(2020-11-09). On Howard Waitzkin's Rinky-Dink Revolution. counterpunch.org 
When I was in college, I took a class in medical anthropology. One of our readings was an analysis of the U.S. health care system from a Marxist perspective by a physician sociologist, Howard Waitzkin. As a pre-med, I found this of more relevance than trying to wade through Marx's polemics from, say, the Rheinische
(2020-11-09). SEIU brings personal stories to High Court to defend the ACA. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—If the U.S. Supreme Court's right-wing Republican majority kills the 10-year-old Affordable Care Act, Service Employees Local 503 member Cammie Hering of Portland, Ore., won't be able to afford health insurance. At that, even with "relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis" that could eventually disable her, Hering, a personal support worker who earns $15.50 an hour, might be …
(2020-11-09). How do the regions of England compare for Covid-19 case rates? thecanary.co 
The number of new cases of Covid-19 continues to rise in most local areas of England.The overall trend masks some notable differences between the regions, however.Here is an overview of the latest case rates in each region of England, including the areas with the highest and lowest numbers.In all instances, the figures are for the week ending November 4 and have been calculated by PA using data published by Public Health England.— North-west EnglandThe highest rates of new cases of Covid-19 continue to be in north-west England.Oldham is top of the list, with 779.4 cases per 100,000 people, up from the previo…
(2020-11-09). Fur Trades and Pandemics: Coronavirus and Denmark's Great Mink Massacre. counterpunch.org "The worst case scenario is a new pandemic, starting all over again out of Denmark," came the words of a grave Kà•re Mà∏lbak, director of the Danish health authorities, the State Serum Institute. According to the Institute, COVID-19 infections were registered on 216 mink farms on November 6. Not only had such infections been registered;
(2020-11-09). 'We Need a #PeoplesVaccine': After Hopeful Findings From Pfizer, Campaigners Demand Suspension of Patents. commondreams.org "This is a race against time and we cannot allow the pursuit of profit to triumph over human need," said Heidi Chow of Global Justice Now. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-11-09). Gordon Brown's praise of Joe Biden is no surprise given their bloody history. thecanary.co Gordon Brown has Discussing Biden on Radio 4, Brown said there could be a trade deal between the US and UK in the long-term. He went on to discuss Biden cooperating internationally as he works on security, the environment and health. | Brown said: Joe Biden has always been a great friend of Great Britain. | I think he wants to be a friend of Britain. I think he plans, from what I know, to…
(2020-11-09). Health Effects of Fukushima Nuclear Disaster. globalresearch.ca Introduction | Hisako Sakiyama has a PhD in Medicine and is a Member of the Takagi School of Alternative Scientists, a Japanese NGO established in 1998 to study the environment, nuclear issues, human rights, and other issues in modern society from …
(2020-11-09). The Other Global Health Crisis: Highly Hazardous Pesticides. globalresearch.ca COVID-19 isn't the only global health crisis occurring right now. There is another crisis, propagated by a global industry, that is entirely man made. | The world's five largest agrochemical companies: Bayer, BASF, Sygenta, Corteva and FMC — members of Croplife …
(2020-11-09). Suspend Patents on Pfizer's COVID-19 Vaccine, Say Campaigners. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-11-09). Disseminating Preliminary, Incomplete COVID-19 Vaccine Study Results by Press Release Represents Bad Science. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2020-11-08). Indian capital struggles with surge in coronavirus cases. thecanary.co 
India has reported 45,674 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, with the capital coping with a sharp surge of nearly 7,000 cases a day this week.India's tally of confirmed cases — currently the second largest in the world behind the United States — has exceeded 8.5 million.The Health Ministry also reported 559 deaths in the past 24 hours, taking total fatalities to 126,121.Coronavirus testing in New Delhi (Manish Swarup/AP)India has seen an overall steady dip in new cases after touching nearly 100,000 a day in mid-September.However, the tally in New Delhi continues to hover around 7,000 a d…
(2020-11-08). Tuesday 11/10: #ODIC Virtual Town Hall: SCOTUS Hearing on Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act. indybay.org Online town hall…
(2020-11-08). U.S. Foreign Policy Is a Failure, Whoever's President. strategic-culture.org Eve OTTENBERG | The world recognizes what U.S. elites don't: the utter, total American failure to contain Covid-19 has damaged U.S. standing and will do so until the virus is controlled. Meanwhile, regional powers, China and Russia, cooperate and share resources, particularly vaccines. Cuba provides treatments, but the U.S. turns up its nose at Cuban medicine, even if it means more American covid patients die — this, though Cuba's pharmacopeia for this plague appears superior. China sends doctors and medicines across the globe. Russia opts for sane herd immunity — through vaccination. These countries…
(2020-11-08). Myanmar's farmers battle climate and health uncertainty. news.un.org For farmers in Myanmar, the COVID-19 pandemic is adding to growing unpredictability, in a sector already struggling to cope with the effects of climate change. The UN is working closely with the country's government to help them to adapt and thrive.
