Monthly Archives: May 2020

2020-05-29: News Headlines

Alison P Galvani, Meagan C Fitzpatrick (2020-05-30). [Correspondence] Cost-effectiveness of transitional US plans for universal health care. thelancet.com The USA stands alone as the only high-income country not to provide health care as a human right, leaving almost 80 million of its citizens without adequate insurance.1—3 In a 2020 study, we found that securing quality health care for the entire country would save 68‚Äà000 lives and 1 ∑73 million life-years annually.4…

Manuel W Hetzel, Bassirou Bonfoh (2020-05-30). [Correspondence] Towards more balanced representation in Lancet Commissions. thelancet.com Enthusiastically, Richard Horton1 reports on the foundation of the Italian Institute of Planetary Health at a time when youth strikes, an emerging pandemic of a new coronavirus, and burning forests remind us of our planet being in jeopardy. We agree that something must change so that the undoubtable advances in science and medicine that were made since the time of Lucretius translate into a better life for all humans, no matter who they are, where they were born, and where they live and work.1 Yet, the lamented crisis of trust in science and medicine cannot be overcome by concepts of global health or planetary he…

Sharmila Devi (2020-05-30). [World Report] Fears of "highly catastrophic" COVID-19 spread in Yemen. thelancet.com Yemen's health system has been devastated by years of conflict and COVID-19 deaths are reported to be surging in Aden. Sharmila Devi reports.

Parth Patel (2020-05-30). [Correspondence] The health-related determinants of politics. thelancet.com I was pleased to read Richard Horton's Comment about populist politics.1 However, the problem of political populism and solution that he charts out seem somewhat non-sequitur.

Barbara Fraser (2020-05-30). [World Report] COVID-19 strains remote regions of Peru. thelancet.com The health system in Iquitos is stretched and the true number of COVID-19 cases and deaths is unclear. Barbara Fraser reports from Lima.

Anja M S Ariansen, Siri Gloppen, Lise Rakner, Kjell Arne Johansson, àòystein A Haaland (2020-05-30). [Correspondence] Time for global health diplomacy. thelancet.com 2019 was The Lancet's Year for Nutrition. Highlights included reports from the EAT-Lancet Commission1 and The Global Syndemic Commission,2 both emphasising that global trade systems must be transformed to ensure healthy and sustainable diets. But what developments can be expected following these reports? We might get an indication by considering what has happened since The Lancet's 2009 Trade and Health Series. This Series criticised the trade agreements of the World Trade Organization (WTO) for being detrimental to global health, among other things, by facilitating unhealthy diets.

The Lancet (2020-05-30). [Editorial] COVID-19 in Africa: no room for complacency. thelancet.com Despite over 100‚Äà000 confirmed cases and infections in every country, the passage of COVID-19 through the African continent remains somewhat enigmatic. High numbers of deaths were expected in the region due to fragile health systems, lack of access to preventive measures, barriers to testing, and potentially vulnerable populations. But, according to WHO, Africa is the least affected region globally, with 1 ∑5% of the world's reported COVID-19 cases and 0 ∑1% of the world's deaths. Although comparisons are inaccurate, mortality rates have been lower compared with outbreaks of similar si…

Jennifer Prah Ruger, Richard Horton (2020-05-30). [Comment] Justice and health: The Lancet—Health Equity and Policy Lab Commission. thelancet.com Justice forms the foundation for what we owe each other and what fairness among human beings and institutions involves. Globally, there are large inequalities in health outcomes and opportunities for health. Not only is the global burden of disease distributed unevenly but capabilities to prevent and treat disease are also asymmetrical; those in greatest need often have the least access to human, physical, and financial resources for health. Global health justice provides an account of what justice across our planet embodies, offers solutions to global health problems, and identifies who has responsibilities and…

Richard Horton (2020-05-30). [Comment] Offline: After COVID-19—is an "alternate society" possible? thelancet.com How do we make sense of this pandemic? The first interpretations are now appearing. Slavoj ≈Ωi≈æek is a prolific philosopher and cultural theorist. He is the first to produce a volume of reflections—Pandemic! COVID-19 Shakes the World (Polity, 2020). ≈Ωi≈æek doubts the epidemic will make us wiser: he insists that "we should resist the temptation to treat the ongoing epidemic as something that has a deeper meaning". Despite these cautions, we still have an important question to answer: "What is wrong with our system that we were caught unprepared by the catastr…

thelancet (2020-05-30). [Department of Error] Department of Error. thelancet.com Wang Y, Zhang D, Du G, et al. Remdesivir in adults with severe COVID-19: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre trial. Lancet 2020; 395: 1569—78. In this Article, a sentence has been added to the Acknowledgments as follows: This work was also supported by the China Evergrande Group, Jack Ma Foundation, Sino Biopharmaceutical, Ping An Insurance (Group), and New Sunshine Charity Foundation. In the legend of table 3, "seven-category ordinal scale" has been corrected to "six-category ordinal scale".

Daniella Lent-Schochet, Glenn Yiu (2020-05-30). [Clinical Picture] Drusen in dense deposit disease: not just age-related macular degeneration. thelancet.com A 40-year-old woman was referred to our clinic by her optometrist because she had lesions on her retina suggestive of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). She was otherwise well: with no systemic or visual symptoms.

