(2020-10-25). Family of Palestinian teen accuses Israeli soldiers of beating him to death. middleeasteye.net 
Family of Palestinian teen accuses Israeli soldiers of beating him to death | Amer Snobar died on Sunday from blunt-force trauma to the neck, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said | Sun, 10/25/2020 – 14: 07 | Amer Snobar, 18, from the Nablus-area village of Yatma, was reported dead early Sunday morning (Supplied) | The death of a Palestinian teenager early on Sunday morning, allegedly at the h…
(2020-10-25). Pence's chief of staff tests positive for Covid-19, VP not infected — spokesman. rt.com 
Marc Short, known as Mike Pence's closest aide, has been infected with coronavirus, the vice president's spokesman has confirmed, adding that Pence himself tested negative and is not planning to halt his campaign. | "Vice President Pence and Mrs. Pence both tested negative for Covid-19 today, and remain in good health," spokesman Devin O'Malley reported on Saturday evening as he confirmed that the VP's right-hand man, Short, had contracted the virus. | Pence is not expected to cancel any of his scheduled events in light of his top aide's illness, O'Malley noted, adding that his boss "will maintain his schedule…
(2020-10-25). Trump's Body Count: Could Be Over a Million. indybay.org The combined death toll from all of Trump's many crimes is not "just" the over 222,000 COVID deaths. It includes at least 40,000 Venezuelans, Syrian Christian and Yazidi refugees, Karen Christians, Rohingya, refugees from Latin America, Afghans, Iraqis, Somalis, Yemenis, and tens of thousands of Americans who died by Trump sabotaging their healthcare.
(2020-10-25). Majority of doctors believe the tier system will have little to no impact on coronavirus spread. thecanary.co More than a third of doctors in England feel the government's tier system will have no impact on efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19), while almost half (46%) said they thought the system would only work to a slight extent. This is according to a wide-ranging survey from the British Medical Association (BMA). | The research also raises concerns about the confidence of healthcare staff for the autumn/winter period. More than half said they're "quite anxious" about it. | "Enormous scale" of challenges: | The findings show the "enormous scale of the challenges" facing the NHS into winter,…
(2020-10-25). Fracking Isn't Just Bad for the Climate. It's Bad for Mental Health Too. truthout.org Hydraulic fracturing has boomed in the U.S. over the past decade, but unless you live near it, you may not realize just how close fracking wells can be to homes and schools. In Colorado, the wellbore — the hole drilled to extract oil or gas — can be 500 feet from someone's house under current state rules. In some states, like For people living in these areas, that me…
(2020-10-25). Pence aide tests positive for coronavirus, spokesman says. yenisafak.com Marc Short, the chief of staff for Vice President Mike Pence, has tested positive for the new coronavirus, a spokesman for the vice president said on Saturday."Vice President Pence and Mrs. Pence both tested negative for COVID-19 today, and remain in good health," said Devin O'Malley, adding that Pence would maintain his scheduled "in accordance with the CDC guidelines for essential personnel."
(2020-10-25). Italy PM says new measures should curb COVID rise in coming weeks. yenisafak.com Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said tighter restrictions announced on Sunday, including early closing for restaurants and bars, should allow the rapidly rising curve of the coronavirus epidemic to be brought under control in the coming weeks."We think that we will suffer a bit this month but by gritting our teeth a bit with these restrictions, we'll be able to breathe again in December," he told a news conference, adding that the government aimed to protect both public health and the economy.Sectors hit by the measures would be helped out by support measures being worked out by the government, he said.
(2020-10-25). Coronavirus cases in the Netherlands hit new record, up by more than 10,000. yenisafak.com The number of coronavirus infections in the Netherlands jumped by more than 10,000 in 24 hours, hitting a new record, data released by the National Institute for Public Health (RIVM) on Sunday showed.The RIVM reported 10,203 confirmed cases of COVID-19.The Dutch government imposed partial lockdown measures to contain the spread of the virus on Oct. 14, including the closure of all bars and restaurants in the country.
(2020-10-25). Czech Republic reports 12,472 new coronavirus cases. yenisafak.com The Czech Republic reported 12,472 new cases of coronavirus for Oct. 24, its highest daily tally for a weekend day, when there are usually fewer tests, Health Ministry data showed on Sunday.The total number of cases rose to 250,797 in the country of 10.7 million, with 106 new deaths taking that total to 2,077.
