Daily Archives: August 7, 2020

2020-08-07: News Headlines

The Lancet (2020-08-08). [Editorial] Self-determination and Indigenous health. thelancet.com Colonisation is a fundamental determinant of Indigenous peoples' health. Indigenous is a term defined by dislocation, and the effects of that displacement are felt by Indigenous peoples around the world. Aug 9, International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, is a chance to look at the continuing effects of territorial removal, the destruction of people, culture, and languages, and the lack of self-determination (the right to determine one's own social, cultural, and economic development), and their impact on Indigenous peoples' health.

Harriet Mayanja-Kizza, Christine Sekaggya-Wiltshire, Desta Kassa (2020-08-08). [Comment] Optimal therapy for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and HIV. thelancet.com The dual epidemics of tuberculosis and HIV have had a substantial toll on health outcomes, service delivery, and economies in many countries. Additionally, diagnosis of tuberculosis remains a challenge, especially with HIV infection, where the commonly used smears are of limited benefit; compounded by limitations of detecting drug-resistant tuberculosis.1…

Dimitrios Moris, Michael Kontos (2020-08-08). [Correspondence] Recurrence of breast cancer after anaesthesia. thelancet.com Daniel Sessler and colleagues1 presented the findings from their multicentre, randomised trial that compared the effect of regional anaesthesia (paravertebral block and propofol) with general anaesthesia (sevoflurane) and opioids on breast cancer recurrence and postoperative pain after potentially curative surgery. Regional anaesthesia was reported to be equivalent to general anaesthesia regarding disease recurrence and postoperative pain.1…

Wendy Rogers (2020-08-08). [Perspectives] Moral responsibility in medicine: where are the boundaries? thelancet.com All doctors have responsibilities to protect and promote health. These responsibilities lie at the heart of medicine, providing its moral foundation. Some doctors meet their responsibilities treating individuals with diseases, some teach or do research, while others safeguard or promote the health of populations. These responsibilities arise from the social role of doctors that is enshrined—but not always clearly delineated—in social, legal, ethical, and professional standards and norms. The health and wellbeing of the patient is, according to various codes, the pre-eminent responsibility of medicine,…

David N Durrheim, Michael G Baker (2020-08-08). [Correspondence] COVID-19—a very visible pandemic. thelancet.com The COVID-19 pandemic is exacting a confronting and extraordinarily visible toll in lives and livelihoods globally. The last occasion where humanity fought a similar calamitous infectious disease threat was the 1918—19 influenza pandemic. There are many lessons from that pandemic that are still relevant. The first pandemic wave did not grant adequate herd immunity and was followed by one or more subsequent waves, with those waves being more deadly than the initial wave.1 Additionally, stringent public health measures flattened the epidemic curve, preserving hospital capacity and saving many lives.

Sharmila Devi (2020-08-08). [World Report] Egyptian health workers arrested after COVID-19 comments. thelancet.com At least seven doctors and two pharmacists have been detained for criticising the Egyptian Government's approach to the pandemic and working conditions. Sharmila Devi reports.

Staff (2020-08-07). Headlines for August 7, 2020. democracynow.org Study Predicts U.S. Coronavirus Deaths Could Reach 300,000 by December, Georgia High Schoolers Suspended for Sharing Images of Unmasked Students in Crowded Halls, India's COVID-19 Cases Top 2 Million as WHO Warns of Worsening Outbreaks in Africa, Peru's Health System in Collapse as COVID-19 Death Toll Reaches 20,000, Congressional Talks on New Coronavirus Stimulus on Brink of Collapse, "Make Billionaires Pay Act" Would Tax Richest 0.001% to Fund Healthcare for Millions, Police Fire Tear Gas at Anti-Government Protesters as Anger Rages over Beirut Blast, New York Attorney General Files Suit to Dissolve NRA over Ex…

Jeffrey St. Clair (2020-08-07). Roaming Charges: Every Which Way to Lose. counterpunch.org "And through the fog of the plague, most art withered into journalism." — Pete Hamill + Four years of Trump, the most precipitous collapse of the US economy in history and one killer pandemic later and we're right back to where we were in the late summer of 2016… Joe Biden's national polling lead is

The Canary (2020-08-07). Three in 10 people 'uncomfortable' attending A&E if advised to by doctor. thecanary.co Around three in 10 adults would not feel comfortable attending A&E for urgent care if they needed it, a survey suggests.Some 61% of adults said they would feel comfortable to attend a hospital appointment if their doctor asked them to, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.Almost a quarter (23%) said they would feel uncomfortable with this, while 29% said they would feel uncomfortable about going to hospital for emergency treatment.Just over half (55%) said they would feel comfortable about visiting the emergency department if advised.And 14% said they would not feel comfortable seeing a healthcare profes…

