(2020-06-14). Health workers left in the lurch as pandemic spreads in Bangladesh. peoplesdispatch.org Bangladesh continues to see a high number of COVID-19 cases even two weeks after restrictions were eased. The first case was reported on March and restrictions were in place til May 31. Activist groups had raised concerns that the restrictions were eased without adequate preparations being put in place. Peoples Dispatch spoke to Manisha Chakraborty, International Secretary of the Socialist Student Front, shortly after the restrictions were eased to understand the situation. | Peoples Dispatch (PD): What is the situation in Bangladesh after the government declared the lifting of the nationwide restrictons? | Mani…
(2020-06-14). Mayo Clinic launches neutralizing antibody test to advance COVID-19 therapies. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic has launched a new SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody test in support of the national Expanded Access Program for Convalescent Plasma and other critical research efforts to establish effective therapies and vaccines for COVID-19. The test will be available through Mayo Clinic Laboratories to select labs, blood banks, and biopharma clients in …
(2020-06-14). Mayo researchers define type of Alzheimer's that affects people in their younger years. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org ROCHESTER, Minn. ? Mayo Clinic researchers have defined a form of Alzheimer's disease that strikes younger people as early as their 40s, presents with atypical symptoms, and affects a different part of the brain not usually associated with Alzheimer's. In their study, the researchers describe a progressive dysexecutive syndrome which they say affects a person's …
(2020-06-14). Iran records 107 new deaths from coronavirus. yenisafak.com Iran on Sunday confirmed 107 more fatalities from the novel coronavirus over the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 8,837. | A further 2,472 people tested positive for COVID-19, raising the overall count to 187,427, Health Ministry spokesman Sima Sadat Lari said. | A total of 148,674 people have recovered and been discharged from hospitals so far, he said. | Some 1.244 million tests have been done in the country to date, Lari said. | Iran's daily number of COVID-19 cases dropped to around 800 in early May, but since authorities eased restrictions, daily figures have shown an upward trend, especi…
(2020-06-14). Delhi to use 500 railway coaches as hospital facilities to fight coronavirus. yenisafak.com The coaches will increase Delhi's capacity by 8,000 beds, home minister Amit Shah said on Twitter after a meeting with the capital's chief minister.The government will also ramp up testing in the city, especially in containment zones, conduct a door-to-door health survey of residents and provide sufficient supplies of oxygen cylinders and ventilators, he said.India is the fourth-worst affected country in the world, with cases steadily increasing. It reported a record single-day jump in cases on Sunday, adding nearly 12,000 confirmed infections and taking the total to more than 320,000, according to health ministr…
(2020-06-13). #ExposeBillGates explodes on Twitter as conspiracy theorists vow to avoid Covid-19 vaccine connected to billionaire. rt.com 
Bill Gates' omnipresence in the media during the Covid-19 pandemic has turned into a mass obsession with many, and conspiracy theorists got #ExposeBillGates trending on Twitter on a planned "day of action." | The coronavirus pandemic created a number of speculations around the Microsoft Founder over his support of extended lockdown measures, his large contributions to the World Health Organization, and past comments on vaccines. | "The public is finally waking up. I've never liked this guy and if you really listen to him talk and watch his interviews you'll know he DOESN'T have our best interest in mind," auth…
(2020-06-13). Black Lives Matter-Lansing event declares racism a public health crisis, confronts mayor. fightbacknews.org Lansing, MI – Police brutality protests continue in both Lansing and East Lansing after the downtown march on May 31 but they are not the only challenge to police brutality based in the Lansing metropolitan area. Black Lives Matter-Lansing and One Love Global hosted a live "Call to Action" on Facebook and Eventbrite. | After a spoken word performance and moment of silence for victims of racist violence, One Love Global CEO and Black Lives Matter-Lansing cofounder Angela Waters Austin spoke with panelists from the Ingham County Health Department about public health deficits experienced by African Americans and oth…
(2020-06-13). [Correspondence] NICE guideline for rectal cancer: already out of date. thelancet.com As members of a colorectal multidisciplinary team, some of whom have contributed to previous National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance1 and European Society of Medical Oncology guidelines in rectal cancer,2 we disagree with the current recommendations in the update to NICE guidance that was published in 2020: "offer preoperative radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy to people with rectal cancer that is cT1-T2, cN1-N2, M0, or cT3-T4, any cN, M0."3…
(2020-06-13). [Perspectives] Accountability for medical participation in torture. thelancet.com After revelations of the participation of US health professionals in torture of detainees in military or CIA custody in the wake of 9/11, citizens filed complaints to disciplinary and licensing boards in seven states against psychologists who had been publicly identified as having been part of the torture apparatus. All of the complaints were eventually dismissed, only one with an explanation. In light of the disciplinary bodies' resistance to investigate participation in torture, much less impose sanctions, colleagues and I, then representing Physicians for Human Rights, helped a New York legislator, Richard Got…
(2020-06-13). [Comment] Offline: COVID-19—what we can expect to come. thelancet.com The verdicts are now coming in. In Mark Honigsbaum's updated edition of The Pandemic Century, he has included a new chapter on COVID-19. As a historian of epidemics, he offers his judgments about how countries have responded to what he calls "China's Chernobyl moment". His critique is sharp. For decades, we have known that the world is intrinsically and increasingly vulnerable to pandemics—and yet, "we failed to heed the warnings about Covid-19 and act when our actions could have prevented the outbreak from spinning out of control".
