(2021-01-23). 'Overpromise and Under Deliver': Netizens Rap Biden for Saying COVID Trajectory 'Cannot be Changed'. sputniknews.com Democrat Joe Biden, who campaigned ahead of the 2020 presidential election on a vow to make COVID-19 relief a top priority ostensibly in divergence from the Trump administration's pandemic response, which he had slammed as ineffectual, signed a slew of executive orders on his first day in office as POTUS to combat the ongoing health crisis.
(2021-01-23). Spain's rich and powerful secretly monopolised COVID-19 vaccines. wsws.org The ruling class orders workers and youth back to work and school, knowing thousands will get sick and die, knowing they can illegally obtain the vaccine for themselves.
(2021-01-23). [World Report] CEPI criticised for lack of transparency. thelancet.com The publicly funded epidemic response agency CEPI has been criticised for the lack of transparency in its grant agreements with COVID-19 vaccine developers. Ann Danaiya Usher reports.
(2021-01-23). [Obituary] Suhaila Siddiq. thelancet.com Afghan Public Health Minister, surgeon, and lieutenant general. Born in Kabul, Afghanistan, she died there on Dec 4, 2020, after reportedly contracting COVID-19. She was believed to be in her early 80s.
(2021-01-23). [Correspondence] Neuropathology associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. thelancet.com We believe that many of the key findings described in the Correspondence by Claus Hann von Weyhern and colleagues1 should be interpreted differently. The exact nature of CNS involvement in COVID-19 is not only of fundamental importance for our understanding of the disease, but might have substantial consequences in directing clinical efforts to achieve better patient management in the future. Thus, observations about CNS inflammation as described by von Weyhern and colleagues will cause a great stir among biomedical scientists and clinicians if proven to be correct.
(2021-01-23). [Correspondence] Reaffirming health and safety precautionary principles for COVID-19 in the UK. thelancet.com In their case for a sustainable UK strategy for COVID-19, Deepti Gurdasani and colleagues1 recommend "restoration of an adequate health and safety inspectorate". We do not believe that the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) should, like Public Health England, be made a scapegoat for lack of ministerial direction2 but rather that the HSE should be restored the wherewithal to fulfil its mandate.
(2021-01-23). [Editorial] COVID-19: the intersection of education and health. thelancet.com What lessons does the COVID-19 syndemic offer when considering the convergence between health and education? The International Day of Education, on Jan 24, provides an opportunity to reflect on the weaknesses of the education system before COVID-19, and on the impact of school closures and education disruptions on children and adolescents. Since March, 2020, more than 1 ∑5 billion students worldwide—an unprecedented number—have been affected by school or university closures. The implications of these closures are enormous.
(2021-01-23). [Comment] Offline: The danger of unreliable narrators. thelancet.com "We can see the way out", ran the headline in last week's Sunday Express. Governments across Europe are increasingly optimistic. Ministers are looking visibly more relaxed. US President Joe Biden is now in the White House and he is serious about science, unlike his predecessor. Vaccines are being delivered at scale. Claims are now being confidently made that all adults in the UK will have been vaccinated by June or September, 2021. Although other countries have been slower to start, they will catch up.
(2021-01-23). [World Report] South Africa responds to new SARS-CoV-2 variant. thelancet.com Land borders have been closed and restrictions continue as a new variant stresses the health system. Munyaradzi Makoni reports.
