Daily Archives: December 5, 2020

2020-12-05: News Headlines

F. William Engdahl (2020-12-05). What's Not Being Said About the Pfizer Coronavirus Vaccine. "Human Guinea Pigs"? globalresearch.ca The Pharma giant Pfizer use an experimental technology known as gene editing, specifically mRNA gene-editing, something never before used in vaccines. Before we rush to get jabbed in hopes of some immunity, we should know more about the radical experimental technology and its lack of precision.

David H Molyneux, Mark L Eberhard, Sarah Cleaveland, Regina Addey, Robert Tinga Guiguemdé, Ashok Kumar, Pascal Magnussen, Joel G Breman (2020-12-05). [Viewpoint] Certifying Guinea worm eradication: current challenges. thelancet.com The Guinea Worm Eradication Programme (GWEP) is, along with polio, one of two active eradication programmes endorsed by the World Health Assembly. Currently, smallpox is the only human infection to have been eradicated.1 Guinea worm disease, or dracunculiasis, is caused by infection with Dracunculus medinensis that is acquired by the ingestion of infected copepods (of the genera Cyclops and Mesocyclops) or by consuming viable infective larvae in fish or other paratenic hosts.2,3 Polio and Guinea worm programmes have made great progress; however, both programmes face major challenges as they progress towards eradi…

Richard Horton (2020-12-05). [Comment] Offline: COVID-19—what have we learned so far? thelancet.com COVID-19 has left little time for reflection about lessons to be learned. This coronavirus has provoked us, mobilised us, and distracted us. But with a vaccine on the horizon, it's perhaps time to pause. What have we discovered this past year? And how do these discoveries inform our future? Our annual Lancet—Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences conference—held virtually last week—provided a moment for such contemplation.

Jeff Barrows (2020-12-05). [Correspondence] Freedom from coercion is not discrimination. thelancet.com In the World Report about LGBTQ discrimination in US health care,1 the new US Department of Health and Human Services ruling and the Texas federal court ruling from 2019 are inaccurately portrayed. The Christian Medical & Dental Associations (CMDA) was one of the plaintiffs in the case.

Aarathi Prasad (2020-12-05). [Perspectives] Mona Hanna-Attisha: championing child health against the odds. thelancet.com It was mid-morning on March 16, 1988, when, after 2 days of mortar, artillery, and rocket attacks, aircraft returned to hit the people of Halabja, northern Iraq—this time, with an assault of chemical weapons. "I clearly recall, like it was yesterday, I was 11 years old, and my father showed me a picture of this beautiful baby lying on the ground", says Mona Hanna-Attisha, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Human Development and CS Mott Endowed Professor of Public Health at Michigan State University in East Lansing, MI, USA.

Roger S McIntyre, Michael Berk, Elisa Brietzke, Benjamin I Goldstein, Carlos López-Jaramillo, Lars Vedel Kessing, Gin S Malhi, Andrew A Nierenberg, Joshua D Rosenblat, Amna Majeed, Eduard Vieta, Maj Vinberg, Allan H Young, Rodrigo B Mansur (2020-12-05). [Seminar] Bipolar disorders. thelancet.com Bipolar disorders are a complex group of severe and chronic disorders that includes bipolar I disorder, defined by the presence of a syndromal, manic episode, and bipolar II disorder, defined by the presence of a syndromal, hypomanic episode and a major depressive episode. Bipolar disorders substantially reduce psychosocial functioning and are associated with a loss of approximately 10—20 potential years of life. The mortality gap between populations with bipolar disorders and the general population is principally a result of excess deaths from cardiovascular disease and suicide.

Ann Danaiya Usher (2020-12-05). [World Report] South Africa and India push for COVID-19 patents ban. thelancet.com They want the WTO to temporarily suspend intellectual property rights so that COVID-19 vaccines and other new technologies are accessible for poor countries. Ann Danaiya Usher reports.

Andrew Green (2020-12-05). [Obituary] Guillermo Soberón. thelancet.com Former Mexican Secretary of Health and Rector of UNAM. Born on Dec 29, 1925, in Iguala, Mexico, he died on Oct 12, 2020, of congestive heart failure in Cuernavaca, Mexico, aged 94 years.

teleSUR (2020-12-04). Venezuela Loses 99 Percent of Its Income Due To US Sanctions. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro held a meeting with journalists on Thursday at the Miraflores Palace, where he denounced that the U.S. arbitrary sanctions have caused a loss of 99 percent in the country's income. | RELATED: | He noted that despite losses in several economic sectors, investments in health, education, and housing have been maintained. | The sanctions have also impacted the wages received…

