Daily Archives: May 18, 2020

2020-05-18: News Headlines

Stephanie Kenific (2020-05-18). Chicago nursing home workers achieve historic contract. liberationnews.org Nursing homes are among the places hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Andrew Brake (2020-05-18). "Don't gamble with our health:" Casino workers rally in Indianapolis. liberationnews.org More than 100 cars descended on the state capitol with horns blaring.

Eds. (2020-05-18). Socialism, capitalism, and cholera in 19th-century Hamburg. mronline.org I certainly didn't expect to spend the start of 2020 wading through nearly 700 pages about the 1892 Hamburg cholera epidemic, but I'm glad I did. Death in Hamburg, British historian Richard J. Evans' social history of the epidemic, is a page-turner, his passion for the topic nothing short of infectious.

Eds. (2020-05-18). Trump unveils plan that would see Big Pharma reap massive profits from COVID-19 vaccine. mronline.org President Trump has revealed a plan to mobilize the US military to deliver mass vaccinations across the country, coupled with Operation Warp Speed, a "Manhattan project-style" race to produce a COVID-19 vaccine.

Ted Glick (2020-05-18). Opening Up for Demonstrations? zcomm.org Stop racist killings! Act together to end the pandemic! Living wages or income now! A Green New Deal and Medicare for All! Trump must go!

Stephen Lendman (2020-05-18). Trump Tightens Restrictions on Huawei, China Threatens Retaliation. globalresearch.ca Even during a major public health crisis compounded by economic collapse — a domestic perfect storm — the Trump regime continues waging war on China by other means, including its blame game, wanting Beijing held responsible for its own failures….

Ben Eder (2020-05-18). World Health Assembly 2020: Is our response to COVID-19 adequate? peoplesdispatch.org Activists of the People's Health Movement talk about the World Health Assembly that begins today, the key issues that will come up for discussion, and the collapse of the global governance system in the realm of public health…

Dr. Katrin Korb (2020-05-18). Video: German Medical Doctor Katrin Korb's Analysis of Big Pharma's "Dubious Vaccine" globalresearch.ca German Medical Doctor Katrin Korb discusses COVID-19, the lockdown and the vaccine during a protest held in Oldeburg. | Below is the transcript of her speech. | *** | Dear fellow citizens, | I'm thankful for being able to stand here today. My name …

news.un (2020-05-18). Coronavirus impact on world's indigenous, goes well beyond health threat. news.un.org The COVID-19 pandemic is having a devastating impact on the world's indigenous peoples that stretches well beyond the immediate threat to their health, the new UN independent expert on the rights of indigenous peoples said on Monday.

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-18). FDA issues emergency use authorization for algorithm designed to improve detection of heart failure during COVID-19. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org The FDA granted Emergency Use Authorization to Eko, a digital health company, for the heart screening algorithm developed by Mayo Clinic. The AI-driven algorithm can detect weak heart pump, which is commonly detected by echocardiogram, a test that is not normally conducted during a physical exam, requires specially trained technicians to record, and requires prolonged contact with …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-18). Mayo Clinic receives $26 million from BARDA for COVID-19 convalescent plasma expanded access program. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Mayo Clinic was awarded a $26 million contract today from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The financial support is for the Expanded Access Program (EAP) for convalescent plasma to fight COVID-19. …

Karen Greenberg (2020-05-18). So Long to American Exceptionalism. commondreams.org The virus has put the realities of wealth inequality, health insecurity, and poor work conditions under a high-powered microscope. (Photo: Shutterstock) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Dr. Jack Rasmus (2020-05-18). The Deepening US Health Care Affordability and Coverage Crisis. globalresearch.ca The current pandemic is wreaking havoc with the US and global economy, accelerating and deepening the general economic crisis—and threatening to provoke a global financial crisis that will exacerbate the decline and usher in a great depression no doubt even …

Esha Bhandari (2020-05-18). Coronavirus 'Immunity Passports' are not the Answer. aclu.org As governments the world over seek ways to jumpstart economic activity, one proposal is a so-called "immunity passport" that would allow certain people who test positive for COVID-19 antibodies to return to work before others. We at the ACLU have serious concerns about the adoption of any such proposal, because of its potential to harm public health, incentivize economically-vulnerable people to risk their health by contracting COVID-19, exacerbate racial and economic disparities, and lead to a new health surveillance infrastructure that endangers privacy rights. , , An immunity passport system is fundamentall…

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-18). Mayo Clinic expands in-person care on all campuses. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Mayo Clinic will expand in-person care on all of its campuses as COVID-19 executive orders are lifted for elective procedures by governors in Arizona, Florida, Minnesota and Wisconsin. "Our patients' health and safety is always our top priority," says Amy Williams, M.D., Mayo Clinic Executive Dean for Practice. "We have taken several extra precautions to …

WSWS (2020-05-18). Trump fires State Department inspector general. wsws.org Over the past six weeks, Trump also has removed the inspectors general of the Intelligence Community, Defense and Health and Human Services.

