(2020-03-29). Spain endures another record day for Covid-19 deaths but rate of new infections drops significantly. rt.com 
Spain recorded another record day of fatalities from Covid-19 on Sunday as 838 people died. However, the rate of new cases dropped significantly amid signs that measures introduced to combat the virus are having an effect. | Spanish health officials announced on Sunday morning that 6,528 people have now died from the coronavirus in the Mediterranean country and a total of 78,797 people have contracted the illness. | The figure represents an increase of 6,549 confirmed cases on Saturday's total, a jump of 9 percent. This compares favorably to 12.7 percent on Saturday, 14 percent on Friday, Thursday's 18 percent…
(2020-03-29). China warns imported cases raise risk of NEW WAVE of Covid-19 infections. rt.com 
The growing number of coronavirus cases arriving in China from abroad have increased the likelihood of a second outbreak in the country, according to health officials. | "China already has an accumulated total of 693 cases entering from overseas, which means the possibility of a new round of infections remains relatively big," said Mi Feng of the National Health Commission. | Locally transmitted cases have been almost completely contained, but China continues to struggle to halt the number of infections being brought into the country. The country reported 45 new coronavirus cases in the mainland on Saturday, d…
(2020-03-29). Germany's health system could buckle if faced with crisis seen in Italy, public health chief warns. rt.com 
Germany's health infrastructure would not be able to cope with the huge influx of Covid-19 patients currently seen in Italy, the head of Robert Koch Institute (RKI) has said. | Lothar Wieler, who heads the institute responsible for disease control n Germany, told local media that the country would not have the necessary equipment if the number of hospitalizations spiked. | "We cannot rule out that we will have more patients than ventilators in this country… Of course, we must expect that the capacities will not be sufficient," Wieler warned. | The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany rose to 52,5…
(2020-03-29). Residents of New York, New Jersey & Connecticut urged to avoid all 'non-essential' travel for 14 days – advisory. rt.com 
Citing "extensive community transmission" of the coronavirus in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, a newly-issued domestic travel advisory has called on residents to stay put in their homes for at least the next two weeks. | The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its travel recommendation for residents of the three states — struggling to cope with an avalanche of new Covid-19 cases — on Saturday evening, shortly after US President Donald Trump announced that he would not impose federal quarantine on the states in an apparent U-turn from his previous rhetoric. | #COVID19
(2020-03-29). 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.
(2020-03-29). As COVID-19 Reaches Santa Rita Jail, Decarceration Becomes More Urgent. indybay.org Oakland, CA — According to Alameda County jail officials, a nurse in Santa Rita Jail has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the first positive test in the jail. The positive case follows at least one confirmed exposure and several possible exposures at the jail by an arrestee and sheriff deputy. For the last two weeks, advocates with the Audit Ahern Coalition and healthcare labor unions have been calling for the Alameda County Sheriff's Office (ACSO), Alameda County District Attorney's Office, and Alameda County Board of Supervisors to reduce the risk of this pandemic for those incarcerated at Santa…
(2020-03-29). Learning from the Past, Preparing for the Future: Lessons from Depression-era Mutual Aid. indybay.org As coronavirus spreads and the death toll begins to climb, our most immediate concern is (and should remain) staying healthy and supporting our communities through the immediate crisis. As radicals, however, we must also begin to strategize how we will respond to the economic collapse that will continue to affect our lives long after a vaccine or herd immunity render the virus itself a past issue. Looking back to our local history, we can learn a great deal from Great Depression era worker self-organizing and mutual aid.
(2020-03-29). Livestream: Health Care Town Hall: Our Lives On The Line Series Kick-off. indybay.org Livestream on Facebook…
(2020-03-29). Starbucks Let Critical Time Slip Away Before Taking Action During COVID-19 Pandemic. indybay.org A March 26 Buzzfeed News article says of Starbucks, "the decisions of a company that employs 220,000 people in the US have had far-reaching consequences in the midst of a virus accelerating faster than most public health systems can keep up with."
(2020-03-29). 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.
(2020-03-29). Know Your Rights during COVID-19 (Coronavirus). indybay.org While the COVID-19 pandemic necessitates public health measures to reduce the impact of the virus on our communities and health care systems, we must be vigilant and resist authoritarian and violent tendencies.
