisions as to who lives and dies.
(2020-03-27). COVID-19 pandemic: Doctors sue French government for criminal negligence. wsws.org Lawyers representing hundreds of health-care professionals are filing a suit charging Prime Minister Édouard Philippe and other top officials with criminal negligence.
(2020-03-27). IMF Announces Coronavirus Debt Relief and Increased Lending Resources. indybay.org As the coronavirus continues to take lives and wreak havoc on health systems and the economy, the International Monetary Fund announced plans for debt relief for poor countries and increased lending resources for all countries.