SEIU (2020-12-04). Patients support their striking SEIU nursing care workers. peoplesworld.org The following article is reprinted from the SEIU website. CHICAGO — Doris Moore became a resident at Ambassador Nursing Home & Rehab Center almost two years ago after a suffering stroke. Workers at Ambassador are among the nearly 700 workers at 11 nursing homes owned by Infinity Health Care that made the difficult decision to …

Staff (2020-12-04). Dr. Paul Farmer: Centuries of Inequality in the U.S. Laid Groundwork for Pandemic Devastation. democracynow.org As the United States sets new records for COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations, we speak with one of the world's leading experts on infectious diseases, Dr. Paul Farmer, who says the devastating death toll in the U.S. reflects decades of underinvestment in public health and centuries of social inequality. "All the social pathologies of our nation come to the fore during epidemics," says Dr. Farmer, a professor of medicine at Harvard University, chair of global health and social medicine at Harvard Medical School, and co-founder and chief strategist of Partners in Health.

Michael Roberts (2020-12-04). COVID vaccines: calling the shots. mronline.org Before the COVID-19 pandemic engulfed the world, the big pharmaceutical companies did little investment in vaccines for global diseases and viruses.

RT (2020-12-04). Medical data of Israeli officials leaked online after insurance firm refuses to pay $1mn ransom to cyberhackers — reports. rt.com The medical records of Israeli officials are among data reportedly leaked online after an insurance firm was hacked, but refused to cede to the cyber-attackers' demands to hand over nearly $1 million ransom in Bitcoin. | Israeli insurer Shirbit, which was hacked on Tuesday, rejected requests from the Black Shadow group, which threatened to sell the firm's data online unless it received a payment of 50 bitcoin ($950,000) within 24 hours. | Newly released hacked data on Friday reportedly included the medical records of Shirbit customers, including Israeli officials, as well as scans of ID cards and drivers' lice…

Tony Murphy (2020-12-04). Migrant workers tell bosses: We're fed up with racism, COVID and exploitation! workers.org New York As so-called essential workers fight for their rights on the job, they continue to be the most reliable fighters for COVID safety, PPE and a rational response to the pandemic. New York laundry workers and supporters rally on Nov. 25. (WW Photo: Toni Arenstein) From healthcare workers in . . . |

Dr. Binoy Kampmark (2020-12-04). Jab Me if You Can: How Political Endorsements Defeat Vaccinations. globalresearch.ca Will they ever learn? When former US Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton announced that they would publicly take a vaccine against COVID-19, National Public Radio

Peter Koenig (2020-12-04). Alert COVID-19: RNA-Type Vaccines Which Modify the Human Genome. Crackdown on Free Speech. globalresearch.ca This first video interview may be one of the most important ones you listen to before the onslaught of the Covid-19 vaccine — distinction: Western style Covid-19 vaccine. | The Russian Sputnik V is not part of the same design. | The …

Stephen Lendman (2020-12-04). US War Department Vaccination Cards. globalresearch.ca All vaccines are hazardous to human health. | It's why they should be avoided, safe alternatives chosen for protection. | Rushed development, inadequately tested, covid vaccines will be especially dangerous. | In what ways and to what extent will only be known in …

news.un (2020-12-04). Scientists optimistic about COVID-19 vaccines for all. news.un.org Scientists developing COVID-19 vaccines are optimistic that by the end of next year, all people everywhere will have access to safe and effective treatments against a disease which has disrupted the entire planet.

James Cusick (2020-12-04). England's GPs 'Left in the Dark' over COVID Vaccine Rollout. globalresearch.ca England's GPs, who are expected to play a pivotal role in the roll out of coronavirus vaccines, say they are in the dark about how exactly they will fit into the government's plans, according to the British Medical Association (BMA)….

_____ (2020-12-04). Wet'suwet'en Call On Province To Close Pipeline Work Camps. popularresistance.org Members of the Wet'suwet'en Nation are calling on B.C.'s public health officer to shut down work camps operating on their territory as COVID-19 numbers rise in northern B.C. | In an open letter to Dr. Bonnie Henry signed by 22 Ts'ako ze', or female chiefs, the women express "grave concern" over continued construction of the Coastal GasLink natural gas pipeline through the region. | Three work camps currently house close to 700 people on Wet'suwet'en territory, according to the pipeline builder's November update.

