(2020-04-07). Lockdown in France will last as long as 'it needs to' as peak of pandemic not yet reached — French health minister. rt.com 
France's health minister has said it is far too early to discuss easing the strict nationwide lockdown as the deadly Covid-19 pandemic still has not reached its peak in the country. | "We are not at the peak of the epidemic yet… We are still at the aggravation phase," Health Minister Olivier Veran said in an interview with BFM TV on Tuesday. | "It is too early to talk about ending the isolation," Veran said. | The isolation [regime] will last as long as it needs to… It's up to each of us in our daily behavior to understand that by staying inside we are saving lives. We have to be patient. Our patience save…
(2020-04-07). Healthcare Workers Punished For Challenging 'Profit Over People' Management. therealnews.com 
The US medical system's drive to maximize profit has always been at the cost of public health, and amplifies the danger healthcare workers and their patients face from COVID-19.
(2020-04-07). Norway prepares to ease some restrictions 'little by little'. rt.com 
Norway will lift some of the restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, Prime Minister Erna Solberg said on Tuesday. "Together we have taken control of the virus, therefore we can open up society little by little," Solberg told reporters. Her health minister said on Monday that the epidemic was "under control" in Norway, pointing to the low rate of transmission of the disease. | The Nordic country was among the first in Europe to shut down a wide range of private and public institutions, sending the economy into a tailspin, triggering hundreds of thousands of layoffs, Reuters said.
(2020-04-07). Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders & Fight for a Progressive Future. democracynow.org 
As millions hope to receive support as soon as possible from the massive coronavirus stimulus bill passed by Congress without adequate oversight mechanisms, we look at who will benefit from "extraordinary asymmetrical assistance" that went to corporations instead of working people. "Some of the people who need it the most are not getting it," says Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. "This contributes to a public health crisis in addition to an economic one." She also discusses plans for the 2020 election and a "progressive future" for the United States with a single-payer health system and a living wage.
(2020-04-07). Italian minister says coronavirus 'tsunami' is slowly starting to back down but 'hugs and kisses' won't return without a vaccine. rt.com 
Deputy health minister Pierpaolo Sileri said that normal life would only return to Italy after an inoculation was readily available, as the country's new infection rate continued to decline. | The politician, who fell victim to virus himself but has since recovered, told Radio Capital in Rome that "a tsunami that struck northern Italy is gradually receding, but hugs and kisses can only return to Italian life after a vaccine is found." | He added that the ban on movement had prevented the disease from spreading south, and urged Italians to still observe proper social distancing and wear face masks when out in p…
(2020-04-07). At long last: China reports zero new coronavirus deaths for FIRST TIME as outbreak continues to subside. rt.com 
Beijing has reported zero new fatalities from Covid-19, the country's National Health Commission said in a statement, a first for China since it was wracked with a major coronavirus outbreak late last year. | The Health Commission Seeing over 82,000 cases in total since last December, larg…
(2020-04-07). 'Take me back!' NYC patients 'crying & screaming' not to be sent to overcrowded hospitals during Covid-19 — doctor (VIDEO). rt.com 
Patients in New York, gripped by a massive outbreak of the Covid-19, are resisting hospitalization out of fear of catching the deadly disease as medical facilities are severely overcrowded with coronavirus cases, a doctor said. | New York has become one of the epicenters of the coronavirus epidemic in the US. The state has seen more than 130,000 confirmed cases as well as 4,758 deaths — already more than in all of China, where the disease was first reported. The dire situation has put a severe strain on the local health system and, for patients, the prospect of being admitted to a hospital is more like a…