Marion Nestle (2020-05-30). [Perspectives] A call for food system change. thelancet.com In shutting down entire societies, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the fundamental inequities and inadequacies of market-driven economies that prioritise profits over human welfare. Inequities show up in businesses that furlough employees while paying high salaries and bonuses to executives. They are also revealed by the dependence of food systems on poorly paid workers and cheap global supply chains. The COVID-19 crisis demonstrates how current food systems fail to protect populations from hunger and diet-influenced non-communicable diseases and why the poor, disenfranchised, discriminated against, and chronic…

T.J. Coles (2020-05-29). What's NATO Up to These Days? Provoking Russia, Draining Healthcare Budgets and Protecting Its Own from COVID. counterpunch.org In November 2019, as experts warned that a novel coronavirus was likely to develop in the near-future, NATO boasted that its European Allies, including the UK, as well as Canada, were boosting their military budgets by an average of 4.6 percent, or an additional $130bn since 2016. The implication is that this increase in military spending is at the expense of healthcare, which is being privatized worldwide.

Pratyush Chandra (2020-05-29). Bethune's socialized medicine and the public health crisis today. mronline.org We are at war! The heads of states throughout the globe are posing as chieftains in this quixotic war against an enemy who no one understands.

Pam Martens, Russ Martens (2020-05-29). A Growing Wave of Bankruptcies Threatens U.S. Recovery. counterpunch.org The bankruptcy epidemic in the U.S. started last year, long before any COVID-19 pandemic had touched down. U.S. retailers ranked among the greatest casualties of 2019 with a total of 17 bankruptcies. Big names among the retail bankruptcies in 2019 included Gymboree on January 16; Charlotte Russe on February 3; Things Remembered on February 6;

Glen Ford (2020-05-29). The blue plague and black death. mronline.org George Floyd's death by Blue Plague in Minneapolis was widely condemned by the same parties that have encouraged and funded the spread of the fatal contagion.

Prabir Purkayastha (2020-05-29). U.S. declares a vaccine war on the World. mronline.org Donald Trump launched a new vaccine war in May, but not against the virus. It was against the world.

Dana Brown (2020-05-29). Breaking the Big Pharma stranglehold. zcomm.org Affordable healthcare means breaking the stranglehold that Big Pharma has on our system…

David Rosen (2020-05-29). Coronavirus and the Telecom Crisis. counterpunch.org The current Corvis-19 pandemic provides a unique vantage point to assess key social institutions of American life. Sadly, none has failed so gravely as the nation's health care system, especially as underwritten by the private insurance model. The crisis of the U.S. healthcare system raises the deeper, more fundamental, question as to whether health care

Helena Smith in Athens (2020-05-29). Cyprus offers to cover cost of holidays affected by coronavirus. theguardian.com Free healthcare for Covid-19 patients and hotel expenses for dependents will give island unbeatable edge, it says

Polly Toynbee (2020-05-29). For test and trace to work, the public needs to trust this government. But how can we? | Polly Toynbee. theguardian.com Boris Johnson has consistently sneered at health and safety, so when he wants to end the lockdown early we should be worried The unlocking begins, as some

WSWS (2020-05-29). Nursing union NYSNA provides cover for Cuomo's push to reopen the economy. wsws.org The New York State Nurses Association is promoting the illusion that the political establishment responsible for jeopardizing the health of the population and frontline health care workers can be pressured into adopting socially responsible policies.

Zoe Williams (2020-05-29). Test and trace is no laughing matter, so don't turn it into a farce | Zoe Williams. theguardian.com Matt Hancock may want to make a joke out it, but if the new measures are to be taken seriously, the health secretary has to act accordinglyHas there ever been a more unsettling sight than Matt Hancock, laughing? Nominally, it was because Kay Burley had asked him why test and trace was being rolled out so fast, when it didn't appear to be ready. One minute we were calling him too slow, he wheezed. And the next we were calling him too fast! HAHAHAHA. Oh, my sides. Whatever it was coursing through his noisy face, it definitely wasn't mirth. He looked as if he had been taught to laugh by the goats that had unaccounta…

Agence France-Presse (2020-05-29). Monkeys steal Covid-19 test samples from health worker in India. theguardian.com Blood samples later recovered undamaged after fears incident could have helped spread virus

news.un (2020-05-29). Nine in 10 smokers start before they are 18 years old, warns WHO. news.un.org Tobacco products continue to kill eight million people a year who get hooked via a $9 billion a year marketing strategy. That's the warning from the UN World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday, which has said that even during a global pandemic, the tobacco and nicotine industry has continued to promote products that limit people's ability to fight new coronavirus and recover from the disease.

WSWS (2020-05-29). Russia's right-wing opposition tries to gain from COVID-19 crisis. wsws.org As President Vladimir Putin's poll numbers fall to historically low levels, right-wing opposition leader Alexei Navalny seeks to present himself as a defender of health care workers and "the people."