(2020-10-25). Spain's government to decree COVID-19 state of emergency, tighten controls. yenisafak.com Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will announce a new state of emergency on Sunday in an effort to curb a resurgence of the coronavirus, local media reported.The state of emergency will give regions, which decide on their own health matters, the backing to impose stricter measures, including curfews.
(2020-10-25). Pence Denounced for 'Grossly Negligent' Decision to Keep Campaigning Despite Exposure to Top Aide With Covid-19. commondreams.org "It's just an insult to everybody who has been working in public health and public health response." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-10-24). Insurance Companies and the Forest Service are screwing over Indigenous groups. indybay.org Insurers are increasingly wary of serving wildfire-prone areas. Happy Camp residents are struggling to rebuild without it…
(2020-10-24). [Perspectives] Kelvin Kong: trailblazer for Indigenous health in Australia. thelancet.com The equity of his nation's health services provision is a core mission for ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgeon Kelvin Kong, Associate Professor at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, and the University of Newcastle in eastern Australia. "As an Indigenous Australian, I feel obligated to strive to ensure that access to quality health care is available to all Australian citizens", he says. As a busy clinician, Kong sees the pressure on ENT and hearing services, recently compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2020-10-24). Scientist warns we may struggle to curb coronavirus spread without closing schools for older kids. thecanary.co 
Ministers may be forced to close schools to older children if coronavirus (Covid-19) cases continue to increase at the current rate, a scientist has warned.Professor Neil Ferguson said the NHS would soon be unable to cope unless the spread of the disease was stemmed. His modelling led to the original lockdown in March.He said there were currently 8,000 people in hospital with coronavirus. That's around a third of the peak earlier this year, and numbers are continuing to rise.Further action: He said the restrictions on households mixing may not be enough, and further action may be needed: If we go beyond tha…
(2020-10-24). Erdogan says Macron needs 'mental health treatment' and doesn't understand freedom of religion. rt.com 
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron of "mistreating" millions of Muslims after officials announced a crackdown on radical mosques and Islamic extremism across France. | "What is Macron's problem with Islam and Muslims? He needs mental health treatment," Erdogan said at a meeting of the ruling Justice and Development Party on Saturday, Turkish media reported. | What else can be said to a head of state that does not understand the freedom of belief and treats the millions of members of a religious minority in his country this way? First of all, he needs menta…
(2020-10-24). Detroit City government insists demolitions go forward, ignoring health dangers and unmet housing needs. wsws.org The City of Detroit is pushing ahead with its home demolition program despite a critical shortage of affordable housing.
(2020-10-24). With nearly a half-million COVID cases daily, WHO warns world is at a critical juncture. wsws.org With daily COVID-19 cases reaching nearly one-half million, the WHO warns if measures are not immediately taken to stem the exponential growth of the pandemic the health crisis will become catastrophic.
(2020-10-24). "Entire healthcare system at risk of another capacity crisis," warn leading Michigan doctors in open letter. wsws.org The letter was signed by 28 Chief Medical Officers and Chief Clinical Officers across Michigan, representing 110 of the state's 137 hospitals.
(2020-10-24). Dystopian Plagues, Pandemic Fears, and Fascist Politics in the Age of Trump. zcomm.org The COVID-19 crisis has amplified a surrealist hallucination that floods our screens and media with images of fear, trepidation, and dread…
(2020-10-24). COVID-19: The World Is At A Critical Juncture. popularresistance.org The fall and winter surge of COVID-19 cases, as predicted, has begun. The number of cases across North America and Europe is rising exponentially in some regions. | There have been more than 42.4 million cases of COVID-19 globally, with 1.14 million deaths thus far. On Friday, the number of daily new cases reached an unprecedented 500,000-plus new infections. Global deaths have consistently tracked above 6,000 four days running. | At the World Health Organization Friday press briefing on the COVID-19 pandemic, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus ominously warned…
(2020-10-24). [Editorial] Reimagining long-term care. thelancet.com A dichotomous narrative surrounds ageing in the 21st century. On the one hand, there is increasing research and recognition of healthy ageing, and a recognition that age is not synonymous with ill health. On the other hand, there is the fear of looming economic costs and providing care for increasing numbers of older people with increasingly complex needs. These two narratives are hard to marry. Even the name long-term care (given to the latter narrative) is at odds with a short-term neoliberal political economy and, as a result, is generally low on government agendas.