(2021-01-23). [Correspondence] Considering dose in pharmacological therapies for heart failure. thelancet.com Muthiah Vaduganathan and colleagues'1 analysis was insightful in contextualising the potential benefits observed in trials for the medical treatment of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). A noted shortcoming of the analysis was not accounting for the role of the dose of disease-modifying medication in the disease course of HFrEF. Vaduganathan and colleagues1 correctly identified the CHAMP-HF,2 QUALIFY,3 and CHECK-HF4 registries as evidence of the underuse of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) and angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitors, but they also attributed the stagnation in HF…
(2021-01-23). [Correspondence] Causal ordering among risk factors in the PURE study. thelancet.com Salim Yusuf and colleagues'1 findings on the heterogeneity of risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries are important. However, hazard ratios (HRs) and population-attributable fractions (PAFs) need to account for causal ordering among risk factors.2,3 PAFs calculated by use of HRs from regression models that include all risk factors simultaneously violate the principle that causation occurs in sequential steps. The calculated HR is what is left over after adjusting for risk factors that are, at least partly, on the causal pathway leading to cardiov…
(2021-01-23). Kenyan health professionals continue strike after governors refuse to sign agreement. peoplesdispatch.org Kenya's nurses and clinical officers continue to be on strike as the second tier of government – the Council of Governors – has not signed the return to work formula agreed upon by the unions and the country's health ministry…
(2021-01-22). Brazil's Lula Thanks Venezuela for Sending Oxygen to Manaus. telesurenglish.net Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Friday thanked the Venezuelan government for sending medical oxygen to Manaus, an Amazonian city that is severely hit by the COVID-19 second wave. | RELATED: | "I want to thank President Nicolas Maduro for his political greatness in the face of Manaus' health emergency," Lula wrote in a letter addressed to the Venezuelan government. | "The Brazilian people will not forget this gesture of s…
(2021-01-22). Lockdown loneliness led to an increase in anxiety and depression in people over 50. thecanary.co Older people's mental health declined during the Covid-19 lockdowns as their loneliness contributed to a rise in anxiety and depression, according to a study. | Researchers at the University of Exeter and King's College London studied data from more than 3,000 people aged over 50. | They said loneliness emerged as a key factor linked to worsening symptoms of depression and anxiety. | And a decrease in physical activity since the start of the pandemic was also associated with worsening symptoms of depression and anxiety. Women were also more likely to be struggling with their mental health, as were retired people.
(2021-01-22). Boris Johnson faces 'mother of all arguments' over Covid restrictions next month. thecanary.co 
Boris Johnson faces the "mother of all arguments" next month when he comes under pressure to loosen the lockdown while the NHS remains seriously stretched, a government adviser has predicted.Professor David Spiegelhalter, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), warned that intensive care units will still be strained even as deaths drop significantly.A large number of Tory backbenchers are likely to be among those heaping pressure on the Prime Minister at that point to ease England's third national lockdown.(PA Graphics)Spiegelhalter said "the benefits of the vaccine" will begin being see…
(2021-01-22). WHO vaccine chief says 'crushing transmission' of Covid-19 is vital to avoid further mutations amid global vaccine roll-out. rt.com 
The global transmission of Covid-19 must be drastically curbed to ensure that the virus does not mutate further, potentially undermining the current deployment of vaccines, a World Health Organization (WHO) expert said on Friday. | The agency's immunization and vaccines chief, Professor Katherine O'Brien, said she wanted to emphasize the "importance of really crushing transmission" of the virus in order to guarantee the "maximum impact" of vaccines. | "The risk of variants relative to the vaccines is ever greater when the transmission is very high in communities," she told a WHO media briefing on Friday. | Not…
(2021-01-22). Swedish health agency investigates after 1,000 people receive Moderna vaccine kept at too low a temperature. rt.com 
Around 1,000 Swedes have received Moderna Covid-19 shots that were kept too cold while being transported, the company in charge of deliveries, Apoteket AB, said on Friday. | A total of 2,100 doses of the US-made vaccine that were kept too cold in transit have been delivered to the regions of Gävleborg, Halland, Värmland, Dalarna, and Östergötland, a government spokesperson said. | The Swedish Public Health Agency has said there is no risk to those given the Moderna vaccine, but it has halted the rollout and is investigating whether keeping doses too cold may affect the vaccine's efficacy.
(2021-01-22). EU Commission, member states 'deeply dissatisfied' with AstraZeneca after revelation of delayed vaccine delivery. rt.com 
AstraZeneca has warned the EU's executive that there will be delays to its delivery of Covid-19 vaccines in the first three months of the year, prompting the bloc's health commissioner to express "deep dissatisfaction." | In a series of tweets late Friday, EU Commissioner for Health Stella Kyriakides said the delays had been revealed by representatives for the British-Swedish pharma firm earlier that day "compared to the forecast for the first quarter of this year." | "The EU Commission and Member States expressed deep dissatisfaction with this," she added. | We insisted on a precise delivery schedule on the b…
(2021-01-22). Healthier world means 'safer America' Tedros stresses, as UN-led vaccine initiative announces deal for 40 million doses. news.un.org The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday announced the signing of an advance purchase agreement securing up to 40 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine, under the UN-led COVAX equitable vaccine supply programme.