WSWS (2020-05-29). California Governor Gavin Newsom ramps up reopening despite serious public health threats. wsws.org The Democratic governor is accelerating the re-opening of the state, allowing resumption of business for shopping malls, dine-in restaurants, and large gatherings, despite the enormous dangers of COVID-19.

Andrea Germanos, staff writer (2020-05-29). Rep. Katie Porter Accuses UnitedHealth of 'Putting Profits Before Patients and Providers' in Midst of Pandemic. commondreams.org "It's flat out wrong for the world's largest insurance company to pass costs on to families in the middle of a pandemic—I want answers." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Tanya Wadhwa (2020-05-29). Argentinians hold a virtual mobilization to demand abortion rights. peoplesdispatch.org On May 28, on the International Day of Action for Women's Health, the National Campaign for the Right to Legal, Safe and Free Abortion in Argentina celebrated its fifteenth anniversary. On the occasion, the movement that has been at the forefront of the struggle for abortion rights in the country, called on the citizens to mobilize virtually, demanding legalization of this integral human right. | Tens of thousands of women, queer and non-binary people took part in the virtual pañuelazo or a march with green scarves, which represents the feminist struggle for legal abortion. They shared their messages and photos w…

_____ (2020-05-29). Austria says shoppers won't need to wear face masks from June 15 as lockdown rules are relaxed. rt.com Austria's shoppers will no longer be required to wear face masks, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Friday, as he outlined the next phase of loosening coronavirus restrictions. "Face masks will no longer be compulsory in shops or in school," Kurz told reporters. The changes will take effect on June 15. | Masks will still be compulsory on public transport, in health facilities including pharmacies, and at service providers where social distancing cannot be ensured, such as hairdressers. | A limit allowing bars and restaurants to seat no more than four adults at a table will be lifted, and a mandatory closing ti…

Brian Shilhavy (2020-05-29). "Mass Sterilization": Kenyan Doctors Find Anti-fertility Agent in UN Tetanus Vaccine. globalresearch.ca This article is of relevance to the ongoing debate on vaccines. | It was first published in February 2015 | According to

Lila York (2020-05-29). The Gates / Fauci Vaccine Developed by Moderna. Video Featuring Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Andrew Kaufman. globalresearch.ca This is a four-minute video featuring Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Andrew Kaufman that explains exactly what is in the Gates/Fauci covid19 vaccine currently being developed by Fauci's own vaccine company, Moderna. | Most of the vaccines currently under process …

Adam Gabbatt, Tom Silverstone, Katie Lamborn and Charlie Phillips (2020-05-29). Why US anti-vaxxers will refuse a coronavirus vaccine — video. theguardian.com In a recent survey, 24% of Americans said they will refuse a coronavirus vaccine. Adam Gabbatt investigates the anti-vaxxer movement in the United States — and how the pandemic is helping to fuel its resurgence

Mike Konczal (2020-05-29). Unemployment Insurance Is a Vital Part of Economic Freedom. thenation.com Unemployment Insurance Is a Vital Part of Economic Freedom…

Dr. Malcolm Kendrick (2020-05-29). I've Signed Death Certificates During COVID-19. Here's Why You Can't Trust Any of the Statistics on the Number of Victims. globalresearch.ca As an NHS doctor, I've seen people die and be listed as a victim of coronavirus without ever being tested for it. But unless we have accurate data, we won't know which has killed more: the disease or the lockdown?…

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-05-29). With COP 26 Pushed to Late 2021 Due to Pandemic, World Leaders Urged Not to Delay Climate Action. commondreams.org Organizers of the United Nations COP 26 climate change conference that has been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic announced Thursday that the summit will now be held during the first two weeks of November 2021 in Glasgow—prompting a new wave of calls for world leaders to pursue a green and just recovery to the ongoing public health crisis. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

WSWS Repost (2020-05-29). Warren holds fundraiser for Biden, drops "MedicareFor All" indybay.org Elizabeth Warren's populist pretensions were nothing more than a marketing tool, to be discarded as soon as they become inconvenient.

Labor Video Project (2020-05-29). Transit Workers & The Fight Against Covid with TWU 250a President Roger Marenco. indybay.org Roger Marenco, president of SF TWU 250a talks about the battle to defend members against Covid and how they were forced to take action on their own initiative to protect their health and safety. He also discussed the workplace bullying by management against members and the failure of Cal-OSHA to even visit the transit operation to check if workers and the public were being protected.

imperial.ac.uk (2020-05-29). Imperial develops coronavirus outbreak simulation tools for 137 countries. imperial.ac.uk Imperial have developed coronavirus outbreak simulation tools for 137 countries to help healthcare services plan their response to the pandemic.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-29). Iran coronavirus update: 2,819 infections, 50 deaths in past 24 hours. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 29 (MNA) – The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has infected 2,819 people and claimed 50 lives in Iran in the past 24 hours, a senior health official said.

WSWS (2020-05-29). UK: Weston General Hospital shuts due to coronavirus outbreak among staff. wsws.org The outbreak reveals the enormous dangers to the health and lives of National Health Service workers.