(2020-06-13). [World Report] COVID-19 vaccines for all? thelancet.com If an effective COVID-19 vaccine is developed, how will it get to everyone in need? Ann Danaiya Usher reports on the initiatives being planned to ensure equitable access, and their shortcomings.
(2020-06-13). [Review] Meningococcal disease and sexual transmission: urogenital and anorectal infections and invasive disease due to Neisseria meningitidis. thelancet.com Neisseria meningitidis is an obligate human commensal bacterium that frequently colonises the upper respiratory tract. Person-to-person transmission occurs via direct contact or through dispersion of respiratory droplets from a carrier of the bacteria, and can lead to invasive meningococcal disease. Rare sporadic cases of meningococcal urogenital and anorectal infections, including urethritis, proctitis, and cervicitis, have been reported, typically following orogenital contact with an oropharyngeal meningococcal carrier.
(2020-06-13). [Correspondence] Questioning statin therapy for older patients — Authors' reply. thelancet.com We were correct in stating that, among patients with established cardiovascular disease, the rates of use of statin therapy have been shown to decline among people older than 75 years.1 Not only do the Dutch data2 that we cited demonstrate this trend, but so do the US data reported by Salami and colleagues.3 Supplementary table 5a in the latter paper3 indicates that, after adjusting for other factors, the odds of statin use among patients with cardiovascular disease are about one-fifth lower among patients aged 75 or older than among patients aged 65—74 years.
(2020-06-13). [Correspondence] Questioning statin therapy for older patients. thelancet.com Single clinical trials have not yet determined whether statin therapy provides more benefit than harm to people older than 75 years with or without a history of vascular disease. The Cholesterol Treatment Trialists' Collaboration, which alone has access to patient-level data from most trials, is best able to answer these questions. However, we have several concerns about the Article by the Collaboration1 and the presentation of its results to the media.
(2020-06-13). [Correspondence] Major burns: debt recovery or ethics? thelancet.com As one of the UK's largest tertiary burns centres, St Andrew's Burns Service has an ethical obligation to raise awareness about issues that compromise the care of patients. In 2017, new regulations placed a legal requirement on Health Authorities to establish patients' eligibility for free National Health Service treatment.1 An increasing number of patients ineligible for free care have been admitted to the St Andrew's Burns Service and subsequently presented with large invoices as soon as they recover.