(2020-10-24). [Correspondence] Accelerated surgery for hip fractures—the HIP ATTACK results discussed — Authors' reply. thelancet.com Daniel Pincus and Bheeshma Ravi highlight their observational study suggesting surgery for a hip fracture within 24 h of hospital arrival might result in a lower risk of 30-day mortality compared to surgery 24 h or more after hospital arrival.1 HIP ATTACK2 highlights why we need surgical and health-care system randomised controlled trials and why data from observational studies are unreliable. Moreover, other trial data have shown misleading risk adjusted time thresholds in observational studies.
(2020-10-24). [Comment] Building a tuberculosis-free world while responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. thelancet.com In March, 2019, the Lancet Commission on Tuberculosis1 highlighted the opportunity to build a tuberculosis-free world. After years of neglect of this disease, the UN High-Level Meeting on Tuberculosis in September, 2018, made ending tuberculosis a global priority; global leaders committed to important steps, including ambitious country-specific tuberculosis case-finding and prevention targets, and a revitalised research agenda.2 The Lancet Commission concluded that the prospect of a tuberculosis-free world was a realistic objective that could be achieved with sufficient accountability and resources, and detailed…
(2020-10-24). [Perspectives] Understanding planetary health. thelancet.com Planetary Health: Protecting Nature to Protect Ourselves is a milestone—the first textbook for the emerging field of planetary health. I read the book under lockdown at home in Australia, a requirement of the public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Melbourne. At the same time, wildfires were raging in the USA that made me recall the devastating 2019—20 Australian wildfire season. Those fires were unprecedented. They killed more than 30 people, burned more than 11 million hectares of land, and resulted in prolonged smoke pollution that has since been linked to more than 400 premature deaths.
(2020-10-24). [Research Paper] Diagnosis of COVID-19 by analysis of breath with gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry – a feasibility study. thelancet.com These two studies independently indicate that patients with COVID-19 can be rapidly distinguished from patients with other conditions at first healthcare contact. The identity of the marker compounds is consistent with COVID-19 derangement of breath-biochemistry by ketosis, gastrointestinal effects, and inflammatory processes. Development and validation of this approach may allow rapid diagnosis of COVID-19 in the coming endemic flu seasons.
(2020-10-24). [World Report] US election 2020: research and health institutions. thelancet.com How will the NIH, CDC, and FDA change if President Donald Trump wins a second term or if his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, defeats him? Susan Jaffe reports from Washington, DC.
(2020-10-24). [Correspondence] Misuse of SARS-CoV-2 testing in symptomatic health-care staff in the UK — Authors' reply. thelancet.com We thank Bernard Freudenthal for his response to our previous Correspondence.1 We agree that use of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) testing among health-care workers (HCWs) solely to reduce absenteeism is inappropriate. Freudenthal correctly outlines the risks, posed by false-negative results, of advising potentially infectious HCWs to return to work. Moreover, staffing levels are currently far less problematic within UK health-care settings than during the peak of the pandemic.
