(2020-05-04). US Government Fears China will Give Away COVID-19 Vaccine for Free. mintpressnews.com "The coronavirus pandemic is a clear instance in which the whole world shares a common interest in developing and distributing a vaccine."
(2020-05-04). WHO should debunk 'conspiracy theorist' Pompeo with independent Covid-19 probe, says German politician. rt.com 
Leading member of Germany's Green Party Jàºrgen Trittin called on the World Health Organization to investigate the origins of the coronavirus so as to counter 'conspiracy theorists' such as the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. | Trittin reacted on Monday to claims by the top US diplomat that there was "enormous evidence" the Covid-19 pathogen originated in a Chinese laboratory, calling Pompeo a "conspiracy theorist" and demanding a WHO-led independent probe to clear the air. | Verschwà∂rungstheoretikern wie
(2020-05-04). The Impact of COVID-19 on Africa. The Case of Somalia. globalresearch.ca "We now live in a nation where doctors destroy health, lawyers destroy justice, universities destroy knowledge, governments destroy freedom, the press destroys information, religion destroys morals, and our banks destroy the economy". — Chris Hedges | The Coronavirus (Covid-19) …
(2020-05-04). Portugal Leads the Way: How European Countries Fared in Their Treatment of Refugees. counterpunch.org 
As soon as the COVID-19 pandemic began spreading its tentacles throughout China and eventually to the rest of the world, the World Health Organization (WHO), along with other international groups, sounded the alarm that refugees and migrants are particularly vulnerable to the deadly disease. "We strongly emphasize the need for inclusive national public health measures
(2020-05-04). This is what anti-imperialism looks like: Call for posters. peoplesdispatch.org 
Art and anti-imperialism | In the small French commune of Vallauris sits a 14th century chapel. On its walls, Spanish socialist painter Pablo Picasso created one of his largest murals — the diptych, War and Peace (1952). After preparing 278 sketches, Picasso's finished mural portrays a disease-carrying demon of war battling a heroic figure wielding a spear and shielded by a dove. It is a portrait of imperialism. Against the backdrop of this painting were the U.S. military aggressions in the Korean War that had begun two years earlier, which would claim three million lives by 1953. | "Painting is not made to…
(2020-05-04). North Korean defectors apologize for Kim Jong-un death rumors — but will Western media ever develop healthy skepticism? rt.com 
Defectors from North Korea have apologized for spreading fake news about leader Kim Jong-un's death. Will a Western media that believes their every word now finally start fact-checking their wild claims about the country? | Two defectors serving in South Korea's parliament issued public apologies on Monday after insisting the North Korean ruler was dead or close to it. The apologies came on the heels of heavy rebukes from the South's ruling Democratic Party, as well as calls for the defectors to be punished for spreading false rumors. | Over the course of Kim's three-week absence from public duties, the Wester…
(2020-05-04). Shed No Tears for CEOs with Sinking Share Prices. counterpunch.org 
Sometimes calendars can be cruel. A regularly reoccurring event can suddenly reoccur at a most inopportune moment. Just ask Ronald Rittenmeyer, the chief executive of Tenet Healthcare, a for-profit colossus that runs 65 hospitals and over 500 smaller care centers across the country. Every spring about this time, the Dallas-based Tenet files its required annual
(2020-05-04). Woodstock Occurred in the Middle of a Pandemic. anti-empire.com 
In my lifetime, there was another deadly flu epidemic in the United States. The flu spread from Hong Kong to the United States, arriving December 1968 and peaking a year later. It ultimately killed 100,000 people in the U.S., mostly over the age of 65, and one million worldwide. | Lifespan in the US in those days was 70 whereas it is 78 today. Population was 200 million as compared with 328 million today. It was also a healthier population with
(2020-05-04). French care home where staff locked themselves in with residents defies Covid-19. thecanary.co 
A care home in France which took a novel approach to warding off coronavirus (Covid-19) has emerged with a clean bill of health.As coronavirus cut a deadly path through care homes across the country, Valerie Martin vowed that the story would be different in the home she runs.To keep Covid-19 at bay and stop it from infecting and killing the vulnerable older adults in her care, Martin and her staff locked themselves in with the 106 residents.Residents at the Vilanova care home in Corbas, central France (Valerie Martin via AP)For 47 days and nights, staff and residents of the Vilanova care home on the outskirts of…
(2020-05-04). Faced with coronavirus, the most effective health system is one focused on prevention. mronline.org 
"You really are the men and women who do everything eh, you people!" That was the reaction of an 88-year-old patient when she received a phone call from one of our Medicine for the People (MPLP) volunteer workers or staff in mid-March.