Helen Buyniski (2020-05-18). Fear and Uncertainty: The Modern-Day Cult of Corona. "Gotta to Have Faith" globalresearch.ca Fear and uncertainty have dominated the media coverage of the Covid-19 epidemic. | The novel coronavirus is depicted not as a pedestrian pathogen certain to be beaten into submission by the miracles of modern science any day now, but as …

The Levant (2020-05-18). Over 250 Artists, Writers Urge Israel to Stop Siege of Gaza. globalresearch.ca More than 250 global artists and writers including rocker Peter Gabriel, director Ken Loach and actor Viggo Mortensen have appealed to Israel to stop the "siege" of Gaza. | The coronavirus epidemic could have a devastating effect in "the world's largest …

Staff (2020-05-18). How Will COVID-19 Change the World? Historian Frank Snowden on Epidemics From the Black Death to Now. democracynow.org Pandemics, like revolution, war and economic crises, are key determinants of historic change. We look at the history of epidemics, from Black Death to smallpox to COVID-19, and discuss how the coronavirus will reshape the world with leading medical historian Frank Snowden, author of "Epidemics and Society: From the Black Death to the Present." He is a professor emeritus at Yale University who has been in Italy since the pandemic began, and himself survived a COVID-19 infection.

Staff (2020-05-18). Headlines for May 18, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. Coronavirus Deaths on Track to Surpass 100,000 by June with Most States Partially Reopened , House Dems Probe Firing of State Dept. Watchdog, Pass $3 Trillion Stimulus Bill, Trump Names Ex-Pharma Exec and Army General to Lead Coronavirus Vaccine Effort, CDC Hits Back After WH Trade Adviser Criticism: CDC Director Is "Appointed by President Trump", Obama Slams Trump Admin Response to Crisis: "A Lot of Them Aren't Even Pretending to Be in Charge.", Belgian Medical Workers Stage Protests Against Gov't Response to Pandemic, Italy Opens Up Businesses, Starts Holding Public Masses as Part of "Calculated Risk", Ind…

Andrey Areshev (2020-05-18). Profiting From Coronavirus. strategic-culture.org Much has been written about the possibility for a new and better kind of world to emerge after coronavirus. Yet our governments cannot conceive of any model for fighting this threat to the whole world, other than the capitalist, money-making model. The much-touted "race to develop a vaccine" is not a race to save lives. It is a race to make billions.

RT (2020-05-18). Group that TRACKED protesters' cell phones accuses them of spreading Covid-19 across US… even if they DIDN'T leave their cars. rt.com A Democrat-linked advocacy group is blaming the spread of Covid-19 on anti-lockdown protesters in the US after tracking their cell phones cross-country. Despite the tempting partisan narrative, though, many never left their cars. | Anti-lockdown demonstrators traveled hundreds of miles to attend protests, almost certainly spreading the coronavirus to places where infections were rare, according to the Committee to Protect Medicare, a supposedly non-partisan group run by a former Democratic congressional candidate. The group provided a comprehensive analysis of smartphone location data from rallies in Michigan,…

RT (2020-05-18). Saudi-backed Yemen's govt accuses Houthis of covering up coronavirus outbreak, calls for global assistance. rt.com Yemen's Saudi-backed government accused the Houthi movement of covering up a big outbreak of coronavirus in areas it holds. The Aden-based government also called for urgent global assistance to help Yemen's war-ravaged health sector deal with Covid-19, Reuters said. | The United Nations warned that the country could suffer a "catastrophic" food security situation due to the pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) says the virus is spreading undetected among the population in the country, control of which is divided between the government in the south and the Houthi group in the north. | The government ha…

RT (2020-05-18). Beijing says it's premature 'to immediately begin investigation' into coronavirus origins. rt.com China's Foreign Ministry said on Monday it was premature to immediately launch an investigation into the origins and spread of the coronavirus. Spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters in Beijing that the vast majority of countries in the world believe the pandemic is not yet over. | The ministry also said separately that President Xi Jinping will give a video speech for the opening ceremony of the World Health Assembly later on Monday. | Health ministers from around the world are expected to call for an independent evaluation of the World Health Organization's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic during a WHO meetin…

RT (2020-05-18). Iraqi govt considers imposing full lockdown in Baghdad areas amid uptick in coronavirus cases. rt.com Iraq will impose a complete lockdown on some areas of the capital, the new health minister said on Monday, as in coronavirus cases have jumped in recent weeks since curfew hours were relaxed. | The new government under PM Mustafa al-Kadhimi was sworn into power just two weeks ago following a five-month leadership vacuum. Ministers have to respond to the pandemic and a severe economic crisis brought on by falling oil prices. | Areas of Baghdad believed to play a role in spreading the virus will face a full lockdown as of Wednesday for a period of two weeks, Health Minister Hassan al-Tamimi said in a statement.