_____ (2020-05-29). Doctors Demand Hospital Industry Stop Funding Dark Money Lobby Group. popularresistance.org A progressive organization of 23,000 physicians from across the U.S. demanded Thursday that the American Hospital Association (AHA) divest completely from a dark-money lobbying group that has spent millions combating Medicare for All and instead devote those financial resources to the fight against Covid-19 and to better support for patients and healthcare workers. | Dr. Adam Gaffney, president of Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP), said in a statement that "the Covid-19 pandemic has stretched hospitals' resources to the limit, and the AHA should not waste precious member hospitals' funds lobbying ag…

_____ (2020-05-29). Health Care Crisis: Future Is Up To Us. popularresistance.org A society that is governed in such a way that it fails to protect its people from the catastrophic harm of the COVID 19 pandemic is a society ripe for revolutionary transformation. The pandemic crisis exposes capitalism's inability to solve the problems it has created for humankind and the earth. The future depends on our class' — the working class most impacted by the crisis — capacity to implement the visionary transformation necessary to literally save our lives and the planet. | From the outset, the U.S. response to the virus illuminated the chasm between the needs of the public's health and safet…

_____ (2020-05-29). 40 Million Health Workers Endorse Green Recovery. popularresistance.org More than 40 million doctors and nurses are in, and they are prescribing a green recovery from the economic devastation caused by the new coronavirus. | More than 350 health organizations representing some 40 million medical professionals, as well as more than 4,500 individual health workers from 90 countries, signed a letter to the G20 leaders Tuesday urging them to craft what they are promoting as a #HealthyRecovery by taking measures such as reforming fossil fuel subsidies and fighting pollution and deforestation. | "A truly healthy recovery will not allow pollution to continue to cloud the air we breathe and…

Bruce Bostick (2020-05-28). Trump using record unemployment to push an anti-labor agenda. peoplesworld.org Trump, followed immediately by Republican governors across the nation, stated that our nation "must reopen." Those governors all then told workers in their states that they must return to work when recalled, or they will have their unemployment benefits cut off. This past week, with millions more filing jobless claims, the total new claims related …

Maicol David Lynch (2020-05-28). New York Communist Party and community activists rally for 'Graffiti Grandma'. peoplesworld.org NEW YORK—On Memorial Day this past Monday, members of the New York District Communist Party USA, along with activists from the Black Radical Congress and the Riverside-Edgecomb Neighborhood Association, rallied in support of Washington Heights' "Graffiti Grandma." Jill Nelson, an activist, author, and journalist, was arrested on April 16 for chalking "Trump = Plague" on …

Dale Ho (2020-05-28). We're Working to Safeguard Our Democracy and Our Health. aclu.org No one should have to choose between their health and their vote, but during the Wisconsin primary, an estimated

Staff (2020-05-28). "Fight Back!": ACT UP Members & Tony Kushner Remember Trailblazing AIDS Activist Larry Kramer. democracynow.org We discuss the life and legacy of Larry Kramer, the legendary writer and trailblazing activist in the fight against AIDS, who has died at the age of 84. Kramer helped start Gay Men's Health Crisis and ACT UP to demand life-saving drugs, and faced off with Dr. Anthony Fauci before the two became friends. Many credit Kramer for saving thousands of lives. We hear from Kramer in his own words at the 2019 anti-corporate Queer Liberation March and host a roundtable with two former ACT UP members: "Gay USA" host Ann Northrop and Yale epidemiologist Gregg Gonsalves. We also speak with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright To…

The Canary (2020-05-28). UK weeks behind where it ought to be with testing and tracing — NHS Providers. thecanary.co The UK is "weeks behind" where it should to be with coronavirus (Covid-19) testing and tracing, the chief executive of NHS Providers has claimed amid reports of major problems with the service.The NHS Test and Trace system — seen as key to easing lockdown restrictions — has been rolled out across England with the help of 25,000 contact tracers.However, MPs said they were told the programme would not be operational at a local level until the end of next month, while an accompanying app is delayed by several weeks.(PA Graphics)The Department of Health and Social Care also admitted that "some staff initial…

The Canary (2020-05-28). India forced to deal with heatwave and plague of locusts as it battles Covid-19. thecanary.co As if Covid-19 was not enough, India has been grappling with scorching temperatures and the worst locust invasion in decades as authorities prepared for the end of lockdown despite recording thousands of new infections every day.This triple disaster drew biblical comparisons and forced officials to try to balance the competing demands of simultaneous public health crises: protection from eviscerating heat but also social distancing in newly reopened parks and markets.The heat wave threatens to compound challenges of containing the virus, which has started spreading more quickly and broadly since the government be…

2020-05-28: News Headlines

Kevin Zeese (2020-05-28). Canadian Groups Fight For Covid-19 Recovery That Prioritizes Human And Ecological Health. popularresistance.org Nearly 200 Canadian organizations on Monday rolled out their demands for a "just recovery," saying that continuing business-as-usual after the pandemic would prevent the kind of far-reaching transformation needed to put "the health and well-being of ALL peoples and ecosystems first." | "The choices we make now about how to recover from this pandemic will shape not only our health and economic future, but also the future of human life on this planet," Canadian Labour Congress president Hassan Yussuff said in a statement. "This moment is a reminder that the status quo can and must be disrupted," the new Just Recove…

