2021-05-21: News Headlines

_____ (2021-05-21). Abby Martin on the Israeli Onslaught and Gaza's Fight for Freedom. popularresistance.org Despite publicly urging caution, restraint and calling for a ceasefire, the United States government continues to aid Israel, this week approving $375 million worth of arms sales to the Jewish state, even as it uses U.S.-made weaponry to attack civilian buildings and other infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. Hospitals, health clinics and homes have been destroyed, with reports confirming the deaths of at least 63 children in Gaza alone. Three pregnant women have also been killed. As of Wednesday morning, the death toll stands at 276.

Staff (2021-05-21). Headlines for May 21, 2021. democracynow.org Israel and Hamas Agree to Gaza Ceasefire After 11 Days of Intense Fighting, U.N. Chief Decries "Hell on Earth" After Israeli Strikes Sever Power, Water and Sewer Lines in Gaza, WTO Chief Pushes European Officials to Drop Opposition to Patent Waiver for COVID Vaccines, New York Launches $5 Million Lottery Incentive to Get Vaccinated , South Korean President to Discuss Denuclearization and Vaccines at White House Meeting, ICE to End Contracts with Two County Jails Where Immigrants Faced Abuses, Salvadoran Officials Exhume Dozens of Women's Bodies on Property of Former Detective, Amnesty Calls for U.S. to Stop Selli…

Fight Back (2021-05-21). Minneapolis to protest the killings of over 200 Palestinians. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – On Saturday, May 22, at 3 p.m. in Bryant Square Park, (3101 Bryant Avenue S) in Minneapolis, protesters will stand in solidarity with Palestine. | Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have been under siege for close to 15 years, and again, they are facing a criminal attack from the Israeli government and military. At least 231 Palestinians, including 65 children, have been killed there in the past 11 days, when Israel began its missile bombardment of the Strip. Palestinian health officials say 1700 Palestinians have been wounded. Over 1300 housing units have been completely demolished or severely dam…

DLI (2021-05-21). USA "Iron Dome" media vaccine proved 99% effective in shielding Israel. indybay.org For the past 2 weeks, since the massive violence perpetrated by Israel against Palestinians in Gaza began(with massive use of US-made planes and bombs), the White House, alongside the "Corporate-bin-Laden" media, had unleashed a media vaccine, aptly coined, "Iron Dome" media shield, that proved to be nearly 99% effective against criticism from nearly the entire world, on the active support of Israel's virtual massacre of Palestinian civilians.

Gabriela Lopez et al. (2021-05-21). Institutional Responses to the Black Lives Matter Movement in Sonoma County. indybay.org This research paper investigates the institutional responses to the BLM Movement within Sonoma County. By analyzing newspaper articles and qualitative interviews, we were able to determine what kind of responses were happening within the Healthcare, Education, Business and Political sectors in Sonoma County.

Whitney Webb (2021-05-21). This Biden proposal could make the U.S. a "digital dictatorship" mronline.org A "new" proposal by the Biden administration to create a health-focused federal agency modeled after DARPA is not what it appears to be. Promoted as a way to "end cancer," this resuscitated "health DARPA" conceals a dangerous agenda. | May 21, 2021…

Zulfiqar A Bhutta, Michelle F Gaffey, Neha S Singh, Ana Langer, Karl Blanchet (2021-05-22). [Correspondence] Women's and children's health in conflict settings: build on existing efforts — Authors' reply. thelancet.com We thank Sarah Chynoweth and colleagues for their kind comments about our Series on Women's and Children's Health in Conflict Settings, and for underscoring that future humanitarian health efforts for women and children should build on previous investments and achievements in sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in crisis settings. We fully agree. SRH is arguably the area in which most progress has been made in terms of improving humanitarian response for women, and we recognise the decades-long work and leadership of the Inter-Agency Working Group (IAWG) in driving that progress.