(2021-01-22). The Brazilian COVID-19 Strain Might Be Present in Peru. telesurenglish.net Peru's Regional Health Director Carlos Calampa reported the identification of suspected cases of the COVID-19 strain originated in Manaos (Brazil). The new strain is independent of those recorded in the United Kingdom and South Africa. | RELATED: | Calampa pointed out that there were no doubts in terms of clinical diagnose due to the accelerated increase in COVID-19 cases with similar characteristics to those report…
(2021-01-22). Media Elevate Eugenicists, sideline disabled voices in discussions of Covid rationing. mronline.org 
In the sticky conversations around rationing life-saving treatments and vaccines during the Covid pandemic, corporate media have elevated some experts without disclosing their troubling views on disability, aging and the value of human life. Meanwhile, media outlets have largely sidelined the voices of disabled activists and others who could speak on behalf of those most …
(2021-01-22). Wisconsin Nursing Home Staff Laid Off for Declining COVID-19 Vaccine. anti-empire.com 
Employees at a Janesville nursing home risk losing their job if they do not take the COVID-19 vaccine, a policy that has caused outrage among many staff members. | Officials at Rock Haven, a Rock County-owned facility, issued a memo in December telling employees that the vaccine was "a requirement for all staff" and that employees who failed to get the vaccine would be laid off. A copy of the memo was obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel through an open records request. | According to the memo, a laid-off employee will not be eligible to return to work until they complete the two-dose vaccine regimen. | Roc…
(2021-01-22). Why is Thanathorn Complaining about Affordable Medicine? thealtworld.com US-backed opposition leader and billionaire Thanathorn has attacked the Thai government's response to COVID-19 and its hesitation to rush into a vaccine campaign.
(2021-01-22). Pandemic will not end for anyone, 'until it ends for everyone'. news.un.org The COVID-19 pandemic "will not end for anyone, until it ends for everyone", an independent UN human rights expert said on Friday, advocating for an equitable and globally-coordinated vaccine distribution programme.
(2021-01-22). Vaccination of Politicians Sparks Outrage in Spain. telesurenglish.net Although Spanish politicians and high-ranking officials are not part of the groups with a preference to receive COVID-19 vaccines, some of them have been vaccinated by dodging the order of precedence. This discovery has sparked a growing controversy in Spain about the ethics of its leaders. | RELATED: | "In less than 48 hours, three public officials have resigned for 'jumping the queue' for vaccines," the local outlet…
(2021-01-22). 'Deeply Alarming': AstraZeneca Charging South Africa More Than Double What Europeans Pay for Covid-19 Vaccine. commondreams.org "This is the problem when you have essential medicines in the hands of big business, with almost no transparency as to pricing." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2021-01-22). Mali To Start COVID-19 Vaccination With Support From COVAX. telesurenglish.net On Friday, Mali's Ministry of Health announced that the COVID-19 vaccination campaign begins in April as the government plans to acquire 8.4 million doses. | RELATED: | The authorities explained that health workers, the elderly, and those with comorbidities would be prioritized. The government will carry out the immunization with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, which will arrive in the country by the end of March. | We're proud to release a report…
(2021-01-22). Over 1,200 Adverse Events in US From Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine. telesurenglish.net Over 1,200 adverse events were reported after receipt of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine as of Jan. 10, with 10 cases determined to be anaphylaxis, according to a report released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday. | RELATED: | The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an Emergency Use Authorization for Moderna COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 18, 2020, administered in 2 doses, one month apart, to prevent COVI…
(2021-01-22). Corporatization of Canada's virtual health services part of broader privatization drive. wsws.org Telecommunications giant Telus is exploiting desperate patients who lack timely access to healthcare services, the need for social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, and rising chronic illness to significantly expand its presence in the health care sector.