(2020-03-29). G20 Emergency Meeting Convenes on Coronavirus Health and Economic Impacts. indybay.org Saudi Arabia chaired an emergency virtual G20 meeting for Presidents and Prime Minsters as the coronavirus wreaks havoc on the global economy.
(2020-03-29). 'Stop stockpiling and stay home' pleads coronavirus patient. thecanary.co A woman currently in hospital with suspected Covid-19 has urged the public not to panic buy and to stay at home to avoid spreading the disease further. | Delia Colwill, from Berkshire, was taken into hospital on Tuesday, six days after she first began showing symptoms of the coronavirus. | The 47-year-old suffers from a spinal cord injury that affects her nervous system and has chronic pain. She said the virus has "absolutely knocked me sideways". | She has been repeatedly tested for the virus and received mixed results with one positive and one negative. | PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SHARE. Another humiliating video for…
(2020-03-29). 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.
(2020-03-29). The Virus of Sanctions: Flattening the Curve. zcomm.org If ever there were an opportunity for people to recognize each other's humanity and cast aside their mutual fears and antagonisms, now is that opportunity when everyone is facing the same life-threatening disease…
(2020-03-29). Iran Confirms 2,901 New Coronavirus Cases, Total Number Surpasses 38,000 – Health Ministry. sputniknews.com TEHRAN (Sputnik) – Iran has registered another 2,901 coronavirus cases, which brings the total tally to 38,309, Alireza Vahabzadeh, an adviser to the country's health minister, said on Sunday.
(2020-03-29). Spread of Coronavirus Disease in China Largely Stopped – Health Ministry. sputniknews.com There are currently at least 680,000 people who have been diagnosed with the coronavirus around the world, while the death toll has almost reached 32,000. At the same time, at least 146,000 have recovered from the disease.
(2020-03-29). Ex-French Minister Patrick Devedjian Dies of COVID-19 in Paris Aged 75 – Authorities. sputniknews.com PARIS (Sputnik) – French politician and former minister Patrick Devedjian has died in Paris at the age of 75 of complications from the coronavirus disease, the local authorities said in a statement on Sunday.
(2020-03-29). Iran's death toll from coronavirus reaches 2,640: health official. yenisafak.com Iran's death toll from the coronavirus has climbed to 2,640 and the number of infected people has reached 38,309, a health ministry official tweeted on Sunday."In the past 24 hours we had 123 deaths and 2,901 people have been infected, bringing the total number of infected people to 38,309," tweeted Alireza Vahabzadeh, an adviser to Iran's health minister. "12,391 people infected from the virus have recovered."
(2020-03-29). Coronavirus death toll rises to 432 in Germany. yenisafak.com Germany registered 73 new coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hours, taking the total to 432, according to local health authorities.The Berlin-based website Coronavirus-Monitor, which compiles up-to-date numbers from local health authorities, reported 5,201 new cases on Sunday, bringing the total infections to 56,572.More than 9,200 patients infected with the virus have so far recovered.Germany is the third-worst-affected country by the coronavirus pandemic in Europe, but its death toll has so far remained lower than the two hardest-hit countries, Italy and Spain.‚Ä®‚Ä®Chancellor Angel…
(2020-03-29). Britain places new order for 10,000 ventilators. yenisafak.com Britain has placed an order for 10,000 ventilators to be made by a consortium of companies including Ford, Airbus and Rolls-Royce as part of efforts to fight coronavirus, an industry source told Reuters.Governments around the world are trying to boost the number of ventilators- mechanical breathing devices that can blow air and oxygen into the lungs- which are available to their health services.They are crucial for the care of people with lung failure, which can be one of the complications suffered by patients with severe COVID-19, the disease coronavirus causes. But they don't necessarily save people.An announce…
(2020-03-29). 'We're trying to keep our heads above water': US healthcare workers fight shortages – and fear. yenisafak.com U.S. nurses and doctors on the front lines of the battle against the new coronavirus that has infected tens of thousands of Americans and killed hundreds are shellshocked by the damage that the virus wreaks – on patients, their families and themselves.Nurses and doctors describe their frustration at equipment shortages, fears of infecting their families, and their moments of tearful despair.These are some of their stories: NEW YORKCONFIRMED CASES: 53,324DEATHS: 773Dr. Arabia Mollette, an emergency medicine physician, has started praying during the cab ride to work in the morning. She needs those few minutes of pea…
(2020-03-29). 'It is a real problem': Fire brigades disinfect Ethiopian capital. yenisafak.com Ethiopian fire brigades on Sunday cleaned and disinfected public spaces in the country's capital, Addis Ababa to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.The efforts were organized by municipal officials, deploying some 90 fire brigade cars.Eyes Solomon, an official with the city administration, told the public Ethiopian News Agency: "We are trying to prevent the spread of coronavirus and also raise public awareness on the pandemic."Health officials in Ethiopia have confirmed 16 COVID-19 cases, but have expressed concern at public non-compliance with social distancing measures.Mohammed Amanu, a trader in Merkato,…