(2020-06-13). How Thailand Contained COVID-19. zcomm.org In politically turbulent Thailand, a public health system with popular support — not decrees from above — made all the difference…
(2020-06-13). To Re-Open Safely We Need a "Health Force" of Disease Detectives. zcomm.org At present local health departments and the CDC have only about 2,200 professional "disease detectives," although other health staff often assist during a contagious outbreak Photo by theskaman306/Shutterstock.com Conservative governors are now openly at odds with epidemiologists as plans move ahead for more than half the states to loosen social distancing and permit
(2020-06-13). Health care leaders urge patients to seek necessary care. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., Mayo Clinic's president and CEO, joined Tomislav Mihaljevic, M.D., chief executive and president of the Cleveland Clinic, in a public call for patients not to delay needed health care or screenings. In a New York Times Opinion piece, Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., Mayo Clinic's president and CEO, and Tomislav Mihaljevic, M.D., chief executive and president …
(2020-06-13). UK Stock Exchange considers cutting market trading hours, says LSE. truepublica.org.uk A public consultation has found strong support for cutting stock market trading hours in the UK to help improve gender diversity and mental health across the financial sector. Feedback from the LSE's public consultation found that a "significant majority" were sympathetic to arguments that the move would increase employee wellbeing and broaden the appeal of a high-pressure career in …
(2020-06-13). The Right To Refuse Unsafe Work Is More Important Than Ever. popularresistance.org The COVID-19 pandemic is taking a heavy toll on workers. Reports of job hazards grow increasingly dire as several governors and President Trump push past CDC guidelines to "reopen" the economy while forecasts predict soaring infections and deaths. | Some states at the direction of the Labor Department threaten termination of unemployment benefits for workers fearing return to dangerous jobs. A disturbing June 5 New York Times' report reveals how far those machinations have gone. The result: workers fired without pay or benefits or trapped in a deadly vice between poverty and disease. | In short, the news is terri…
(2020-06-13). Iran to re-impose virus restrictions if rules violated. yenisafak.com Iran has seen a spike in the number of coronavirus cases since the authorities relaxed a lockdown in mid-April. | "If we do not want to see the spike of the disease in the country [Iran] again, we must observe health instructions and avoid unnecessary travel," Rouhani said in a televised speech. | The Iranian president said his government has relaxed the restrictions on condition of abiding by the health rules to combat the virus. | He warned that if the people are in danger, the authorities will have to re-impose the restrictions again. | Iran's Health Ministry confirmed 71 fatalities and 2,410 cases due to t…
(2020-06-13). Virus cases in Africa top 225,000. yenisafak.com As Africa grapples with the fast-spreading coronavirus, the number of cases spiked to 224,105, according to a Saturday update by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.The virus took 100 days to infect 100,000 people in Africa since the first case was detected in mid-February, but then just 23 days to double to 200,000, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), in a pace that is accelerating.The update has it that 6,040 patients have died across 54 African countries.The number of people who have recovered from COVID-19 in the continent has reached 102,846, according to the update.Southern A…
(2020-06-13). COVID-19: New cases reported in China, South Korea. yenisafak.com China confirmed 11 new novel coronavirus cases while South Korea reported 48, authorities said on Saturday.China's National Health Commission said in a statement that five of the cases were locally transmitted, all based in the capital Beijing, while the six others were from travelers overseas.The commission reported no deaths due to the virus in the last 24 hours.A total of 83,075 cases have been reported in the country so far, according to the statement.The epidemic has claimed the lives of 4,634 people while 78,367 others have recovered from the virus.Meanwhile, South Korea reported 48 more cases of the virus…
(2020-06-13). COVID-19: Afghan Health Ministry reaches limit of tests. yenisafak.com Speaking at a gathering in the capital Kabul, Ahmad Jawad Osmani said from now on, any people with symptoms of COVID-19 would ultimately be considered as a positive case of the novel coronavirus infection."At present, we have laboratories in 11 provinces of Afghanistan and we plan to increase the number of services in all 34 provinces, but it takes time which is out of the control of the ministry," he said.Latest figures issued by the Health Ministry revealed that 556 cases proved positive after 1,045 samples were collected in the past 24 hours. The latest figures brought the tally of cases to 24,101 with 4,201 p…
(2020-06-13). COVID-19 death toll rises in Oman, Bahrain, Libya. yenisafak.com Health authorities in Oman, Bahrain and Libya confirmed new fatalities due to the novel coronavirus on Saturday, while Morocco reported fresh infections. | The Omani Health Ministry said three patients had died from COVID-19, while 1,006 new cases were reported over the past 24 hours. | The country's confirmed cases now stand at 22,077, including 99 deaths, and 7,530 recoveries. | In Bahrain, the Health Ministry said the country's death toll rose to 37 after two people had died from the disease, while a further 444 new cases were registered, taking the figure to 17,713. | Libya's National Center for Disease Contr…
(2020-06-13). Popular blood pressure medicines do not put patients at greater COVID-19 risk: study. yenisafak.com New research offers reassuring evidence to hundreds of millions of people with high blood pressure that popular anti-hypertension drugs do not put them at greater risk from COVID-19 as some experts had feared.Two blood pressure-lowering drug classes, called ACE inhibitors and ARBs, came under scrutiny after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in April that 72% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients 65 or older had hypertension.ACE inhibitors and ARBs are thought to trigger activity along the same biological pathways used by the COVID-19 novel coronavirus to attack the lungs.Researchers at Oxfo…
(2020-06-12). Remember the "Fake" 2009 H1N1 Swine Flu Pandemic: Manipulating the Data to Justify a Worldwide Public Health Emergency. globalresearch.ca A Worldwide public health emergency is unfolding, 4.9 billion doses of H1N1 swine flu vaccine are envisaged by the WHO.