(2021-01-22). WHO Finally Admits COVID-19 PCR Test Has a 'Problem'. globalresearch.ca In an "inauguration" of its own while Joe Biden was being sworn into office, the World Health Organization (WHO) Even though they've been widely used across the U.S. …
(2021-01-22). Case of the South African SARS-CoV-2 Strain Detected in Cuba. telesurenglish.net Based on the border protocols for the pandemic's surveillance and control, the variant was detected in an asymptomatic traveler, the scientist confirmed. | Guzmán specified that the patient and his contacts were isolated and showed no symptoms of the infectious disease. | RELATED: | According to Guzman, it cannot be assured, nor discarded, that the increase of COVID-19 cases in the country is due to the establishmen…
(2021-01-22). Czech Republic reports 2nd outbreak of highly infectious H5N8 bird flu in a week. rt.com 
The Czech Republic has reported its second H5N8 bird flu outbreak in as many days after not seeing any for nearly a year, its State Veterinary Administration said on Friday. | Around half of a flock of 30 birds died in the outbreak at a poultry farm in the Tabor region, 99 kilometers south of the capital Prague, which officials said was probably contracted from wild ducks at a nearby pond. | All poultry at the farm will be slaughtered, while vets have set up three- and 10-kilometer exclusion zones within which a series of health measures will be imposed, including banning poultry exports. | The infection follo…
(2021-01-22). Coronavirus hits labor movement: Union numbers down, density up. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—The galloping spread of the coronavirus plague took its toll on U.S. unions in 2020, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. But in a paradox, while union membership declined in its annual report, union density rose by 0.5%, to 10.8% in 2020. That's because as the economy tanked to try to prevent the disease's spread, …
(2021-01-22). Complex Life Threatened. counterpunch.org 
Throughout the world, scientists are speaking out like never before. They're talking about an emergency situation of the health of the planet threatening "complex life," including, by default, human life. It's scary stuff. On this subject, America's green NGOs prefer to address the danger by sticking to a middle ground, don't scare people, too much
(2021-01-22). Can US Workers Be Dismissed for Refusing to Be Vaxxed? globalresearch.ca According to Law Professor Dorit Reiss: | "Requiring a vaccine is a health and safety work rule, and employers can" fire noncompliant staff. | Attorney David Betras explained that "workplace vaccination requirements aren't new, and they passed constitutional muster long ago," …
(2021-01-22). 30 Kinds Of Hunting, Fishing Deaths and Injuries. indybay.org Accidents and diseases resulting from killing animals, birds, fishes…
(2021-01-22). Hungary, Russia Sign Agreement on Sputnik V Coronavirus Vaccine Deliveries, Foreign Minister Says. sputniknews.com MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Hungary and Russia have signed an agreement on Russia's coronavirus vaccine deliveries, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said on Friday.
(2021-01-22). McConnell Pans Biden's 'Big Steps in Wrong Direction', Warns Over 'Failed Approach' to Immigration. sputniknews.com On his first full day in office, US President Joe Biden acted upon his campaign promises to reverse a spate of policies implemented by his predecessor Donald Trump, signing executive orders to tear up the the Keystone XL oil pipeline permit, rejoining the World Health Organisation and bringing the US back to the fold of the Paris Climate Accord.
(2021-01-22). National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative — Category II, Treatment and Service Adaptation (TSA) Centers. grants.gov SM-21-009 | Funding Opportunity ID: | 330775 | Opportunity Number: | SM-21-009 | Opportunity Title: | National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative — Category II, Treatment and Service Adaptation (TSA) Centers | Opportunity Category: | Discretionary | Opportunity Category Explanation: | Funding Instrument Type: | Grant | Category of Funding Activity: | Health | Category Explanation: | CFDA Number(s): | 93.243 | Eligible Applicants: | Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification) | Additional Information on Eligibility: | Eligib…
(2021-01-22). CNN Dishonestly Claims That The West Is Victimized By Chinese Anti-Vaxx Disinfo. oneworld.press The Global Times is doing a global service by raising awareness about fatal medical incidents associated with foreign vaccines which many in the West might not have been aware of until they read those articles. Although Griffiths proves that the deaths in question "were reported on by CNN, among numerous US media outlets", those platforms don't have an exclusive monopoly on reporting and shouldn't claim that their Chinese counterparts reporting on the same is akin to "disinformation".
(2021-01-22). Restoring our water systems should be top priority for Biden administration. nationofchange.org Healthy rivers can no longer be separated into the "nice-to-have" column of environmental progress.