(2020-11-08). Tuesday 11/10: Post-Election Implications for USA: Health Care, Racial Justice, SCOTUS and more. indybay.org Online via YouTube…
(2020-11-08). German Doctors Letter to Chancellor Merkel, Put an End to the Covid "Fear Machine" globalresearch.ca Dear Chancellor Dr. Merkel, | We, the signatories, are doctors from all areas of healthcare, who have been serving people in practices and clinics for decades. During this time, we have witnessed more than one seasonal infection in Germany, most of …
(2020-11-08). Government's Corona Response Is "a Psyche War" Against Citizens: Constitutional Lawyer Rocco Galati. globalresearch.ca "Bill Gates, the CDC, Gavi… want to steamroll their [COVID-19] agenda of self-interest on behalf of these billionaires and corporate oligarchs," said constitutional lawyer Rocco Galati in a
(2020-11-08). Wisdom from Courageous — and Silenced — Whistle-blowing "Vaccine Skeptics" globalresearch.ca "Mercury/thimerosal and lead (and aluminum) are extremely neurotoxic and cytotoxic, but their combined synergistic effect is much worse. | A dose of mercury sufficient to kill 1% of tested rats, when combined with a dose of lead sufficient to kill less …
(2020-11-07). Philadelphia: 'As nurses, we demand justice!'. workers.org 
Workers World Party Philadelphia joined National Nurses United and the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals (PASNAP) in holding a vigil on Oct. 29 for healthcare workers who have died as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Marie Kelly speaks at healthcare worker vigil, Oct. 29. WW Photo: . . . |
(2020-11-07). [Editorial] COVID-19 in Latin America: a humanitarian crisis. thelancet.com Latin America has some of the highest COVID-19 death rates in the world. Why? For outsiders, much of the discussion of COVID-19 in Latin America has focused on Brazil and the errors of President Jair Bolsonaro. But the region as a whole is facing a humanitarian crisis borne out of political instability, corruption, social unrest, fragile health systems, and perhaps most importantly, longstanding and pervasive inequality—in income, health care, and education—which has been woven into the social and economic fabric of the region.
(2020-11-07). [Correspondence] ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine for SARS-CoV-2. thelancet.com The ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), described by Pedro Folegatti and colleagues,1 was an important milestone in vaccine development to contain the ongoing pandemic. The vaccine is one of several SARS-CoV-2 vaccines that have entered the human trial phase, and the phase 1/2 trial showed encouraging results. This trial has focused on the most relevant clinical outcomes of safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of the vaccine. The recruited participants (ie, healthy adults aged 18—55 years who were negative for SARS-CoV-2) were randomly assigned…
(2020-11-07). [Correspondence] ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 — Authors' reply. thelancet.com We agree with Anil Chauhan and colleagues that recording of anaphylaxis is important when testing a new vaccine. All participants in the trial were observed in the clinic for at least 30 min after they were vaccinated, and no cases of anaphylaxis occurred.1…
(2020-11-07). [Comment] Offline: Managing the COVID-19 vaccine infodemic. thelancet.com If you read News Punch (aka "Where mainstream fears to tread"), you will be familiar with a series of articles about the prospects for a COVID-19 vaccine. With headlines such as "Big Pharma Exec: We Are Exempt From COVID-19 Vaccine Liability Claims", the website has published report after report casting doubt on the integrity of vaccine science and even the likelihood of a vaccine becoming available. You will find similar pieces on other websites, such as Infowars and AlterNet. The arguments these articles peddle seem deliberately designed to sow uncertainty.
(2020-11-07). [Perspectives] Roopa Dhatt: advancing gender equality in global health leadership. thelancet.com When Roopa Dhatt was 9 years old, she went into septic shock as a result of appendicitis. Her grandparents rushed her to a local hospital in India. Far from her home in the USA and apart from her émigré parents, who could not afford to join her, the experience is etched in Dhatt's memory. "In the early 1990s", she says, "the health system infrastructure [in India] was so weak, and so under-resourced, I was really fortunate that there was a paediatric surgeon in the city I was in, who was able to operate safely".