(2020-10-24). [Correspondence] Misuse of SARS-CoV-2 testing in symptomatic health-care staff in the UK. thelancet.com An initiative to screen asymptomatic health-care workers for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was timely and logical,1 and contrasted markedly with the UK Government's testing strategy of National Health Service (NHS) staff during the epidemic. The NHS staff testing policy was only to test symptomatic staff, precisely to reduce absenteeism by encouraging staff with negative results back to work, thus intentionally reducing their time in self-isolation. The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock, himself stated that "we want to get [NHS staff absences] down, and the…
(2020-10-24). Headteachers 'speechless' after ministers offer food standards advice during school meals battle. thecanary.co Headteachers have been left angry by a letter from ministers reminding them to provide pupils with nutritious food in school. It comes just days after MPs rejected a campaign to extend free meals to children during the holidays. | "Speechless": | The letter came from children's minister Vicky Ford and junior health minister Jo Churchill. It was sent to school leaders on the morning of Friday 23 October to encourage them to offer a healthy and nutritious hot meal to their pupils during term-time. Heads received the letter two days after a Labour motion to offer free school meals to poorer children during h…
(2020-10-24). New Research Shows Masks Are Helping Hold Down COVID Death Rates Significantly. truthout.org The chances of dying from COVID-19 have fallen precipitously since the pandemic began, according to two new peer-reviewed studies. | One Patients treated by NYU's health system had a 25.6% chance of dying when the pandemic began but that number has fallen to 7.6%…
(2020-10-24). Like Sanders and Warren, I'm Backing Biden. commondreams.org Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), former Vice President Joe Biden, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) raise their hands during the Democratic Presidential Debate at Texas Southern University's Health and PE Center on September 12, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-10-24). WHO says may have vaccine result at end of November. yenisafak.com The World Health Organization (WHO) is looking at 10 vaccines in phase three trials as the northern hemisphere with skyrocketing cases faces a critical juncture in the fight against COVID-19, the chief scientist of global body said Friday."Our best expectations, as far as we know by watching the trials that are moving ahead, is that we may have results from one or two of the vaccine trials before the end of the year, possibly starting late November," said Dr. Soumya Swaminathan.Speaking at a twice-weekly webinar hosted by the WHO, Swaminathan said that this is going to the bare minimum from results considered by…
(2020-10-23). Headlines for October 23, 2020. democracynow.org Donald Trump and Joe Biden Meet for Final Debate of 2020 Campaign, U.S. Confirms Over 71,000 Daily Coronavirus Cases as Some Hospitals Near Capacity, FDA Approves Remdesivir for COVID-19 Despite WHO Study Showing No Benefit, France Extends Curfew and Czech Republic Locks Down as COVID-19 Surges Across Europe, India's BJP Party Promises Free COVID-19 Vaccines But Only If It Wins Regional Election, Senate Democrats Boycott as Judiciary Committee Advances Amy Coney Barrett's Confirmation, Rocky Mountain National Park Closes as Colorado Experiences Two Largest Wildfires on Record, Asylum Seekers Say ICE Agents Tortur…
(2020-10-23). U.S. Spends More Than $80 Billion a Year Incarcerating 2.3 Million People. strategic-culture.org Laura FLANDERS | The U.S. today spends more than $80 billion a year incarcerating 2.3 million people in state and federal prisons, local jails, youth facilities and deportation centers. That's $80 billion that comes out of public coffers and goes into public confinement. | With the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, many were shocked to see woman, children and migrants — including many pre-trial and pre-hearing — who had never been convicted of anything crammed into overcrowded lock-ups that might as well have been petri dishes for community spread of the disease. | By the middle of October, close to 150…
(2020-10-23). The Scourge of Herd Immunity. counterpunch.org 
Covid-19 kills, and its kill rate is significantly higher than the flu. Some who recover develop insufficient immunity to prevent getting infected again. Some don't appear to recover. They are stuck with debilities that last months, maybe longer. And it's possible that this disease is chronic and lingers in some people, like herpes, a virus
(2020-10-23). The 'Three-Legged Stool': a Folksy, but Deceptive, Rhetorical Attack on Social Security. counterpunch.org 
The "three-legged stool": That phrase may not be familiar to everyone, but most people who work in public policy or private-sector insurance have heard it used to describe the U.S. retirement system. It suggests that our system for retirement security was designed to stand on three "legs": Social Security, employer pensions, and individual savings. Subliminally,
(2020-10-23). Shocking new Russian data reveals diabetics are TEN TIMES more likely to catch Covid-19, with sharply increased mortality rates. rt.com 
Diabetics are 10.3 times more likely to develop Covid-19, and their symptoms are more severe and life-threatening, with over a quarter of all infected patients already suffering from the illness as a pre-existing condition. | That's according to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova, who told officials that coronavirus is especially dangerous for those suffering with the common metabolic disorder. | "In patients with diabetes, Covid-19 infection is 10.3 times more common," Golikova explained. "Patients with diabetes experience the disease more severely, and more frequently develop acute respiratory di…
(2020-10-23). France becomes 2nd W. European state to hit 1mn Covid cases, as Macron warns we'll live with the virus till next summer. rt.com 
The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in France has crossed the million mark, with President Emmanuel Macron predicting the country will have to suffer the virus until at least summer 2021. | On Friday, French health authorities reported 42,032 new coronavirus infections over the previous 24 hours, which saw the overall number of cases reach 1,041,075. | Another 298 people succumbed to the disease over the latest reporting period — 136 more than on the previous day. The total death toll in the country now stands at 34,508. | France is the second nation in Western Europe to reach a million cases, after Sp…
(2020-10-23). A right-wing 'power grab' in the Socialist Health Association could help to privatise the NHS further. thecanary.co On 23 July, Skwawkbox Some members of the SHA, who wish to remain anonymous, spoke to The C…
(2020-10-23). China Launches Mobile COVID-19 Testing Lab. telesurenglish.net A team of researchers from Tsinghua University and CapitalBio Technology Co. has developed a COVID-19 Mobile Laboratory, which can analyze nucleic acid samples on the spot immediately, allowing people to obtain results within 45 minutes. | RELATED: | Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus epidemic, waiting in long queues for a COVID-19 test has been a major hurdle in getting tested. However, the advent of a mobi…
(2020-10-23). Ten uplifting teaching moments from President Fiasco. nationofchange.org How to achieve peace in our time, universal happiness, and healthy goodwill towards our neighbor.
