Daily Archives: September 22, 2020

2020-09-22: News Headlines

Staff (2020-09-22). Headlines for September 22, 2020. democracynow.org GOP, Trump Charge Forward with Effort to Replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Supreme Court, DOJ Designates New York City, Seattle, Portland as "Anarchist" Cities, CDC Again Retracts Information About Coronavirus on Website; HHS Head Azar Exerts Control Over FDA, 150+ Countries, Not Including the U.S., Join U.N.'s Effort to Fairly Distribute COVID-19 Vaccine, House Report Finds Immigrant Prisoners Denied Access to Essential Care, Forced into Labor, Mexican National Dies in Georgia Immigration Prison, One Week into Peace Talks, Scores Killed in Bloody Day of Fighting Across Afghanistan, 6 People Killed in Colombian Mass…

Editor (2020-09-22). Trump Gets History About as Much as He Understands Epidemics. scheerpost.com By Juan Cole / Informed Comment Trump has a long history of proclaiming that he understands things better than the people who are experts in those things. When Dr. Robert Redfield, the head of the Centers for Disease Control, testified to Congress that mask-wearing is even more effective against Covid-19 than a vaccine is likely to be. The next day Trump contradicted him. Redfield is an eminent… |

Health Care Voter (2020-09-22). Wednesday 9/30: What's At Stake: Gender, Health Care & the Supreme Court w/ Health Care Voter. indybay.org Online…

Staff (2020-09-22). Front-Runner for Supreme Court Criticized "Roe v. Wade" and Affordable Care Act. truthout.org Democrats sounded the alarm about the potential Supreme Court nomination of federal appeals court Despite opposing former President Barack Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland 11 months ahead of the 2016 election, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell…

Piccirillo JF. (2020-09-22). Otolaryngology and COVID-19. jamanetwork.com In this Viewpoint, JAMA Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery's editor in chief reviews how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the practice of otolaryngology—head and neck surgery in its first 6 months, including through a shift away from procedural management of head and neck disease toward medical and noninvasive management to mitigate risk of infection transmission, and through the acute rise in incidence of patients with olfactory dysunction requiring consultation and follow-up.

Rivara FP, Fihn SD, Perencevich EN. (2020-09-22). JAMA Network Open and COVID-19. jamanetwork.com In this Viewpoint, JAMA Network Open editors review the journal's more important articles advancing scientific understanding of COVID-19 in the first 6 months of the pandemic, and discuss the importance of a global open access journal to meeting the public health challenge.

Kuehn BM. (2020-09-22). Hand Sanitizer Poisoning and Deaths Reported in 2 States. jamanetwork.com Fifteen people were hospitalized in Arizona and New Mexico after they drank hand sanitizer containing methanol. Four of the patients died and 3 experienced vision loss, according to a report from CDC investigators and state public health officials.

Maani N, Galea S. (2020-09-22). Physicians and Social Determinants of Health—Reply. jamanetwork.com In Reply We are heartened to see that all 3 letters agree in various ways with the principle expressed in our Viewpoint that the social determinants of health should not be overmedicalized and that the drivers of poor health largely sit outside the health care system, rooted in societal structures, power, and money.

Slomski A. (2020-09-22). Mixed Results for Progesterone for Miscarriage Prevention. jamanetwork.com Progesterone therapy in the first trimester of pregnancy did not result in a greater rate of live births among women with a high risk of miscarriage, according to a trial in Health Technology Assessment. Women with previous miscarriages, however, benefited from progesterone therapy.

Raul Diego (2020-09-22). Trump Pushes CDC To Release COVID Vaccine Before Election, Experts Warn It's Too Early. mintpressnews.com The CDC wants $6 Billion dollars to kickstart a mass vaccination effort that CDC director Robert Redfield said is coming straight from the top, but experts warn the efforts need more time and will pose a public health challenge, claiming they could "be even worse than the problems with testing and PPE."

Ayanian JZ. (2020-09-22). Health Policy and COVID-19. jamanetwork.com In this Viewpoint, JAMA Health Forum's editor reviews important policy issues that characterized the first 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, including personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages, health inequities among vulnerable populations, requests from patients for medical exemptions from face mask requirements, and the benefits and risks of school reopenings.

Dean Baker (2020-09-22). It's not Vaccine Nationalism, It's Vaccine Idiocy. cepr.net Last week an official with China's Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that the country may have a vaccine available for widespread distribution by November or December. This would almost certainly be at least a month or two before a vaccine is available for distribution in the United States, and possibly quite a …

Redberg RF, Katz M, Steinbrook R. (2020-09-22). Internal Medicine and COVID-19. jamanetwork.com In this Viewpoint, JAMA Internal Medicine editors offer a broad review of the clinical science emerging from the first 6 months of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, including epidemiology of the infection, evidence that has influenced clinical care, and a discussion of workforce and supply chain issues and health inequities affecting patients and essential workers.

