(2020-06-27). [Perspectives] Aletha Maybank: AMA's Chief Health Equity Officer. thelancet.com The world has changed in the year since the American Medical Association (AMA) named Aletha Maybank as its first Chief Health Equity Officer and founder of the AMA's Center for Health Equity, dedicated to eliminating the barriers to optimal health for all patients. COVID-19 has exposed health inequities that have always existed, Maybank said. But when US Government data omitted the disease's impact on Black, Hispanic, and Native American communities, she advocated for a change. "You can't fix something that you don't measure", she said.
(2020-06-27). [Editorial] Generation coronavirus? thelancet.com The catastrophic elements that have perpetuated the COVID-19 pandemic—global interconnectedness, climate change due to human activity, vast economic inequality, and deep veins of antiscience—have resulted in more than 9 million infections and almost 500‚Äà000 deaths worldwide. Although children might be less susceptible to infection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and generally have better outcomes than adults, COVID-19 as a phenomenon weighs heavily on their health and wellbeing.
(2020-06-27). [World Report] Access to health care under threat in Afghanistan. thelancet.com Attacks on hospitals and high numbers of COVID-19 cases among health workers could hamper access to health care. Sharmila Devi reports.
(2020-06-27). [Comment] Offline: The second wave. thelancet.com The spectre of a second wave of COVID-19 hangs over us. Some infectious disease specialists believe that SARS-CoV-2 might be losing virulence. Most are less sanguine. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO's Director-General, reported last week that "the pandemic is accelerating"—across the Americas, south Asia, and the Middle East. "The world is in a new and dangerous phase", he said. "The virus is still spreading fast, it is still deadly, and most people are still susceptible." The shadow of the 1918 influenza pandemic darkens our perspective.
(2020-06-27). [Seminar] Pancreatic cancer. thelancet.com Pancreatic cancer is a highly fatal disease with a 5-year survival rate of approximately 10% in the USA, and it is becoming an increasingly common cause of cancer mortality. Risk factors for developing pancreatic cancer include family history, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and tobacco use. Patients typically present with advanced disease due to lack of or vague symptoms when the cancer is still localised. High quality computed tomography with intravenous contrast using a dual phase pancreatic protocol is typically the best method to detect a pancreatic tumour and to determine surgical resectability.
(2020-06-27). [Articles] Clinical and biomarker changes of Alzheimer's disease in adults with Down syndrome: a cross-sectional study. thelancet.com Alzheimer's disease in individuals with Down syndrome has a long preclinical phase in which biomarkers follow a predictable order of changes over more than two decades. The similarities with sporadic and autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease and the prevalence of Down syndrome make this population a suitable target for Alzheimer's disease preventive treatments.
(2020-06-27). [Comment] Biomarkers in Down syndrome can help us understand Alzheimer's disease. thelancet.com Down syndrome is associated with increased risk of developing early-onset Alzheimer's disease, primarily because of the overexpression of the APP gene on chromosome 21. People with Down syndrome, as a form of genetically determined Alzheimer's disease, represent one of the largest cohorts at risk of early-onset Alzheimer's disease because virtually all adults with Down syndrome will develop Alzheimer's disease by age 40 years.1 However, the age range for the onset of cognitive decline is wide (from <50 years to >70 years).
(2020-06-27). [World Report] LGBTQ discrimination in US health care under scrutiny. thelancet.com A US Supreme Court ruling could undermine the Trump administration's plan to roll back some protections against sex discrimination. Susan Jaffe reports.
(2020-06-26). Headlines for June 26, 2020. democracynow.org U.S. Sets Another Daily COVID-19 Record as Infections Surge in 31 States, Supreme Court Ruling Will Deny Asylum Seekers Their Day in Court, Trump Admin Asks SCOTUS to Annul Obamacare Even as Millions Lose Health Coverage, India Nears 500,000 Confirmed Coronavirus Cases as Pandemic Worsens Globally, WHO Declares End to Ebola Outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo, House Democrats Pass Sweeping Police Reform Bill That Trump Promised to Veto, Activists Demanding $1B Cut to NYPD Budget Occupy City Hall for Third Straight Night, NC Police Dept. Fires Officers Caught on Tape Discussing "Slaughtering" Black Reside…
(2020-06-26). "No Layoffs" "Stop The Greed" Frontline UCSF Workers Protest Cutbacks In Middle Of Covid. indybay.org UCSF AFSCME 3299 Frontline healthcare workers and other union members from UC rallied and protested against the 3,000 cutbacks by UC management and regents. These cutbacks in the midst of a major pandemic will not only threaten the workers the care of the patients and the public.