Bruce Bostick (2020-05-28). Trump using record unemployment to push an anti-labor agenda. peoplesworld.org Trump, followed immediately by Republican governors across the nation, stated that our nation "must reopen." Those governors all then told workers in their states that they must return to work when recalled, or they will have their unemployment benefits cut off. This past week, with millions more filing jobless claims, the total new claims related …

Maicol David Lynch (2020-05-28). New York Communist Party and community activists rally for 'Graffiti Grandma'. peoplesworld.org NEW YORK—On Memorial Day this past Monday, members of the New York District Communist Party USA, along with activists from the Black Radical Congress and the Riverside-Edgecomb Neighborhood Association, rallied in support of Washington Heights' "Graffiti Grandma." Jill Nelson, an activist, author, and journalist, was arrested on April 16 for chalking "Trump = Plague" on …

Fight Back (2020-05-28). FRSO leader Steff Yorek: '100,000 are dead and capitalism is making the pandemic a human-made disaster'. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – Political Secretary of Freedom Road Socialist Organization Steff Yorek stated on May 26, "The United States has just reached a grim milestone, 100,000 deaths from COVID-19 with no end in sight, earning this country the dubious distinction of edging into the top ten for deaths per person, with 30.46 deaths per 100,000." | Meanwhile Trump has continued to show an utter disregard for the loss of life. The federal response has been weak, ineffectual, has intentionally undermined state public health plans and continues to steal PPE and testing supplies from states. | Yorek continued, "Trump is fueli…

Terrace (2020-05-28). Global Crisis Spurs Global Activism. popularresistance.org The COVID-19 pandemic's global spread has highlighted inequities in the world like inequality of income and access to resources in many communities. The response to the crisis has been a varied patchwork of public health measures and economic assistance, but in most countries, those with wealth and access to resources have fared significantly better than poor and marginalized communities. | Now, a group of more than sixty academics, activists, writers, artists, workers, students, and others from more than twenty countries have come together to draft a manifesto addressing these inequities and offer some guidepost…

David Rosen (2020-05-28). Silence=Death: Larry Kramer, RIP. counterpunch.org Larry Kramer (1935-2020) died on Wednesday, May 27th, of pneumonia. He was 84 years old and, during much of his adult life as a writer and activist, he battled — both personally and politicly — the HIV/AIDS epidemic. He is survived by his husband, David Webster. Kramer was the author of the provocative 1978 novel,

WSWS (2020-05-28). Angling for VP nomination, Warren holds fundraiser for Biden, drops "Medicare for All" wsws.org Within the last two weeks, the self-styled progressive has backtracked on two corecampaign pledges…

WSWS (2020-05-28). Angling for VP nomination, Warren holds fundraiser for Biden, drops "MedicareFor All" wsws.org Within the last two weeks, the self-styled progressive has backtracked on two corecampaign pledges…

teleSUR (2020-05-28). Guatemalan Congress to Dismiss Health Minister Amidst Pandemic. telesurenglish.net Guatemala's Ombudsman Jordan Rodas requested on May 27 Guatemalan Health Minister Hugo Monroy Castillo's dismissal due to corruption and inefficiency accusations amidst the COVID-19 crisis. | RELATED: | "So far the Ministry shows a low execution of its budget being evident that there is no capacity to provide resources and inputs to the health personnel who are in the front line and that places them in serious risk of contagion," Guate…

WSWS (2020-05-28). Over 62,300 US health workers infected and 291 dead from COVID-19. wsws.org Widespread employer and governmental neglect of basic safety protections are to blame for the massive increase in infection rates and deaths among health care workers.

teleSUR (2020-05-28). Piñera's Failure: Chile Reaches Almost 87,000 COVID-19 Cases. telesurenglish.net During the last 24 hours, Chile registered 4,654 new COVID-19 cases and thus reached 86,943 infections, a figure that exceeds China where the pandemic started. | RELATED: | Health Minister Jaime Mañalich acknowledged that 890 deaths have occurred so far and 3,707 health workers are infected, a figure which has been released one day after the ‚Äã‚Äã‚Äã‚&Aum…

teleSUR (2020-05-28). Haiti: HR Groups Warn of Prisoner Vulnerability to COVID. telesurenglish.net Haiti's social justice organizations warned on May 27 about the health situation due to the COVID-19 outbreak in penitentiary centers. | RELATED: | "In practically all of the prisons, there are dozens of prisoners suffering from a fever, but we can't say for certain it's COVID-19," Haiti's National Human Rights Institution's Director, Renan Hédouville, stated. | According to the human rights advocators, "the figure is…

Matt Sedlar (2020-05-28). We Can't Trust the IMF and World Bank to Lead the COVID-19 Recovery. cepr.net Jacobin See article on original site The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank played a central role in shaping our current model of globalization, imposing policies that held countries back from climbing up the income ladder, weakened health systems, and subordinated development outcomes to the whims of private capital. As the vulnerabilities of this …

WSWS (2020-05-28). Yemen's health care system collapses under weight of pandemic. wsws.org The UN has warned that if its programmes close, "the world will have to witness what happens in a country without a functioning health system battling COVID-19".