(2020-05-04). Parents in Paris exasperated as schools plan to take only 10% of students back in phase 1 of lifting lockdown. rt.com 
When public schools in Paris finally reopen on May 11, only 10 percent of children will be accommodated, leaving many worried French parents in the lurch as they attempt to return to work after the Covid-19 lockdown. | The limited capacity is due to the numerous health measures which will need to be implemented in schools as restrictions are being phased out, the deputy mayor in charge of education Patrick Bloche told Le Figaro on Sunday. | "If we reach [this figure], it will already be very good," Bloche said, given that Paris is within France's 'red zone' for Covid-19 and that some school premises will strug…
(2020-05-04). 'Brain-dead on and off the pitch': Fans SLATE Liverpool's Lovren over coronavirus claims about Bill Gates, David Icke and vaccines. rt.com 
Fans have reacted with shock, derision and support on social media after Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren lashed out at a post by Bill Gates in support of health workers and endorsed David Icke's controversial views on COVID-19. | Long-serving center-back Lovren backed claims that the pandemic has been manufactured as a means of forcing the world to accept a vaccine, sounding a warning in response to a post by billionaire Gates, who theorists believe is behind a dastardly population control plan. | Gates, who has pledged some of his vast wealth towards the scientific search for a vaccine and medical aid efforts…
(2020-05-04). 'We can't be garbage dump for Europe': Fears in Turkey over imported plastic waste spike. rt.com 
Turkey has become a primary destination for plastic waste from richer European countries after the garbage was rejected by China and India. An environmental and health crisis is now in the making in Turkey, locals say. | In 2018, China banned the import of plastic waste, citing the environmental damage the practice had done to the country over the decades. India followed suit the next year. The decisions sent shockwaves across the global waste management industry, with exporting nations forced to find new destinations for their refuse. | For several European countries, Turkey became the new major target for se…
(2020-05-04). Cuomo wants to fine people not wearing Covid-19 masks because they could 'literally kill someone'. rt.com 
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has called people who don't wear masks to help stop the spread of the coronavirus "cruel and irresponsible," adding that he supports authorities fining them over it. | Wearing masks in public has been mandatory in New York since mid-April, but enforcement of the measure falls to local governments — and is something Cuomo wants to see happening. | "Do I think local government should be enforcing it? And should there be sanctions? Yes, because it is a public health emergency," Cuomo said at a press conference on Monday when asked about fining citizens for being in public witho…
(2020-05-04). Governor Unveils Innovative 37-Step Plan to Reopen State Over the Next 10 Years. anti-empire.com 
With many Americans eager to get back to work, state governors across the country are responding with their plans for giving everyone permission to be normal human beings again. One state governor is enjoying universal acclaim after unveiling his own innovative plan for getting his state reopened. | The new plan is called 'Our Vision for Health, Safety, Virtue, and Eternal Peace' and is a 37-step, 10-year plan for slowly opening up sections of the state economy. It reads as follows: | Form an exploratory committee to consult various experts on reopening things | Set date to hear recommendations from the explor…
(2020-05-04). Trump says "safe to re-open" as infection and death rates soar. peoplesworld.org 
President Trump on Sunday told Americans it is safe for states to re-open even as the number of infected and dead continues to rise rapidly across the country. When the president made his remarks, the death toll from the coronavirus had passed 67,000 and the total number of infections approached 1.2 million. The CDC itself …
(2020-05-04). Covid-19 victims 'would have died anyway'? Not so, says new research. rt.com 
A new study analyzing the longevity prospects of people who died from Covid-19 has found that, far from being on death's door anyway, victims would have lived on for an average of 11 years had they not fallen to the disease.