Simukai Chigudu (2021-05-22). [Perspectives] An ironic guide to colonialism in global health. thelancet.com There is something axiomatic about the idea of an evidence-based approach to global health. Who could argue against such a noble enterprise? The uses of evidence and its applications—extended from individual patients to populations at large—are attractive whether in the boardrooms of Geneva or among humanitarian doctors in South Sudan's refugee camps. This approach rationalises complex and diffuse social processes, subtly reconstituting them as discernible medical problems to be solved through technical intervention.

WSWS (2021-05-21). Young worker's death in rural Australian hospital highlights public healthcare crisis. wsws.org The inquest into the death of 18-year-old Alex Braes in Broken Hill highlights the reality that the country's underfunded public hospitals are woefully unprepared for emergencies.

WSWS (2021-05-22). UK covid cases rise due to ending containment and spread of Indian variant. wsws.org The Tories are responding to the demands of big business that no more lockdowns are imposed and to their support base in the more affluent suburban and rural areas of the country not living in the overcrowded urban centres being hit by the resurgence of the virus.

WSWS (2021-05-22). Amid warnings of "catastrophic" COVID-19 third wave, Brazil's state governors reopen economy. wsws.org The scientific institute Fiocruz's warning that a new surge of current high infection rates "will be catastrophic" is being covered up by the mainstream media and ignored by federal and state governments.

Bruce J Kirenga, Pauline Byakika-Kibwika (2021-05-22). [Comment] Excess COVID-19 mortality among critically ill patients in Africa. thelancet.com As of March 25, 2021, a global total of 124‚Äà215‚Äà843 cases of COVID-19, including 2‚Äà734‚Äà374 deaths, had been reported to WHO.1 COVID-19 is now the 12th leading cause of death worldwide, the sixth leading cause of death in high-income countries, and the 41st leading cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa.2 However, the reasons why there are lower numbers of cases and deaths reported in sub-Saharan Africa are unclear. One possibility is that there are inadequate levels of testing, which could translate to unreported COVID-19 deaths (both i…

Udani Samarasekera (2021-05-22). [Perspectives] Yee-Sin Leo: a leader in Singapore's fight against infectious diseases. thelancet.com In January, 2020, Yee-Sin Leo, Executive Director of the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) in Singapore, and her team followed an unexplained pneumonia outbreak in Wuhan, China, very closely for any evidence of human-to-human transmission. Given population movement in the region, they knew that if they saw that evidence it meant "that Singapore will get hit with COVID-19 cases", Leo says. So the National Public Health Laboratory at NCID prepared to detect and diagnose cases, drills were done to smooth workflow, and the COVID-19 Research Workgroup was set up.

ACCCOS (2021-05-22). [Articles] Patient care and clinical outcomes for patients with COVID-19 infection admitted to African high-care or intensive care units (ACCCOS): a multicentre, prospective, observational cohort study. thelancet.com Mortality in critically ill patients with COVID-19 is higher in African countries than reported from studies done in Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. Increased mortality was associated with insufficient critical care resources, as well as the comorbidities of HIV/AIDS, diabetes, chronic liver disease, and kidney disease, and severity of organ dysfunction at admission.

Sophia N Nesamoney, Gary L Darmstadt, Paul H Wise (2021-05-22). [Correspondence] Gendered effects of COVID-19 on young girls in regions of conflict. thelancet.com The Series on Women's and Children's Health in Conflict Settings provides important guidance for addressing the health of women and children in areas of poor security and instability. However, we write to call special attention to the gender inequalities in areas of armed conflict and, in particular, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on young, school-age girls (aged 5—18 years).

John Zarocostas (2021-05-22). [World Report] What next for a COVID-19 intellectual property waiver? thelancet.com The USA has backed a waiver for intellectual property related to COVID-19 vaccines. What happens next? John Zarocostas reports from Geneva.