(2020-04-07). Too EARLY to talk about positive trend on Covid-19 infection rate despite dropping figures, Germany's public health chief warns. rt.com Health officials need more time to determine whether a decrease in the daily rate of new Covid-19 patients is a long-lasting trend in Germany, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) head has said. | The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases has grown by 3,834, bringing the total amount of cases in Germany to 99,225, RKI chief Lothar Wieler told reporters at a press briefing on Tuesday. | The nation has recently seen a slight decrease in the daily rate of new cases. Nevertheless, Wieler urged everyone not to jump to conclusions. | The number of the newly-reported cases is lower, but we can't rest assured yet… We need t…
(2020-04-07). WHO warns Covid-19 may reignite if restrictions lifted too early as Austria & Denmark announce gradual reopening. rt.com 
While some nations are beginning to lift some of the measures they imposed in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus, UN's health body warned against being too hasty, saying it may result in resurgence of the epidemic. | "It's similar to being sick yourself if you get out of bed too early and get running too early you risk falling back and having complications," a spokesman for the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a briefing. | Christian Lindmeier added the organization had no blanket recommendations to nations on how and when to lift pandemic lockdowns, but called on the governments to stay on the…
(2020-04-07). California, facing COVID-19, moves to release "low-risk" inmates. peoplesworld.org 
As COVID-19 makes its way into California prisons, efforts are intensifying to secure the release of inmates nearing the end of their sentences, serving terms for nonviolent offenses, or at high risk for the virus because of age and/or health status. As of April 6, 17 people incarcerated in the state's prison system, and 53 …
(2020-04-07). Tributes paid after 'highly regarded' surgeon dies with coronavirus. thecanary.co 
Tributes have been paid to a "highly regarded" surgeon who died in Cardiff after testing positive for Covid-19.Jitendra Rathod, an associate specialist in cardio-thoracic surgery at the University Hospital of Wales, died on Monday morning.The married father-of-two was described as a "very highly-regarded doctor" by the first minister of Wales, while health minister Vaughan Gething said he was "deeply saddened" by news of Rathod's death.On Tuesday, Public Health Wales said 291 new cases had tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 3,790.A further 19 deaths were reported of peop…
(2020-04-07). 'WHO blew it!' Trump accuses global health watchdog of being CHINA-CENTRIC despite 'largely US-funded'. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump slammed the World Health Organization for its "faulty recommendation" that the US — which now has more coronavirus cases than China — should keep its borders open during the early weeks of the epidemic. | The president warned he would be having a "good look" at why the WHO, chiefly funded by the US, was so "China centric" in a tweet on Tuesday. | Congratulating himself for not listening to the NGO's advice, Trump wondered aloud about its motivations. | The W.H.O. really blew it. For some reason, funded largely by the United States, yet very China centric. We will be giving…
(2020-04-07). MP calls for law to guarantee temporary succession order for prime minister. thecanary.co 
A succession list detailing who replaces an incapacitated prime minister should be guaranteed in law, an MP has said, amid concerns for the health of Boris Johnson.Conservative Peter Bone welcomed the government's foresight to have foreign secretary and first secretary of state Dominic Raab as Johnson's formal deputy after the PM was admitted to intensive care following a worsening of his coronavirus symptoms.But the MP for Wellingborough said it is unclear what would happen if Raab should also fall ill, adding there is a need for legal certainty.Bone's Prime Minister (Temporary Replacement) bill could be debated…
(2020-04-07). What The President Said (About The Plague). counterpunch.org 
Rather than place Trump's statements in strict chronological order, I have sometimes put 2 or more of statements from different days together, to highlight Trump's contradictions and subsequent deviations– these are prefaced by an asterisk. I have retained Trump's numerous linguistic infelicities. It should be noted that Trump sometimes refers to himself in the third person.
(2020-04-07). 'Striking' evidence emerges that TB vaccine may be effective against Covid-19 — countries that use it have TEN TIMES fewer cases. rt.com 
The world may not have to wait 12 to 18 months for a Covid-19 vaccine — scientists hope a TB shot can be adapted to fight it much more quickly. But the research so far is based on statistics, and clinical trials are still needed.