(2020-06-12). In the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Towards A New World Order? The Global Debt Crisis and the Privatization of the State. globalresearch.ca This is the true picture of what is happening. Poverty is Worldwide. While famines are erupting in Third World countries, closer to home, in the richest country on earth, "millions of desperate Americans wait in long crowded lines for handouts"
(2020-06-12). Coronavirus spread in Colombia triggers orange alert in Bogota, curfew in Barranquilla. colombiareports.com 
Colombia's capital Bogota declared an orange alert and port city Barranquilla decreed a curfew on Thursday as the coronavirus threatens to collapse the cities' healthcare systems. Bogota mayor Claudia Lopez…
(2020-06-12). Living is no laughing matter. mronline.org 
The United States government has withdrawn its support for the World Health Organisation (WHO) based on accusations that the WHO has not been forthcoming about the novel coronavirus and based on U.S. President Donald Trump's questioning of the WHO's independence from China, calling the organisation a 'puppet of China'.
(2020-06-12). Covid-19 Hits the French Health System. counterpunch.org 
On 28 February the WHO issued a report on China's efforts to control the Coronavirus outbreak, highlighting the necessity for a comprehensive government-led response to the threat. On 29 February, the French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe chose to divert priorities from a Ministerial Council dedicated to Covid-19 by utilising article 49-3 of the Constitution to
(2020-06-12). New Haven is Minneapolis: Racist police terror is alive and well in Connecticut. liberationnews.org 
New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker is among the many political officials across Connecticut who are trying to distance themselves from the state's long history and ever present epidemic of racist police terror. On May 29, in his first statement on the wave of protests that have spread across the country following the murder of George …
(2020-06-12). Two Pandemics: COVID-19 and the 1918 Influenza. counterpunch.org 
The current Covid-19 epidemic has drawn comparisons to the 1918 influenza epidemic, often referred to as the Spanish flu or H1N1 virus. The influenza flu was devastating with an estimated 500 million people — one-third of the world's population — infected and 50 million died; in the U.S., about 675,000 deaths occurred and in New
(2020-06-12). Sweden and Poland only EU nations who STILL haven't reached Covid-19 peak — EU health watchdog. rt.com 
There are now just two European countries still headed for the height of their coronavirus outbreaks. Sweden — widely criticized for having chosen a different pandemic strategy — and Poland both expect a greater rise in numbers. | A paper published by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) compares the number of coronavirus cases reported during a 14-day
(2020-06-12). It Won't Be Protests That Bring On The Next Big Wave Of COVID19. popularresistance.org As people across the nation and the world came out to protest the police murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, corporate media carried a warning: Demonstrations against police violence risk creating a major upsurge in the spread of the coronavirus. | As ABC (6/3/20) put it: | As thousands of demonstrators continue to protest the killing of George Floyd, health experts are worried that a second wave of Covid-19 infections could be sparked by the mass gatherings. | An opinion piece in USA Today (6/8/20) warned, "George Floyd Protests Create Risk of Deadly Coronavirus Resurgence." "The absence of social distan…
(2020-06-12). EU warns COVID-19 health crisis not over yet, urges vigilance. yenisafak.com The public health crisis caused by the COVID-19 epidemic in Europe is not over yet, the European Union's top health official warned on Friday, urging governments to remain vigilant and plough ahead with testing and tracing the population."This is not behind us yet. We need to be vigilant," EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides told EU health ministers in a videoconference, amid fears of a new surge in infections as EU states gradually reopen business and borders and after mass protests in recent days across the continent [ nL8N2DO589].
(2020-06-12). Will Science and Reason Save Us? The Liberal Left's False Wall of Defense. counterpunch.org Lies on social media, life-threatening health advice, "alternative facts," info wars, etc. It is easy to be concerned about the disregard for truthfulness, reflection, and sensibility involved in the far-right offensive that has entered government buildings around the world. Yet, it is also troubling that an increasing number of leftists embrace a neoliberal line of
(2020-06-12). Health experts concerned about indirect effects of COVID-19 on women and youth. news.un.org As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to escalate, the World Health Organization (WHO) is concerned about its impact on women, children and young people.