RT (2020-05-18). Pompeo throws yet another accusation at WHO for being pro-China, after delays to Taiwan getting observer status. rt.com By delaying the decision to grant Taiwan observer status, the World Health Organization (WHO) is further undermining its credibility and exposing its pro-China bias, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has claimed. | WHO member nations unanimously voted to postpone the decision to grant Taiwan observer status until later in the year, in order to avoid shifting the focus away from the Covid-19 pandemic. This was in spite of the country having previously participated in a non-voting observer capacity between 2009 and 2016. | According to Pompeo, by delaying this decision, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebre…

RT (2020-05-18). All mixed up: It's more than just an opioid crisis, polydrug use is poisoning Americans. rt.com Now that deaths because of opioids are plateauing in America, another reborn epidemic is poisoning the country's drug users. It's polydrug use — the mixing of substances that catalyze each other in a spectrum of deadly cocktails. | According to USA Today, a new super-potent form of methamphetamine, dubbed Meth 2.0, is sweeping across America. The newspaper claims Meth 2.0 is behind a steep rise in methamphetamine use that has led to a sharp increase in fatalities. The Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that overdose deaths involving methamphetamine have recently spiked by tw…

RT (2020-05-18). France & Germany suggest ‚Ǩ500 BILLION fund to help Europe recover from Covid-19 epidemic. rt.com France and Germany have agreed on establishing a joint European recovery fund amounting to ‚Ǩ500 billion (US$543 billion) that will be given out as grants to the economic sectors and regions most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. | German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron have announced a joint initiative aimed at helping the European Union recover from the devastation the novel coronavirus pandemic has inflicted on its economy. The plan involves allocating a vast sum for the specialized recovery fund within the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) — a…

RT (2020-05-18). Italian lawmaker demands Bill Gates be ARRESTED for 'crimes against humanity'… But WHY? rt.com An Italian lawmaker has managed to bring the conspiracy blame-game to an entirely new level, exercising her parliamentary privilege to blast Bill Gates as a "vaccine criminal" and globalist tool. | Bill Gates and his latest anti-coronavirus efforts have been at the center of the wildest theories that explore possible sinister motives behind the billionaire's activities. In arguably the most high-profile outcry last week, an Italian MP for Rome Sara Cunial delivered a speech rarely (if ever at all) heard in any parliament. | In her passionate address, Cunial called upon fellow lawmakers to defy any plans for…

RT (2020-05-18). Spain may reopen borders to tourists in late June, transport minister says. rt.com Spain aims to reopen borders to visitors around the end of June as its coronavirus lockdown fully winds down, Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos said on Monday. Madrid last week surprised its EU partners by imposing a two-week quarantine on all overseas travelers and effectively keeping borders closed, Reuters said. | Spain then explained that the measures were needed to avoid importing a second wave of the Covid-19 disease. However, the move was meant to be temporary and the transport minister said it would be phased out in parallel with travel being allowed within Spain, whose regions are easing restriction…

Dispatches from the Edge (2020-05-18). Military Spending and the Pandemic. globalresearch.ca "There have been as many plagues as wars in history, yet plagues and wars take people equally by surprise" —Albert Camus | "The Plague" | Camus' novel of a lethal contagion in the North African city of Oran is filled with characters …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-18). Masking your kids during COVID-19. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Do you or don't you wear a mask? If you do, what material is best? And what about children? Questions around masks during the COVID-19 pandemic abound, especially in light of the recent recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that all Americans wear masks in public settings. "The direction around face masks has …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-18). Spring cleaning takes on a new importance during COVID-19 pandemic. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released reopening guidelines for cleaning and disinfecting public spaces, workplaces, businesses, schools and homes. Dr. Gregory Poland, a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases expert, suggests taking a practical approach to spring cleaning. If no one in your household has been infected, he says standard spring cleaning practices …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-18). Mayo Clinic's comprehensive COVID-19 research. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org "At Mayo, we've developed a comprehensive research portfolio, or what we call a COVID-19 research task force, in order to respond to every area that we need to learn more about this virus. We have scientists doing research in epidemiology. We have people doing research in immunology and vaccine development, in virology, in translational work, in …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-18). Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: COVID-19 news briefing. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group, covers the latest news on the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Poland discusses how the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, is changing, and how scientists and researchers are rapidly gaining new knowledge about the virus and the disease that it …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-18). Why you need to keep your child's vaccine schedule during COVID-19. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Millions of children may be at risk of missing or delaying their routine childhood vaccines due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Tina Ardon, a Mayo Clinic family medicine specialist, says she understands being thoughtful about taking your children outside the home for doctor's visits during this time. "The current situation with the novel coronavirus shows us how scary …

Kester Kenn Klomegah (2020-05-18). Despite Criticisms, Madagascar Moves Ahead with COVID-Organics. globalresearch.ca While Western and Europeans and Asians race to find vaccines for coronavirus, Africa can no longer wait for that scientific discovery that experts have said it would, most probably, be ready in a year or two. Some experts have argued …

Dr. Binoy Kampmark (2020-05-18). Hacking for Vaccines. Intellectual Property and Espionage. globalresearch.ca If you cannot discover or create something, best steal it. It has been the operating principle for everything from wealth to technology. With the efforts to discover a vaccine to the novel coronavirus being all but bound by solidarity, the …