Ella Fassler (2020-05-28). When Losing Your Job Means Losing Your Psychiatric Medication. thenation.com When Losing Your Job Means Losing Your Psychiatric Medication…

teleSUR (2020-05-28). Ecuador: Native Communities Vulnerable to COVID Outbreaks. telesurenglish.net Ecuador's Ombudsman Office demanded on May 27 government health assistance and COVID testing kits for the Siekopai-Secoya native community. | RELATED: | "The Ombudsman's Office calls on the national Government and, through it, the Ministry of Public Health, the national and cantonal EOC of the municipalities of Shushu ndi and Cuyabeno, to provide immediate and appropriate preventive medical care and treatment for th…

Swiss Propaganda Research (2020-05-28). Studies on COVID-19 Lethality. globalresearch.ca . | The following tables provide links to important medical/health studies which are indicated in the Right column. | 1) Covid-19 infection fatality rates (IFR) based on antibody studies: …

WSWS (2020-05-28). Mumbai health care system overwhelmed as COVID-19 surges across India. wsws.org "It's a war zone," said a doctor employed at one of the main hospitals in India's second largest city.

teleSUR (2020-05-28). Morocco: Health Minister Uses Chloroquine Despite WHO Warnings. telesurenglish.net Morocco Health Minister Khalid AàØt Taleb confirmed on May 27 his nation continues using chloroquine in COVID treatments despite WHO warnings on its undesirable side effects. | RELATED: | "We found out after the adoption of this treatment on March 23, that patients healed faster than those admitted to hospital before them," Taleb stated to local news media. | In early May, the Moroccan health leader praised chlor…

Dr. Keith Scott—Mumby (2020-05-28). Doctor Bill Gates Is Now "President of Planet Earth" globalresearch.ca A couple of days ago, I heard from Fort Russ News, that the US Surgeon General (equivalent of the British Chief Medical Officer) Jerome Adams is to officially dump the Bill Gates-CDC-Fauci nonsense predictions and start moving forward with… wait …

Staff (2020-05-28). "Fight Back!": ACT UP Members & Tony Kushner Remember Trailblazing AIDS Activist Larry Kramer. democracynow.org We discuss the life and legacy of Larry Kramer, the legendary writer and trailblazing activist in the fight against AIDS, who has died at the age of 84. Kramer helped start Gay Men's Health Crisis and ACT UP to demand life-saving drugs, and faced off with Dr. Anthony Fauci before the two became friends. Many credit Kramer for saving thousands of lives. We hear from Kramer in his own words at the 2019 anti-corporate Queer Liberation March and host a roundtable with two former ACT UP members: "Gay USA" host Ann Northrop and Yale epidemiologist Gregg Gonsalves. We also speak with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright To…

Ruth Robertson (2020-05-28). Memorial Day Peace Caravan/Demonstrators Drive to Donate to Homeless in San Jose. indybay.org On May 25, a Peace Caravan of activists drove in decorated cars through the streets of San Jose to demand human rights to health, housing, education, a living wage and all the components of a dignified life. The colorful caravan of about a dozen cars ended their protest at a homeless encampment where they made a donation and received thanks from Scott Wagers who serves and ministers to the city's unhoused.

The Canary (2020-05-28). India forced to deal with heatwave and plague of locusts as it battles Covid-19. thecanary.co As if Covid-19 was not enough, India has been grappling with scorching temperatures and the worst locust invasion in decades as authorities prepared for the end of lockdown despite recording thousands of new infections every day.This triple disaster drew biblical comparisons and forced officials to try to balance the competing demands of simultaneous public health crises: protection from eviscerating heat but also social distancing in newly reopened parks and markets.The heat wave threatens to compound challenges of containing the virus, which has started spreading more quickly and broadly since the government be…

The Canary (2020-05-28). UK weeks behind where it ought to be with testing and tracing — NHS Providers. thecanary.co The UK is "weeks behind" where it should to be with coronavirus (Covid-19) testing and tracing, the chief executive of NHS Providers has claimed amid reports of major problems with the service.The NHS Test and Trace system — seen as key to easing lockdown restrictions — has been rolled out across England with the help of 25,000 contact tracers.However, MPs said they were told the programme would not be operational at a local level until the end of next month, while an accompanying app is delayed by several weeks.(PA Graphics)The Department of Health and Social Care also admitted that "some staff initial…

RT (2020-05-28). Philippines coronavirus task force recommends Duterte ease one of world's toughest lockdowns in Manila. rt.com The Philippines' coronavirus task force has recommended President Rodrigo Duterte ease one of the toughest and longest lockdowns in the world for residents in the capital, Manila. This weekend, Manila's lockdown will surpass the 76-day quarantine of Wuhan, the Chinese city where the first outbreak of the coronavirus was detected. | The recommendation came even as daily infections this week were the highest since April 6. Confirmed cases in the past six days comprise nearly 11 percent of the total 15,049 recorded, of which 904 led to deaths, Reuters said. | Health authorities have missed the target of testing 3…