(2020-06-26). Scheer Intelligence: For Many Young People, Socialism Is As American As Apple Pie. popularresistance.org In the devastating aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, many young Americans who felt betrayed by capitalism were introduced to socialism by Bernie Sanders' presidential campaigns. Meagan Day, a staff writer for the popular left-wing magazine Jacobin and a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), serves as an example of how the Vermont senator radicalized a generation with a platform that called for policies like Medicare for All and tuition-free college. Day credits Sanders with her decision to choose socialism when she felt the time came to "pick a side" in American politics and has since been w…
(2020-06-26). The Responsibility to Protect? Bipartisan Crimes Against Humanity in the U.S. counterpunch.org 
Hundreds of people are unnecessarily dying every day with African Americans representing a disproportionate number of those deaths. 80 million people are now without health coverage, millions are unemployed, over the next two months evictions will resume with an expected explosion of homelessness. And what is the response from the state that is tasked with
(2020-06-26). Coronavirus is an SOS: Mend our broken relationship with nature, says UN and WHO. mronline.org 
Pandemics such as coronavirus are the result of humanity's destruction of nature, according to leaders at the United Nations, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) International—and the world has been ignoring this stark reality for decades.
(2020-06-26). Denying health crisis won't save jobs. workers.org 
June 21 — For the thirteenth week in a row, the number of initial claims the Bureau of Labor Statistics counts for unemployment insurance was over 1.5 million. Now every state plus the District of Columbia has begun the process of loosening the restrictions it had imposed in order to . . . |
(2020-06-26). CDC chief Redfield: 24 million may have coronavirus. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—The head of the federal Centers for Disease Control now estimates that 24 million people in the U.S., ten times the actual numbers recorded, may be ill from the coronavirus. CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield provided that estimate in a June 25 conference call with other reporters, the same day his agency expanded the list …
(2020-06-26). As COVID-19 rages, America's meatpacking workers battle for their lives. peoplesworld.org 
As new COVID-19 infections surge to their highest levels since April, the deadly virus continues to ravage meatpacking plants across the nation. Companies are not implementing CDC guidelines for safe working conditions, so workers, their children, and union are finding ways to resist and demand action. The gruesome work of killing, cleaning, and deboning beef, …
(2020-06-26). In Racial Justice Victory, Johnson & Johnson to Pay $2B to Women in Asbestos-Laced Baby Powder Suit. democracynow.org 
Johnson & Johnson has been ordered to pay $2.1 billion to a group of women who developed ovarian cancer after using talcum powder contaminated with asbestos. Johnson & Johnson heavily marketed the powder to African American women despite warnings that the products could cause cancer. Six of the plaintiffs in the Johnson & Johnson case died before the trial started. Five more of the women have died since 2018. We get response from M. Isabelle Chaudry, senior policy manager at the National Women's Health Network, who says the company must ban the products globally and do more to address the harm it has caused, part…
(2020-06-26). The Dangerous Incompetence of Narendra Modi and Jair Bolsonaro. zcomm.org Alarming news about the COVID-19 disease comes from Brazil and India, where the infection numbers are high, and the death count grows steadily…
(2020-06-26). COVID-19 in Brazil: The people's response. peoplesdispatch.org The coronavirus pandemic has sent a shockwave through Brazil which as of June 26 stands second in the world with 1 million 228 thousand confirmed cases of coronavirus and 54 thousand deaths. Hospitals are at capacity and the country also has experienced one of the highest rates of death of medical professionals amid the pandemic. However, Brazil's social movements have not stood by idly. They have been organizing around a list of demands with regards to economic support to vulnerable populations, public health policies and above all protection of the people. They have also organized solidarity initiatives across…
(2020-06-26). Workers Are Striking During The COVID18 Pandemic. popularresistance.org The coronavirus pandemic has revealed much about work in the United States: There have been countless examples of workers speaking out against unsafe work conditions and demanding personal protective equipment (PPE) to try and stay healthy and safe on the job. We also have seen that essential workers are often not paid commensurate with the critical nature of their work. Few U.S. workers have access to paid sick time or paid leave of any kind. And, when workers have advocated for health and safety protections or wage increase, they have often been retaliated against, and even fired for doing so. As a result, many…