Greg G. Wolff (2020-05-18). Influenza Vaccination and Respiratory Virus Interference Among Department of Defense Personnel During the 2017—2018 Influenza Season. globalresearch.ca Receiving influenza vaccination may increase the risk of other respiratory viruses, a phenomenon known as virus interference. Test-negative study designs are often utilized to calculate influenza vaccine effectiveness. The virus interference phenomenon goes against the basic assumption of the test-negative …

Howard Lisnoff (2020-05-18). Staying Above Water During the Pandemic. counterpunch.org Depression is a serious disease. In its most serious manifestation, clinical depression, a person can hardly function or not function at all. A best guess is that there are untold millions of people in the US and around the world who are now suffering from either mild depression, or its more serious form as Covid-19

WSWS (2020-05-18). Spike in Kawasaki-like disease linked to coronavirus in France and Italy, one child dies. wsws.org This is a damning indictment of capitalist governments internationally which are reopening schools and asserting that the virus does not harm children.

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-18). Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Possible neurological effects of COVID-19. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Originally identified as a respiratory disease, some COVID-19 patients exhibit neurologic symptoms including stroke, loss of consciousness, headache, and even the loss of taste and smell. What's unknown is whether these are direct effects of the virus entering the nervous system, or consequences of the disease's effect on the body. On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-18). Mayo Clinic Minute: Avoid ticks. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org If you're practicing social distancing this summer by spending some solo time outdoors, you still might not be alone. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says tick bites should be top of mind. Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute youtu.be/zDfVaSUOYBc Journalists: Broadcast-quality video pkg (0: 58) is in the downloads at the end of…

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-05-18). Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: COVID-19 research at Mayo Clinic. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Thanks to its combination of practice, education, and research, Mayo Clinic has a strong foundation to respond quickly to a medical crisis such as COVID-19. As the SARS-CoV-2 virus spread worldwide, a research task force was formed at Mayo Clinic to review and approve research proposals related to the virus and the disease it causes. …

United We Dream (2020-05-18). United We Dream: Immigrants, COVID-19, Jobs & Healthcare Virtual Town Hall. indybay.org Online…

Kate Zeller (2020-05-18). World Health Assembly Wrestles with Coronavirus. indybay.org As the global coronavirus death toll tops 300,000 people, the leaders of the World Health Organization (WHO) prepare to hold their leadership meetings virtually from May 18th – 19th.

Labor Video Project (2020-05-18). Jail Tesla Billionaire Elon Musk & Defend Health & Safety: Workers Speak Out At Tesla. indybay.org Workers spoke out against the bullying and intimidation of billionaire Elon Musk who has started his Tesla factory violating a shelter in place law. He challenged the Fremont police and Governor Newsom to arrest him but they are allowing him to open without any CA-OSHA inspections. Newsom has continued the destruction of CA-OSHA and there are less than 200 inspectors for the 18 million workers in California and only 1 doctor and 1 nurse at CA. OSHA.

Dan Bacher (2020-05-18). ExxonMobil Seeks to Restart Three Platforms Idled After Refugio Oil Spill. indybay.org "On the anniversary of this deadly oil spill, in the middle of a public health crisis, Santa Barbara should embrace a clean energy future," said Kristen Monsell, oceans legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity. "We need to end offshore drilling, not bring it back to life with another dirty oil pipeline."

Workers Solidarity Action Network (2020-05-18). Rally At Tesla: Jail Musk! Workers Health & Safety First & Lives Over Profit. indybay.org Tesla North Gate | Industrial Dr & Fremont Blvd, Fremont, CA 94538 | www.google.com/maps/place/Tesla+factory/…: 0x86cfbef39088e346!8m2!3d37.5039468!4d-121.9622337?hl=en…

The Canary (2020-05-18). EU calls for independent probe of the WHO's pandemic response. thecanary.co The European Union and other countries have called for an independent evaluation of the World Health Organisation's (WHO) response to the coronavirus pandemic "to review experience gained and lessons learned". | The resolution has the support of more than half of the WHO's member countries and will be discussed this week at the decision-making body of the UN health agency, being held virtually this year. | The proposal is intended to initiate "a stepwise process of impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation" of the WHO's efforts to coordinate the international response to Covid-19, including the function…

2020-05-18: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media! (Copy the text of the postee below, then paste it on social media and the story images will also appear.)

Opening Up for Demonstrations?
Ted Glick | zcomm.org | 2020-05-18
Stop racist killings! Act together to end the pandemic! Living wages or income now! A Green New Deal and Medicare for All! Trump must go!
zcomm.org/znetarticle/opening-up-for-dem…

World Health Assembly 2020: Is our response to COVID-19 adequate?
Ben Eder | peoplesdispatch.org | 2020-05-18
Activists of the People's Health Movement talk about the World Health Assembly that begins today, the key issues that will come up for discussion, and the collapse of the global governance system in the realm of public health…
peoplesdispatch.org/2020/05/18/world-hea…

