(2020-05-20). NYC police brutality masked as 'public health' measure. liberationnews.org 
The vast majority of enforcement-related summons and arrests were disproportionately of Black and Brown people.
(2020-05-20). Our economic system fuels outbreaks, says Evolutionary Epidemiologist who predicted the pandemic. mronline.org 
Mass deforestation, industrialised animal agriculture and reductions in biodiversity are among a number of factors which increase the likelihood of the emergence and spread of dangerous pathogens such as the coronavirus disease 2019, explains scientist Dr Rob Wallace in an exclusive interview with Sputnik.
(2020-05-20). Recipe: Asparagus, tomato and red pepper French bread pizza. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Are you craving the taste of a pizza but not the guilt and all the calories? Consider trying this healthy remake of French bread pizza that could turn into your new favorite Friday night treat. It's easy, delicious and approx. 265 calories per slice. Dietitian's note: For a crispier pizza, bake on a pizza stone …
(2020-05-20). Mayo researchers, minority communities team up to combat COVID-19 health disparities. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Rochester, Minn.
(2020-05-20). 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 …
(2020-05-20). Mayo Clinic Minute: Health benefits of gardening. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Practicing social distancing means more time spent at home. And many people use this time to start a garden in their backyard. There's a saying that you reap what you sow. And in the case of a vegetable garden, a rich harvest may bring more than dinner. Anya Guy, a Mayo Clinic dietitian, says gardening …
(2020-05-20). 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 …
(2020-05-20). What The President Continues To Say (About The Plague). counterpunch.org In two previous pieces in CounterPunch I compiled Donald Trump's statements on the COVID-19 pandemic up to May 2nd-3rd. Here is a continuation of that list. 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—
(2020-05-20). 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 …
(2020-05-20). 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 …
(2020-05-20). Capitalism vs. science: The lessons of the 36-hour Moderna vaccine frenzy. wsws.org It took just 36 hours for the media's frenzied promotion of a "breakthrough" treatment for the coronavirus to collapse under its own weight.
(2020-05-20). Inglorious Bastardry: Hacking for Vaccines. counterpunch.org 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 race on plundering secrets has already begun in earnest. No one party can claim particular
(2020-05-20). 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. …
(2020-05-20). Unions Fight to Protect All Essential Workers. zcomm.org All of us who have been clapping and putting hearts in front of our buildings to honor essential workers will surely want to let their employers know we won't buy anything from them as long as they are exposing their workers to disease and death…
(2020-05-20). Freedom From the Great Disease. counterpunch.org Freedom From the Great Disease Nobody knows what Socrates' first Word was, though, If we can trust Plato, His last one was Asclepius — The prototype of Jesus, who Was sitting on my kitchen floor Last night in the blue light That shines in from the air shaft Stroking the cat Before I could scream
(2020-05-20). Mayo Clinic Q and A: COVID-19 and people with disabilities. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Dear Mayo Clinic: My father, who suffers from Lou Gehrig's disease, lives with me and my family, including three children. While my husband can work at home, I am still required to go on-site for my job. Although I practice social distancing, I am wondering if I need to do anything differently in caring for …
(2020-05-20). 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…
(2020-05-20). Colorado Forced to Revise Its Virus Tally After ALCOHOL POISONING Counted as COVID-19 Death. anti-empire.com 
A Republican state representative asked prosecutors to bring criminal charges against Colorado's top public health official Thursday, claiming that she illegally falsified death records to inflate COVID-19 death totals. | Rep. Mark Baisley (R-Roxborough Park) issued a formal letter requesting an investigation and criminal charges by George Brauchler, district attorney for the 18th Judicial District. Brauchler is also a Republican. | Baisley accuses Jill Ryan, executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), of "falsely altering death certificates." CDPHE collects and repo…
(2020-05-20). Peak Government: Canadian Air Force Jet Crashes Into a Home While Celebrating Health Care Workers. anti-empire.com 
A member of an elite Canadian air force squadron died Sunday after a jet crashed into a British Columbia home during a celebration for front-line workers in the The Royal Canadian Air Force identified the deceased as Capt. Jenn Casey, a public affairs officer who joined the "Snowbirds" in 2018. Another team member, Capt. Richard MacDougall, was seriously injured. | The crash occurred shortly before noon local time in Kamloops, northeast of Vancouver. The flight was part of Operation Inspiration, a nationwide mis…
(2020-05-20). United We Dream: Immigrants, COVID-19, Jobs & Healthcare Virtual Town Hall. indybay.org Online…
(2020-05-20). 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.