RT (2020-05-28). Russia WILL NOT ban hydroxychloroquine, drug taken by US President Trump, for use in treating Covid-19. rt.com Russia's Health Ministry announced it will not ban hydroxychloroquine, seen by some as potentially dangerous. The drug, touted by US President Trump, has been suspended for use in treating Covid-19 in France, Italy, and Belgium. | On Thursday, the Russian Health Ministry stated on its website that hydroxychloroquine's effectiveness and safety in the treatment of coronavirus is continually being monitored, but the ministry is not taking any steps towards outlawing it. This decision is in sharp contrast to moves made by some European countries which, due to safety concerns, have completely stopped the prescripti…

RT (2020-05-28). 'A terrible indictment on society': Man who lost father to Covid-19 amid outbreak at Scottish nursing home shares story with RT. rt.com The son of a Covid-19 victim in Scotland has told RT how the government and senior staff failed to protect the residents at nursing homes hit by the deadly virus. Authorities have promised an inquiry into the crisis. | John Gordon told RT that his father, John Angus Gordon, was "a quiet and humble man." | "[His last] four years were spent at Home Farm nursing home, where he was very happy and very content. He was healthy enough, despite being 83 and having dementia," he said. | Gordon initially found out about a Covid-19 outbreak on Scotland's northwestern Isle of Skye, where the nursing home is based, from so…

RT (2020-05-28). Coronavirus to 'go into HIBERNATION' in summer — Moscow's former chief doctor to RT. rt.com The novel coronavirus will lose its power in summer and, as it passes through more people, it will no longer be 'new' for immune systems and will behave like flu or even just a cold, Moscow's former head doctor has told RT.

RT (2020-05-28). Denmark sees no increase in coronavirus infections after opening schools. rt.com A partial reopening of Danish schools did not lead to an increase in coronavirus infections among young students, according to an expert at the Danish Serum Institute. | Denmark was one of the first countries to reopen society on April 15 after a one-month lockdown. Students up to fifth grade were allowed back in school. | "You cannot see any negative effects from the reopening of schools," Peter Andersen, a doctor of infectious disease epidemiology and prevention, told Reuters on Thursday. | The data showed no significant increase in infections among children aged between one and 19 in the weeks after the par…

Fight Back (2020-05-28). General Appeal Regarding the International Health Emergency —Covid 19. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following appeal that was initiated by the German Communist Party (DKP), Communist Party Of Peoples Of Spain (CPPS), and the Communist Party Of Venezuela (CPV). Freedom Road Socialist Organization is among the signers. | The Communist and Workers' parties that suscribe the present APPEAL declare: | 1. The serious international situation which has come from the unstoppable global capitalist crisis – now expressed as a health emergency that spreads throughout so many countries – requires strong and decisive social and political action that puts the needs of the worki…

Catherine Austin Fitts (2020-05-28). The Injection Fraud — It's Not a Vaccine. globalresearch.ca I am not a scientist. I am not a doctor. I am not a biotech engineer. I am not an attorney. However, I read, listen, appreciate and try to understand those who are. | I was an investment banker until politics …

Prabir Purkayastha (2020-05-28). Trump declares COVID-19 vaccine war, but can he hold the world hostage? peoplesworld.org

commondreams (2020-05-28). Vaccine Czar Should Be Subject to Conflict of Interest Code, Groups Say in Ethics Complaint. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Prabir Purkayastha (2020-05-28). U.S. Declares a Vaccine War on the World. zcomm.org The U.S. has fumbled its own response to the pandemic at the same time that its greedy and selfish behavior about vaccines alienates the rest of the world…

Paul Craig Roberts (2020-05-28). The Campaign Against HCQ—Part II. thealtworld.com A few years ago the British medical journal, The Lancet, published a paper touting the safety of HCQ. But this was before HCQ with zinc was found effective if used earlier enough against Covid-19. Covid-19 turned HCQ's effectiveness into a big problem for Big Pharma's big profits. | The solution was another study by medical professionals some of whom have ties to Big Pharma and none of whom, apparently, are involved in the treatment of Covid patients. The study lumps together people in different stages of the disease and undergoing different treatments. It touts its large sample, but many of the patients in the s…

WSWS Repost (2020-05-28). Warren holds fundraiser for Biden, drops "MedicareFor All" indybay.org Elizabeth Warren's populist pretensions were nothing more than a marketing tool, to be discarded as soon as they become inconvenient.

