(2020-10-19). Burkina Faso 'one step short of famine', warns UN food relief agency. news.un.org Unless access is urgently granted to humanitarian organizations, thousands in the Central Sahel will be "pushed into further destitution", the UN emergency food relief agency warned on Monday.
(2020-10-19). Patients before profits: Connecticut Backus Hospital nurses' strike wins tentative contract. peoplesworld.org 
NORWICH, Conn.—Three days after over 400 unionized nurses at Backus Hospital carried out a two-day strike, a tentative four-year contract was reached with the nurses gaining improvements in staffing levels and wages. The Oct. 13-15 strike was protesting unfair labor practices by Hartford HealthCare bosses, which included intimidating and threatening nurses for union activities and …
(2020-10-19). Waiting for a Vaccine and the Collaborative Research Alternative. counterpunch.org 
It seems increasingly likely that China will begin providing vaccines to its own people, as well as those in some other countries, by December, and possibly as early as next month. The prospect of a vaccine being available that soon has to look good to people here, now that the Trump administration's pandemic control efforts
(2020-10-19). New York Governor Cuomo goes 'full anti-vaxxer' on Covid-19 vaccine, says people should be 'very skeptical'. rt.com 
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is the latest Democrat to cast doubt on a potential Covid-19 vaccine, saying he is "not that confidant" in the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). | In a Monday morning interview with ABC's 'Good Morning America', Cuomo claimed the CDC and FDA "don't have any credibility" while President Donald Trump is in office and the public should be "very skeptical" of any vaccine pushed out. | "I'm not that confident, but my opinion doesn't matter. I don't believe the American people are that confident," the governor said. "I think it's going to be a…
(2020-10-19). Who are the New York Watchmen? wsws.org The New York Watchmen are a newly formed right-wing militia with close ties to Michael Caputo, the Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for the Trump Administration.
(2020-10-19). China Fires Health Officials after New COVID-19 Outbreak. globalresearch.ca A hospital president and the director of the health commission in the northern Chinese city of Qingdao have been fired after China's latest coronavirus outbreak, authorities said Thursday. | A brief notice on the Qingdao city government's official microblog Thursday said …
(2020-10-19). COVID-19 infections soar in US. wsws.org The massive spike in COVID-19 cases is an indication that the US ruling elite's policy of reopening businesses and schools is already resulting in the surge predicted by public health experts for the fall and winter.
(2020-10-19). Focus on fundamentals as COVID-19 caseloads rise: WHO. news.un.org As COVID-19 cases continue to accelerate, particularly in Europe and North America, the World Health Organization (WHO) is advising governments and people everywhere not to let their guard down, for the benefit of those hospitalized, or working on the front line of the battle to end the pandemic.
(2020-10-19). COVID-19 vaccine: UNICEF to stockpile more than half a billion syringes by year's end. news.un.org With countries and pharmaceutical companies around the world gearing up to distribute COVID-19 vaccines following trials, the UN Children's Fund UNICEF has begun laying the groundwork for the rapid, safe and efficient delivery by buying and pre-positioning syringes and other necessary equipment.
(2020-10-19). Exploring the impact of COVID-19 on teen mental health. imperial.ac.uk An Imperial-led project is set to explore the impact the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health and wellbeing of adolescents in the UK.