The Canary (2020-08-07). Record-breaking summers due to climate chaos 'a danger to human health'. thecanary.co Having record-breaking summers will become a certainty due to the climate crisis, experts have warned, as the UK begins to swelter in what could be the hottest day of the year so far.Just a week after Britain recorded the third warmest day on record on 31 July, with 37.8C (100.04F) recorded in Heathrow, Friday could see temperatures rise to — and possibly surpass — 37C (98.6F) in London and the South East.Michael Byrne, lecturer in earth and environmental sciences at the University of St Andrews, warned that two near-record temperatures so closely spaced is "unusual". | Exceptional heat in the southeast…

Stephen Lendman (2020-08-07). Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), A Cure for COVID-19: Smear Campaign against US Doctors. Promotion of Hazardous Mass-Vaxxing. globalresearch.ca Big Pharma in cahoots with Big Media and Big Government want a known COVID-19 cure suppressed. | Why? Because an effective treatment is readily available, cheap, and if widely used to treat the disease or taken prophylactically to prevent it, Big …

WSWS (2020-08-07). Health Commissioner forced out as New York City prepares to reopen schools amid national pandemic surge. wsws.org Dr. Oxiris Barbot's ouster indicates a more open return to the herd immunity strategy that guided the city's disastrous early response to the pandemic.

Peoples Dispatch (2020-08-07). Brazilian movements intensify "Out Bolsonaro" campaign. peoplesdispatch.org The authoritarian nature of the Bolsonaro government has rapidly intensified. Bolsonaro, acting against all public health specialists, as well as international entities and protocols, has denied the pandemic and adopted incorrect and disastrous measures. His grave mismanagement of the virus has made Brazil the global epicenter of COVID-19.

Children's Health Defense (2020-08-07). Impacts of 5G Wireless Radiation on Children's Health: CHD Law Suit against FCC. globalresearch.ca What we put in our bodies and our children's developing bodies is the most important and most personal choice we make as human beings. But when it comes to damaging levels of radiation, that right to choose has been stolen …

Chuck Collins — Helen Flannery (2020-08-07). Time for an Emergency Charity Stimulus. counterpunch.org We are living through a time of unprecedented challenges: a major public health crisis and a deepening recession. Congress has already authorized trillions in stimulus funds. But millions of Americans are still relying on the support of local nonprofits such as food banks and human services. These nonprofits are going to need major infusions of

Marlee Kokotovic (2020-08-07). Sanders' Make Billionaires Pay Act would help cover medical expenses for every American for a whole year. nationofchange.org Over 5.4 million-Americans have lost health insurance during this time while billionaires are profiting off of the pandemic.

teleSUR (2020-08-07). Trump Predicts Massive Use of COVID-19 Vaccine Before November. telesurenglish.net President Donald Trump Friday trusts that a vaccine to treat COVID-19 will be released before the elections and boost his presidential campaign. | RELATED: | He talks about a possible vaccine several times a day and assures his people that up to 500 million individual doses will be available very soon. | "I'm optimistic that it'll be probably around that date. I believe we'll have the vaccine befo…

imperial.ac.uk (2020-08-07). COVID-19 recovery choices will shape the future climate as well as economy. imperial.ac.uk While a pollution-free period hasn't averted climate change, the recovery offers a chance for health and nature, a study reveals…

_____ (2020-08-07). Professor Mounts High-Altitude Protest Against Pipeline. popularresistance.org Tim Takaro is by himself but insists he isn't alone. | Takaro, 63, is protesting the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project by camping out in a cluster of trees in Burnaby, B.C. | Takaro is a professor of health sciences and environmental health at Simon Fraser University and a former physician, having retired from clinical medicine in December 2019. | He and other environmental activists say trees along the Brunette River near the boundary between Burnaby and New Westminster are slated to be felled between now and Sept. 15 as part of pipeline construction.