Physicians for Social Responsibility (2020-12-04). Saturday 12/5: Second Annual Medical Symposium on Health Effects of Oil & Gas Industry. indybay.org Virtual conference (FREE)…

Peoples Dispatch (2020-12-04). UK and Russia announce start of COVID-19 vaccinations from next week. peoplesdispatch.org Raising hopes for an early victory against COVID-19, Russian president Vladimir Putin on December 2, Wednesday, announced mass voluntary vaccination in Russia starting next week. Russia became the second country to declare such a move after the UK announced similar measures earlier in the day. | The UK health ministry said in a statement that it has accepted the recommendations of the Independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and approved Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine for use. Prime minister Boris Johnson proclaimed the same in a television address to the nation. | UK PM Boris Jo…

Swiss Propaganda Research (2020-12-04). Facts About COVID-19. globalresearch.ca Fully referenced facts about covid-19, provided by experts in the field, to help our readers make a realistic risk assessment. (Regular updates below). | "The only means to fight the plague is honesty." (Albert Camus, 1947) | *** | Overview: | Lethality: …

Zack Sharf (2020-12-04). Letitia Wright reacts to anti-vax outrage after posting video questioning COVID vaccine. salon.com "My intention was not to hurt anyone," Wright said after backlash erupted…

WSWS (2020-12-04). Trudeau names top military officer to lead Canada's COVID-19 vaccine rollout. wsws.org Making the military responsible for the vaccination campaign is part of an ongoing government effort to promote the armed forces as a pivotal national institution, and acclimatize the population to its playing an increasingly important role in public life.

Jessica Corbett, staff writer (2020-12-04). Ahead of Youth-Led Day of Action, Young Elected Officials Push Biden to Enact National Emergency Climate Plan. commondreams.org In a letter to the president-elect, the officials say they "believe it is imperative we take action on the climate crisis because it is a threat multiplier for water security, deadly disease, and environmental racism." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

sputniknews (2020-12-04). Black Panther Star Letitia Wright Faces Backlash After Sharing Video Doubting COVID Vaccines. sputniknews.com Letitia Wright, who portrayed Shuri, a sister of the superhero Wakanda king T'Challa in the Marvel movies, shared a video in which the Light London Church leader, according to The Variety, questioned the legitimacy of coronavirus vaccines.

Umar A Farooq (2020-12-03). UN, aid groups warn US against blacklisting Yemen's Houthis. middleeasteye.net UN, aid groups warn US against blacklisting Yemen's Houthis | Designating Houthis as terrorist organisation would have far-reaching consequences in Yemen, including halting aid work amid threat of famine | Thu, 12/03/2020 – 18: 11 | Aid groups are operating in Yemen amid funding shortages, working to deliver as much humanitarian assistance as possible (AFP/File photo) | The United Nations is making…

Ben Slowey (2020-12-03). Protesters gather in Milwaukee to demand Common Council reject COPS grant. liberationnews.org "During a pandemic the last thing we need is more funding for police, while the health department has 60 unfilled positions."

Victoria Law (2020-12-03). The Graying of Mass Incarceration. progressive.org Prisons, ill-suited for providing health care, are facing an explosion of elderly inmates.

Joseph Jankowski (2020-12-03). UK Minister Warns Brits Could be "Denied Normal Life" If They Do Not Receive COVID Vaccination. globalresearch.ca Brits could be denied entry into bars, theaters, and sporting events if they can not prove they've received vaccination against COVID-19, according to the head of the United Kingdom's vaccine rollout. | Nadhim Zahawi, the newly appointed minister to oversee …

Commonwealth Club (2020-12-03). Tuesday 12/15: Equity in Health Care: The Awful Truth About Race, Economic Status & U.S. Health Care. indybay.org Online via livestream…

Robert F. Kennedy Jr (2020-12-03). Video: The Problem with the COVID Vaccine. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. globalresearch.ca "The problem with the COVID vaccine is that they recognize that it's gonna be really hard to get a vaccine so they have been reducing our standards so they can pass the vaccine no matter what." — Robert F. Kennedy …

Dr. Peter Doshi (2020-12-03). Pfizer and Moderna's "95% Effective" Vaccines—Let's be Cautious and First See the Full Data. globalresearch.ca In the United States, all eyes are on Pfizer and Moderna. The topline efficacy results from their experimental covid-19 vaccine trials are astounding at first glance. Pfizer says it recorded 170 covid-19 cases (in 44,000 volunteers), with a remarkable split: …

Mnar Muhawesh Adley (2020-12-03). Podcast: The Assassination of a Nuclear Scientist and the War against Iran's COVID-19 Vaccine. mintpressnews.com After Iran's most senior nuclear scientist Mohsin Fakhrezadeh was assassinated last week the media has been abuzz about a non-existent nuclear weapons program, justifying a killing that masks a broader campaign to target Iran's COVID vaccine program led by Fakhrezadeh.

Tim Schwab (2020-12-03). Are Bill Gates's Billions Distorting Public Health Data? thenation.com Are Bill Gates's Billions Distorting Public Health Data?