FDA issues emergency use authorization for algorithm designed to improve detection of heart failure during COVID-19
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-05-18
The FDA granted Emergency Use Authorization to Eko, a digital health company, for the heart screening algorithm developed by Mayo Clinic. The AI-driven algorithm can detect weak heart pump, which is commonly detected by echocardiogram, a test that is not normally conducted during a physical exam, requires specially trained technicians to record, and requires prolonged contact with …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/fd…

Mayo Clinic receives $26 million from BARDA for COVID-19 convalescent plasma expanded access program
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-05-18
Mayo Clinic was awarded a $26 million contract today from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The financial support is for the Expanded Access Program (EAP) for convalescent plasma to fight COVID-19. …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ma…

Coronavirus 'Immunity Passports' are not the Answer
Esha Bhandari | aclu.org | 2020-05-18
As governments the world over seek ways to jumpstart economic activity, one proposal is a so-called "immunity passport" that would allow certain people who test positive for COVID-19 antibodies to return to work before others. We at the ACLU have serious concerns about the adoption of any such proposal, because of its potential to harm public health, incentivize economically-vulnerable people to risk their health by contracting COVID-19, exacerbate racial and economic disparities, and lead to a new health surveillance infrastructure that endangers privacy rights. , , An immunity passport system is fundamentall…
aclu.org/news/privacy-technology/coronav…

Trump fires State Department inspector general
wsws.org | 2020-05-18
Over the past six weeks, Trump also has removed the inspectors general of the Intelligence Community, Defense and Health and Human Services.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/18/lini…

Mayo Clinic expands in-person care on all campuses
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-05-18
Mayo Clinic will expand in-person care on all of its campuses as COVID-19 executive orders are lifted for elective procedures by governors in Arizona, Florida, Minnesota and Wisconsin. "Our patients' health and safety is always our top priority," says Amy Williams, M.D., Mayo Clinic Executive Dean for Practice. "We have taken several extra precautions to …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ma…

Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: The "Quarantine 15"
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-05-18
It's being called the "Quarantine 15" online

So Long to American Exceptionalism
Karen Greenberg | commondreams.org | 2020-05-18
The virus has put the realities of wealth inequality, health insecurity, and poor work conditions under a high-powered microscope. (Photo: Shutterstock) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…
commondreams.org/views/2020/05/18/so-lon…

The Other Epidemic
Jack Herrera | thenation.com | 2020-05-18
The Other Epidemic…
thenation.com/article/society/violence-e…

"Don't gamble with our health:" Casino workers rally in Indianapolis
Andrew Brake | liberationnews.org | 2020-05-18
More than 100 cars descended on the state capitol with horns blaring.
liberationnews.org/dont-gamble-with-our-…

Over 250 Artists, Writers Urge Israel to Stop Siege of Gaza
The Levant | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-18
More than 250 global artists and writers including rocker Peter Gabriel, director Ken Loach and actor Viggo Mortensen have appealed to Israel to stop the "siege" of Gaza. | The coronavirus epidemic could have a devastating effect in "the world's largest …
globalresearch.ca/over-250-artists-writers-urge-israel-stop-siege-gaza/5713264

Socialism, capitalism, and cholera in 19th-century Hamburg
Eds. | mronline.org | 2020-05-18
I certainly didn't expect to spend the start of 2020 wading through nearly 700 pages about the 1892 Hamburg cholera epidemic, but I'm glad I did. Death in Hamburg, British historian Richard J. Evans' social history of the epidemic, is a page-turner, his passion for the topic nothing short of infectious.
mronline.org/2020/05/18/socialism-capita…

Military Spending and the Pandemic
Dispatches from the Edge | globalresearch.ca | 2020-05-18
"There have been as many plagues as wars in history, yet plagues and wars take people equally by surprise" –Albert Camus | "The Plague" | Camus' novel of a lethal contagion in the North African city of Oran is filled with characters …
globalresearch.ca/military-spending-pandemic/5713212

Masking your kids during COVID-19
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-05-18
Do you or don't you wear a mask? If you do, what material is best? And what about children? Questions around masks during the COVID-19 pandemic abound, especially in light of the recent recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that all Americans wear masks in public settings. "The direction around face masks has …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ma…

Spring cleaning takes on a new importance during COVID-19 pandemic
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-05-18
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released reopening guidelines for cleaning and disinfecting public spaces, workplaces, businesses, schools and homes. Dr. Gregory Poland, a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases expert, suggests taking a practical approach to spring cleaning. If no one in your household has been infected, he says standard spring cleaning practices …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/sp…

Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: COVID-19 news briefing
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-05-18
On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group, covers the latest news on the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Poland discusses how the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, is changing, and how scientists and researchers are rapidly gaining new knowledge about the virus and the disease that it …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ma…

Trump unveils plan that would see Big Pharma reap massive profits from COVID-19 vaccine
Eds. | mronline.org | 2020-05-18
President Trump has revealed a plan to mobilize the US military to deliver mass vaccinations across the country, coupled with Operation Warp Speed, a "Manhattan project-style" race to produce a COVID-19 vaccine.
mronline.org/2020/05/18/trump-unveils-pl…