(2020-05-04). Iran's confirmed COVID-19 cases hit over 98k with almost 79k recovered. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 04 (MNA) — Iranian Health Ministry announced on Monday that the number of coronavirus cases has hit 98,647 in Iran, while 79,397 have recovered from the disease.
(2020-05-04). Trump, Pence, G W Bush, Hannity and Sen. Rick Scott's best sheriff fried under DOJ investi. indybay.org The Justice Department and Florida Department of Health are investigating Sheriff Carmine Marceno for civil rights abuses, human rights abuses, ADA violations and felony abuse of a disabled adult.
(2020-05-04). Developing Countries Struggle with Coronavirus Health and Economic Impacts. indybay.org From Ecuador to the Dominican Republic to Ethiopia, developing countries are struggling to obtain aid and financing to address the health and economic impacts of the coronavirus.
(2020-05-04). Knock, Knock. We're From the Government, and We Want Your Family's Blood. globalresearch.ca Talk about creepy. The Georgia Department of Public Health has announced that it, the United Sates Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and county health boards are together
(2020-05-04). Trump Restricts COVID-19 Relief Funds From Hospitals Serving Nation's Poorest. truthout.org Public health experts, state officials, and frontline medical workers are sounding the alarm and demanding an urgent change of course as the Trump administration disproportionately allocates Covid-19 relief funds to higher-revenue hospitals while The Los Angeles Times reported late last week that t…
(2020-05-04). Mayo Clinic expert talks social distancing. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org The need for?social distancing?will continue into the summer as an important public health tool to reduce the spread of?COVID-19. ?Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases specialist at Mayo Clinic acknowledges the hardships of public safety measures and says they are important. "The nature of social distancing, isolating ourselves, and shelter-in-place has been tremendous hardships from …
(2020-05-04). Rural America Needs a Real COVID-19 Response. counterpunch.org As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads, many rural communities are in a uniquely difficult position. According to Kaiser Health News, nearly 80 percent of rural America is categorized as a "medical desert," meaning the nearest hospital is more than 60 minutes away. These hospitals are also much harder pressed to come up with ventilators and personal
(2020-05-04). AskMayoExpert's COVID-19 information made available to public. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Mayo Clinic is making parts of its AskMayoExpert clinical knowledge resource for providers available to the public to make trusted knowledge on COVID-19 easily available to other health systems and providers. AskMayoExpert, Mayo Clinic's primary clinical knowledge resource for providers at the point of care, is sharing its COVID-19 content with the public. "Mayo leadership …
(2020-05-04). Only the Poor Starve: Hunger in the Time of Covid-19. counterpunch.org In addition to the global health crisis and the coming worldwide economic collapse, Covid-19 is fuelling a humanitarian crisis. The World Food Program (WFP) warns that, "millions of civilians living in conflict-scarred nations, including many women and children, face being pushed to the brink of starvation, with the spectre of famine a very real and dangerous possibility."
(2020-05-04). None of us is safe until we all are, says UN chief at EU push to end COVID-19 pandemic. news.un.org The "most massive public health effort in history" is needed to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN chief said on Monday, addressing a European Union pledging conference in Brussels.
(2020-05-04). Canadian workers speak out against lack of protective equipment in health facilities. wsws.org Hospitals are rationing masks even for frontline health workers treating COVID-19 patients.