Health Care Voter (2020-09-22). Wednesday 9/23: What's At Stake: The Organized Crime of Big Pharma w/ Health Care Voter. indybay.org Online…

Health Care Voter (2020-09-22). Wednesday 10/14: What's At Stake: Vital Role of Health Care for Millions of Americans w/ Health Care Voter. indybay.org Online…

Health Care Voter (2020-09-22). Wednesday 10/28: What's At Stake: America's Newest Pre-Existing Condition of COVID-19 w/ Health Care Voter. indybay.org Online…

Health Care Voter (2020-09-22). Wednesday 10/7: What's At Stake: Black Maternal Health & Systemic Inequalities w/ Health Care Voter. indybay.org Online…

Health Care Voter (2020-09-22). Wednesday 10/21: What's At Stake: Millions of Young Americans & Coverage Under the ACA w/ Health Care Voter. indybay.org Online…

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-22). Iran registers 3,712 COVID-19 cases in 24 hours. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 22 (MNA) — The Iranian Health Ministry has confirmed 3,712 COVID-19 infections and 178 deaths due to the disease in the past 24 hours.

imperial.ac.uk (2020-09-22). Robin Shattock tells MEPs of 'promising' vaccine progress. imperial.ac.uk Professor Robin Shattock, the lead for Imperial's COVID-19 vaccine, updated the European Parliament today on the progress of his team's vaccine.

sputniknews (2020-09-22). Russia to Complete Registration of Second COVID-19 Vaccine by 15 October. sputniknews.com The Russian consumer health watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, stated in early September that all volunteers for Stage 1 of clinical trials for the COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Russian research centre Vektor had developed antibodies.

sputniknews (2020-09-22). Millions of US Citizens May Have to Pay for COVID-19 Vaccine Despite Gov't Plans, Reports Say. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Millions of people in the United States may have to pay for COVID-19 vaccination contrary to the plans of the authorities to make the shots free, as government-funded Medicare health insurance for the elderly does not cover the costs of drugs approved for emergency use, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) newspaper reported.

Staff (2020-09-22). Trump Wrongly Asserts "Virtually Nobody" Young Is Harmed by COVID. truthout.org Speaking at a political rally in Swanton, Ohio, on Monday evening, President Donald Trump wrongly claimed that COVID-19 is a disease that only affects the elderly and urged schools to reopen their doors by arguing that "virtually nobody" young is affected by it. | "It affects elderly people. Elderly people with heart problems and other problems,"

yenisafak (2020-09-22). Pandemic reroutes school buses to hospitals in Indonesia. yenisafak.com As the coronavirus outbreak in Indonesia worsens by the day, authorities have been forced to use school buses to transport patients in the capital Jakarta.Luswanto, a 29-year-old school bus driver, has taken hundreds of COVID-19 patients to Jakarta's Wisma Atlet Emergency Hospital.Buses like his have been modified to accommodate patients, with partition shields installed to protect the drivers and health workers.As the risk of infection remains high, Luswanto said his young age, healthy physical condition, and no history of congenital disease made him a perfect candidate for the job. | "The COVID-19 evacuation te…

yenisafak (2020-09-22). Turkey's Erdogan says COVID-19 vaccine must be for everyone. yenisafak.com Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan said in an address to the United Nations on Tuesday any future COVID-19 vaccine should be universally available, regardless of where it is produced."I am calling from here once again for the procurement of medical equipment and medicine, and vaccine efforts not to be made into a topic of competition," Erdogan said in a video address to the U.N. General Assembly, which is holding a virtual meeting because of the global coronavirus pandemic. "No matter what country they are produced in, vaccines that are made ready to be administered should be presented to the common use of humanit…

yenisafak (2020-09-22). Iran registers record daily high in coronavirus cases. yenisafak.com Iran's health ministry on Tuesday reported 3,712 new coronavirus infections in the previous 24 hours, the highest daily tally recorded since February, pushing the national cumulative total to 429,193.On Feb. 19, the Iranian government publicly announced its first two cases of — and deaths from – the novel coronavirus.Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari told state TV that 178 people had died from the disease in the previous 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 24,656 in Iran, one of the worst-hit countries in the Middle East.

Alan MacLeod (2020-09-21). US Pompeo Venezuela Feature photo REGIME CHANGE TOUR Pompeo Announces Funding for Welfare, Healthcare and Indigenous Support. In Venezuela. thealtworld.com The sweeping $348 million aid package, which includes funding for healthcare, direct cash assistance, and even psychosocial …

Alan Macleod (2020-09-21). Pompeo Announces Funding for Welfare, Healthcare and Indigenous Support. In Venezuela. mintpressnews.com The sweeping $348 million aid package, which includes funding for healthcare, direct cash assistance, and even psychosocial support, runs in stark contradiction to a long-held US policy of sanctions on Venezuela.