Why you need to keep your child's vaccine schedule during COVID-19
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-05-18
Millions of children may be at risk of missing or delaying their routine childhood vaccines due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Tina Ardon, a Mayo Clinic family medicine specialist, says she understands being thoughtful about taking your children outside the home for doctor's visits during this time. "The current situation with the novel coronavirus shows us how scary …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/wh…

Mayo Clinic Minute: Avoid ticks
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-05-18
If you're practicing social distancing this summer by spending some solo time outdoors, you still might not be alone. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says tick bites should be top of mind. Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute youtu.be/zDfVaSUOYBc Journalists: Broadcast-quality video pkg (0: 58) is in the downloads at the end of…
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ma…

Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Possible neurological effects of COVID-19
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-05-18
Originally identified as a respiratory disease, some COVID-19 patients exhibit neurologic symptoms including stroke, loss of consciousness, headache, and even the loss of taste and smell. What's unknown is whether these are direct effects of the virus entering the nervous system, or consequences of the disease's effect on the body. On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ma…

Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: COVID-19 research at Mayo Clinic
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-05-18
Thanks to its combination of practice, education, and research, Mayo Clinic has a strong foundation to respond quickly to a medical crisis such as COVID-19. As the SARS-CoV-2 virus spread worldwide, a research task force was formed at Mayo Clinic to review and approve research proposals related to the virus and the disease it causes. …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ma…

Staying Above Water During the Pandemic
Howard Lisnoff | counterpunch.org | 2020-05-18
Depression is a serious disease. In its most serious manifestation, clinical depression, a person can hardly function or not function at all. A best guess is that there are untold millions of people in the US and around the world who are now suffering from either mild depression, or its more serious form as Covid-19…
counterpunch.org/2020/05/18/staying-abov…

Spike in Kawasaki-like disease linked to coronavirus in France and Italy, one child dies
wsws.org | 2020-05-18
This is a damning indictment of capitalist governments internationally which are reopening schools and asserting that the virus does not harm children.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/18/kawa…

SEIU pushes through sellout contract after blocking strike by Illinois nursing home workers
wsws.org | 2020-05-18
The Service Employees International Union pushed through a deal with poverty wages and no guarantee of health and safety measures as the deadly coronavirus continues its rampage.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/05/18/nurs…

Kuwait's coronavirus death toll rises to 118
yenisafak.com | 2020-05-18
Kuwait confirmed six fatalities due to the novel coronavirus on Monday, according to the country's Health Ministry. | A ministry spokesman said 841 people have tested positive for the virus over the past 24 hours, the official KUNA news agency reported. | The Gulf state's death toll now stands at 118 and 15,691 infections, the spokesman said. | He said 161 patients are still in intensive care, while a total of 4,339 have recovered. | Since the virus emerged in Wuhan, China last December, it has spread to 188 countries and regions. | The global death toll from the novel coronavirus has exceeded 315,000, with…
yenisafak.com/en/world/kuwaits-coronavir…

WHO chief to review its pandemic handling, vows transparency
yenisafak.com | 2020-05-18
The head of the World Health Organization said on Monday an independent evaluation of the global coronavirus response would be launched as soon as possible, and China backed such a review.Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made his promise during a virtual meeting of the WHO's decision-making body, the World Health Assembly, at which Chinese President Xi Jinping defended his country's own handling of the crisis.U.S. President Donald Trump has fiercely questioned the WHO's performance during the pandemic and led international criticism of China's handling of the early stages of the crisis.Tedros, who has…
yenisafak.com/en/life/who-chief-to-revie…

'Some solidarity, little unity against COVID-19'
yenisafak.com | 2020-05-18
The secretary-general of the UN said on Monday that the world had shown limited solidarity, yet very little unity in facing the novel coronavirus.Antonio Guterres was speaking at the opening of the first virtual World Health Assembly, the decision-making body of the World Health Organization (WHO) held over two days with a focus on the coronavirus."Despite the enormous scientific and technological advances of recent decades, a microscopic virus has brought us to our knees," said Guterres via video-link from New York to the WHO."We do not yet know how to eradicate, treat or vaccinate against COVID-19. We have no i…
yenisafak.com/en/world/some-solidarity-l…

Turkey condemns pig's-head vandalism of German mosque
yenisafak.com | 2020-05-18
An Islamophobic incident in which a pig's head was mounted onto the door of mosque in southern Germany drew condemnation from Turkey on Monday."Even during the holy month of Ramadan and the epidemic, racism and hostility against Islam continues in Europe. The ugly attack on our mosque in Germany is the latest example of this," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu tweeted on Monday.Denouncing the perpetrators' "sick mentality," he urged that they be caught immediately.The incident took place Saturday at the Fatih Mosque in the city of Vaihingen, run by the Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs. The incident too…
yenisafak.com/en/news/turkey-condemns-pi…

WHO's Hesitation to Granting Taiwan Observer Status 'Further Damages' Its Credibility, Pompeo Says
sputniknews.com | 2020-05-18
The World Health Organisation's member states agreed during the virtual World Health Assembly to postpone the discussion on granting Taiwan observer status in the agency, despite mounting pressure from the United States.
sputniknews.com/world/202005181079341338…

