(2021-07-17). Israel: Histadrut union federation kicks hospital workers' strike into the long grass as support grows. wsws.org The sellout of the strike comes as health care workers worldwide have struggled to prop up decaying capitalist health care systems that have been looted for decades, leaving them ill-prepared for a global pandemic.
(2021-07-17). [Editorial] COVID-19 in Africa: a lesson in solidarity. thelancet.com Many countries in Africa face a serious third wave of COVID-19 that is both larger and more burdensome on health systems than previous waves. This predictable turn of events has been driven by a morally reprehensible lack of vaccine equity (<1% of the population are fully vaccinated), leaving the continent vulnerable to new and more transmissible variants of the virus, behavioural and economic pandemic fatigue, and complacency. A lack of diagnostic capacity in some countries means the epidemiology of this current wave is uncertain, but South Africa, Namibia, and Zambia are reporting the highest numbers of new cas...
(2021-07-17). [Comment] In-hospital complications associated with COVID-19. thelancet.com As the COVID-19 pandemic persists globally,1 an emerging challenge is the shift from acute infection to the burden of long-term consequences resulting from the disease. Although a consensus terminology has not yet been reached,…
(2021-07-17). [Articles] Characterisation of in-hospital complications associated with COVID-19 using the ISARIC WHO Clinical Characterisation Protocol UK: a prospective, multicentre cohort study. thelancet.com Complications and worse functional outcomes in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 are high, even in young, previously healthy individuals. Acute complications are associated with reduced ability to self-care at discharge, with neurological complications being associated with the worst functional outcomes. COVID-19 complications are likely to cause a substantial strain on health and social care in the coming years. These data will help in the design and provision of services aimed at…
(2021-07-17). [Perspectives] When art mirrors planetary health. thelancet.com The future of the arts in many countries has been plunged into uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many museums and galleries have been closed for long periods and their funding hangs by a thread. Like other arts organisations, the planned exhibition schedule at Compton Verney in Warwickshire, UK, was thrown into disarray in 2020. It is therefore remarkable that Compton Verney has recently reopened with a poignant and moving exhibition that could not be more pertinent to COVID-19 and the plight of the planet, despite being conceived and commissioned in 2019.
(2021-07-17). [Department of Error] Department of Error. thelancet.com Haas EJ, Angulo FJ, McLaughlin JM, et al. Impact and effectiveness of mRNA BNT162b2 vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19 cases, hospitalisations, and deaths following a nationwide vaccination campaign in Israel: an observational study using national surveillance data. Lancet 2021; 397: 1819—29—In table 2 of this Article, the number of cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection in unvaccinated participants aged 45—64 years should have been 19‚Äà579; the incidence rates per 100‚Äà000 person-days should have been <0 ∑1 for COVID-19-related hospitalisation in...
(2021-07-17). Workers Struggles: Asia, Australia and New Zealand. wsws.org Sri Lanka education sector workers hold national strike; Pakistani health workers walkout for COVID-19 risk allowance; New Zealand midwives vote to strike.
(2021-07-17). Saturday 7/24: Pass M4A Now! San Francisco March & Rally for Medicare for All. indybay.org San Francisco: 1 Ferry Building at the Embarcadero Plaza…
(2021-07-17). CDC: 10,991 Dead, 551,172 Injuries Following COVID-19 Injections. globalresearch.ca The U.S. CDC released more data today in their Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), a
(2021-07-17). New vaccine platform invented by Mayo enters COVID-19 clinical trial. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org A Mayo Clinic lab member is purifying an adenovirus vector for preclinical testing. A novel single-cycle adenovirus vaccine platform developed by Mayo Clinic will be used to target multiple infectious diseases and cancer indications, beginning with a phase 1 clinical study using the platform as a vaccine for COVID-19. Developed to enhance the expression of target antigens, the single-cycle adenovirus platform is under investigation for its ability to amplify immune responses. In contrast to replication-defective…
(2021-07-17). Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: On the verge of predicted surge with COVID-19 delta variant. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org The delta variant is being blamed for hot spots in the U.S. where cases of COVID-19 are on the rise. These hot spots account for most cases in the U.S. They are also the geographical areas that tend to have the lowest vaccination rates. "It's no surprise that the two go together," says Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. "This (delta variant) is the bad actor that…
(2021-07-17). Stop the lifting of pandemic restrictions and the promotion of vaccine nationalism! wsws.org The Pennsylvania Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee condemns the lifting of public health measures necessary to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and the promotion of vaccine nationalism.