(2020-10-23). 'Very tough' months ahead in COVID battle, WHO helping scale up dwindling oxygen supplies. news.un.org Facing another critical juncture in the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) chief told reporters on Friday that a "very tough" few months lie ahead with too many nations seeing an exponential increase in cases.
(2020-10-23). 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.
(2020-10-23). Cannabis pain insights and kidney disease discoveries: News from the College. imperial.ac.uk Here's a batch of fresh news and announcements from across Imperial.
(2020-10-23). Canadian Government to Allot $163Mln for Domestic Vaccine Development. sputniknews.com TORONTO (Sputnik) – The Canadian government will allot $162.8 million for the development of domestic vaccines, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters on Friday.
(2020-10-23). World Doctors Alliance: Open Letter to UK Government, World Governments and Citizens of the World. globalresearch.ca Introduction | We were told initially that the premise for lockdown was to 'flatten the curve' and therefore protect the NHS from being overwhelmed. | It is clear that at no point was the National Health Service (NHS) in any danger of …
(2020-10-23). Swiss report 10 more coronavirus deaths, 6,634 new infections. yenisafak.com Coronavirus infections rose by 6,634 confirmed cases, Swiss health authorities said on Friday, as the nation considers tightening restrictions meant to slow the accelerating spread of COVID-19.The total confirmed cases in Switzerland and tiny neighbouring principality Liechtenstein topped 100,000, rising to 103,653, and the death toll rose by 10 to 1,877.The numbers come as Germany has put Switzerland on its risk list for coronavirus hot spots and as the government in Bern considers tightening restrictions on public life if case numbers keep rising.
(2020-10-23). German health minister expects COVID-19 vaccine in early 2021. yenisafak.com Germany's health minister expects a COVID-19 vaccine to be available early next year and believes a large proportion of Germans who want the shot could be vaccinated within six to seven months of enough doses being available.Jens Spahn was quoted as saying in Der Spiegel on Friday that a vaccine could be available in January, or maybe in February or March, or even later, but said there would be no compulsory vaccination."Of course, it would be best if a vaccine could prevent new infections. But it would also be a benefit if it makes the course of the disease milder," said Spahn, who tested positive for coronaviru…
(2020-10-23). Over 1.3M coronavirus patients recover in Africa. yenisafak.com Africa continued to maintain a more than 80% recovery rate with 1,387,022 patients having recovered as of Friday, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).At least 40,690 people have died of the virus across the continent, revealed the latest update by the Africa CDC. The number of confirmed cases has reached 1,685,589.Southern Africa is the hardest hit region with 785,600 cases and 20,300 deaths; however, it also has the most recoveries that currently stand at 702,500.North Africa recorded 454,100 cases, East Africa 199,800, West Africa 186,600 and Central Africa 59,500.Sou…
(2020-10-23). Russia registers record number of daily COVID-19 cases. yenisafak.com Russia has registered a new record in the daily coronavirus cases on Friday — 17,340 people tested positive for COVID-19 over the past day. The total number of people, who have been exposed to the infection, exceeded 1.48 million, meaning over 1% of the Russian population has already contracted the virus. According to Health Minister Mikhail Murashko, the active cases stand at 335,870 and the situation has a tendency to further deteriorate.The virus has already claimed 25,525 lives in Russia, including 283 over the last 24 hours.Recoveries increased by 11,263 since Thursday to reach 1.11 million.Since the beginn…