Italian MP Claims Bill Gates Should Be Tried for 'Crimes Against Humanity' in Jab at COVID Vaccine
sputniknews.com | 2020-05-18
Bill Gates has already injected hundreds of millions of dollars, including $100 million via the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, into the development of COVID-19 vaccines and testing, part of an international effort to tackle the coronavirus crisis.
sputniknews.com/europe/20200518107934037…

Confirmed worldwide Covid-19 death toll passes 316,000
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-05-18
TEHRAN, May 18 (MNA)

Beijing says it's premature 'to immediately begin investigation' into coronavirus origins
rt.com | 2020-05-18
China's Foreign Ministry said on Monday it was premature to immediately launch an investigation into the origins and spread of the coronavirus. Spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters in Beijing that the vast majority of countries in the world believe the pandemic is not yet over. | The ministry also said separately that President Xi Jinping will give a video speech for the opening ceremony of the World Health Assembly later on Monday. | Health ministers from around the world are expected to call for an independent evaluation of the World Health Organization's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic during a WHO meetin…
rt.com/newsline/488937-china-premature-w…

Saudi-backed Yemen's govt accuses Houthis of covering up coronavirus outbreak, calls for global assistance
rt.com | 2020-05-18
Yemen's Saudi-backed government accused the Houthi movement of covering up a big outbreak of coronavirus in areas it holds. The Aden-based government also called for urgent global assistance to help Yemen's war-ravaged health sector deal with Covid-19, Reuters said. | The United Nations warned that the country could suffer a "catastrophic" food security situation due to the pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) says the virus is spreading undetected among the population in the country, control of which is divided between the government in the south and the Houthi group in the north. | The government ha…
rt.com/newsline/488936-yemen-houthis-out…

Italian lawmaker demands Bill Gates be ARRESTED for 'crimes against humanity'… But WHY?
rt.com | 2020-05-18
An Italian lawmaker has managed to bring the conspiracy blame-game to an entirely new level, exercising her parliamentary privilege to blast Bill Gates as a "vaccine criminal" and globalist tool. | Bill Gates and his latest anti-coronavirus efforts have been at the center of the wildest theories that explore possible sinister motives behind the billionaire's activities. In arguably the most high-profile outcry last week, an Italian MP for Rome Sara Cunial delivered a speech rarely (if ever at all) heard in any parliament. | In her passionate address, Cunial called upon fellow lawmakers to defy any plans for…
rt.com/news/488912-italy-parliament-bill…

Is that Big Brother behind the medical mask? Bill Gates to co-fund South Korean research of next-gen quarantine methods
rt.com | 2020-05-18
South Korea's biggest telecom firm is banding with Bill Gates to develop next-generation quarantine methods. The $10-million project may stir uncomfortable thoughts in those who suspect the billionaire of having a sinister agenda. | KT, the Seongnam-based multinational giant, plans to use its expertise and access to communications data to identify early and predict the spread of infectious diseases. Smartphones could be used, for example, to measure body temperature with a sensor and to collect other sympto…
rt.com/news/488938-bill-gates-korea-surv…

Spain may reopen borders to tourists in late June, transport minister says
rt.com | 2020-05-18
Spain aims to reopen borders to visitors around the end of June as its coronavirus lockdown fully winds down, Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos said on Monday. Madrid last week surprised its EU partners by imposing a two-week quarantine on all overseas travelers and effectively keeping borders closed, Reuters said. | Spain then explained that the measures were needed to avoid importing a second wave of the Covid-19 disease. However, the move was meant to be temporary and the transport minister said it would be phased out in parallel with travel being allowed within Spain, whose regions are easing restriction…
rt.com/newsline/488953-spain-reopen-bord…

EU calls for independent probe of the WHO's pandemic response
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-05-18
The European Union and other countries have called for an independent evaluation of the World Health Organisation's (WHO) response to the coronavirus pandemic "to review experience gained and lessons learned". | The resolution has the support of more than half of the WHO's member countries and will be discussed this week at the decision-making body of the UN health agency, being held virtually this year. | The proposal is intended to initiate "a stepwise process of impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation" of the WHO's efforts to coordinate the international response to Covid-19, including the function…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/2020/05/18/eu-calls-for-independent-probe-of-the-whos-pandemic-response/

United We Dream: Immigrants, COVID-19, Jobs & Healthcare Virtual Town Hall
United We Dream | indybay.org | 2020-05-18
Online…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/05/16/1883308…

World Health Assembly Wrestles with Coronavirus
Kate Zeller | indybay.org | 2020-05-18
As the global coronavirus death toll tops 300,000 people, the leaders of the World Health Organization (WHO) prepare to hold their leadership meetings virtually from May 18th – 19th.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/05/15/1883305…

ExxonMobil Seeks to Restart Three Platforms Idled After Refugio Oil Spill
Dan Bacher | indybay.org | 2020-05-18
"On the anniversary of this deadly oil spill, in the middle of a public health crisis, Santa Barbara should embrace a clean energy future," said Kristen Monsell, oceans legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity. "We need to end offshore drilling, not bring it back to life with another dirty oil pipeline."
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/05/15/1883305…