Labor Video Project (2020-05-28). Transit Workers & The Fight Against Covid with TWU 250a President Roger Marenco. indybay.org Roger Marenco, president of SF TWU 250a talks about the battle to defend members against Covid and how they were forced to take action on their own initiative to protect their health and safety. He also discussed the workplace bullying by management against members and the failure of Cal-OSHA to even visit the transit operation to check if workers and the public were being protected.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-28). Healthcare officials urge close coop to defeat COVID-19. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 28 (MNA) — Islamic countries stressed that global impact and irreparable economic and health damages which the virus has brought requires global unity and solidarity to defeat and contain the disease.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-28). Iran records 2,258 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 28 (MNA) — The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has infected 2,258 people and claimed 63 lives in Iran in the past 24 hours, a senior health official said.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-28). COVID-19 vaccine candidate results to be released in June. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 28 (MNA) — Professor Ugur Sahin gave a speech on "Developing COVID-19 mRNA vaccines" during the 7th Science and Technology Exchange Program (STEP) on May 28.

en.mehrnews (2020-05-28). South Korea to send $500,000 worth medical cargo to Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 28 (MNA) — South Korea will this week send $500,000 worth of medicine to Iran used to treat a hereditary disease, the South Korean foreign ministry said Thursday.

yenisafak (2020-05-28). Turkey congratulates Azerbaijan on Republic Day. yenisafak.com President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wrote a greeting message in Azerbaijani language on Twitter. Erdogan also sent his greetings to Azerbaijani president and people on behalf of his country."Happy 102nd anniversary of the establishment of our friendly and brotherly Azerbaijan," Vice President Fuat Oktay also said on Twitter.Parliament Speaker Mustafa Sentop also congratulated Azerbaijan on the Republic Day in a Twitter message, wishing luck and health to Azerbaijani people.On May 28, 1918, the Azerbaijani National Council, headed by Mammad Amin Rasulzadeh, declared the independent Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, in Tb…

yenisafak (2020-05-28). 'COVID-19 cases low in Africa due to strong leadership'. yenisafak.com Coronavirus cases in Africa remain lower than in some other parts of the world due to "strong country leadership," the World Health Organization's (WHO) regional director for Africa said on Thursday.Africa has just 1.5% of the world's reported cases of COVID-19, and less than 0.1 % of the world's deaths, according to the UN health agency."With strong country leadership and implementation of social and public health measures, cases in Africa remain lower than in some other parts of the world," Dr. Matshidiso Moeti told a joint media briefing with WHO and the World Economic Forum."However, we cannot let our guard d…

Kevin Zeese (2020-05-27). Ecuador Protests New Neoliberal Measures Amid Lockdown. popularresistance.org Unions, students, teachers, workers, and social organizations took to the streets in Quito as others followed from home in several cities Monday with a pot-banging protest. | In Quito, Cuenca, and Guayaquil the protesters challenged the restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and took the streets to demand the withdrawal of the measures, and also to defend public education, health, and labor rights. | Central Workers' Organization (CUT) President Richard Gomez declared the demonstrators will remain in constant mobilization until their purpose is achieved.

Kevin Zeese (2020-05-27). Smithfield Sued For Misleading Consumers With False Claims Of Superior Safety. popularresistance.org The Organic Consumers Association announced that it has sued Smithfield Foods for falsely advertising Smithfield pork products as the "safest" U.S. pork products. In the complaint, OCA alleges that on numerous occasions, the U.S. Department of Agriculture testing of Smithfield pork has detected pathogens that are "commonly associated with human illness" and resistant to antibiotics. This makes the products far less than the "safest possible" in the U.S., according to OCA. | The suit also alleges that many disease strains detected in Smithfield products have been found to be resistant to antibiotics that are desig…

Staff (2020-05-27). Headlines for May 27, 2020. democracynow.org Four Minneapolis Cops Fired After Shocking Video Shows Killing of George Floyd, Federal Food Program Fails to Reach Millions Even as Child Hunger Surges in U.S., NY Governor Cuomo Shielded Nursing Homes from Liability After Big Campaign Donation, GOP Governors Vie for Republican National Convention as NC Won't Commit to Packed Arena, Yemen's Health System Has "Collapsed" Amid Explosion of Coronavirus Cases, India Resumes Domestic Air Travel Even as COVID-19 Cases Surge, China Completing Plans to Test 11 Million Wuhan Residents for Coronavirus, South Korea Reports 40 New Coronavirus Infections, Highest Level in 7…

Staff (2020-05-27). COVID Racial Data Tracker: Ibram X. Kendi on How Better Data Reveals the True Toll of the Pandemic. democracynow.org Ibram X. Kendi says early media coverage of COVID-19 as "the great equalizer" missed the racial impact of the disease. But it soon became clear "that it was Latino Americans and African Americans and Native Americans in particular who were disproportionately being infected and dying." The award-winning author and founding director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University joins us to discuss why he started the COVID Racial Data Tracker.

Sam Pizzigati (2020-05-27). The Inefficient and Incredibly Lucrative Coronavirus Vaccine Race. counterpunch.org Centuries ago, back in the Middle Ages, battles against plagues seldom went well. Medieval public health warriors had little scientific knowledge about their viral assailants. And what little knowledge they did gain, they couldn't easily share. Kingdoms had no vehicles for rapid and reliable communicating. We don't have that problem today as we do viral

Ralph Underhill (2020-05-27). Public health messaging by Dominic Cummings. thecanary.co By

Joshua Hanks (2020-05-27). New York Times misses mark on Kerala's COVID-19 success. workers.org It is almost five months since China first alerted the World Health Organization about cases of what is now called COVID-19. The ensuing pandemic has revealed stark differences in the responses of governments around the world. As Workers World has reported, communist-led governments in countries like Cuba, Vietnam, China and . . . |