(2020-06-12). Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Precautions for a summer of COVID-19. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org With the onset of warmer weather and more and more states loosening their COVID-19 restrictions, lots of folks are wondering about some summer staples, like cookouts and a day at the beach or pool. On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse, an infectious disease specialist at Mayo Clinic, discusses how you can minimize your …
(2020-06-12). Pakistan records over 6,000 more COVID-19 cases. yenisafak.com Pakistan on Friday recorded more than 6,000 coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours, the highest single-day rise since the outbreak, according to official statistics on Friday.With 6,397 new cases, Pakistan's tally of coronavirus cases has reached 125,933, already surpassing China and Saudi Arabia, putting the country at number 15 worldwide in terms of cases, the data shows.Another 107 patients lost their lives due to COVID-19 across the country, bringing the death toll from the deadly virus to 2,463, while 40,247 patients have successfully recovered and discharged from the hospitals, according to the Health Min…
(2020-06-12). Liquefied Gas Tank Explosion in Russia's Kazan Kills 1, Injures 2, Tatarstan Health Ministry Says. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – A gas explosion at a Gazprom distribution centre in the Russian city of Kazan has killed one person and left three injured, the Russian Emergencies Ministry said.
(2020-06-12). Iran, Iraq discuss expansion of healthcare cooperation. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 12 (MNA) — Iran's Ambassador to Iraq Iraj Msjedi and Iraqi Health Minister Hassan Mohammed al-Tamimi stressed the need for promoting cooperation in the health sector.
(2020-06-12). Friday Prayer in Arak after 110 days with health protocols in place. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jun. 12 (MNA) — The first Friday Prayer ceremony in Arak after the outbreak of coronavirus was held on June 12 while health protocols were in place.
(2020-06-12). LMICs will face 'extreme strain' on health systems despite younger populations. imperial.ac.uk Developing countries are likely to face extreme demand on health systems from COVID-19, despite having younger populations, according to researchers.
(2020-06-12). Corona epidemic and Yemen. indybay.org Authorities first wanted to calm down and played down the pandemic. Afterward, they had to convince the population to keep unusual physical distance, to wash their hands well at all times, and to refrain from major events. Finally, they wanted the population to accept the week-long lockdown, with business closures, exit, and travel restrictions.
(2020-06-11). U.S. Passes 2 Million Coronavirus Cases as States Lift Restrictions, Raising Fears of a Second Wave. democracynow.org 
The number of confirmed U.S. coronavirus cases has officially topped 2 million as states continue to ease stay-at-home orders and reopen their economies and more than a dozen see a surge in new infections. "I worry that what we've seen so far is an undercount and what we're seeing now is really just the beginning of another wave of infections spreading across the country," says Dr. Craig Spencer, director of global health in emergency medicine at Columbia University Medical Center.
(2020-06-11). Leaked CDC document shows new danger in continuing coronavirus plague. peoplesworld.org 
Despite cheerleading from GOP President Donald Trump, the raw numbers show the coronavirus pandemic still plagues the U.S., and a leaked document from the Centers for Disease Control adds we're not out of the woods. That's because, compared to the other nine nations which lead the world in total coronavirus cases, the U.S. showed a …
(2020-06-11). Ohio senate debates if racism is a health crisis. Lawmaker asks if black people catch Covid-19 because they don't wash their hands. rt.com 
A senator in Ohio has landed himself in hot water after asking an expert witness whether the 'colored population' suffered more than others from the deadly coronavirus, owing to inadequate hygiene skills. | On Tuesday, during a meeting of the Senate Health Committee, Sen. Steve Huffman (R-Tipp City), who is white, asked the witness why the impact of Covid-19 has been worse on people of color than on white people. But he phrased his question in a way that can only be described as cringeworthy. | "Could it just be that African Americans or the colored population do not wash their hands as well as other groups, o…
(2020-06-11). WHO Believes That Mass Protests Are Important Even in a 'Pandemic' Provided They're More Popular Than WHO. anti-empire.com 
In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the World Health Organization took time at its daily press conference to address another pressing issue: the wave of protests against police violence and racial injustice. The demonstrations began in the U.S. when George Floyd died on May 25 after a police officer had pressed a knee into his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds while detaining him in Minneapolis. | The protests are now spreading around the world to Europe, Africa and other regions. | "WHO fully supports equality and the global movement against racism. We reject discrimination of all kinds," said WHO director…
(2020-06-11). Car convoy supports UK Sonic Health workers. greenleft.org.au 