_____ (2020-08-07). War and Pandemic Journalism: The Truth Can Disappear Fast. strategic-culture.org The polio epidemic in Cork supposedly ended abruptly in mid-September 1956 when the local press stopped reporting on it, but that was at least two weeks before many children like me caught it. In a similar fashion, right now, wars in the Middle East and north Africa like the ongoing disasters in Libya and Syria that once got significant coverage now barely get a mention much of the time.

yenisafak (2020-08-07). Coronavirus cases in Africa surpass 1 million mark. yenisafak.com Coronavirus cases in Africa exceeded the 1 million mark on Friday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday, as the continent recorded 14,656 new cases over the last 24 hours.The death toll from the virus in Africa reached 22,066, while recoveries rose to 690,436.Southern Africa has confirmed a total of 565,100 cases, of which South Africa alone took by far the greater proportion that stood at 538,200.North Africa has 170,200 cases, West Africa 136,800, East Africa 85,600 and Central Africa 49,600.At least 10,200 people lost their lives to the virus in Southern Africa, 7,000 in North A…

yenisafak (2020-08-07). What you need to know about the coronavirus right now. yenisafak.com Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: Grim forecast for U.S.Nearly 300,000 Americans could be dead from COVID-19 by Dec. 1, University of Washington health experts forecast, although they said 70,000 lives could be saved if people were scrupulous about wearing masks.The latest predictions from the university's widely cited Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) came as top White House infectious disease advisers warned that major U.S. cities could erupt as new coronavirus hot spots if officials there were not vigilant with counter-measures."We're seeing a rollercoaste…

yenisafak (2020-08-07). Beirut port blast: Death toll rises to 154, nearly 5,000 wounded. yenisafak.com The death toll from Tuesday's huge blast in Lebanon rose to 154, the country's health minister confirmed on Friday.Hamad Hasan told the state-run National News Agency that around 5,000 people were injured in the blast at the Port of Beirut, with 20% of them in need of medical treatment in hospitals.He also said that 120 of injured are currently in critical condition and many others require delicate surgeries.A fire at a warehouse at the Port of Beirut led to a huge blast on Tuesday causing massive material damage in several neighborhoods of the capital.The Lebanese government announced the formation of an investi…

yenisafak (2020-08-07). Russia offers to supply Philippines with COVID-19 vaccine. yenisafak.com Russia is willing to supply a coronavirus vaccine to the Philippines, or team up with a local firm to mass produce it, its ambassador to Manila said on Friday, as infections in the Southeast Asian nation surge.Russia is expecting regulatory approval for its first potential COVID-19 vaccine this month, with doses to be administered to frontline health workers first.But the frenetic race globally to develop a COVID-19 vaccine is raising some concern that speed could compromise safety and that some countries could be putting national prestige before solid science."We are ready to supply vaccines to the Philippines,"

yenisafak (2020-08-07). WHO appeals for $15 million aid for Lebanon after Beirut blast. yenisafak.com The blast, which killed more than 150 and injured more than 5,000, also destroyed 17 containers holding WHO medical supplies including personal protective equipment, the agency's regional office for the Middle East said in a statement late on Thursday.Five hospitals in the area affected by Tuesday's blast are either not functioning or partially functioning, and early reports indicate that many health centres and primary care facilities are also damaged or out of action, it said.Up to 300,000 people have been displaced from their homes and need food or shelter, which "also risks accelerating the spread of COVID-19…

Mark Gruenberg (2020-08-06). Progressives score big wins in Missouri and Michigan. peoplesworld.org ST. LOUIS—Progressive candidates, running on causes such as Medicare For All, the $15 minimum wage, workers' rights, and the Green New Deal, scored impressive wins in the August 4 Democratic primaries in Missouri and Michigan. Next battle up: Minnesota. The biggest win came in St. Louis, where Cori Bush, in her second try for the …

RT (2020-08-06). 'Virtue signaling her way to reelection': Michigan governor roasted online after declaring racism 'PUBLIC HEALTH crisis'. rt.com Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer was accused of pandering to those engaged in identity politics, after she declared racism a "public health crisis" and said that everyone is plagued by unconscious bias. | The executive order signed by Whitmer on Wednesday mandates implicit bias training for all state employees. The ultimate goal is to build "a more inclusive and unbiased state that works for everyone," the Democrat governor said. | Implicit, unconscious bias exists within each of us, and, as public servants, we have a duty to understand how our bias can impact the lives of others. | Another measure rolled ou…

RT (2020-08-06). 'You're breaking the law!' LA mayor vows to CUT WATER & POWER to homes that host 'large parties'. rt.com LA Mayor Eric Garcetti has warned that residents hosting large home gatherings can expect their water and power utilities to be cut, a sharp escalation of the city's strict Covid-19 measures amid a series of recent house parties. | Starting on Friday, Garcetti said that the city's Department of Water and Power (DWP) would shut off service to properties where there are "egregious" violations of local health orders, pointing to house parties in the Hollywood Hills and Calabasas in recent weeks, which he said were held in "flagrant" defiance of the law. | "While we have already closed all bars and nightclubs, the…