(2020-04-07). Indian state leaders want extension to world's biggest lockdown. rt.com 
Several state leaders in India have called for an extension or only a partial lifting of current restrictions. They said that the 21-day lockdown, which is set to end next week, is the only way to avoid a coronavirus epidemic in the country. | India has so far escaped a big surge in cases after Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked its 1.3 billion people to stay indoors in the world's biggest lockdown last month, which authorities have strictly enforced. However, shuttering the $2.9 trillion economy has left millions of people without work and forced those who live on daily wages to flee to their homes in the cou…
(2020-04-07). Russia's Covid-19 cases jump by record 1,154, with 11 new fatalities pushing overall death toll to 58. rt.com 
In Russia, the Covid-19 trend is upward. The daily increase of confirmed infections has for the first time surpassed 1,000 as the total has reached almost 7,500. 58 patients have now died from the killer virus in the country. | Officials announced on Monday morning that 1,154 new patients had been diagnosed with the coronavirus over the preceding 24 hours. In the same period of time, 11 people are known to have succumbed to the disease. | The infection has spread to a new Russian region with the first three cases reported in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic in the south of the country. Of the 85 federal subjects…
(2020-04-07). UK's Covid-19 deaths jump by record 854 to rise above 6,000. rt.com 
The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in the UK has surpassed 6,000, after a record number of deaths were reported for a 24-hour period. The news comes as PM Johnson remains in intensive care with the disease. | NHS England have confirmed the deaths of a further 758 coronavirus patients, while 74 were reported in Scotland, 19 in Wales and three in Northern Ireland. | Johnson was hospitalized over the weekend for further tests for his Covid-19, but was transferred to an intensive care unit on Monday after his condition worsened. His spokesperson said on Tuesday that the PM is in stable condition. | Also…
(2020-04-07). China must step up on African debt relief amid coronavirus pandemic — Ghana. rt.com 
China must do more to help ease the debt burden of African countries facing economic calamity from the coronavirus pandemic, Ghana's finance minister said. Africa accounts for just a fraction of global cases of the disease, but the continent's economies are expected to contract, putting about 20 million jobs at risk. | "My feeling is that China has to come on stronger," Ken Ofori-Atta said during a conversation on Monday with Masood Ahmed, president of the Washington-based Center for Global Development. "African debt to China is $145 billion or so, over $8 billion of payments is required this year… So that n…
(2020-04-07). AOC Says Sanders's Plans Highlight the Progressive Future We Need Amid COVID-19. truthout.org As millions hope to receive support as soon as possible from the massive coronavirus stimulus bill passed by Congress without adequate oversight mechanisms, we look at who will benefit from "extraordinary asymmetrical assistance" that went to corporations instead of working people. "Some of the people who need it the most are not getting it," says Congressmember Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. "This contributes to a public health crisis in addition to an economic one." She also discusses plans for t…
(2020-04-07). Updates from Santa Cruz's Struggling Benchlands Meal & Santa Barbara's Peter Marin. indybay.org Santa Barbara activist Peter Marin blasts Santa Barbara's "Let 'Em Die: " Lack of Services. Santa Cruz Food Not Bombs activist Keith McHenry Calls for More Volunteers, Warns Local Authorities Violate CDC Safeguards for Those Outside…
(2020-04-07). Doctors detained for demanding protective gear in Pakistan. peoplesdispatch.org At least 67 health workers who were protesting against the non-availability of personal protection equipment kits for medical professionals were detained by security forces in Balochistan province on Monday…
(2020-04-07). Italian Communists Send a Fraternal Hug to the People of Cuba. telesurenglish.net On Monday, the Italian Communist Party (PCI) issued a public thanks to the cooperation of the Cuban Health workers in this European country. | RELATED: | "For 60 years, you have been an example and an invaluable resource for all the peoples of the world… A nation that is giving a great lesson in solidarity and humanity. Its doctors, who have cured the sick in 64 countries, testify to the value of a socialist societ…
(2020-04-07). "Who's Going to Pay For it?" A Dying Patient's Last Words Before Being Placed on a Ventilator. mintpressnews.com In a country that leads in slashing budgets and encouraging individualism, the top-down failure to respond to the coronavirus has been uniquely American in flavor.
(2020-04-07). It's Spring and I've Turned 71 in a Pandemic-Induced Recession. counterpunch.org I'm feeling a little weird these days. No, don't worry! I'm not coming down with suspicious flu-like symptoms. So far fortunately, I'm managing to stay healthy despite my 71 years and a lung condition that makes me particularly at risk of any respiratory illness that comes along — much the worse if it's a deadly
(2020-04-07). Pandemics, History, Science, Public Health, COVID-19 & Lessons For Today With Dr. Rutherford. indybay.org WorkWeek interviews Dr. George Rutherford who is a professor at UCSF and is a world expert on pandemics.