(2020-05-20). Serco apologises for sharing email addresses of contact-tracing recruits. thecanary.co Outsourcing giant The company is helping to sign up people to support efforts to track and trace cases of Covid-19 to help reduce the spread of the disease in the UK. | The government has promised to recruit 18,000 contact tracers to manually gather information about the places infected people have visited and other individuals they have been in contact with to get a detailed picture of who might be at risk of…
(2020-05-20). Podcast: Britain's brains, COVID-19 at the GP, and a green economic recovery. imperial.ac.uk In this edition: Britain's intelligence and mental health, COVID-19's impact on primary care, and a sustainable economic recovery after the pandemic.
(2020-05-20). German govt obtains new powers to block hostile foreign takeovers in healthcare. rt.com 
The government in Berlin gave itself new powers to veto hostile foreign takeover bids for German healthcare companies on Wednesday. The measure is designed to ensure a continuous supply of essential products during the coronavirus crisis. | The regulation, approved by the cabinet, will allow the government to block takeovers of makers of vaccines, precursor chemicals, medicines, protective equipment or medical machinery such as ventilators. | In the future, the government will be allowed to examine the security implications of a bid from outside the European Union as soon as the buyer holds more than 10 percen…
(2020-05-20). Spain's Health Ministry orders citizens, including children over 6, to wear masks in public spaces. rt.com 
The Spanish Health Ministry has made it compulsory for all citizens, including children over six, to wear masks in public spaces. Its order said the masks would be needed from Thursday for indoor public spaces and outdoors when impossible to keep a two-meter distance. Masks' efficiency in curbing the coronavirus is hotly debated globally. | Spain has suffered 27,778 deaths and had 232,037 cases of Covid-19, Reuters reports. The tourism-dependent economy is forecast to contract up to 12.4 percent in 2020. | The pace of new fatalities has slowed to under 100 a day, and PM Pedro Sanchez's left-wing coalition is a…
(2020-05-20). Health Ministry confirms 2,346 new coronavirus cases across country. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 20 (MNA) — Iranian Health Ministry announced on Wednesday that the number of coronavirus cases has hit 126,949 in Iran, while 98,808 have recovered from the disease.
(2020-05-20). I Know You, Mask! Statues With Covered Faces Abound Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic. sputniknews.com Face masks have become the symbol of the coronavirus pandemic, which was declared by the World Health Organisation on 11 March.
(2020-05-20). Africa's Problems Should Help Us Put COVID-19 Into Global and Historical Perspective. sputniknews.com With almost all the media focus on Covid-19, it's easy to get the impression that the 'novel coronavirus' is the only show in town. But it isn't. In large parts of the world there are even worse public health hazards, only they don't get anywhere near the same coverage.
(2020-05-20). The Daily Show Host Trevor Noah Schools Nancy Pelosi Over 'Morbidly Obese' Trump Remark. sputniknews.com House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Donald Trump have traded some barbs over the last few days, after it was revealed by the president that he was taking hydroxychloroquine as an unproven precautionary measure against coronavirus. Pelosi then rushed to say that Trump should be more cautious with such health experiments due to his apparent "obesity".
(2020-05-20). Philippines' coronavirus cases top 13,000. yenisafak.com The COVID-19 cases in the Philippines surpassed 13,000 mark on Wednesday, the health authorities said.In a statement, the Health Ministry said 279 new coronavirus cases were reported in the island state to take the national tally to 13, 221."The total number of recovered patients rose to 2,932 after 89 more infected people were treated," the official said.The recoveries account for 22% of the total cases reported in the country.However, five more patients lost their life due to the infection, taking national toll to 842.Most of the news cases were reported in the capital Metro Manila where the lockdown has been r…
(2020-05-20). Turkey eases quarantine restrictions on arrivals from abroad. yenisafak.com Turkey will ease existing 14-day quarantine restrictions for citizens coming from abroad as the country starts softening measures taken to stem spread of the coronavirus, state-owned Anadolu news agency reported on Wednesday.Turkish citizens ferried from abroad were spending 14 days under quarantine in student dorms where they were monitored for possible symptoms of COVID-19 disease.The people arriving on scheduled flights will go through medical check and will be monitored for 14 days at their homes.