RT (2020-08-06). October surprise? Trump says Covid-19 vaccine possible before Election Day. rt.com US President Donald Trump has stepped up the already-improbable timetable on a potential coronavirus vaccine, hinting one might be ready "much sooner" than the end of the year – even before Election Day in November. | Asked by radio host Geraldo Rivera when the much-hyped Covid-19 jab will be available to Americans, Trump promised "Sooner than the end of the year, could be much sooner" on Thursday's show. | Also on rt.com | | When R…

The Canary (2020-08-06). Thousands of NHS workers to protest this weekend over pay. thecanary.co Thousands of NHS workers are expected to take to the streets this weekend demanding a pay rise.Unite, which has 100,000 members in the health service, said it is supporting those wishing to attend the socially-distanced protests so that the government can see the depth of discontent and frustration among NHS staff.A demonstration is organised in London on Saturday morning, while protests will also take place in other towns and cities across the UK.NHS workers march from St Thomas' Hospital to Downing Street to demand a pay rise on 29 July (Yui Mok/PA)Health workers are in the final year of a three-year deal and a…

WSWS (2020-08-06). Altered CDC guidelines provide unscientific basis for reopening schools. wsws.org The CDC guidelines were adjusted in mid-July to suit the demands of the Trump administration that schools reopen, as part the broader campaign to reopen the economy.

teleSUR (2020-08-06). Bangladesh: Monsoon Season Widens Fear of New Disease Outbreaks. telesurenglish.net Bangladesh's Emergency Health Operations Control Room Spokesman Ayesha Akther said that at least 145 people have died and over five million have been affected in flood-related incidents since June 30. | RELATED: | The current situation increases the risk of causing outbreaks of deadly diseases and threaten to worsen the COVID-19 pandemic | "These are the longest floods we have seen in years, but the water has already re…

news.un (2020-08-06). Global cooperation is our only choice against COVID-19, says WHO chief. news.un.org With more than 18.5 million cases of COVID-19 reported worldwide as of Thursday, and 700,000 deaths, the UN's top health official again appealed to countries to unite in the fight against the disease…

Paul Buhle (2020-08-06). What We Can Learn from Cuban Health Care. progressive.org Though it has had its fair share of failures, the country's approach to world health proves to be successful, especially as a response to COVID-19.

Priyanka Singh — Sujeet Singh (2020-08-06). Time to Empower the Invisibles: India Awaits a Mental Health Revolution. counterpunch.org Mental health is an inherent and the most paramount aspect of our well being, without it a qualitative life is barren to imagine. These 'Covidnary Times' are extremely turbulent, where 'Normality' will be more sidelined with 'Abnormality.' The side-effects of Covid-19 will keep hunting our World for ages to come. Surging mass layoffs, transcendental change

Azhar Azam (2020-08-06). Huawei and 5G Technology. US-China Confrontation. globalresearch.ca This informative article focusses on the China-US confrontation regarding 5G. it does not address the impacts of 5G on health. | *** | First-generation mobile technology

teleSUR (2020-08-06). DR Congo: Ebola Cases Raise to 74. telesurenglish.net The World Health Organization (WHO) Thursday announced that 74 Ebola virus cases have been recorded in the latest outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). | RELATED: | On June 25, DRC authorities announced the end of the tenth Ebola outbreak, which had been hitting the North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri provinces since August 2018. | In those territories, the WHO registered 3,463…

Pavan Kulkarni (2020-08-06). Seafarers face a tough challenge amid COVID-19. peoplesdispatch.org The worsening morale and mental health of hundreds of thousands of seafarers stranded aboard ships across the globe due to COVID-19- related lockdowns has been described as a "ticking time bomb." This might lead to dangerous consequences if not immediately addressed. | As per a

teleSUR (2020-08-06). Beirut Blast: Authorities Confirm 137 Dead, Over 5,000 Injured. telesurenglish.net Lebanon's Health Minister Hamad Hasan confirmed that the explosion in downtown Beirut on Tuesday has caused 137 deaths and over 5,000 injuries so far. | RELATED: | His government, which is coordinating with Arab and European countries to ensure medical aid, continues to search for survivors among the rubble. | On Tuesday, in a warehouse in the port of Beirut, 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate generated an explosion…

teleSUR (2020-08-06). Black Healthcare Workers More Vulnerable to COVID, Study Says. telesurenglish.net U.S. and U.K. black healthcare workers are more vulnerable to COVID-19 and more likely to die due to the virus than their non-black colleagues and patients, according to a Harvard Medical School study. | RELATED: | "If you think to yourself, 'Healthcare workers should be on equal footing in the workplace,' our study really showed that's definitely not the case," Harvard professor and study author Dr. Andrew Chan said. | Th…