(2020-06-26). Turkey sets example to world in fight against drugs. yenisafak.com Analyzing data compiled by the country's Health Ministry, Anadolu Agency found that Turkey uses a variety of methods and programs to combat drug use, including treatment, rehabilitation and social adaptation of former abusers.Political, bureaucratic, civic and scientific actors complement and reinforce each other in the country's nationwide efforts that have been organized on a multi-stakeholder structure that has been praised by the World Health Organization (WHO).WHO has since prepared an English-language publication on Turkey's program so other countries could benefit from its experiences.Turkey's anti-drug po…
(2020-06-26). 'Major incident' declared as Brits pack beaches. yenisafak.com A major incident was declared on England's southern coast yesterday as thousands upon thousands of people packed onto the beaches, causing a wave of condemnations and anger on Friday.The order was issued by Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole council to deal with overcrowding and violence on beaches. Health Secretary Matt Hancock threatened to shut down beaches in response.Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood said half a million people had flocked to the beaches in and around his constituency in southern England, adding: "A lot of people have chosen to be not just irresponsible but dangerous."- 'Perfect storm'Ellw…
(2020-06-25). Coronavirus casts 'huge shadow' over Afghan life as multi-dimensional crisis continues. news.un.org The COVID-19 pandemic is not just a health emergency, but a multi-dimensional crisis for Afghanistan, dealing its people a painful blow just as Kabul and the Taliban prepare for peace talks in Qatar, the top UN official in the country says.
(2020-06-25). Megakaryocytes and platelet-fibrin thrombi characterize multi-organ thrombosis at autopsy in COVID-19: A case series. thelancet.com In this series of seven COVID-19 autopsies, thrombosis was a prominent feature in multiple organs, in some cases despite full anticoagulation and regardless of timing of the disease course, suggesting that thrombosis plays a role very early in the disease process. The finding of megakaryocytes and platelet-rich thrombi in the lungs, heart and kidneys suggests a role in thrombosis.
(2020-06-25). How a US & Qatari regime change deception produced the 'Caesar' sanctions driving Syria towards famine. thegrayzone.com Like the mysterious figure it is named for, the Caesar sanctions bill is the product of an elaborate deception by…
(2020-06-25). How a US and Qatari regime change deception produced 'Caesar' sanctions driving Syria towards famine. thegrayzone.com Like the mysterious figure it is named for, the Caesar sanctions bill is the product of an elaborate deception by…
(2020-06-25). Stir Crazy! Episode #59: Time Has Come To Rage. therealnews.com 
On today's show: TRNN visual producer Andrew Corkery, political commentator Marcus Ferrell, and political consultant Adriel Hampton, with special guest Ricarra Jones, MD/DC political director for 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers-East. Hosted by Kim Brown.
(2020-06-25). U.S. coronavirus infection rate now highest since pandemic began. peoplesworld.org 
More than 45,500 new coronavirus infections were reported in the U.S. overnight, not by the federal government but by state health departments—blowing out of the water by some 11,000 the previous one-day record of 34,203 reached on April 25. The soaring infection rate in the U.S. is being driven by out-of-control outbreaks in the nation's …
(2020-06-25). Why You Should Give a F*ck | Ep. 3 | Labor Rights. therealnews.com 
We explore the different areas of labor rights and the role we all play in their enforcement, while digging deeper into the aspect of mental health as it relates to our rights as workers.
(2020-06-25). Eco-genocide and the Genetically Engineered Mosquito Army. thealtworld.com 
The enemies of life are breeding their own agents of ecological destruction aided and abetted by an incompetent EPA and a rubber-stamp government in Florida, which just gave unanimous approval for the release of hundreds of millions of genetically modified mosquitoes by a company with deep ties to Bill Gates, the US military, and Big Ag. | In a move sure to stun future generations — should we survive long enough to have any — seven Florida government agencies, including those charged with protecting its health, agriculture and environment, made a complete mockery of the trust afforded to them by the p…
(2020-06-25). Obamacare upgrade: House Democrats roll out Affordable Care Act improvements bill. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—Sixty-two times since right-wing Republicans rode to congressional power in the 2010 election, they tried—and failed—to kill the Affordable Care Act. Now the House's ruling Democrats are trying to improve it, or so they contend. In statements at a virtual press conference June 24, party leaders, including the chairs of the three committees that deal …
(2020-06-25). Debunking Trump and Corporate Media's WHO/China coverup conspiracy theories. mronline.org 
The Trump administration suspended funding to WHO in April—the UN's primary infectious disease—fighting body—accusing it of "severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus," and of taking China's allegedly deceptive claims about its handling of COVID-19 at "face value." But corporate media had already been boosting these same talking points.