Nadine K Jawad, Lina Abu Taweeleh, Jad A Elharake, Nicole Khamis, Osaid Alser, Fatima M Karaki, Layla Aboukhater (2021-05-22). [Correspondence] Refugee access to COVID-19 vaccines in Lebanon. thelancet.com Lebanon is currently experiencing multiple unprecedented crises—political, infrastructural, and economic. The Beirut port explosion, in August, 2020, damaged 36% of health facilities.1 The Lebanese pound has lost 90% of its value, pushing more than half of the population into poverty.1 Complicating its desperate plight, Lebanon hosts the largest refugee population per capita in the world.2 The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this situation, leaving an ill-equipped health-care system overwhelmed.

WSWS (2021-05-21). US states begin eliminating unemployment aid even as nearly half a million jobless claims were filed last week. wsws.org Over 20 states have vowed to end the meager $300-a-week federal jobless benefit while millions remain out of work and an average of 600 people succumb each day to COVID-19.

The Associated Press (2021-05-21). Artist Publishes 100 Drawings From Peru's COVID-19 Pandemic. latinorebels.com LIMA, Peru (AP) — With a pencil and a notebook, artist Edilberto Jiménez walks the streets of Lima and cities in the Andes mountains collecting stories and images about the coronavirus health crisis that has devastated Peru.

Keith Paul Medelis (2021-05-21). The Fight to Never Forget About Those Who Died From COVID-19. latinorebels.com Family members of loved ones who died of COVID-19 now demand that Congress and the media be held accountable for their losses.

WSWS (2021-05-21). Montgomery educator denounces firings and COVID-19 case suppression as Alabama abandons pandemic health and relief measures. wsws.org As the school year draws to a close at Montgomery Public Schools, educators are drawing the lessons of the most challenging year of their careers.

Staff (2021-05-21). Worker Co-ops vs COVID-19. therealnews.com We know that workers have been on the front lines of the pandemic, too often with no real say in the conditions they've had to face and the risks they've had to take. How would a more democratic economy respond to the current crisis?

WSWS (2021-05-21). Third oil worker dies from COVID-19 outbreak at Canadian Natural Resources' Alberta worksite. wsws.org The latest death was a man in his 60s, who had two children and seven grandchildren. He had been employed at the CNRL site as a pipefitter from late March.

Nitheesh Narayanan (2021-05-21). COVID-19 Has Unleashed Death and Dehumanization in India's Capital. counterpunch.org India's second COVID-19 wave has caused large-scale death and devastation leading to bodies piling up in overwhelmed hospitals and crematoriums, which have reached their breaking point. In front of the mortuary of Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, one of the biggest government hospitals in New Delhi, India, on May 5, the day starts with five bodies

Staff (2021-05-21). How to Save Lives in Jail During the Opioid Crisis. aclu.org Three million Americans currently suffer from Opioid Use Disorder, or an addiction to opioids. Today, adults between the ages of 25 and 44 are more than twice as likely to die from opioid overdose than from COVID-19. When we zoom in on the prison population, the numbers are even more jarring: 85 percent of people in prison or jail have some kind of substance use disorder, compared with 9 percent of the general population. Yet people who are incarcerated are less likely to get access to the care they need to treat their addiction. | Most prisons and jails don't let people take prescription medications like meth…

Ashley Curtin (2021-05-21). Sanders addresses health care workforce shortage under new bill Addressing the Shortage of Doctors Act. nationofchange.org The massive shortage was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Sanders said.

Zachary Conti (2021-05-21). IMF Proposes $50 Billion Vaccine Plan to End Pandemic and Boost Economy. indybay.org As worldwide COVID cases peak, IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva unveiled a $50 billion proposal to support vaccinations of 60% of the world's population. During a G20 and European Commission summit, Georgieva argued the global vaccine investment would end the pandemic and spur $9 trillion in economic gains by 2025.

imperial.ac.uk (2021-05-21). COVID-19 global vaccination programme: the challenges ahead. imperial.ac.uk Vaccine experts from around the world spoke about the challenges of the COVID-19 global rollout at a special webinar event.

