(2020-10-22). When Does Incompetence Become a Crime? zcomm.org Instead of relying on experienced public health experts with a successful record in finding, containing and isolating people infected with HIV and TB, the government handed the project over to the private sector…
(2020-10-22). U.S. Billionaires Wealth Surges $931 Billion since Beginning of Pandemic. zcomm.org An Unseemly Juxtaposition: 220,000 Dead and Millions Lose their Health, Wealth and Livelihoods…
(2020-10-22). Eight Black workers sue S.F. health department for racial discrimination. indybay.org Eight Black workers in the City and County of San Francisco filed suit against the city for systemic racism and bullying.
(2020-10-22). Justice for Eric Briceno, killed by ELA Sheriffs. fightbacknews.org Los Angeles, CA – Family, neighbors, supporters and Centro Community Service Organization (CSO) attended an October 16 press conference, rally and celebration of the life of Eric Briceno, who was killed by East LA Sheriffs in Maywood, California. Other families who have lost loved ones to police killings also joined the Briceno family. Well-known civil rights attorney Samuel Paz had asked Centro CSO to help the Briceno family. | Briceno was killed on March 16 after his parents called 911 for help with a mental health crisis. Briceno was beaten and tased to death in his bedroom, after he woke up to sheriffs shouti…
(2020-10-22). Top Belgian diplomat in intensive care with COVID-19. yenisafak.com Belgium's foreign minister has been hospitalized in intensive care for treatment of the coronavirus.A Foreign Ministry spokeswoman on Thursday confirmed Sophie Wilmes had been in hospital since last night.Wilmes announced Saturday on Twitter that she had tested positive for the novel coronavirus, adding: "An infection that probably occurred in the family circle, given the precautions I have taken outdoors." She was in self-quarantine since Friday.In the past few days, Belgium has recorded a steep rise in the infections. With the country's health minister warning of a "tsunami" of infections, the government has or…
(2020-10-21). DEA's "Project Safeguard" Latest Salvo in Failed US War on Drugs. commondreams.org "It is astonishing that in the midst of a pandemic and calls for police reform, the DEA is using the same old heavy-handed tactics to address a public health issue." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-10-21). Headlines for October 21, 2020. democracynow.org Nigerian Soldiers Open Fire on Protesters Opposing Police Brutality, As U.S. Faces Third Coronavirus Surge, CDC Reports 300,000 Excess Deaths in 2020, Pope Wears Mask at Public Event for First Time as EU Coronavirus Cases Surge, Justice Department and 11 States Sue Google in Biggest Antitrust Lawsuit in Decades, ACLU Can't Find Hundreds of Asylum-Seeking Parents Separated from Children by Trump Admin, L.A. Times: Just Three of 265 Reported Crimes at California ICE Jails Led to Prosecutions, Early Voting Opens for Pretrial Prisoners in Chicago's Cook County Jail , Armed Poll Watchers Deploy to Democratic Precincts…
(2020-10-21). Is it an accident that Iran and the US, two Theocracies, are Coronavirus Basket Cases? zcomm.org One clue to why the two countries are doing so badly with regard to basic public health strategy may lie in the importance of religion to both of these societies…
(2020-10-21). Trump Administration Is Paying Big Pharma Billions in Rush for Vaccine. globalresearch.ca Desperate to distract the national discourse from his criminal mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic, Donald Trump is promising that a vaccine will be available before Election Day. His vaccine campaign is named "Operation Warp Speed" and there is a real …
(2020-10-21). Election 2020: Inequities in health care discussion turns to voting. peoplesworld.org 
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(2020-10-21). When will there be a COVID-19 vaccine? liberationnews.org 
A dramatic increase in COVID-19 infection rates across the country has confirmed a grim reality: the United States is entering a new resurgence of the pandemic.