(2020-04-07). Puerto Rico: The Number of COVID-19 Confirmed Cases Reaches 573. telesurenglish.net Puerto Rico's Health Department Tuesday announced that the number of positive cases for COVID-19 has reached 573 so far, 23 of which have died. | RELATED: | One of the deceased was a 79-year-old woman who died in a hospital in the Mayagàºez region. A 40-year-old man also died and became the Caribbean island's youngest victim. | "Every death confronts us with the unfortunate reality of the lethality of the ene…
(2020-04-07). California regulators approve new fracking permits during COVID-19 epidemic. indybay.org The increase in oil and gas drilling permits in recent years, including fracking operations — and fact that California has no health and safety setbacks like many other states do — is a result of the millions of dollars every year that WSPA and oil companies spend every year on lobbying state officials, including the Governor's Office and state regulatory agencies, as well as the many millions spent by the oil industry on campaign contributions to politicians and campaign committees.
(2020-04-07). California Apartment Association is afraid of coronavirus rent strikes. indybay.org With millions in California losing their jobs, income, food, and healthcare, while being ordered to shelter-in-place as a result of the coronavirus pandemic spreading across the state and the nation, it seems reasonable to many that a rent strike not only seems feasible, but necessary.
(2020-04-07). Mayo Clinic Q&A: Plan for healthy meals, fewer trips to the grocery store during pandemic. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org DEAR MAYO CLINIC: During the COVID-19 outbreak, I'm trying to limit trips to the grocery store. But I want to continue to eat healthy meals. What foods should I consider stocking up on, knowing that I probably won't be buying anything fresh for a couple of weeks? ANSWER: Most people are in the habit of …
(2020-04-07). WHO calls for support nurses, midwives on World Health Day 2020. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 07 (MNA) — By highlighting the theme of this year's World Health Day as "Support nurses and midwives" the World Health Organization (WHO) acknowledges the critical role that nurses and midwives play in keeping the world healthy and calls to world leaders to invest in nurses and midwives as part of their commitment to health for all.
(2020-04-07). Belfast researchers lead UK-wide coronavirus clinical trial. thecanary.co Belfast researchers are leading a UK-wide clinical trial offering cell therapy treatment for coronavirus patients with acute respiratory failure. | The team at the Queen's University Belfast is investigating the use of allogenic Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) in patients with a complication known as Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) caused by Covid-19. | The trial involves the use of MSCs, a type of cell derived from human tissue such as bone marrow or umbilical cord to treat the injury to the lung caused by Covid-19. | Health Minister Robin Swann has visited Northern Ireland's first Nightingale site a…
(2020-04-07). Six ways home-based cardiac rehab keeps patients safe, healthy during COVID-19. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org ROCHESTER, Minn. ? COVID-19 presents evolving challenges to health care, in part because it is a new viral disease. People do not have natural immunity and a vaccine hasn't yet been developed. Patients with heart disease are at increased risk of cardiac-related complications and death, and are more likely to develop severe complications from COVID-19. …
(2020-04-07). African Americans Have Contracted and Died of COVID-19 at an Alarming Rate. truthout.org The coronavirus entered Milwaukee from a white, affluent suburb. Then it took root in the city's black community and erupted. | As public health officials watched cases rise in March, too many in the community shrugged off warnings. Rumors and conspiracy theories proliferated on social media, pushing the
(2020-04-07). COVID-19 expert explains what soap does to SARS-CoV-2 virus. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Health experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continue to drive home the message that excellent hand-washing is the most effective way to prevent illnesses, such as COVID-19. Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and director of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group, explains what soap does to SARS-CoV-2, and other viruses …
(2020-04-07). The deadly consequences of the gutting of America's public health infrastructure. wsws.org Politicians and media pundits have accepted that mass sickness and death are the inevitable product of the COVID-19 outbreak.
(2020-04-07). ILWU Seattle Workers & Boss Worked on Contaminated SSA Seattle Terminal. indybay.org Seattle ILWU longshore workers were forced to work with a sick SSA manager who might have been infected with Covid-19 and were not informed of the health and safety dangers.