(2020-05-04). Queen's University Belfast given funding to develop rapid test for Covid-19. thecanary.co Queen's University Belfast has received funding to develop a rapid diagnostic test for Covid-19. | The trial is aimed at finding a highly accurate test which can show results within an hour, eliminating the need to send tests to a laboratory. | Professor Cliff Taggart, lead researcher from the Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine at Queen's University, said: "The local availability, speed and accuracy of the test will help inform public health preparedness and response in the ongoing pandemic." | The study is in partnership with HiberGene Diagnostics Ltd, Medcaptain in China, and Italian Hospital…
(2020-05-04). Shops, hair salons and bookstores reopen in Spain as rate of Covid-19 infections & deaths drop. rt.com 
Spain has initiated the first phase of relaxing its coronavirus restrictions, allowing smaller retail establishments and services to resume, while still observing strict disease control protocols. | Shops, hair salons, beauty parlors, bookstores, and hardware stores with premises less than 400 square meters (4,305 square feet) are allowed to reopen on condition they maintain quarantine measures and distancing rules. The visits have to be pre-arranged by phone or email, however, and the stores must reserve a priority schedule for people over 65 years old during certain hours. | The stores were also ordered to p…
(2020-05-04). Unreliable COVID-19 "Estimates"in Virginia: Increase in "Testing Numbers" Attributable to Change in "Counting Methodology": Health Officials. globalresearch.ca Officials with the Virginia Department of Health abruptly announced Friday that they were changing their methodology for reporting the number of COVID-19 tests conducted in Virginia. | The announcement came after data on the state's
(2020-05-04). Tennessee health commissioner blocks release of data on likely COVID-19 deaths. wsws.org Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey has refused to release figures on "probable" deaths where symptoms were present but no test was done.
(2020-05-04). Only the poor starve: Hunger in the time of COVID. nationofchange.org The World Food Program (WFP) warns that, "millions of civilians living in conflict-scarred nations, including many women and children, face being pushed to the brink of starvation, with the spectra of famine a very real and dangerous possibility."
(2020-05-04). Are pets at risk of getting, spreading COVID-19? newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Recent reports of cats and dogs becoming infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to update its guidelines for pets. According to the CDC, two pet cats in New York City became the first domestic animals in the U.S. to test positive for the …
(2020-05-04). Vaccines Neither Vegetarian Nor Vegan. indybay.org Vaccines are developed using animal blood, gelatin, eggs, and countless other ingredients…
(2020-05-04). US Amazon worker describes callous attitude toward safety as management reports $75 billion in 2020 revenue. wsws.org Amazon did little to protect its workforce during the first several weeks in March, when the COVID-19 disease was declared a pandemic.
(2020-05-04). Symptom list for COVID-19 expanded. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, affects people in many ways. Early symptoms have included fever, cough and chills. The list of symptoms in people with confirmed COVID-19 disease has expanded since early reports of the disease. "We're learning more about the virus and more about the syndrome that it causes as people …
(2020-05-04). Infographic: Informed but not overwhelmed. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org For the latest updates on the COVID-19 pandemic, check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. For more information and COVID-19 coverage, go to the Mayo Clinic News Network and mayoclinic.org.