(2020-05-19). Harvard Doctor: As States Rush to Reopen, Lack of COVID-19 Testing Is "Achilles Heel" for U.S. democracynow.org 
President Trump claimed Monday he's been taking the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine, even though multiple studies show the drug can be dangerous and is not an effective treatment for COVID-19. This comes as the U.S. COVID-19 death count tops 90,000 and all 50 U.S. states prepare to partially reopen by Memorial Day. We speak with Dr. Ashish Jha, the director of Harvard University's Global Health Institute, who says that testing needs to vastly improve in order for widespread reopenings. He calls the lack of accurate tests in the U.S. the nation's "Achilles heel," saying, "The testing saga will go down as one…
(2020-05-19). Headlines for May 19, 2020. democracynow.org Trump Claims He Is Taking Hydroxychloroquine Despite FDA Warnings, Navajo Nation Has Highest Coronavirus Infection Rate in the U.S., 60-Year-Old Burmese Refugee Becomes Eighth COVID-19 Victim at Colorado Meat Plant, 74-Year-Old Man at California ICE Prison Dies of Suicide, Trump Attacks WHO as U.S. and China Trade Barbs over Pandemic Response, Early COVID Vaccine Trials Show Positive Results, Outbreak at Refugee Center in Germany Infects at Least 70 people, France and Germany Propose 500 Billion-Euro Coronavirus Assistance Fund for EU, Sà£o Paulo's Hospitals "Near Collapse" as Brazil Becomes Third Most Infe…
(2020-05-19). Socialist lessons learned: The political shifts brought by the coronavirus. peoplesworld.org 
Rev. Dr. William Barber of the New Poor People's Campaign has been preaching: "This virus is teaching us that from now on, living wages, guaranteed health care for all, unemployment and labor rights are not far-left issues but issues of right vs. wrong and life vs. death." Expanding on those truths, here are some more …
(2020-05-19). Technology and Liberties in the Fight Against Coronavirus. aclu.org 
There have been disease outbreaks throughout human history, but never one that has taken place in the era of high-tech tracking tools and "big data." , , Policymakers and technologists have proposed a number of ideas for leveraging such technologies to help suppress the spread of COVID-19. At the ACLU, we recognize the urgency of stemming the pandemic and re-opening America, and don't think we should immediately write off any tools that may offer public health benefits. But we shouldn't give up critical rights and freedoms unless a proposal is necessary, effective, and proportionate. We are particularly wary…
(2020-05-19). We Don't Have to Choose Between Our Health and the Economy. dissidentvoice.org 
The United States is at a critical moment in the COVID-crisis. This week, the nation is likely to surpass 100,000 deaths and new hotspots in the south and midwest are developing. Forty-two states have either started "reopening" their economies or imminently plan to do so without putting in place essential public health measures to prevent the spread …
(2020-05-19). AFL-CIO sues Trump's OSHA to force firms to protect workers from virus. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—Fed up with the Trump government's refusal to force firms to protect workers from the coronavirus, the AFL-CIO is suing the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to force it to do so. The suit, filed May 18, in the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for D.C., which handles most cases involving federal agencies and their …
(2020-05-19). An Illusion of Protection: The Pandemic, the "Criminal" Government and Public Distrust of the Media. dissidentvoice.org 
Any notion that the UK government actually considers that its primary responsibility is to protect the health and security of the country's population ought to have been demolished in 2020. The appalling death toll that continues to mount during the coronavirus pandemic is largely rooted, not merely in government 'incompetence', but in criminal dereliction of …
(2020-05-19). IT experts unconvinced on effectiveness of Covid-19 contact tracing app. thecanary.co 
Less than a quarter of IT experts believe the UK's coronavirus (Covid-19) contact tracing app will be effective, according to a survey.Just under half (45%) said they were undecided about it, while almost a third (32%) believe the tool will not be useful in helping to contain Covid-19.The app is currently being trialled on the Isle of Wight as part of the government's "test, track and trace" strategy to ease the country out of lockdown.Health secretary Matt Hancock had indicated that a roll-out across the rest of England was on the cards for mid-May, but Downing Street has said the aim is to launch more widely in…
(2020-05-19). Scientists dismiss claims 'mega doses' of vitamin D can protect against Covid-19. thecanary.co 