(2020-10-21). Covid-19 patients FIVE TIMES more likely to die in hospital than those with flu, are at higher risk for 17 complications — CDC. rt.com 
The risk of dying from the coronavirus is five times higher than that of seasonal flu, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a new report, based on the records of 9,000 hospital patients. | "Compared with patients with influenza, those with COVID-19 had a more than five times higher risk for in-hospital death and approximately double the ICU admission risk and hospital length of stay, and were at higher risk for 17 acute respiratory, cardiovascular, hematologic, neurologic, renal and other complications," the CDC said in a new report released on Tuesday. | The study found that while 21 percent…
(2020-10-21). Spain tops 1 million Covid-19 cases & UK sets daily record for positive tests as second-wave surge continues. rt.com 
Spain has become the first Western European nation to exceed one million coronavirus cases, while the UK reported 26,688 new infections on Wednesday — a record for the country. | With 16,973 confirmed cases in the last 24 hours, the overall number of infected in Spain has reached 1,005,295 people, according to data from the country's Health Ministry. | The tally has doubled in just six weeks despite restrictions introduced by the government, including a two-week state of emergency in Madrid. | The death toll increased by 156, according to figures released on Wednesday, reaching 34,366 people in total to…
(2020-10-21). Spain tops 1 million Covid-19 cases & UK sets daily record for positive tests as second wave surge continues. rt.com Spain has become the first Western European nation to exceed 1 million coronavirus cases, while the UK reported 26,688 new infections on Wednesday – a record for the country. | With 16,973 confirmed cases in the last 24 hours, the overall number of infected in Spain has reached 1,005,295 people, according to data from the country's health ministry. | The tally has doubled in just six weeks despite restrictions introduced by the government, including a two-week state of emergency in Madrid. | The death toll increased by 156, according to figures released on Wednesday, reaching 34,366 people in total to date. Th…
(2020-10-21). Freedom of Expression Was Restricted in Ecuador, Report Shows. telesurenglish.net The Inter-American Press Association (IAPA) published a report that highlights that freedom of expression was violated during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador, a country where 23 journalists have died from the coronavirus so far. | RELATED: | The Standing Committee for the Defense of Human Rights warned that, under the pretext of public security and health emergency, freedom of expression was viola…
(2020-10-21). Does this CDC Report Actually Show that Mask Wearers Are 17x More Likely to Get COVID-19? globalresearch.ca I'm afraid I'm going to be the fact-checking party, again. I must call foul on those claiming that a recent I hate face masks, but I …
(2020-10-21). Europe Faces a Second Wave of COVID-19 Cases. telesurenglish.net Europe is going through a new wave of COVID-19 cases, which health authorities will try to contain through measures that could include the return of curfews in some regions. | RELATED: | In the last 24 hours, Germany registered 7,595 new infections, the second-highest value since March. The cumulative number of cases is 380,762 with 9,875 fatalities so far. | In France, health authorities reported that the number of COVID-19 patients…
(2020-10-21). Government-Granted Patent Monopolies Gave Purdue Pharma Incentives to Push Opiods. cepr.net Maybe this is too obvious a point, but I don't see it mentioned in news coverage of the company's settlement. If we could ever have a serious debate on the relative merits of government-granted patent monopolies compared with direct upfront funding, as we did with Moderna's research on a coronavirus vaccine, the incentive that patents …
(2020-10-21). Brazil Will Not Buy Chinese Vaccines, Bolsonaro Says. telesurenglish.net Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro on Wednesday said that his country will not buy the coronavirus vaccine developed by the Chinese company Sinovac. | RELATED: | This announcement was made after Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello mentioned that Brazil will allocate US$427 million for the purchase of 46 million doses of the "Coronavac" vaccine. On Tuesday, he met with different governors and signed a protocol of intentions to expand the s…
(2020-10-21). Masks Aren't Helpful in Beating COVID-19: Europe's Top Health Officials. globalresearch.ca This article was first crossposted in August. | Denmark boasts one of the lowest COVID-19 death rates in the world. As of August 4, the Danes have suffered 616 COVID-19 deaths, That's less
(2020-10-21). US suffered almost 300,000 excess deaths during coronavirus pandemic, CDC reports. nationofchange.org They found that excess deaths have occurred every week in the U.S. since March, peaking in the weeks ending April 11 and August 8.
(2020-10-21). Corona vaccine development – they prefer not to ask about risks and side effects. indybay.org Thousands or even millions could be vaccinated on the basis of "emergency approval." We will probably have to live with the virus. The current strategy of damaging measures until a vaccine is available is a bumpy path with incalculable risks, side effects and already visible collateral damage. Jens Berger and Tobias Riegel are German journalists who publish regularly on nachdenkseiten.de.
(2020-10-21). Coronavirus cases climb toward a new peak in Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 21 (MNA) — The coronavirus outbreak has been worsening in Iran, as the number of infections, hospitalizations and fatalities due to the respiratory disease has been increasing in the past days.
(2020-10-21). Podcast: Pandemic mental health, hidden strengths and severe morning sickness. imperial.ac.uk In this edition: Exploring pandemic mental health, comparing spaceflight and frontline NHS work, and linking severe morning sickness with depression.