(2020-03-29). Bangladesh not equipped to fight corona pandemic. yenisafak.com Bangladesh is yet to be equipped with the necessary health care facilities and support to deal with serious cases of the novel coronavirus despite having much time since the virus first emerged in the ground zero, China, says experts.Many have expressed concern that there is a serious lack of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds with facilities with ventilators, shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for health care workers, testing kits and other resources, including a national fund to fight the COVID-19 outbreak."Bangladesh is facing these challenges because of a weak Health Ministry. There is a serious cris…
(2020-03-28). Johnson accused of failing to follow his own rules as another cabinet minister self isolates. thecanary.co 
The number of people who have died after contracting coronavirus passed 1,000 as it was revealed another cabinet minister has been forced to self-isolate.As of 5pm on 27 March, 1,019 people had died after being diagnosed with Covid-19, the Department of Health and Social Care said on 28 March.A total of 120,776 coronavirus tests have taken place, with 17,089 positive results and 103,687 people testing negative.The latest figures come after Scottish secretary Alister Jack revealed he had developed mild symptoms of coronavirus and was self-isolating.Boris Johnson is already having to lead the response to the pandem…
(2020-03-28). Frontline NHS staff say coronavirus testing is still 'not enough' and 'not fast enough'. thecanary.co 
NHS staff working on the front line of the coronavirus pandemic have said not enough is being done to deal with the rising numbers of workers forced to self-isolate and take time off.Coronavirus tests for frontline workers are to be trialled in England this weekend ahead of a wider rollout, in a bid to get more healthcare staff back to work.This comes 10 days after Wales began screening staff in a bid to help the health service cope with the outbreak. | Those working in hospitals across the UK said the move has not come quickly enough, with some wards crippled by up to a quarter of doctors and nurses off.All the…
(2020-03-28). First baby dies in the US after coronavirus diagnosis. rt.com 
An infant younger than one year old has died in Chicago, after testing positive for the Covid-19 coronavirus. The child is possibly the first infant in the US to die of the deadly disease. | The child's death was reported by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) on Saturday. Though Covid-19 has not yet been named as the conclusive cause of death, the child was diagnosed with the illness before passing away. | "There has never before been a death associated with COVID-19 in an infant," IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said in a statement. "We must do everything we can to prevent the spread of this deadly…
(2020-03-28). Big Tech teams up with White House to battle Covid-19 — and spy on us all. rt.com 
Governments and scientists alike agree that 'tracking' is a key strategy for containing the coronavirus. It is now clear they intend to do so using technology like smartphones, a move that raises concerns about privacy, however. | Both US President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence made sure to mention the 'Covid-19 Screening Tool' app developed by Apple at their daily press briefing on Friday. According to the White House, the app "guides users through questions about symptoms and exposure," using guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) "to help determine steps they should…
(2020-03-28). Coronavirus testing to begin for some NHS staff. thecanary.co 
Coronavirus (COVID-19) tests for NHS frontline staff are to be trialled this weekend. These are part of a wider roll-out to help those given the all-clear from the disease to return to work. The move comes after prime minister Boris Johnson tested positive for coronavirus and has gone into self-isolation.Cabinet minister Michael Gove said the government was working in a "new alliance" with universities, businesses and researchers to boost testing capacity. A total of 759 people have already died in UK hospitals after being diagnosed with coronavirus. Meanwhile, 113,777 have tested positive and hundreds of thousan…
(2020-03-28). Global Covid-19 death toll exceeds 30,000, with two-thirds in Europe — AFP. rt.com 
The Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic has claimed more than 30,000 lives around the globe, according to calculations by AFP news agency. Some 20,000 of the victims were in Europe where Italy and Spain remain the hardest-hit countries. | Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, which also keeps track of the Covid-19 death toll, has also updated its count to just over 30,000 deaths. | In AFP's home country, France, the authorities said that 319 people succumbed to the disease on Saturday, with the overall number of deaths reaching 2,314.