(2020-11-07). [Correspondence] SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Spain — Authors' reply. thelancet.com We thank Christian Hoffmann and Eva Wolf for pointing out the contradiction of similar severe acute respiratory syndrome corona ≠virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) seroprevalence figures between men and women in our nationwide study,1 compared with the distribution of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the most severely affected countries. Following their suggestion, we provide seroprevalence data stratified by age and sex (appendix) to show that infection rates were similar in men and women during the first epidemic wave in Spain.
(2020-11-07). Iran to produce three new human vaccines by yearend: official. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 07 (MNA) — The Secretary of Biotechnology Development Headquarters of the Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology said that three new human vaccines will be produced in the country by yearend (March 20).
(2020-11-07). [Comment] Global growth trends in school-aged children and adolescents. thelancet.com Despite declining rates over the past few decades, stunting continues to affect over 30% of children younger than 5 years in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, south Asia, and the Pacific.1 The extent to which stunting and underweight in early childhood are associated with premature death and disease explains why global nutrition policy, practice, and research have overwhelmingly focused on very young children. Yet, the rapid expansion of obesogenic environments, including in resource-poor countries, requires policy responses to address a more complex and dynamic nutritional landscape.
(2020-11-06). Covid tears through Jordan on eve of parliamentary elections. middleeasteye.net 
Covid tears through Jordan on eve of parliamentary elections | After managing to keep a lid on coronavirus for months, the kingdom's healthcare system is overwhelmed and a senior official is being treated in Jerusalem | Fri, 11/06/2020 – 14: 58 | A man walks past a poster of one of the candidates ahead of parliamentary elections on 10 November, amid a second wave of the coronavirus (Reuters) | O…
(2020-11-06). U.S. Foreign Policy is a Failure, Whoever's President. counterpunch.org 
The world recognizes what U.S. elites don't: the utter, total American failure to contain Covid-19 has damaged U.S. standing and will do so until the virus is controlled. Meanwhile, regional powers, China and Russia, cooperate and share resources, particularly vaccines. Cuba provides treatments, but the U.S. turns up its nose at Cuban medicine, even if it means more American covid patients die — this, though Cuba's pharmacopeia for this plague appears superior. China sends doctors and medicines across the globe. Russia opts for sane herd immunity — through vaccination. These countries act like adults.
(2020-11-06). How COVID-19 reveals inequalities in the U.S. economy. workers.org 
The Trump administration has admitted it has no plan to get COVID-19 under control. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told CNN Oct. 25 that "We are not going to control the pandemic. We are going to control the fact that we get vaccines, therapeutics and other mitigation areas." . . . |
(2020-11-06). Budapest & Brussels on potential collision course as Hungary says it will import Russian Covid-19 vaccine despite EU objections. rt.com 
Hungary announced it will purchase Russia's Sputnik-V coronavirus vaccine for research and licensing purposes, in a move that risks creating tensions with EU authorities who insist only formulas made in the bloc should be used. | Foreign Minister Peter Sijarto said on Thursday that Budapest will place an order for the vaccine. "Russia will start supplying small batches in December to complete clinical trials and research here," he told journalists. | Russia became the first country in the world to approve a jab for Covid-19 in September. It drew criticism from some international commentators for the speed of t…
(2020-11-06). Pay people to take Covid-19 vaccine argues leading ethicist, though others warn it would set 'dangerous precedent'. rt.com 
A leading ethicist has proposed financial and other incentives to increase coronavirus vaccination rates, though many of his contemporaries fear this would set a dangerous precedent with potentially disastrous consequences. | This week, Oxford University Professor Julian Savulescu proposed the idea that a financial incentive could persuade those hesitant to take a Covid-19 vaccine. He also suggested exemption from the wearing of face masks and social distancing as possible alternatives to payment. | Savulescu argues that voluntary vaccination wouldn't guarantee a high enough percentage of the population would…
(2020-11-06). Prison, the Plague, Writing and Exile: an Interview With Aslı Erdogan. counterpunch.org 
This interview with the Turkish author Aslı Erdogan was conducted by mail in recent weeks. She is a renowned author in Turkey, and well known in Europe where works have been translated into English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and possibly some other languages. Her works have won numerous international literary prizes. She is also
(2020-11-06). Aid agencies call for urgent action to prevent famine in hunger hotspots. news.un.org People in four food insecurity "hotspots" inside Burkina Faso, northeastern Nigeria, South Sudan and Yemen, need help urgently to avoid sliding into famine, UN humanitarians said on Friday.