(2020-06-25). Say what, Joe? Biden says over 120 MILLION Americans died of Covid-19. rt.com 
Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden got his numbers mixed up just a bit, getting the number of Americans who died from the coronavirus off by a factor of 1,000, as he ventured outside for a healthcare event in Pennsylvania. | "People don't have a job, people don't know where to go, they don't know what to do," Biden said on Thursday at a campaign event in Lancaster. | Now we have over 120 million dead from COVID. | Joe Biden is very confused. | He just falsely claimed 120 million Americans (more than one-third of the country) died from the coronavirus. | This is after he previously claimed 150 million Am…
(2020-06-25). 165 workers test positive for Covid-19, as major outbreak hits meat factory in England. rt.com 
A mass outbreak of coronavirus has struck a meat factory in West Yorkshire, England with a total of 165 employees testing positive for Covid-19, the local council confirmed on Thursday. | The first cases of the deadly virus at Kober factory in Cleckheaton — a supplier to Asda, the major UK supermarket — were confirmed by Health Secretary Matt Hancock earlier this week. The food factory had closed on June 18, but reopened once again on Tuesday. | The local Kirklees Council said the 165 positive cases are being chased up by the NHS Test and Trace program and workers are being advised to self-isolate f…
(2020-06-25). Covid-19 cases surge in Europe FOR FIRST TIME IN MONTHS as end of lockdowns 'accelerate transmissions' — WHO. rt.com 
European countries have seen increases in Covid-19 cases since they began relaxing the restrictions that were containing the virus' spread, the World Health Organization has said. | "Last week, Europe saw an increase in weekly cases for the first time in months," Hans Kluge, the WHO's European regional director, said on Thursday. "Thirty countries have seen increases in new cumulative cases over the past two weeks," he added. | The easing of lockdowns and of other obligatory restrictive measures has led to "accelerated transmission" of coronavirus. This, in turn, may push Europe's health systems "to the brink…
(2020-06-25). Texas slams brakes on its reopening process as coronavirus cases soar. rt.com 
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has announced that the state is halting its reopening process after hospitals were flooded with new Covid-19 cases and health officials raised fears of bed shortages. | "The last thing we want to do as a state is go backwards and close down businesses," Abbott said in a statement. "This temporary pause will help our state corral the spread until we can safely enter the next phase of opening our state for business." | The development comes as Texas, the US state with the second largest population, continues to report record increases in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. | More t…
(2020-06-25). 'Anti-Semitic conspiracy theory' tweet sees Long-Bailey booted from UK Labour shadow cabinet. rt.com 
The UK Labour Party's "anti-Semitism crisis" has claimed another victim, as shadow education secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey is fired for sharing an article containing a so-called "anti-Semitic conspiracy theory." | "This afternoon Keir Starmer asked Rebecca Long-Bailey to step down from the shadow cabinet," a spokesman for the Labour leader said, claiming that an article she'd shared earlier on Thursday contained an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory. | The statement went on to say that Starmer, who took over the party plagued with accusations of anti-Semitism, has been "clear that restoring trust with the Jewish c…
(2020-06-25). Walk-in centres to provide coronavirus testing in 'heart of communities'. thecanary.co 
Walk-in centres for coronavirus (Covid-19) testing are to be set up to make it easier for people without cars to get tested for the virus.Six centres are being trialled in Newcastle, Rochdale, Leeds, Brent, Newham and Slough, with the latter described as a hybrid drive and walk through.The exact location of the centres has not been confirmed by officials but one is understood to be on a basketball court, and there have been reports they will spring up in empty shops and car parks.A source at the Department of Health and Social Care said officials were working on "walk through testing sites in England for people w…
(2020-06-25). How U.S. and Brazil Leadership That "Neglects Science" Led to Hemisphere's Worst Coronavirus Crises. democracynow.org 
As coronavirus infections worldwide approach 10 million, nearly half can be found in the two largest countries in the Americas: the United States and Brazil, which now has the worst infection rate in the world and could surpass the U.S. death toll next month. "What we see in the country is a reflection of the leadership that we have," says Marcia Castro, professor of demography, chair of the Department of Global Health and Population at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and co-chair of Harvard's Brazil Studies Program, noting far-right President Jair Bolsonaro has downplayed the pandemic's severity an…
(2020-06-25). The U.S. Has always exploited immigrants during pandemics. nationofchange.org As our country continues to grapple with the coronavirus, we must ensure that the health of everyone, including migrants, is prioritized and protected.