(2021-07-17). Mayo Clinic Q and A: COVID-19 vaccination and precautions. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I am due to get my second dose of COVID-19 vaccine in a few weeks. I understand this is an important step for me and my community, but I'm unsure what guidelines I should follow. Some of my friends are traveling, and they seem to have thrown all caution to the wind. What can I expect after being vaccinated for COVID-19, both physically and when in public? ANSWER: It is completely normal to have…
(2021-07-17). Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: The new work-life balancing act. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org The COVID-19 pandemic has altered the way people work. As vaccination rates increase, some people are returning to the office. But many companies have opted to keep their employees working from home permanently. This change has positive and negative side effects, including the mental health aspects of working from home. "Any time there are changes, it can be challenging for people, particularly when you're not used to working from home," says Dr. Greg Couser, a…
(2021-07-17). Expert Alert: Mayo Clinic experts available to comment on Olympics. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic experts are available to offer comments throughout the Olympics on everything from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on training and competition to injuries that athletes may be dealing with. Here is a sampling: Chad Asplund, M.D.Dr. Asplund is a primary care sports medicine physician. He can discuss endurance sports, rhabdomyolysis, heat injury, sleep and athletic performance. Elijah Behr, M.D.Dr. Behr is a cardiologist at Mayo Clinic Healthcare in London…
(2021-07-17). Mayo Clinic Healthcare in London adds cardiology, gastroenterology, lung care. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org LONDON — Mayo Clinic Healthcare, an outpatient clinic that provides personalized health care ranging from preventive screenings and tailored wellness plans to second opinions for complex diagnoses, is adding several medical specialties including cardiology, gastroenterology and pulmonary medicine. Dr. G. Anton Decker, president of Mayo Clinic International The clinic, located at 15 Portland Place in the Harley Street Medical Area in London, also serves as a gateway to Mayo Clinic's roughly 4,000 physicians in the…
(2021-07-16). Do Black People Have the Right to Bear Arms? aclu.org With 233 mass shootings so far this year, the issue of gun violence in the U.S. is all too familiar. Tragic events like the Pulse nightclub and Parkland shootings go from being media spectacles to quotidian events at an alarming rate in a country that often heralds the Second Amendment above meaningful safety for all its citizens. The vigilantism of widespread gun ownership puts Black Americans in an especially vulnerable position given the brutality and human cost of discriminatory policing. | The gun violence epidemic continues to spark debate about the Second Amendment and who has a right to bear arms. But…
(2021-07-16). Headlines for July 16, 2021. democracynow.org COVID-19 Cases Rise in Nearly Every U.S. State as Delta Variant Becomes Dominant, Surgeon General Calls on Social Media Giants to Stop Spread of Anti-Vaccine Misinformation, Coronavirus Infections Continue Exponential Rise in Southeast Asia and Africa, German Chancellor Confronted over Blocking Patent Waiver for COVID-19 Vaccines, WHO Warns 23 Million Children Missed Vaccinations in 2020 Due to Pandemic, 110 Dead, 1,300 Missing as Once-in-a-Century Flooding Hits Germany and Belgium, Smoke Blankets Much of North America as Western Wildfires Grow in Size, Research Shows Parts of Amazon Rainforest Now Emit More Gree…
(2021-07-16). Estimating the early impact of vaccination against COVID-19 on deaths among elderly people in Brazil: Analyses of routinely-collected data on vaccine coverage and mortality. thelancet.com Background: Vaccination against COVID-19 in Brazil started in January 2021, with health workers and the elderly as the priority groups. We assessed whether there was an impact of vaccinations on the mortality of elderly individuals in a context of wide transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 gamma (P.1) variant.Methods: By May 15, 2021, 238,414 COVID-19 deaths had been reported to the Brazilian Mortality Information System. Denominators for mortality rates were calculated by correcting population estimates for all-cause deaths reported in 2020.