(2020-04-07). Scottish care workers speak out against conditions and treatment during COVID-19 crisis. wsws.org Front line health and social care workers from the Scottish Highlands spoke to the WSWS about the conditions they are facing.
(2020-04-07). China: No COVID-19 Patient Died in the Last 24 Hours. telesurenglish.net China's National Health Commission (NHC) Tuesday reported that no new deaths from COVID-19 were reported on Monday, when the number of critically ill patients fell to 211, the lowest figure since January. | RELATED: | "Today is the first day without coronavirus-related deaths in China since the outbreak broke out last January," the China teleSUR correspondent Iramsy Peraza informed. | "The NHC reported data on 81,74…
(2020-04-07). Open session of Parliament on Tuesday. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 07 (MNA) — Chaired by First Deputy Parliament Speaker Masoud Pezeshkian, the open session of the Iranian Parliament was held on Tuesday morning to review the coronavirus outbreak in Iran and also to pose questions to Minister of Health and Medical Education Saeed Namak on a series of relevant issues.
(2020-04-07). Tips for connecting to Mayo Clinic using Patient Online Services. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org ROCHESTER, Minn. ? Telehealth is becoming more important as a way of delivering health care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Video appointments are one form of telehealth that is seeing an increased usage. Patients also can take advantage of the telehealth offerings available through patient portals. Mayo Clinic's patient portal, Patient Online Services, offers its patients several …
(2020-04-07). COVID-19: The tale of 1 virus and 2 testing methods. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org When a new virus emerges that infects and sickens humans, the wheels of innovation start turning quickly in the world of health care and biomedical research. Teams versed in different aspects of laboratory medicine work together to better understand the virus and develop tests to identify those who are infected or have been exposed to …
(2020-04-07). Connecting Community: Keeping Healthy, Keeping Positive by Women's March (10am & 1pm). indybay.org Online via Zoom @ 10 AM & 1 PM (2 separate sessions)…
(2020-04-07). US hospitals raise prices, cuts costs and lay off staff in midst of COVID-19 crisis. wsws.org Funds to purchase necessary health equipment and increase operating capacity to battle the coronavirus will come from raising hospitals' already extortionist rates for procedures, while cutting vital staff.
(2020-04-07). Chile is another example of the failure of neoliberalism to respond to coronavirus. peoplesdispatch.org Chile has already entered the Stage 4 coronavirus transmission scenario and the country's Health Minister has ruled out imposing total quarantine to contain the spread of the virus…
(2020-04-07). 'It Is Disease that Makes Health Sweet and Good'. globalresearch.ca He was known as "the Riddler." Even "the Dark." Heraclitus of Ephesus was one of a kind. | In his heart of hearts a contemptuous aristocrat, this master of paradox despised all so-called wise men and the mobs that adored them. …
(2020-04-07). Mayo Clinic Q&A: Poor lung health appears to play a role in deaths related to COVID-19. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Why is COVID-19 so harmful to the lungs? Are smokers more at risk of the virus causing damage? As a smoker, should I be taking more precautions than the average person? ANSWER: COVID-19 can significantly affect the lungs. People whose lung health is affected by factors such as lung disease or smoking …
(2020-04-07). British Queen appeals for national unity across an unbridgeable class divide. wsws.org Expunged from the Queen's narrative was any hint of the mounting public fury over horrific conditions endured by National Health Service staff—deprived of masks, gloves and other essential personal protective clothing, and of ventilators to treat the dying.
(2020-04-07). Mounting anger among US healthcare workers as watchdog warns of "severe" supply shortages. wsws.org As the Department of Health and Human Services warned Monday of "severe" shortages of vital protective equipment throughout the country, healthcare workers are demanding safe working conditions and the provision of the equipment necessary to keep them safe while treating COVID-19 patients.
(2020-04-07). Iran hopefully to reach key stage of battling COVID-19 by May 20. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 07 (MNA) — Iranian Minister of Health and Medical Education Saeed Namaki expressed hope that the country would reach an important stage in battling coronavirus by May 20.