(2020-10-26). New COVID-19 Security Measures Will Make Health a Prerequisite for Travel. mintpressnews.com 
As the multi-sector, global response to the coronavirus tightens the noose around civil liberties, CommonPass stands out as one of the most appalling and dangerous attacks on basic human rights in the name of public health.
(2020-10-26). Communities rally to feed hungry children as ministers leave them high and dry. thecanary.co 
After a shocking 320 Tory MPs voted to prevent children living in poverty from receiving free school meals during the holidays, local businesses, authorities and community groups are stepping in to plug the gap in duty-of-care. Meanwhile, ministers face a damaging grassroots Tory revolt over the issue. | Dozens of people from a range of organisations have stepped in to help their local communities. Health secretary Matt Hancock, who voted against the motion to feed hungry children, has leapt at the chance to praise their "absolutely wonderful" efforts. Meanwhile, he insists that the government has already provide…
(2020-10-26). Amid Staff COVID Outbreak, Democrats Call on Pence to Stop Presiding Over Senate. truthout.org With multiple members of Vice President Mike Pence's senior staff now confirmed to be infected with the coronavirus — and Senate Republicans scheduled to ram through the final confirmation vote for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett as early as Monday afternoon or evening — Democratic leaders in the Senate are calling on Pence to forgo his plans to preside over the chamber in the name of public health and out of concern for all who work there. | With at least five members…
(2020-10-26). Recep Erdogan: Turkey's Meddlesome and Mischievious Neo-Ottoman Sultan. globalresearch.ca Turkish President Recep Erdogan's recent comments regarding his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron's mental state has led to the recall of the French ambassador from Ankara. His assertion that Macron was "in need of mental health treatment" was not his first …
(2020-10-26). Sesame Street Offers "New Normal" Brainwashing for the Very Young and Vulnerable. globalresearch.ca "Hello everybody! It's your old pal Grover with some health tips…" begins the spindly blue monster in a After teaching kids to wash their hands Grover transitions into some new normal brainwashing: "Another way for everyone …
(2020-10-26). FDA Lets Pfizer Test Experimental COVID-19 Vaccine on U.S. Children. globalresearch.ca Americans have been following COVID-19 vaccine trial developments for weeks, watching companies jockey for frontrunner status like contestants in a reality TV show. And though participants in some of the studies (by
(2020-10-26). Elect Biden, Then Give Him Power. progressive.org Despite Biden's surprisingly progressive platform, he will need pressure to level the economic playing field, and guarantee basic services like health care and education.
(2020-10-26). 120+ Organizations Call on CDC to Issue Nationwide Water Shutoff Moratorium During Pandemic. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-10-26). "I'm Gonna Die in Here": Investigation Shows How Jails' Privatized Healthcare Places Profit Over Prisoners, With Deadly Results. commondreams.org A Reuters report found that inmates in jails with contracted medical services were more likely to die and suffer substandard care than those in facilities with publicly managed care. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-10-26). Catch-up, 'get ahead and stay ahead' of coronavirus, urges UN health agency chief. news.un.org Global COVID-19 cases spiked to their highest level yet during last week, with many northern hemisphere countries seeing "a concerning rise in cases and hospitalizations", the UN health agency chief said on Monday, urging countries to "get ahead and stay ahead" of the virus.
(2020-10-25). Third time's the charm? Armenia & Azerbaijan pledge to resume ceasefire on Monday after talks in Washington. rt.com 
Yerevan and Baku have renewed their commitments under a ceasefire deal agreed on earlier this month in Moscow, but which was plagued with violations from both sides, after separate meetings with US officials in Washington. | Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers representing the two regional rivals locked in a decades-old conflict over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh "reaffirmed their countries' commitment to implement and abide by the humanitarian ceasefire agreed in Moscow on October 10," the US, Armenia, and Azerbaijan said in a joint statement released by the US Department of State on Saturday. | The tr…
(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). WHO Crusader to Counter "Conspiracy Dissident Groups" and Sway Covid "Vaccine Acceptance" globalresearch.ca An outspoken proponent of government-led tactics to influence public opinion on policy and to undermine the credibility of "conspiracy theorists" will lead the World Health Organization's (WHO)
(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). 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). Science, unity and solidarity, key to defeating COVID: UN chief. news.un.org Better preparation, listening to the science and acting together in solidarity, are some of the main ways that countries across the world can overcome the on-going COVID-19 crisis, the UN chief told the World Health Summit on Sunday.
(2020-10-25). Vice President Pence Criticised For Violating Coronavirus Guidelines After His Aides Test Positive. sputniknews.com Pence, who is 61 years old, has a higher risk of developing severe illness from COVID-19. However, his office noted that the politician doesn't plan to quarantine himself after at least five of his aides tested positive for the disease.
(2020-10-25). Thousands Expected to Gather at 'Worship Protest' Against COVID-19 Restrictions. sputniknews.com The development comes a day after the United States reported a record high number of new daily coronavirus infections. According to Johns Hopkins University, more than 83,000 cases were reported on 23 October. Overall, the US has 8.5 million cases and almost 225,000 people have died from the disease.
(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…
(2020-10-24). [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). 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). 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). "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). 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). [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). 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). 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). [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). [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] 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). [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] 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). 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%…
(2020-10-23). 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). FDA's COVID-19 Vaccine Emergency Use Authorization Would Rely on Seriously Deficient Vaccination Data. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(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). 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). 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 …
(2020-10-22). Linguistic markers predict onset of Alzheimer's disease. thelancet.com The results suggest that language performance in naturalistic probes expose subtle early sings of progression to AD in advance of clinical diagnosis of impairment.
(2020-10-22). The Government Should Pay Bars to Close for Several Months. truthout.org If we really want to stem the spread of the coronavirus as winter looms and we wait for a vaccine, here's an idea: The government should pay bars, many restaurants and event venues to close for some months. | That may sound radical, but it makes scientific sense and even has a political precedent. We