(2020-06-25). UK Health Ministry Has No Records on Turkish Protective Equipment (PPE) Fiasco and Won't Say if Files Destroyed. globalresearch.ca Department responsible tells MEE it has no documents about botched import of medical gear, raising concerns of cover-up ahead of inquiry into government's response to Covid-19 | *** | The British government's health ministry says it has no record whatsoever of its …
(2020-06-25). Hundreds of thousands of Illinois workers forced to risk health for profits under "Phase 4" of economic reopening. wsws.org A real answer to mass unemployment does not require putting hundreds of thousands of more workers' lives at risk.
(2020-06-25). New York Times column: Pandemic shows need to curtail "unnecessary" and "wasteful" doctor's visits. wsws.org Dr. Sandeep Jauhar makes the remarkable argument that patients who have stopped going to the doctor during the COVID-19 outbreak "seem to have done OK," and concludes that Americans have too much access to health care.
(2020-06-25). DR Congo: eastern Ebola outbreak defeated, 'mission impossible' now a 'sign of hope'. news.un.org After nearly two years and 2,280 deaths, the world's second-deadliest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is finally over, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday.
(2020-06-25). A Better Health Care System? popularresistance.org Suzanne Gordon, a longtime health care reporter and author of Wounds of War: How the VA Delivers Health, Healing, and Hope to the Nation's Veterans, says the VA "outperforms the private sector with one hand tied behind its back." | The VA delivers health care to around nine million veterans each year at more than 1,200 sites across the country. In Wounds of War, Gordon described the VA as resembling "the health care systems of almost all other industrialized nations: a full-service health care system that both pays for and delivers all types of care to those it serves." | The VA's health care providers are salari…
(2020-06-25). Covid-19: NHS plans for second wave bigger than first. truepublica.org.uk The Health Service Journal reports that health services in at least one of the NHS's seven regions are preparing to cope with a second peak of coronavirus demand more than twice the size as the first. By Alison Moore — HSJ: The NHS in the South East of England insisted this scenario was for …
(2020-06-25). WHO says 10th Ebola outbreak in DR Congo is over. yenisafak.com A World Health Organization official announced Thursday the end of the 10th Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as no new cases were reported for more than 50 days.During a media briefing on COVID-19 and Ebola in Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa, commended the "leadership of the DRC president, and the sacrifice and perseverance of 16,000 front line responders and communities … who have brought about the end of this 10th Ebola outbreak in the country!"Moeti also thanked the people, health workers, including WHO experts, who either got ill, were injured or lo…
(2020-06-25). Germany, France shore up political, financial aid to beleaguered WHO. yenisafak.com France and Germany expressed political and financial backing for the World Health Organization (WHO) in its fight against the coronavirus on Thursday, with Berlin saying it would contribute a record half billion euros in funding this year.WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking at a news conference in Geneva, said the agency, criticised by the United States for being slow off the mark in tackling the pandemic, was getting the financial and political support it needed.U.S. President Donald Trump said last month that the United States was cutting ties with the "China-centric" WHO, but he has still not formal…
(2020-06-25). UK COVID-19 death toll from confirmed cases rises by 149 to 43,230. yenisafak.com Britain's official death toll from confirmed cases of COVID-19 rose by 149 to 43,230, the Department of Health said on Thursday.Including deaths from suspected cases of the disease, Britain's toll is over 54,000.
(2020-06-25). Iran's coronavirus death toll tops 10,000. yenisafak.com Iran on Thursday confirmed 143 additional fatalities from the novel coronavirus over the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 10,130.A further 2,595 people tested positive for COVID-19, raising the overall count to 215,096, Health Ministry spokesman Sima Sadat Lari said.He said a total of 175,103 people have recovered and been discharged from hospitals so far, adding that 2,899 remain at hospitals in critical condition.Over 1.53 million tests have been conducted in the country to date, Lari said.After emerging in China last December, the virus has spread to at least 188 countries and regions.The p…