Scientists have dismissed "very misleading" social media reports that so-called "mega doses" of vitamin D can protect against coronavirus.Some articles have claimed that the vitamin can act as a protective measure — which scientists say is "not true" and prompted an urgent need to inform the public.However, they have emphasised the importance of maintaining a healthy level of vitamin D in the body.Professor Colin Smith, the University of Brighton's professor of functional genomics, said: "There are currently some very misleading articles doing the rounds on social media about mega doses of vitamin D as a Cov…
(2020-05-19). 'Fat shaming is cool now?' Pelosi's jab at Trump's weight sends #MorbidlyObese trending & the 'Resistance' can't get enough. rt.com 
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was cheered by President Donald Trump's critics after dubbing him "morbidly obese," even making the phrase trend online, but many have condemned what they see as a double standard over "fat shaming." | Pelosi's comment came during an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper on Monday, telling the pundit she was concerned about the president's health after he said he was taking hydroxychloroquine — a controversial treatment for Covid-19 which Trump says he's taking as a preventative measure. Speaking on air, Pelosi "diagnosed" the US leader as "morbidly obese." | "I would rather h…
(2020-05-19). The Heat: President Xi supports COVID-19 review. america.cgtn.com 
China says it will support an international review of the coronavirus pandemic when the health emergency ends.
(2020-05-19). Trump's Twitter letter to Director-General Tedros is full of political threats. thealtworld.com 
Trump once again became the center of global attention after he published a letter to the World Health Organization's (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu on Twitter excoriating him and the organization that he represents. The timing wasn't coincidental either since it occurred on the same day that President Xi addressed the World Health Assembly, the WHO's governing body, via video link as its keynote speaker and committed two billion U.S. dollars in aid to mostly developing nations to counter COVID-19. | It's unlikely that Trump penned his letter right afterwards as an indirect response, so i…
(2020-05-19). Following outcry, Belgian minister 'deletes' criticism of hospital workers' protest. peoplesdispatch.org Belgian federal minister Marie-Christine Marghem had criticized staff of the Saint-Pierre University Hospital in Brussels, who were protesting the government's insensitivity towards health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic…
(2020-05-19). Private healthcare hospitals poised to cash in on exploding surgery waiting list. truepublica.org.uk The COVID-19 crisis caused NHS Doctors to postponed more than 2million operations after non-emergency surgery was cancelled for at least three months to free up beds for coronavirus patients. This number was just less than eight weeks of booked operations that currently costs the NHS £1billion a month. "We have to do a really major …
(2020-05-19). Time to Consider a New Look at Physician-Owned Hospitals to Increase Competition in Health Care? jamanetwork.com In most sectors of the economy, competition is regarded as the way to improve quality and efficiency, lower costs, and increase innovations. Whether competition effectively achieves these improvements in health care, particularly with respect to hospital services, which remains the largest sector of spending for health care, is open to debate. Also debated, at least among some physicians, is whether functionally banning new physician-owned hospitals by prohibiting their participation in Medicare under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was too blunt an instrument to correct a problem that could have been fixed with a…
(2020-05-19). The policy of "malign neglect": How the Russian oligarchy sacrifices the health and lives of the people. wsws.org The government's policy of malign neglect has provoked an initial upsurge in opposition from the working class, including Gazprom workers in Yakutia, northern Russia.
(2020-05-19). WHO: Strengthen Nurse Workforce. jamanetwork.com An urgent global effort is needed to bolster the nurse workforce, according to a report from the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Council of Nurses, and Nursing Now, an international campaign to raise nurses' status.
(2020-05-19). Post-pandemic 'green shift' in transport could create up to 15 million jobs. news.un.org Transforming the transport sector to be more environmentally-friendly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, could create up to 15 million new jobs worldwide and help countries move to greener, healthier economies, according to a UN-backed report published on Tuesday.
(2020-05-19). Millions of Americans, including front-line workers' families, face loss of employer-sponsored health insurance in pandemic. wsws.org The families of health care workers, first responders and other workers deemed essential who have died from COVID-19 now face the prospect of losing their health coverage due to the cut-off of their loved ones' employer-sponsored insurance.