(2020-05-04). UK government preparing to fight negligence claims over NHS staff deaths. truepublica.org.uk Over a month ago, TruePublica published an article that exposed the downgrading of COVID-19 as a dangerous infectious disease, known as a 'High Consequence Infectious Disease' (HCID) by the government. It was a mystery to some why the government would choose to do this against other infectious diseases that have killed very few. Indeed, one …
(2020-05-04). Physicians, scientists and physician-scientists connect dots between heart disease, potential for worse COVID-19 outcomes. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org ROCHESTER, Minn. ? People with certain heart diseases may be more susceptible to worse outcomes with COVID-19, but the reason why has remained unknown. New research from Mayo Clinic indicates that in patients with one specific type of heart disease ? obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) ? the heart increases production of the ACE2 RNA transcript …
(2020-05-04). Sorting Out the Debris of Modernity — When the 'Old' Becomes the New 'New'. thealtworld.com We inhabit the psychology of 'betwixt times'. Instinctively, we know the world will never be the same again, but we cling to the familiar. | Covid tears down our familiar world. It has no logic. It spares neither the rich, nor the élite. It destroys indiscriminately, either through disease, or the collapse of the status quo — and its very precarity impels people, in their new solitude, to stare in the mirror and to ask: 'Was that 'life', the best there was?' | The public already are tiring of physical 'distancing', and self-isolation. The discipline of physical separation already is fraying with the onset o…
(2020-05-04). Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Respiratory therapists play critical role in treating COVID-19 patients. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org COVID-19 was first identified late last year with a cluster of pneumonia cases caused by a new coronavirus. The COVID-19 disease process heavily affects the respiratory system, and patients often need oxygen support. The respiratory therapist plays a critical role in managing oxygen levels, placing breathing tubes, and managing the mechanical ventilator, when necessary. On …
(2020-05-04). Friday Prayers to Be Held in 157 Iranian Cities. iranian.com People in 157 cities across Iran can attend the Friday prayers this week after a two-month hiatus following the coronavirus outbreak, an official said. Deputy head of the Policy-Making Council of Iranian Friday Prayer Leaders said on Sunday that this week's Friday prayers will be held in 157 cities in compliance with the health protocols. …
(2020-05-04). Iran to reopen mosques in low-risk areas from Monday. iranian.com Iran's President Hassan Rouhani says mosques will reopen in 132 regions designated as white under a color-coded system after being consistently free of the new coronavirus. Iran's Health Ministry has divided the country into white, yellow and red areas based on the number of infections and deaths. "Mosques will reopen in 132 towns, which were …
(2020-05-04). Dutch confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 199 to 40,770. yenisafak.com The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the Netherlands rose by 199 on Monday to 40,770, with 26 new deaths, health authorities said.Total deaths in the country rose to 5,082, the Netherlands Institute for Health (RIVM) said in its daily update. The RIVM cautioned that it only reports confirmed cases and deaths, and actual numbers are higher.
(2020-05-04). Germany's Merkel pledges 525 million euros to global coronavirus vaccine hunt. yenisafak.com "We will contribute 525 million euros directly to this pledging conference and we will also continue our obligations for global health overall with around 1.3 billion euros," Merkel said. ($1 = 0.9154 euros) Norway pledges $1 bln to vaccines against COVID-19, other diseasesNorway will give $1 billion to support the distribution worldwide of any vaccine developed against COVID-19 as well as for vaccines against other diseases, Prime Minister Erna Solberg said on Monday.Oslo made the pledge as part of a donor conference held on Monday by the European Union to raise 7.5 billion euros ($8.23 billion) towards the test…
(2020-05-04). Turkey quarantines 143 expats evacuated from S. Arabia. yenisafak.com A total of 143 Turkish nationals, who were evacuated from Saudi Arabia, were placed under a 14-day quarantine on Monday to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.The flight landed at Van Ferit Melen Airport in eastern Turkey and the group was placed in a dormitory after health checks.Upon the instruction of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and in coordination with the Foreign Ministry, Turkey repatriated nearly 25,000 citizens from 59 countries ahead of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.As of Sunday, Turkey registered a total of 3,397 deaths due to coronavirus whereas nearly 63,200 people have recovered from th…
(2020-05-04). WHO Says It Received No Data from US Proving Artificial Origin of COVID-19. sputniknews.com The international health watchdog has also called for a 'scientific-based' rather than a political inquiry into the origin of the coronavirus.
(2020-05-04). US' COVID Psy-Op Against Beijing is One of Five Strategic Battles to Undermine China's Rise — Prof. sputniknews.com The US has launched a media offensive against Beijing and is forging an international anti-China coalition while the People's Republic is carrying out a global health assistance initiative having largely curbed the outbreak, says Dr. Heinz Dieterich, coordinator at the World Advanced Research Project (WARP).
(2020-05-04). Defectors Who Claimed Kim Jong-un Was Gravely Ill or Dead Apologize for False Speculation. sputniknews.com Weeks of speculation regarding the whereabouts and health status of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un fueled by South Korea-based English-language media and CNN were brought to an abrupt end late last week after Kim reemerged in public, seemingly alive and well.