(2020-10-19). Europe braces for second COVID-19 wave with tough measures. yenisafak.com The European countries are taking new measures to stem the spread of coronavirus as the rising daily cases triggered fears of a second wave. Belgium was hit hard by the COVID-19, according to data released by the country's health authorities on Monday.Between Oct. 9 and 15, an average of 7,876 new infections a day were reported, an increase of 79% from the previous week.In the country with a population of 11.4 million, the total number of cases increased to 222,253 since the beginning of the pandemic, while 10,413 people died.Speaking to Belgian broadcaster RTL, Frank Vandenbroucke, the federal minister, said the…
(2020-10-18). 'Cuomo killed my parents': Protesters fill casket with copies of New York Governor's book on his Covid-19 response 'leadership'. rt.com 
Dozens who have lost loved ones after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's controversial Covid-19 nursing home order gathered in Brooklyn to protest the politician, who recently wrote a book on his leadership during the pandemic. | The protesters gathered in front of the Cobble Hill Health Center, a nursing facility, and demanded an apology from Cuomo for his highly controversial March 25 order forcing nursing homes to accept Covid-positive cases, a decision many critics feel was a large factor in the 6500 deaths in nursing homes during the pandemic. | Holding signs with such messages as "Cuomo killed my parents" and…
(2020-10-18). Bill Gates: 'A Second Wave of (COVID) Vaccines Will Come Next Year' After the First. globalresearch.ca What Happened: Bill Gates
(2020-10-18). Playing Russian Roulette with a COVID-19 Vaccine. globalresearch.ca America, we need to have a conversation. It is a very serious and dire conversation that has been intentionally ignored and swept under the rug for far too long. It concerns a dialogue that our entire mainstream media, in its …
(2020-10-18). Health Justice And Black Liberation: Dána-Ain Davis. popularresistance.org It is not only that state violence is a public health issue, but what I want people to understand is that state violence bleeds into particular public health issues—specifically, reproductive health issues. It is parastatal violence as well, by which I mean those practices and institutions that work in parallel and intersecting ways with the state. Think about this: some of the research I did for my book Reproductive Injustice shows both subtle and blatant examples of state and…
(2020-10-18). Newsom Administration approves 6 more fracking permits, bringing the total to 54 this year. indybay.org "Gov. Newsom sacrifices our health, food, water and climate while dodging criticism when he issues new fracking permits on a Friday night," said Alexandra Nagy, California Director of Food & Water Watch and Food & Water Action. "Newsom's concern over climate change is a deceptive mirage as his actions reveal a strong adherence to the status quo.
(2020-10-18). Iran registers 3,890 new COVID-19 infections, 252 deaths. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 18 (MNA) — The Iranian Health Ministry has confirmed 3,890 COVID-19 infections and 252 deaths due to the disease in the past 24 hours.
(2020-10-18). Holy Prophet (S) Shrine reopened in Medina. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 18 (MNA) — After a hiatus that Holy Prophet Muhammad (S) Shrine had been closed due to the outbreak of coronavirus global pandemic, doors of the holy shrine were reopened as limited by fully observing of health protocols.
(2020-10-18). MPs slam government for paying £7k a day to private sector Test and Trace consultants. thecanary.co Opposition MPs have slammed the government for paying £7k day rates to private sector consultants who're helping the government to set up and run its testing system. Michael Gove has defended the practice. | Sky News has reported that it had seen documents revealing Boston Consulting Group (BCG) was paid about £10 million for around 40 consultants to provide 4 months' work. This was between the end of April and late August. | The broadcaster said the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) received a 10 to 15% discount from BCG. Its day rates for public sector work reportedly range from £2,4…
(2020-10-18). Young US poll workers brace for Election Day as virus fears keep elders home. yenisafak.com After scrambling to replace an aging force of poll workers most at risk from the coronavirus, U.S. election officials face the challenge of running the Nov. 3 voting with untested volunteers tasked with following strict health protocols in an intensely partisan environment.A nationwide drive that recruited hundreds of thousands of younger poll workers – the people who set up equipment, check in voters and process ballots – means most battleground states will not be understaffed, a Reuters review of Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin found.In nearly all of those states, mo…
(2020-10-18). Malaysia reports 871 new coronavirus cases and seven more deaths. yenisafak.com Malaysian health authorities reported 871 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, a record daily count, raising the country's total infections to 20,498.The Southeast Asian country, which imposed targeted lockdowns this month as infections surged, also recorded seven new deaths, bringing the total number of fatalities to 187.Health Ministry Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah told reporters the infection rate had dropped since a third wave of infections in the country began four weeks ago."We expect this third wave of infections to be more challenging. Although we are more prepared in terms of medical equipment, manpo…
(2020-10-18). Nurses protest NSW wage freeze. greenleft.org.au Mental health nurses from the Waratah Mental Health Centre branch protested the NSW government's effective wage freeze outside their hospital, reports Niko Leka.