The Canary (2020-09-21). If we don't take action, the UK could see '500,000 coronavirus cases per day next month'. thecanary.co Chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty and chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance used a press briefing to set out their growing worry over the spread of coronavirus in the UK.Here are the key points from their 20-minute presentation from Downing Street on Monday: — Vallance warned there could be 50,000 coronavirus cases per day next month, leading to 200-plus daily deaths, if the rate of the disease's spread was not tackled.— Less than 8% of the UK population are thought to have coronavirus antibodies to fight off infection, making the "vast majority" of people "susceptible" to the deadly virus…

RT (2020-09-21). CDC publishes, then DELETES, new guidelines warning of aerosol Covid-19 transmission, contradicting WHO. rt.com The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has added to the confusion about coronavirus, updating then deleting new guidelines about its spread that differ from the official position of the World Health Organization. | "It is possible that [Covid19] may spread through the droplets and airborne particles that are formed when a person who has [Covid-19] coughs, sneezes, sings, talks, or breathes. There is growing evidence that droplets and airborne particles can remain suspended in the air and be breathed in by others, and travel distances beyond 6 feet (for example, during choir practice, in restaurants, or…

John Kendall Hawkins (2020-09-21). Trump: The Novel Coronated Virus. counterpunch.org I recently reviewed Mike Davis' The Monster Enters (2020), an update of his book, The Monster at the Door (2017), which was a warning that we were terrifyingly close to suffering a flu virus pandemic that could wipe out millions of people, unless the world worked together to develop a universal vaccine (suspending the profit

WSWS (2020-09-21). SEIU calls off health care strike in Minnesota after Allina hospital system threatens legal action. wsws.org The cancellation of the strike comes as 4,000 workers at the University of Illinois at Chicago in SEIU Local 73 remain on picket lines in Chicago, Peoria, Rockford and Urbana.

_____ (2020-09-21). Reclaim Public Medicine For Public Health. popularresistance.org Far too many people have suffered and died because our medicines and medical products system was not prepared to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic with prompt and universal access to reliable tests, treatments, and vaccines. Governments, non-profits, and industry in the U.S. and around the world are working furiously to catch up. But their efforts have been hampered by fundamental flaws in our profit-driven pharmaceutical industry. | For Americans with diabetes, cancer, asthma, infectious diseases, mental illnesses, and a myriad of other health issues, those flaws have been causing suffering and even death for dec…

_____ (2020-09-21). What Does A "Safe Return" To School Look Like? popularresistance.org Demands for stu ≠dents and edu ≠ca ≠tors to return to in-per ≠son school ≠ing dur ≠ing the pan ≠dem ≠ic are com ≠ing from Democ ≠rats and Repub ≠li ≠cans, both claim ≠ing the return is nec ≠es ≠sary not just to pro ≠vide high-qual ≠i ≠ty edu ≠ca ≠tion, but to save the econ ≠o ≠my and get par ≠ents back to work. The nar ≠ra ≠tive con ≠scious ≠ly exploits the needs of par ≠ents who may not have health ≠care and who rely on pub ≠lic schools to care for and edu ≠cate their chil ≠dren while they work. It pits par ≠ents,…

WSWS (2020-09-21). Jacobin magazine embraces Trump administration's murderous "herd immunity" policy. wsws.org On Saturday, Jacobin magazine published an extended interview with anti-lockdown activist Martin Kulldorff, who demanded that "schools and universities should reopen" because "young, healthy people contribute to…herd immunity."

news.un (2020-09-21). Global solution to COVID-19 in sight, 'we sink or we swim together' — WHO chief. news.un.org COVID-19 is an "unprecedented global crisis that demands an unprecedented global response", the chief of the UN health agency said on Monday, unveiling a plan to have two billion doses of coronavirus vaccine available by the end of 2021.

Editor (2020-09-21). Plague Journal #26: What Future Grandkids Will Ask. scheerpost.com By Larry Bensky / Berkeley, CA September 14, 2020 "Grandpa, do you remember the day the sun didn't come up?" "Couldn't have happened." "But there are videos. Look!" "Oh, that day. Actually, the sun came up. It just couldn't bring any light through the air." "Why not?" "Well it had to do with smoke and ash from fires that had been burning all around us for days." "And what happened when they… |

Dr. Mike Yeadon (2020-09-21). Lies, Damned Lies and Health Statistics — The Deadly Danger of False Positives. globalresearch.ca

| I never expected to be writing something like this. I am an ordinary person, recently semi-retired from a career in the pharmaceutical industry and biotech, where I spent over 30 years trying to solve problems of disease understanding and seek |

Mehr News Agency (2020-09-21). Iran COVID-19 update: 177 deaths, 3,341 infections. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Sep. 15 (MNA) — The daily count of COVID-19 infections in Iran reached 3,341 on Monday, bringing the total cases to 425,481, according to the Health Ministry.