(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). [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). [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). [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). [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.
(2020-03-28). [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] 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). UK health care assistant: "There's a fear that if we are tested for COVID-19, most of us will come back positive and the NHS will collapse" wsws.org A senior health care assistant spoke to the World Socialist Web Site about his experiences at work during the coronavirus pandemic.
(2020-03-28). University of California graduate students need a socialist political strategy. wsws.org Faced with the COVID-19 pandemic, striking University of California graduate students must turn out to the working class in a political struggle for trillions for public health, decent living standards, and public education for all.
(2020-03-28). COVID-19: UN donates quarter of a million face masks to NYC health workers. news.un.org On behalf of the city, the Mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, was on hand to receive 250,000 face masks donated by the UN on Saturday, destined for health workers in the metropolis that is home to the Organization's Headquarters.
(2020-03-28). Australian medical workers speak on the growing crisis in the health system. wsws.org Health workers are increasingly being forced to source their own supplies to ensure they and their colleagues have masks, goggles, gowns and gloves.
(2020-03-28). How Many Nedas? Iran Sanctions Are Biological Warfare Against Civilians. commondreams.org General view of a hospital where health officers, wearing masks and special protective suits, take care of a patient infected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) at a hospital in Tehran, Iran on March 02, 2020. (Photo: Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-03-28). Pandemic death toll in Europe rises to 19,000 as savaged health care systems are overwhelmed. wsws.org The COVID-19 pandemic is preying on Europe's 500 million-plus population whose health care services have been decimated by years of government austerity and private sector looting.
(2020-03-28). The U.S. should be working with China to end the Pandemic, Not provoking a new cold war. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the statement from the MN Anti-War Committee. | The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic is the greatest global crisis since World War 2. Millions may die in the coming weeks as the coronavirus spreads exponentially on every continent, irrespective of national borders. Hospital systems will be overwhelmed, supply chains will be stretched, shortages will be widespread, and impacts will be universal. Humanity will be united like never before, in struggle against an unprecedented public health threat. | Unfortunately, the Trump administration seems hellbent on using this crisis to furth…
(2020-03-28). When Economists Try to Solve Health Crises, the Results Can Often Be Disastrous. zcomm.org Classical economics helped kill millions in the British Empire's famines—following economic orthodoxy today could be just as deadly…
(2020-03-28). Cuba's Medical Brigade Fight Along With Jamaica Against COVID-19. telesurenglish.net Cuba's medical brigade is currently fighting along with the Jamaican people and government against the Covid-19 pandemic, which is the result of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. | RELATED: | In statements to Prensa Latina on Internet, doctor Jose Armando Arronte, head of Cuba's Medical Brigade (BMC) in this nation, confirmed the favorable health condition of all collaborators who comply with health measures to the threatening of…
(2020-03-28). Sri Lankan doctors speak out over coronavirus dangers facing health workers. wsws.org Hospital workers are making a huge effort to treat the rising number of patients, but they lack the protective gear they need.
(2020-03-28). UK government buried 2016 report exposing catastrophic NHS failings during flu pandemic. wsws.org Exercise Cygnus has been buried for years for fear it would give rise to demands for an end to health care cuts.
(2020-03-28). Mexico's government seeks to place burden of virus crisis on the backs of the working class. wsws.org Mexican President López Obrador has belittled the threat and done nothing in terms of health spending or financial support to workers.
(2020-03-28). Big business in South Korea exploits pandemic to carry out massive assault on jobs. wsws.org The trade unions are aiding the government and corporations use the health crisis to implement deeper attacks on the working class.