(2020-10-18). Why Are Fauci, Redfield, and the Presstitutes Deceiving Us About Masks? thealtworld.com Twitter, the Censor and Explainer Controller for the Deep State, removed a tweet from White House Covid adviser Dr. Scott Atlas who reported accurately that the masks people are wearing do not prevent the transmission of Covid-19. | As I have reported to you from the beginning, the only mask available to the public that provides protection against Covid is a N95 mask. Even this mask does not provide 100% protection. The masks people are wearing provide zero protection. | This is simply a fact. Dr. Atlas knows it as does every one familiar with masks, including Fauci at NIH and Redfield at CDC. Indeed, both Fauci…
(2020-10-17). Giuliani says shop owner who passed Biden laptop to FBI had copied data to friends in case he's 'KILLED'. rt.com 
President Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani is insisting that the hard drive allegedly belonging to Hunter Biden contains such explosive revelations that the shop owner who handed the data to authorities feared for his life. | The repair-shop owner handed the laptop, allegedly left for repair by Biden and then abandoned, over to the FBI some time in December — but not before making four complete copies of the data as insurance, the former New York City mayor claimed, in a recent interview with The Daily Caller. | "He gave two to friends of his in case he was killed," Giuliani, who shared information fro…
(2020-10-17). India gives go-ahead to domestic trial of Russia's pioneering 'Sputnik V' Covid-19 vaccine. rt.com 
India's vaccines regulator has given the green light for a clinical study of the Russia-developed Covid-19 vaccine. Similar trials of the formulation are underway in Russia itself and in some other nations. | The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), a department in India's drug regulator that is responsible for licensing vaccines, has given its approval for a domestic clinical study of the Russian candidate vaccine dubbed "Sputnik V," Indian and Russian partners have announced in a joint statement. The "multi-center and randomized controlled study" will be conducted by Dr Reddy's Laboratories, a Hyderabad…
(2020-10-17). 'American stupidity': Furious Italian governor imposes CURFEW on Halloween, blaming partygoers for Covid-19 spread. rt.com 
The governor of the south-western Campania region didn't mince his words as he lashed out at those defying social distancing rules to enjoy nightlife, and vowed to stop Halloween celebrations he called "American stupidity." | Vincenzo de Luca said he plans to "close everything at 22: 00" and impose a curfew from the last day of October — supposedly to prevent "uncivilized" Italians from throwing Halloween parties right in the middle of the Covid-19 epidemic. | And the official did not hide the fact he thinks nothing of the occasion itself. "Halloween weekend is … immense idiocy, immense American stupidit…
(2020-10-17). UK's local lockdown system in disarray as COVID-19 cases surge out of control. wsws.org This dispute been the local Labour authorities and central government confirms that combating the spread of this deadly disease cannot be left in the hands of any faction of the ruling elite, and their political representatives.
(2020-10-17). Alarming spike of COVID-19 infections in Michigan amid ruling class push for "herd immunity" wsws.org Several Republican state senators in the Michigan Senate held an online meeting last Saturday, where they discussed steps towards the lifting of mandates to wear masks indoors despite a clear resurgence of the disease.
(2020-10-17). HHS Must Release Billion Dollar Coronavirus Vaccine Contracts, Public Citizen Lawsuit Says. globalresearch.ca Public Citizen today The suit, filed in the U.S. …
(2020-10-17). Behavior and body in the sights of capital. indybay.org The proclamation of states of emergency in the spring of 2020, even if not in all countries, helped to consolidate a state crisis management system that overturned constitutions and now completely bypassed democratic decision-making processes. In the name of public health… the measures were presented as without alternative and divergent expert opinions were ignored or defamed.
(2020-10-17). Trump Admin Issues CDC Eviction Moratorium Guidance to Benefit Landlords over Renters. indybay.org Change's To Coronavirus Covid-19 CDC Eviction Moratorium:…
(2020-10-17). Aaron Steichen Murder Inquiry. indybay.org Mandated reporters and first responders repeatedly and willfully fail to provide emergency mental health intervention for Aaron's schizophrenic brother, Jacob. The end result is the death of a loved one after a 5 week escalation spanning a speculated 8 calls to authorities.