Eve Ottenberg (2021-05-21). They're Crazy Down in Florida. counterpunch.org Some states were more reluctant than others to recognize the reality of covid. Florida has been in the vanguard of this indisposed cohort, which includes South Dakota, Texas and other red states. Florida governor Ron DeSantis recently signed a law prohibiting vaccine passports, invoking, as he did so, the good common sense of Floridians —

Mordechai Sones (2021-05-21). America's Frontline Doctors Files Motion for Temporary Restraining Order Against Use of COVID Vaccine in Children. globalresearch.ca America's Frontline Doctors …

WSWS (2021-05-21). Lifting of restrictions by German authorities sabotages vaccine progress. wsws.org The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed an average of about 200 lives per day over the past two months in Germany.

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2021-05-21). Fatigue, perceived cognitive impairment and mood disorders associated with post-COVID-19 syndrome. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org ROCHESTER, Minn. ?– Patients diagnosed with post-COVID-19 syndrome, also known as "PCS," "COVID-19 long-haul syndrome" and "Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS COV-2," experience symptoms such as mood disorders, fatigue and perceived cognitive impairment that can negatively affect returning to work and resuming normal activities, according to a Mayo Clinic study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. The …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2021-05-21). New CDC guidance for fully vaccinated adults. What does it mean? newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org On Thursday, May 13, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced updated COVID-19 guidance for masking for fully vaccinated people. For instance, fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a protective mask indoors at a movie theater, shopping center or restaurant. But this new guidance does not apply to health care settings. Mayo Clinic …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2021-05-21). Mayo Clinic Q and A: What is extracorporeal membrane oxygenation? newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My uncle was diagnosed with COVID-19, and his doctors mentioned the possibility of putting him on ECMO. What does this mean? ANSWER: A COVID-19 infection can lead to mild symptoms for many people, but for others, it can cause life-threatening lung failure. In cases like your uncle's, traditional life support measures, such as a …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2021-05-21). Mayo Clinic offers COVID-19 walk-in vaccine clinics in Minnesota. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Mayo Clinic in Rochester and at its Health System sites continue to offer patients, visitors and staff additional convenient opportunities to be vaccinated for COVID-19. All domestic and international patients, visitors and staff who want to be vaccinated for COVID-19 have a couple of opportunities to do so at walk-in clinics this week: Mayo Clinic …

Sophia N Nesamoney, Gary L Darmstadt, Paul H Wise (2021-05-22). [Correspondence] Gendered effects of COVID-19 on young girls in regions of conflict. thelancet.com The Series on Women's and Children's Health in Conflict Settings provides important guidance for addressing the health of women and children in areas of poor security and instability. However, we write to call special attention to the gender inequalities in areas of armed conflict and, in particular, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on young, school-age girls (aged 5—18 years).

John Zarocostas (2021-05-22). [World Report] What next for a COVID-19 intellectual property waiver? thelancet.com The USA has backed a waiver for intellectual property related to COVID-19 vaccines. What happens next? John Zarocostas reports from Geneva.

Nadine K Jawad, Lina Abu Taweeleh, Jad A Elharake, Nicole Khamis, Osaid Alser, Fatima M Karaki, Layla Aboukhater (2021-05-22). [Correspondence] Refugee access to COVID-19 vaccines in Lebanon. thelancet.com Lebanon is currently experiencing multiple unprecedented crises—political, infrastructural, and economic. The Beirut port explosion, in August, 2020, damaged 36% of health facilities.1 The Lebanese pound has lost 90% of its value, pushing more than half of the population into poverty.1 Complicating its desperate plight, Lebanon hosts the largest refugee population per capita in the world.2 The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this situation, leaving an ill-equipped health-care system overwhelmed.

WSWS (2021-05-22). Cricklewood depot bus drivers defend David O'Sullivan: "They want to make us into robotic slaves" wsws.org "Why do we have to place our lives on the line just to go to work? Why, when someone raises basic health and safety issues, are they threatened with the loss of their livelihood?"

Susan Jaffe (2021-05-22). [World Report] $6 ∑5 billion proposed for new US health research agency. thelancet.com The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health would fund high-risk, high-reward medical research, but its short-term planning could stymie basic research. Susan Jaffe reports.