(2020-10-21). Imperial and TUM launch joint PhD programme in AI, robotics and healthcare. imperial.ac.uk Imperial and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have launched a joint PhD programme that will initially focus on AI, robotics and healthcare.
(2020-10-21). Facebook and Google Cash In on Misleading Ads for Nonexistent "Trumpcare" truthout.org "Trumpcare" insurance will "finally fix healthcare," said an advertisement on Facebook. | The problem is, there's no such thing as "Trumpcare." | Facebook and Google have promised to crack down on lies and misinformation about politics in the run-up to next month's presidential election, but they have run tens of thousands of ads in the past year containing false claims about health insurance reform and plans. | The "Trumpcare" ads don't appear to have a political aim and don't advocate for the re…
(2020-10-21). Medical staff struggle against coronavirus in Iran. yenisafak.com Healthcare workers in Iran are struggling against the novel coronavirus as the country has seen a rising trend in infections and deaths in October. | A total of 164 Iranian medical personnel have died due to COVID-19, Iranian Health Minister Saeed Namaki said in a statement on Aug.22. | Since late August, a large number of health workers have tested positive for the coronavirus, while many others lost their lives due to the pandemic. | In Iran, especially in the capital Tehran, hospitals allocated to COVID-19 patients have reached their maximum capacity. Therefore, newly diagnosed patients are treated at their ho…
(2020-10-21). Infection Fatality Rate of COVID-19 Inferred from Seroprevalence Data. globalresearch.ca Abstract | Objective: To estimate the infection fatality rate of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from seroprevalence data. | Methods: I searched PubMed and preprint servers for COVID-19 seroprevalence studies with a sample size ‚â• 500 as of 9 September, 2020. I also …
(2020-10-21). The Pandemic Sent Americans' Health Care Coverage Into Free Fall. thenation.com The Pandemic Sent Americans' Health Care Coverage Into Free Fall…
(2020-10-20). Amy Coney Barrett, Constitutional Precedent, and the Problem of Originalism. counterpunch.org 
Supreme Court Justice nominee Amy Coney Barrett is a threat to many constitutional precedents, including Roe v. Wade (abortion rights), National Federation of Business v. Sebelius, (Obamacare), and Obergefell v. Hodges (marriage equality). It may not simply be her ideology or pre-judged opinions that pose the problem, it is her constitutional interpretive method of Originalism that is the issue.
(2020-10-20). Spanish government eyes Covid-19 curfews, but needs opposition backing to extend state of alarm. rt.com 
The Spanish government is considering new curfews and other measures in a bid to curb rising Covid-19 infections as the country battles a second wave, with Health Minister Salvador Illa warning that "very tough weeks are coming." | Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Illa stressed that another state of alarm would need to be enacted for his government to bring in curfews across Spain, with a particular focus on the Community of Madrid. The region has been the worst affected in the country, with 281,388 confirmed Covid-19 cases as of Monday. | The Community of Madrid's President Isabel Díaz Ayuso…
(2020-10-20). Violence continues to threaten Afghan peace process. thecanary.co 2020 marked the beginning of what some have hailed as "historic" peace talks between Afghanistan's US-backed government and the Taliban. But despite the Qatar based negotiations, this week has seen renewed violence in the country. | The US special envoy to Afghanistan has warned that "distressingly high" levels of violence threaten to derail ongoing peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban. | Zalmay Khalilzad's comments come as days of renewed fighting have plagued Afghanistan's southern Helmand province, a long-time Taliban stronghold. The US launched airstrikes in Helmand Province on 12 October…
(2020-10-20). Will 'Nones' Bring a Progressive Future? counterpunch.org Someday, the coronavirus tragedy will be gone, wiped out by scientific vaccines. And Donald Trump will be just an unpleasant memory, an absurd reminder of what can happen when bigotry contaminates democracy. This part of the 21st century will be remembered chiefly, I predict, as the era when supernatural religion died among intelligent western people. I think it
(2020-10-20). Maternal Antenatal Corticosteroid Treatment and Childhood Mental and Behavioral Disorders—Reply. jamanetwork.com In Reply Dr Gyamfi-Bannerman and colleagues stated that our primary outcome was a composite of billing codes and that only a few of the associations for secondary outcomes were statistically significant. In Finland, mandatory codes recorded in nationwide medical registers are International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems codes, not billing codes. We used any mental or behavioral disorder diagnosis as the primary outcome because the existing data do not allow disorder-specific hypotheses. This outcome also decreases inaccuracy of a specific diagnosis, decreases type I error, and…
(2020-10-20). What Are the Pharmaceutical Industry's Connections to Schools of Public Health? globalresearch.ca Dr. Eric Rubin, an adjunct professor at Harvard's
(2020-10-20). Youth e-Cigarette Use Drops, More Warnings Issued. jamanetwork.com Youth e-cigarette use fell by a third after 2 years of increases, according to the 2020 National Youth Tobacco Survey, conducted by researchers at the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
(2020-10-20). $18 Billion COVID Vaccine Gold Rush Threatens Horseshoe Crabs, Ocean Ecosystem. globalresearch.ca The annual spring congregation of egg-laden horseshoe crabs on the east coast provide a vital food source for annual migrations of millions of shore birds. | The
(2020-10-20). US health insurance companies see profits soar while mounting medical bills bankrupt Americans. wsws.org Insurance companies saw their profit margins soar during the first half of this year, while millions of American families are being sent into bankruptcy under the weight of massive medical debts during the coronavirus pandemic.