(2021-07-16). Thursday 7/15: Rally: Tell Germany to Stop Blocking Global COVID-19 Vaccines at the WTO! indybay.org San Francisco German Consulate ‚Ä¢ 1960 Jackson St, San Francisco, CA 94109…
(2021-07-16). Los Angeles County brings back mask mandate, regardless of vaccine status, after rise in Covid-19 cases. rt.com 
The lifting of Covid-19 restrictions in Los Angeles was short-lived, as the county government has reimposed an indoor mask mandate, even for vaccinated residents, after an increase in new infections. | Just one month after California's reopening, the county Public Health Department said on Thursday that masks will again be required indoors, effective from Saturday. New Covid-19 cases in the most populous US county last week
(2021-07-16). Free the vaccine: Protests greet German chancellor Angela Merkel on US visit. peoplesdispatch.org 
Demonstrations calling for Germany to stop blocking patent waiver for COVID-19 vaccines were held in the US capital, Washington DC, among other places, as German chancellor Angela Merkel made an official visit to the US to meet president Joe Biden…
(2021-07-16). Doctors for COVID Ethics: Halt Use of Pfizer COVID Vaccines in Adolescents 'Immediately'. globalresearch.ca
(2021-07-16). Republican Reich or GOP Clown Car? The 2024 Race Heats Up Early. counterpunch.org You knew Florida governor Ron DeSantis has presidential ambitions, right? What gave it away — his law banning vaccine passports a couple of months back? His dislike for masks to protect from covid? Or when he signed a law against alleged censorship of conservatives by Big Tech? Or maybe it was his June 25 announcement
(2021-07-16). Act now to provide COVID-19 vaccines for all: ECOSOC President. news.un.org Ensuring COVID-19 vaccines for all will be critical if the world is to defeat the pandemic, the President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Munir Akram, said on Friday in his address to the closing its high-level segment.
(2021-07-16). 'This Is Sickening': Forest Defender Joanna Stuchburry Shot to Death in Kenya. commondreams.org "As Africa is now facing its third and biggest Covid wave so far, it is getting left behind in the race for vaccine doses," said the head of UNAIDS. "This vaccine apartheid is unacceptable."
(2021-07-16). Expert Evidence Regarding Comirnaty (Pfizer) COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine for Children. globalresearch.ca …
(2021-07-16). Maine Leads US in Becoming First State to Ban 'Forever Chemicals' in Products. commondreams.org "As Africa is now facing its third and biggest Covid wave so far, it is getting left behind in the race for vaccine doses," said the head of UNAIDS. "This vaccine apartheid is unacceptable."
(2021-07-16). Experts Warn of 'Huge Risk' as Moderna Launches COVID Vaccine Trials for Pregnant Women. globalresearch.ca
(2021-07-16). Pfizer Is Upholding Global Vaccine Apartheid. zcomm.org Today We Risk Arrest to Stop It…
(2021-07-16). Rich Nations Hoard Enough Extra Vaccines for All African Adults as Continent's Crisis Intensifies. commondreams.org Minority rule has metastasized like a cancer and is now pervasive throughout the US political system.
(2021-07-16). 'This Summit Was a Failure': Biden-Merkel Meeting Ends With No Deal on Vaccine Patent Waiver. commondreams.org "It is never acceptable for us to use cruelty as a point of leverage against every day people."
(2021-07-16). Guide to safe grilling practices. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org The July Fourth holiday weekend often means gatherings. Keep your gathering safe by following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's COVID-19 guidance for activities. If you are looking forward to a weekend cookout, make sure to keep foodborne bacteria and germs off your guest list. Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse, a Mayo Clinic pediatric infectious diseases physician, says warmer temperatures are when foodborne germs thrive and illnesses peak. Watch: Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse talks about safe grilling practices. www.youtube.com/watch?v=19v4oRLW-hw&… Journalists: Broadcast-quality sound bites are…
(2021-07-16). Interdisciplinarity will help 'prepare for future pandemics'. imperial.ac.uk Governments, scientists and universities need to prepare now for unknown infectious disease threats, argue Professors Jake Baum and Charles Bangham.
(2021-07-16). As Right-Wing Misinformation Spreads, CDC Laments 'Pandemic of the Unvaccinated'. commondreams.org As apex predators, sharks are crucial in the maintenance of oceanic ecosystems.
(2021-07-16). Across the globe, health workers push back against informalization, austerity and poor conditions. peoplesdispatch.org Doctors have been applauded as heroes during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the working conditions of many physicians, especially junior doctors in the Global South, have been on the decline for years, leading to an increase in discontent and protests…
(2021-07-16). One pandemic fuels another: US overdose deaths hit all time high in 2020 with 93,000 dead. wsws.org The new figures have shocked public health experts, including professionals who have been tracking drug overdose trends for decades.