Elizabeth McGeorge, Jo James, Nicola Abraham (2021-05-22). [Perspectives] The intergenerational project: creating space for play in health care. thelancet.com If you were to ask adults about their experiences of hospitals, laughter and joy would not be typical responses. Hospitalisation can adversely affect mental and physical wellbeing, especially for older adults. The hospital environment may evoke feelings of distress, boredom, and isolation and can be a risk factor for functional decline, subsequently leading to increased morbidity and mortality. While paediatric wards tempt children towards escapism into a land of play with dedicated play therapists and toys, older adults can experience hours spent passively in bland surroundings with fleeting health-focused encou…

Seilesh Kadambari, Monique Ingrid Andersson (2021-05-22). [Correspondence] Time to integrate congenital CMV testing into hearing screening for newborn babies. thelancet.com We congratulate the GBD Hearing Loss Collaborators for highlighting the magnitude of hearing loss as an important public health problem.1 Early detection of hearing loss in children can substantially improve their academic performance.2 Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common non-genetic and the only potentially treatable cause of sensorineural hearing loss; globally, it alone accounts for approximately 20% of moderate to profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss in children.3…

Sarah K Chynoweth, Monica A Onyango, Meghan C Gallagher, Sara E Casey (2021-05-22). [Correspondence] Women's and children's health in conflict settings: build on existing efforts. thelancet.com We commend the authors of the Lancet Series on Women's and Children's Health in Conflict Settings, particularly their call for greater political commitment to, and prioritisation of, women's and children's health (WCH) in conflict settings. At the same time, we are concerned about some of the claims and conclusions, including (1) a call for the formation of a new international technical advisory group with a mandate to critique and field-test a WCH framework,1 (2) that a priority predefined package of WCH services is not commonly agreed on and implemented in conflict settings,2 and (3) that there is no central re…

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2021-05-21). Talking to your children about vaccines. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expanding its emergency use authorization of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children 12-15 years. So parents and caregivers may be getting even more questions from children about whether vaccines are safe and how vaccines can help end the COVID-19 pandemic. Information in this article was contributed by Jennifer …

Eds. (2021-05-21). COVID-19: Like in Dante's 'Inferno', Indians are going through nine circles of hell. mronline.org Akin to how characters in Dante's poem paid for their sins in hell, Indians are paying with their lives during a pandemic for electing a government that is utterly incompetent and bigoted. | May 21, 2021…

Brenda Norrell (2021-05-21). Unauthorized COVID-19 tests given to Navajos, used in marketing campaign. indybay.org An unauthorized type of COVID-19 tests were given to Navajos and the information wad used in an online marketing campaign. The Navajo Council said the contract, which included services during First Lady Biden's visit, was never approved. Many Navajos are calling for a probe of how virus relief funds were distributed by the Navajo government.

Mark Gruenberg (2021-05-21). Workers' rights part of Poor People's Campaign 'Third Reconstruction' plan. peoplesworld.org

Binoy Kampmark (2021-05-21). Coronavirus Travels and Cruising with Viking. dissidentvoice.org It starts off as an exercise of anticipation. First comes the softening drinks and teasing morsels which find their mark. The audience at this promotions gig is well heeled, of an age where they have money to burn, but nowhere to burn it. They have not travelled on a luxurious prison of bliss for eighteen …

_____ (2021-05-21). New Report: Climate Harms to Health Are Widespread & Costly. popularresistance.org A new report NRDC published with partner groups today spotlights the enormous, often overlooked, and inequitable health and economic costs of climate change and air pollution from burning fossil fuels on the United States. This report, produced by the Medical Society Consortium on Climate & Health, Wisconsin Health Professionals for Climate Action, and NRDC focuses on the frequently ignored but profound public health problems and costs linked to the climate crisis.

PAI (2021-05-21). Latest CDC anti-virus guidance draws some union criticism. peoplesworld.org &nbsp…

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