Katherine Eban (2020-08-06). Public Health vs. Politics. zcomm.org White House Scrapped Nationwide COVID-19 Testing Plan to Hurt Blue States…

Ashley Curtin (2020-08-06). New legislation to ban toxic pesticides helps protect children's health. nationofchange.org "The federal pesticide policy is in urgent need of reform."

teleSUR (2020-08-06). Bolivia: Senate Legalizes Chlorine Dioxide as COVID Treatment. telesurenglish.net Bolivia's Senate has passed a bill that includes chlorine dioxide in the COVID-19 treatment protocol on Wednesday, despite World Health Organization warnings. | RELATED: | The bill allows public and privately owned labs to produce a chlorine dioxide solution, under pharmaceutical quality regulations. | Besides, physicians can administrate the drug with the consent of the patients or sufferer's relatives. According to the no…

The Canary (2020-08-06). 50 million face masks bought by government in £252m deal cannot be used by NHS. thecanary.co Fifty million face masks bought by the government as part of a £252m contract will not be used in the NHS due to safety concerns. | The masks, ordered from Ayanda Capital, have ear loops rather than head loops, and there are concerns over whether they are adequate. | The government has confirmed in court papers that the masks, which are now in the Department of Health and Social Care's (DHSC) logistic chain, will not be used in the NHS. | The Good Law Project and EveryDoctor, which are suing the government over its Ayanda contract, estimate the 50 million masks would have cost more than £150m. | Gover…

Staff (2020-08-06). New Sanders Bill Would Tax "Obscene" Pandemic Windfall of Billionaires. truthout.org Sen. Bernie Sanders plans to introduce legislation Thursday that would heavily tax the "obscene wealth gains" America's billionaires have accumulated during the Covid-19 crisis to help fund the U.S. recovery from the pandemic and resulting economic collapse. | In a speech on the Senate floor Wednesday, Sanders said "if we taxed 60 percent of the windfall gains these billionaires made from March 18th until August 3rd, we could raise over $420 billion." | "That's enough revenue to allow Medicare to pay…

yenisafak (2020-08-06). Ebola cases in DR Congo rise to 74 in latest outbreak. yenisafak.com At least 74 Ebola virus cases have been recorded in the latest outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the World Health Organization announced Thursday.So far there are 74 cases, with 70 confirmed and four probable, 32 deaths and 28 recoveries from the 11th Ebola virus outbreak in Mbandaka, Equateur province, the WHO African Region tweeted.For several months, the DRC has been battling with several diseasing including, Cholera, Ebola, Measles.Last month the WHO office in the Central African country said that a total of 12,959 people have been vaccinated since the start of the 11th Ebola outbreak in ear…

yenisafak (2020-08-06). Plane with 20 tons of supplies lands in Beirut: WHO. yenisafak.com A plane carrying 20 tons of World Health Organization health supplies has landed in Beirut to support the treatment of patients injured by the massive explosion that rocked the city, the WHO said Thursday."The supplies will cover 1,000 trauma interventions and 1,000 surgical interventions for people suffering from injuries and burns resulting from the blast," the WHO said.Beirut and its surrounding suburbs were rocked Tuesday by a massive blast that left at least 135 people dead and nearly 5,000 injured.In health emergency response, WHO's logistics hub in Dubai airlifted the shipment."We are working closely with…

yenisafak (2020-08-06). Coronavirus claims another 174 lives in Iran. yenisafak.com A total of 2,634 people tested positive for COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, raising the tally to 320,117, according to ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari.She said more than 277,000 patients have recovered so far, while 4,156 are still hospitalized in critical condition. "Over 2.6 million tests have been conducted in Iran to date," Lari added.The surge in daily fatalities has increased the fears of a collapse of Iran's already overwhelmed health care system.Since appearing in China last December, the virus has spread to at least 188 countries and regions, according to figures compiled by the US' Johns Hopkins U…

WSWS (2020-08-06). Australia: Victorian hospital admissions soar amid warnings COVID-19 surge will continue for weeks. wsws.org It is clear that the Victorian government only introduced sharper lockdown measures, after the state was already on the precipice of a healthcare catastrophe.

commondreams (2020-08-06). Sen. Sanders' Bill Would Tax Billionaires' Pandemic Wealth Gains to Fund Healthcare. commondreams.org ______________________________…