(2020-10-20). Effect of Vericiguat on Quality of Life in Patients With Heart Failure and Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF). jamanetwork.com This randomized trial compares the effect of the oral soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator vericiguat (15 vs 10 mg/d) vs placebo on change in disease-specific physical function at 24 weeks among patients with HFpEF.
(2020-10-20). Workers Struggles: The Americas. wsws.org Health care sector worker in Buenos Aires, Argentina march to the city government offices to press demands for nurses to attain permanent professional status, emergency raises and additional staffing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2020-10-20). Doxycycline and Growth of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms—Reply. jamanetwork.com In Reply Dr Sterpetti's concerns about statins and aspirin were considered as we designed and performed the Non-Invasive Treatment of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Clinical Trial (N-TA3CT). As a matter of medical practice, the preponderance of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms in the US, Canada, and Europe can be expected to be prescribed aspirin or statins because of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease; our findings do not support adding doxycycline to their regimens. In our clinical trial, a secondary interest was in whether doxycycline, compared with placebo, would reduce systemic levels of MMP-9; it di…
(2020-10-20). New Insights on COVID-19's Hyperinflammation in Children. jamanetwork.com A rare, life-threatening hyperinflammatory syndrome that some children develop after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is distinct from Kawasaki disease, according to a collaboration among European scientists.
(2020-10-20). Patient Information: Palliative Care for Persons Living With Parkinson Disease. jamanetwork.com This JAMA Patient Page explains palliative care and its role in the care of people living with Parkinson disease.
(2020-10-20). Medical Care of Adults With Down Syndrome—A Clinical Guideline. jamanetwork.com This combination evidence-based and consensus clinical guideline presents recommendations and statements of good practice for the medical care of adults with Down syndrome, including screening, diagnosis, and treatment of behavioral health conditions, dementia, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, osteoporosis, atlantoaxial instability, hypothyroidism, and celiac disease.
(2020-10-20). Pandemic Accelerates the Threat of Global Hunger. jamanetwork.com Acute hunger is expected to affect 270 million people worldwide by this year's end—an 82% increase since the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic began, according to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).
(2020-10-20). UK COVID-19 "alert" system overseen by UK spy chiefs. wsws.org The decision to invest in this secretive body, rather than the National Health Service, is part of the policy of herd immunity, while using the pandemic to restructure economic and social relations and strengthen the state apparatus.
(2020-10-20). New York plastic bag ban to go into effect starting this week. nationofchange.org "New York's bag ban has already improved New York's health by cutting down on plastic pollution."
(2020-10-20). Shipt Workers Demand Better Pay, Treatment. popularresistance.org Alabama – More than 20 Shipt workers demonstrated in front of the grocery delivery company's headquarters in downtown Birmingham Sunday afternoon. They were there to protest Shipt policies that some of the company's delivery people — known as Shipt Shoppers — say have led to decreased wages during a global pandemic and continue to leave them without health insurance coverage, paid sick time and other benefits. | Demetria Barlow has been a Shipt Shopper since 2016, two years after the company launched in Birmingham and one year before Target purchased the company for $550 million.
(2020-10-20). Iran Covid-19 update: 322 deaths in past 24 hours. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 20 (MNA) — The Iranian Health Ministry has confirmed 5,039 new COVID-19 infections and 322 deaths due to the disease in the past 24 hours.
(2020-10-20). Iranian COVID-19 vaccine to enter human phase in mid-Nov. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 20 (MNA) — Iranian Health Minister Saeed Namaki said that the Iranian coronavirus vaccine has passed animal test and will enter the human test phase in mid-November 2020.