Rally At Tesla: Jail Musk! Workers Health & Safety First & Lives Over Profit
Workers Solidarity Action Network | indybay.org | 2020-05-18
Tesla North Gate | Industrial Dr & Fremont Blvd, Fremont, CA 94538 | www.google.com/maps/place/Tesla+factory/…: 0x86cfbef39088e346!8m2!3d37.5039468!4d-121.9622337?hl=en…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/05/15/1883304…

Jail Tesla Billionaire Elon Musk & Defend Health & Safety: Workers Speak Out At Tesla
Labor Video Project | indybay.org | 2020-05-18
Workers spoke out against the bullying and intimidation of billionaire Elon Musk who has started his Tesla factory violating a shelter in place law. He challenged the Fremont police and Governor Newsom to arrest him but they are allowing him to open without any CA-OSHA inspections. Newsom has continued the destruction of CA-OSHA and there are less than 200 inspectors for the 18 million workers in California and only 1 doctor and 1 nurse at CA. OSHA.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/05/16/1883308…

Profiting From Coronavirus
Andrey Areshev | strategic-culture.org | 2020-05-18
Much has been written about the possibility for a new and better kind of world to emerge after coronavirus. Yet our governments cannot conceive of any model for fighting this threat to the whole world, other than the capitalist, money-making model. The much-touted "race to develop a vaccine" is not a race to save lives. It is a race to make billions.
strategic-culture.org/news/2020/05/18/pr…

[Commentary] The imperative for universal healthcare to curtail the COVID-19 outbreak in the USA
Alison P. Galvani, Alyssa S. Parpia, Abhishek Pandey, Charlotte Zimmer, James G. Kahn, Meagan C. Fitzpatrick | thelancet.com | 2020-05-17
The COVID-19 outbreak in the United States is growing steeply and spreading widely. As of March 26, national incidence surpassed every other country, and as of April 28 has reported over a million cases. The COVID-19 crisis is exposing the systemic frailties in our healthcare system. More than 78 million people in America do not have access to adequate health insurance [1]. Given that health insurance in the US is typically provided by employers, millions more are at risk of losing their healthcare coverage as unemployment surges.
thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PI…(20)30124-3/fulltext?rss=yes

[Letter] COVID-19 and Healthcare worker's families: behind the scenes of frontline response
Amine Souadka, Hajar Essangri, Amine Benkabbou, Laila Amrani, Mohammed Anass Majbar | thelancet.com | 2020-05-17
During the COVID-19 outbreak, healthcare professionals are exposed to a high-risk of infection and mental health problems [1], but also fear of contagion and spreading the virus to their families [2]. In fact, considering them as individuals implies looking beyond their function as frontline responders and taking into account their societal role as parents, spouses and offspring.
thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PI…(20)30117-6/fulltext?rss=yes

[Commentary] Serosurveys and convalescent plasma in COVID-19
Cristina Pérez-Cameo, Juan Marín-Lahoz | thelancet.com | 2020-05-17
The current pandemic is not only overwhelming the health systems of the affected countries but also is killing thousands of other ways healthy adults. Convalescent plasma has been proposed [1] and approved to treat COVID-19 based on the experience acquired treating other viral diseases such as influenza, Ebola, and SARS [2]. It is considered a safe treatment (at least its side effects and contraindications are well known) and it has proven to be efficacious in several viral infections for more than a century.
thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PI…(20)30114-0/fulltext?rss=yes

[Letter] Author's reply
Shaoqing Lei, Zhong-Yuan Xia, Zhengyuan Xia | thelancet.com | 2020-05-17
We thank Tuech et al. and Dr. Ross for their letters in response to our recent study [1]. At the very beginning of the epidemic, we encountered some patients who had no symptoms before surgery but quickly developed COVID-19 pneumonia after surgery. During the period of the research, the participating hospitals performed approximately 15,000 elective surgeries. Our focus was to report those we believe and confident that the surgeries were performed during incubation period. Thus, any infection long after surgery (say, 10 to 14 days after surgery) or those who contacted with confirmed cases of COVID-19 after surger…
thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PI…(20)30130-9/fulltext?rss=yes

[Commentary] COVID-19: Challenges and opportunities in the care sector
Paulina Cecula, Sir David Behan, Mahiben Maruthappu | thelancet.com | 2020-05-17
Covid-19 has spread around the world at a tremendous pace. On April the 12th, the total number of cases in the UK reached 84,279 including 10,612 deaths [1]. The UK Government introduced measures to reduce the spread of disease and the NHS is operating at full capacity to manage the demand. Meanwhile, more than 2000 care homes in England reported Covid-19 cases, which are underrepresented in national statistics [2]. Charities are calling for urgent action to support older people and the care sector.
thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PI…(20)30134-6/fulltext?rss=yes

'Guard of dishonor': VIDEO shows nurses & doctors giving ICY welcome to Belgian PM over govt's Covid-19 response
rt.com | 2020-05-17
Belgium's PM Sophie Wilmes has visited one of the nation's hospitals battling the pandemic