The Canary (2020-09-21). Local lockdowns in four areas South Wales after a 'worrying and rapid rise' in coronavirus cases. thecanary.co The areas of Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil, Newport and Blaenau Gwent will be placed under a local lockdown following an increase in coronavirus (Covid-19) cases, the Welsh Government has announced. | Health minister Vaughan Gething said there had been a "worrying and rapid rise" in cases of Covid-19 in the four areas, which have a combined population of about 430,000 people. | Under the measures, which come into force at 6pm on Tuesday, people must not enter or leave the areas without a reasonable excuse. | People are only able to meet outdoors and are unable to meet members of their extended household indoors. | Dym…

WSWS (2020-09-21). Strike of nearly 5,000 University of Illinois Health nurses and workers reaching a critical juncture. wsws.org The only way for service workers and nurses at UIC and UIH to combat poverty wages and the threat of the pandemic is to take their struggle into their own hands.

Ken Cook (2020-09-21). After Covid-19 Flip-Flops, CDC Director Must Resign. commondreams.org CDC Director Robert Redfield looks on while testifying on Capitol Hill on July 2, 2020. (Photo: Graeme Jennings/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Lisa Newcomb, staff writer (2020-09-21). Fracking Not a 'Sustainable Pathway to Prosperity': New Report Shows Clean Energy Would Create More Jobs Than Fossil Fuels. commondreams.org "For the sake of giving workers a stable future, protecting public health, and making real strides in the fight against climate chaos, the choice is clear: Clean energy jobs can deliver far more good jobs for Pennsylvania." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

commondreams (2020-09-21). 50,000+ People Tell CDC to Extend No-Sail Order for Cruise Ships. commondreams.org ______________________________…

Global Research News (2020-09-21). Selected Articles: Lies, Damned Lies and Health Statistics — The Deadly Danger of False Positives. globalresearch.ca We hope that by publishing diverse view points, submitted by journalists and experts dotted all over the world, the website can serve as a reminder that no matter what narrative we are presented with, things are rarely as cut and …

The Canary (2020-09-20). Sadiq Khan presses for new coronavirus controls for London as infections rise. thecanary.co London mayor considers a return to working from home as new modelling shows capital just days behind Northern hotspots. | By | London mayor Sadiq Khan is pressing for new coronavirus (Covid-19) restrictions amid rising infection rates in the capital — including a return to working from home.Mayoral sources said the city was catching up with disease hotspots in the North West and North East of England, which have been placed under new controls.While data from only a few days ago suggested London was two weeks behind those areas, the latest…

RT (2020-09-20). 'Best case' for end of pandemic is 2022, thanks to vaccines & funding, says 'optimistic' Bill Gates. rt.com Bill Gates just can't stop spouting his opinions on the coronavirus these days. In his latest spiel, the plutocrat has forecast that the pandemic will have concluded by 2022 — thanks to vaccines in which he's heavily invested. | In an interview on Fox News, the Microsoft founder predicted that, for people in the United States, life will have returned to normal by summer 2021, due to progress having been made with the development of vaccines against the disease. | The business magnate outlined that he expects the US to begin approving vaccines for public use early next year. Because of this, he said, he's…

Editor (2020-09-20). What the Flint Water Crisis Did to My Family. scheerpost.com Tarek / CC BY-ND 2.0] By Nakiya Wakes / OtherWords In 2015, my life fell apart. The first signs of trouble came from my son Jaylon. He was five years old and, although he struggled with ADHD, perfectly healthy. But then he started acting out in ways he never had before. His school didn't know how to handle it, so they started suspending him. By the time he was six, they had suspended him 70 times. |

Bernie Sanders (2020-09-20). Justice Ginsburg's replacement. zcomm.org Every issue we care about is at stake: abortion rights, campaign finance reform, voting rights, workers' rights, health care, LGBTQ rights, climate change, environmental rights, gun safety and more.

Raffaele Bugiardini, Saša Pavasović, Jinsung Yoon, Mihaela van der Schaar, Sasko Kedev, Marija Vavlukis, Zorana Vasiljevic, Maria Bergami, Davor Miličić, Olivia Manfrini, Edina Cenko, Lina Badimon (2020-09-20). Aspirin for primary prevention of ST segment elevation myocardial infarction in persons with diabetes and multiple risk factors. thelancet.com Low-dose aspirin reduces the risk of STEMI as initial manifestation of CV disease with potential benefit in mortality. Patients with diabetes derive substantial benefit from aspirin only in the presence of multiple risk factors. In the era of precision medicine, a more tailored strategy is required.