Beatrice Lumpkin (2020-12-02). Communist teacher turned health minister leads pandemic fight in India. peoplesworld.org "How Communist Physics Teacher Flattens COVID-19 Curve in Southern India," a headline in the online Science News, caught my eye. That was a contrast to the tragic number of pandemic deaths in the rest of India, or for that matter, in the United States. But I wasn't surprised. I had attended a math teachers conference …

Anand Naidoo (2020-12-02). The Heat: U.S. battles COVID-19. america.cgtn.com A CDC panel meets to discuss who will be first in line for a COVID-19 vaccine in the United States.

Ralph Underhill (2020-12-02). Vaccine 90% effective at pushing Tory coronyism from the headlines. thecanary.co Image descriptionA scientist in a lab coat and holding a clipboard is illustrated next to a poster featuring the words "Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine" and the image of a syringe with two vaccine vials. The scientist is saying "The vaccine has been proven to be 90% effective at pushing Tory cronyism and incompetence out of the headlines! It will also be vital in fighting the virus…". | By

Beau Peters (2020-12-02). Healthcare Innovations: Going Too Far or Not Far Enough? dissidentvoice.org Image Source: Pexels Technological innovations have reshaped the world drastically in only a matter of decades, giving us life-changing devices like smartphones that allow us to tap into worlds of information instantly. The healthcare sector, however, for all its developments, is not quite catching up to the rates of innovation seen in other industries. Introducing …

Dr. Rudolf Hà§nsel (2020-12-02). The Davos "Great Reset" 2021 Agenda of the World Economic Forum. A New Phase of Economic and Social Destruction? globalresearch.ca On June 3, 2020, as a consequence of the "global health crisis", the World Economic Forum WEF in Geneva announced a "unique twin summit" for January 2021 in Davos, Switzerland.(1) The theme should be "The Great Reset". The WEF defines …

Matthew Rozsa (2020-12-02). CDC panel advises that health care workers, nursing home residents receive COVID-19 vaccines first. salon.com The CDC has been tasked with figuring out who gets the vaccine first as production begins…

Aaron Calvin (2020-12-02). Health Officials Face Death Threats From Coronavirus Deniers. zcomm.org As people across the country refuse mask mandates, public health officials are fighting an uphill battle with little government support…

Julia Conley, staff writer (2020-12-02). As Nonprofit Sector Suffers, Coalition Calls on Congress to Force Wealthy Foundations to Ramp Up Charitable Giving. commondreams.org "Increased funding could be immediately absorbed by food banks, healthcare providers, educational institutions, and organizations addressing issues like poverty alleviation, economic development, safe and secure voting, and social justice." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…

Eric O. Ohuma, Melissa F. Young, Reynaldo Martorell, Leila Cheikh Ismail, Juan Pablo Peña-Rosas, Manorama Purwar, Maria Nieves Garcia-Casal, Michael G. Gravett, Mercedes de Onis, QingQing Wu, Maria Carvalho, Yasmin A. Jaffer, Ann Lambert, Enrico Bertino, Aris T. Papageorghiou, Fernando C. Barros, Zulfiqar A. Bhutta, Stephen H. Kennedy, Jose Villar (2020-12-02). International values for haemoglobin distributions in healthy pregnant women. thelancet.com We have generated International, gestational age-specific, smoothed centiles for maternal haemoglobin concentration compatible with better pregnancy outcomes, as well as adequate neonatal and early childhood morbidity, growth and development up to 2 years of age.

imperial.ac.uk (2020-12-02). Q&A: Cold chains, COVID-19 vaccines and reaching low-income countries. imperial.ac.uk Many low-income countries lack the infrastructure to deliver vaccines effectively, so how can we ensure COVID-19 vaccines are accessible for all?>

Susie Cagle (2020-12-02). How Hospital Monopolies Broke the Health Care System. thenation.com How Hospital Monopolies Broke the Health Care System…

H. Patricia Hynes (2020-12-02). Book Review of The Inner Level. zcomm.org As this book both documents and generously discusses, rising income inequality leads to a plague of ills: higher rates of people in prison, higher teenage birth rates, higher rates of mental illness, more child neglect and bullying…

John W. Whitehead (2020-12-02). Warp Speed Ahead: COVID-19 Vaccines Pave the Way for a New Frontier in Surveillance. globalresearch.ca " Like it or …

PEER (2020-12-02). Aerially Sprayed Pesticide Contains the PFAS "Forever Chemicals". Impacts on Human Health. globalresearch.ca State efforts to control mosquito-borne illnesses may be creating a new health problem. The insecticide Massachusetts and numerous other states use for mosquito control, both applied aerially and sprayed from trucks along roads, contains per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), according to …