(2020-10-17). [Global Health Metrics] Global burden of 369 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories, 1990—2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. thelancet.com As disability becomes an increasingly large component of disease burden and a larger component of health expenditure, greater research and development investment is needed to identify new, more effective intervention strategies. With a rapidly ageing global population, the demands on health services to deal with disabling outcomes, which increase with age, will require policy makers to anticipate these changes. The mix of universal and more geographically specific influences on health reinforces the need for regular reporting on population health in detail and by underlying cause to help decision makers to identi…
(2020-10-17). [Viewpoint] Five insights from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. thelancet.com The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 provides a rules-based synthesis of the available evidence on levels and trends in health outcomes, a diverse set of risk factors, and health system responses. GBD 2019 covered 204 countries and territories, as well as first administrative level disaggregations for 22 countries, from 1990 to 2019. Because GBD is highly standardised and comprehensive, spanning both fatal and non-fatal outcomes, and uses a mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive list of hierarchical disease and injury causes, the study provides a powerful basis for de…
(2020-10-17). [Global Health Metrics] Global age-sex-specific fertility, mortality, healthy life expectancy (HALE), and population estimates in 204 countries and territories, 1950—2019: a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. thelancet.com Over the past 20 years, fertility rates have been dropping steadily and life expectancy has been increasing, with few exceptions. Much of this change follows historical patterns linking social and economic determinants, such as those captured by the GBD Socio-demographic Index, with demographic outcomes. More recently, several countries have experienced a combination of low fertility and stagnating improvement in mortality rates, pushing more populations into the late stages of the demographic transition.
(2020-10-17). [Editorial] Global health: time for radical change? thelancet.com What strategies should governments adopt to improve the health of their citizens? Amid the COVID-19 syndemic it would be easy to focus attention on global health security—at a minimum, strong public health and health-care systems. WHO has based its global health strategy on three pillars: universal health coverage, health emergencies, and better health and wellbeing. The indispensable elements of robust public health and health care are well known and endlessly rehearsed—a capable health workforce; effective, safe, and high-quality service delivery; health information systems; access to essential medi…
(2020-10-17). [Global Health Metrics] Global burden of 87 risk factors in 204 countries and territories, 1990—2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. thelancet.com Overall, the record for reducing exposure to harmful risks over the past three decades is poor. Success with reducing smoking and lead exposure through regulatory policy might point the way for a stronger role for public policy on other risks in addition to continued efforts to provide information on risk factor harm to the general public.
(2020-10-17). Iran Covid-19 update: 253 deaths in past 24 hours. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Oct. 17 (MNA) —The Iranian Health Ministry has confirmed 4,103 new COVID-19 infections and 253 deaths due to the disease in the past 24 hours.
(2020-10-17). NY Health Officials Shutdown Giant 10,000 Person Wedding Amid COVID-19. sputniknews.com Health officials in New York City announced the ban a few days before the planned wedding, which is expected to draw 10,000 guests in Brooklyn, New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.
(2020-10-17). Malaysia reports 869 new coronavirus cases, four more deaths. yenisafak.com Malaysia reported 869 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, its highest daily count so far, health authorities said.The Southeast Asian country, which has imposed targeted lockdowns this month as infections surged, has had a total of 19,627 infections.Malaysia also recorded four new deaths, bringing the total number of fatalities to 180.
(2020-10-17). Iran's death toll from coronavirus above 30,000: health ministry. yenisafak.com Iran's new coronavirus death toll has risen by 253 to 30,123, the health ministry said on Saturday, as the number of confirmed cases spiked to 526,490 in the hardest-hit Middle Eastern country.Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari told state TV that 4,103 new cases had been identified in the past 24 hours.