(2020-11-06). 'Emergency action' needed to prevent major polio, measles epidemics. news.un.org Globally, millions of children are at a heightened risk of polio and measles — dangerous but preventable diseases — amid disruptions to vital immunization programmes due to the coronavirus pandemic, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organization (WHO) have said.
(2020-11-06). Alberta's Conservative government slashes health care amid COVID-19 pandemic. wsws.org Even as Alberta is experiencing a rapid rise in COVID-19 infections, the UCP provincial government is moving to eliminate 11,000 public health care jobs.
(2020-11-06). World can save lives and 'end this pandemic, together' — WHO chief. news.un.org As the COVID-19 pandemic continues evolving, the world must "take all opportunities to learn and improve the response as we go", the UN health agency chief said on Friday.
(2020-11-06). 'Trump Is Trying to Steal the Election and Wall Street Is Silent': Corporate Executives Urged to Condemn President's Attacks on Democracy. commondreams.org Stop the Money Pipeline coalition pressures executives at major banks, insurance companies, and asset managers to call out his behavior. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-11-06). New Orleans protesters march to defeat Trump, defend people's freedoms. fightbacknews.org New Orleans, LA – On November 4, a coalition of progressive groups took to the streets under the slogan "Defeat Trump!" As the rally moved through the central business district, speakers highlighted local issues and areas of action in the city. | While the march came after the national election, it made broad demands. The group united around a shared progressive agenda and the need for more coalition actions. Marchers chanted, "Count the votes!" and "No justice, no peace, no racist police!" They also shouted their demands for housing, quality healthcare, economic relief, safe education, prison abolition and more.
(2020-11-06). Former British Prime Minister May Leads Lockdown Rebellion as UK Struggles Against Second COVID Wave. globalresearch.ca Former Prime Minister Theresa May has led a backbench rebellion against a second lockdown, demanding the government provide more statistics on the adverse harm the first lockdown had on people's health. A total of fifty Conservative MPs rebelled against the …
(2020-11-06). Video: British Healthcare Assistant Reveals the Lies on Covid Testing and the Lockdown. We Say No the Army and the Police. globalresearch.ca Transcript by Rawan R. Mhamsa | Oh, working as a healthcare assistant for the NHS. I don't think that the uniform to prove that I work for them, but today I'm publicly resigning. | OK, well. | I'm wearing this uniform sadly for …
(2020-11-05). COVID-19 kills almost 17 Iranians every hour. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 05 (MNA) — According to the latest announced figures by the Iranian Health Ministry, 406 patients have succumbed to the COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.
(2020-11-05). About 30,000 health service staff off work due to coronavirus. thecanary.co Around 30,000 NHS staff are self-isolating or off work due to coronavirus (Covid-19), the organisation's chief executive has said. | Isolation: | NHS boss Simon Stevens said the numbers underlined the need to control the spread of coronavirus in order to protect the care that could be offered in the health service. Appearing at a Downing Street press conference on 5 November, he was asked if coronavirus-related restrictions could last into the new year to help keep routine NHS services going. | Simon said: This will be a function of how well we are collectively able to get the infection rate down over the…
(2020-11-05). PAHO Praises Mexico's Handling of the COVID-19 Pandemic. telesurenglish.net The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) highlighted Thursday Mexico's progress in reconverting hospitals to treat COVID-19 cases. | RELATED: | "It was not easy, mobility was reduced in almost all states to below 60 percent, and it is thanks to that effort, which is no less, in a country where half the population has to go out to work to survive, that this has been done," said PAHO's representative in Mexico Ch…
(2020-11-05). UN rights experts call for release of Saudi activist championing women's right to drive. news.un.org The deteriorating health‚ÄØof Saudi women's rights activist Loujain Al-Hathloul is‚ÄØ"deeply alarming", UN-appointed rights experts said on Wednesday, calling for her release along with "all other women human rights defenders in detention".
(2020-11-05). COVID-19 cases spike across US as health care workers struggle with understaffing in hospitals. wsws.org Nurses in California and Connecticut have held protests and strike votes to fight unsafe staffing levels as infections and hospitalizations rise across the US.
(2020-11-05). Official academics downplay the risks of school reopenings as pandemic rages across the US. wsws.org The official bourgeois academics and health experts, as evidenced by the likes of Emily Oster, Ashish Jha and Scott Atlas, place the profit interests of the ruling class above the safety and lives of the working class.