(2020-10-17). Russia receives renewed approval for COVID-19 vaccine trials in India. yenisafak.com The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd have received renewed approval to conduct late-stage clinical trials in India of the Russian COVID-19 vaccine, the sovereign wealth fund said on Saturday.Large-scale trials of the Sputnik V vaccine in India were first announced and then knocked back by Indian regulators, who said the scale of Phase I and II trials conducted in Russia earlier this year was too small, requesting that they be repeated.Following a new agreement, India will now carry out an adaptive phase II and III human clinical trial involving 1,500 participants, RDIF, which…
(2020-10-17). Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 7,830 to 348,557. yenisafak.com The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 7,830 to 348,557, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Saturday.The reported death toll rose by 33 to 9,734, the tally showed.
(2020-10-17). Despite Warnings of Otherwise 'Preventable Deaths,' Trump Heads to Wisconsin for Super-Spreader Rally. commondreams.org As the Trump campaign continues to make attendees sign liability waivers in case they become infected, one public health expert said that "indicates they know the reality because if they weren't worried about it then they wouldn't bother." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-10-16). Headlines for October 16, 2020. democracynow.org COVID-19 Hospitalizations on the Rise Across U.S. as Confirmed Cases Hit 8 Million, French Police Raid Homes of Government Officials in Probe of Failed Coronavirus Response, WHO Finds Remdesivir Fails to Prevent COVID-19 Deaths, World Health Organization Warns Many Will Have to Wait Until 2022 for Vaccine, Senate on Track to Confirm Far-Right Supreme Court Nominee Amy Coney Barrett on Oct. 26, Joe Biden Defends 1994 Crime Bill and Calls for More Police Funding, President Trump Refuses to Disavow Far-Right Anti-Semitic QAnon Conspiracy Theory, Trump Celebrates Apparent Extrajudicial Killing by U.S. Marshals Carryi…
(2020-10-16). Deeply Troubling: Kristen Clarke on How Rush to Confirm Barrett Endangers Voting & Civil Rights. democracynow.org 
The Senate confirmation hearing for President Trump's Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett ended Thursday with Republicans on the Judiciary Committee scheduling a vote on her nomination for October 22, with a full Senate vote to follow shortly thereafter — less than two weeks before the presidential election, in which the Supreme Court could play a decisive role. The right-wing judge's confirmation looks all but assured, after four rushed days of questioning in which Barrett refused to state her position on abortion rights, gay marriage, the Affordable Care Act, voting rights, climate change, and even if…
(2020-10-16). How Trust in a Covid Vaccine Eroded. counterpunch.org 
The Trump regime has managed to scare most Americans off taking a covid vaccine, by convincing them it politicized the science to rush it to market. People have concluded it may not be safe. So much for Operation Warp Speed. It turned into Operation Warp Distrust. So what if it provides 300 million vaccine doses by early 2021 — if few people take it, that's a waste of time and effort.
(2020-10-16). Election 2020: Trump and the 1% vs. the rest of us. peoplesworld.org 
White nationalism. Police killings of innocent unarmed Blacks. A mass crusade for economic, social, and racial justice. The coronavirus pandemic. The worst depression since the Great Depression, with the GOP-run Senate's refusal for the last six months to help the 26 million people without jobs. A big GOP threat to everyone's health care coverage. Lack …
(2020-10-16). Why Pray for the Renewed Health of a Tyrant Who will Merely Continue to Lie and Harm People? counterpunch.org 
Full disclosure: I am a non-sectarian humanist who does not engage in personal prayer. Still, as a hospital chaplain for almost 25 years, I prayed daily with patients, aware and appreciative of their particular Christian orientation and the important role of prayer in affirming, sustaining and comforting them and their loved ones. And recently, in
(2020-10-16). Trump's Labor Dept. probes Microsoft in search of 'reverse racism' in hiring. peoplesworld.org 
In the eyes of the Trump administration, workers, their families, their health, and their safety are not worth defending. Workers are expendable cogs in the vast capitalist machine. They serve only one purpose: background actors for the various television ads portraying Trump's failures as victories as he aims to win (steal) re-election. The U.S. Dept. …