(2021-01-22). Union Membership Byte 2021. cepr.net The union membership rate rose by 0.5 percentage point to 10.8 percent in 2020, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports today. Figure 1 There were marked upswings in the unionization rate across sectors, in a year otherwise marked by staggering job loss and a global health crisis. While the number of union members declined, the …
(2021-01-22). Regulation of Brain Regional and Cell Type Specific Proteome Dynamics in Aging and Alzheimer's Disease (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed). grants.gov RFA-AG-21-033 | Funding Opportunity ID: | 330781 | Opportunity Number: | RFA-AG-21-033 | Opportunity Title: | Regulation of Brain Regional and Cell Type Specific Proteome Dynamics in Aging and Alzheimer's Disease (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | Opportunity Category: | Discretionary | Opportunity Category Explanation: | Funding Instrument Type: | Grant | Category of Funding Activity: | Health | Category Explanation: | CFDA Number(s): | 93.866 | Eligible Applicants: | State governments | County governments | City or township governments | Special district governments | Indepe…
(2021-01-22). BJA FY 21 Upholding the Rule of Law and Preventing Wrongful Convictions Site Based and Training and Technical Assistance Program. grants.gov O-BJA-2021-60001 | Funding Opportunity ID: | 330784 | Opportunity Number: | O-BJA-2021-60001 | Opportunity Title: | BJA FY 21 Upholding the Rule of Law and Preventing Wrongful Convictions Site Based and Training and Technical Assistance Program | Opportunity Category: | Discretionary | Opportunity Category Explanation: | Funding Instrument Type: | Cooperative Agreement | Category of Funding Activity: | Affordable Care Act | Category Explanation: | CFDA Number(s): | 16.746 | Eligible Applicants: | State governments | City or township governments | Special district governments…
(2021-01-22). Priority HIV/AIDS Research within the Mission of the NIDDK (R01 Clinical Trial Optional). grants.gov PAS-21-031 | Funding Opportunity ID: | 330783 | Opportunity Number: | PAS-21-031 | Opportunity Title: | Priority HIV/AIDS Research within the Mission of the NIDDK (R01 Clinical Trial Optional) | Opportunity Category: | Discretionary | Opportunity Category Explanation: | Funding Instrument Type: | Grant | Category of Funding Activity: | Food and Nutrition | Health | Category Explanation: | CFDA Number(s): | 93.847 | Eligible Applicants: | State governments | County governments | City or township governments | Special district governments | Independent school districts | Public…
(2021-01-22). Farmers' Protests Reflect Existential Crisis of Indian Agriculture. counterpunch.org With over 800 million people, rural India is arguably the most interesting and complex place on the planet but is plagued by farmer suicides, child malnourishment, growing unemployment, increased informalisation, indebtedness and an overall collapse of agriculture. Given that India is still an agrarian-based society, renowned journalist P Sainath says what is taking place can be described
(2021-01-22). BJA FY 21 Tribal Civil and Criminal Legal Assistance Program. grants.gov O-BJA-2021-51003 | Funding Opportunity ID: | 330760 | Opportunity Number: | O-BJA-2021-51003 | Opportunity Title: | BJA FY 21 Tribal Civil and Criminal Legal Assistance Program | Opportunity Category: | Discretionary | Opportunity Category Explanation: | Funding Instrument Type: | Grant | Category of Funding Activity: | Affordable Care Act | Category Explanation: | CFDA Number(s): | 16.815 | Eligible Applicants: | Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education | Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibili…
(2021-01-22). BJA FY 21 Safeguarding Correctional Facilities and Public Safety by Addressing Contraband Cellphones Program. grants.gov O-BJA-2021-52001 | Funding Opportunity ID: | 330770 | Opportunity Number: | O-BJA-2021-52001 | Opportunity Title: | BJA FY 21 Safeguarding Correctional Facilities and Public Safety by Addressing Contraband Cellphones Program | Opportunity Category: | Discretionary | Opportunity Category Explanation: | Funding Instrument Type: | Grant | Category of Funding Activity: | Affordable Care Act | Category Explanation: | CFDA Number(s): | 16.844 | Eligible Applicants: | State governments | County governments | City or township governments | Native American tribal governments (Federally…
(2021-01-22). FY 2021 Julia Taft Refugee Fund, U.S. Embassy Kinshasa. grants.gov AF-DRC-FY21-POL-01 | Funding Opportunity ID: | 330779 | Opportunity Number: | AF-DRC-FY21-POL-01 | Opportunity Title: | FY 2021 Julia Taft Refugee Fund, U.S. Embassy Kinshasa | Opportunity Category: | Discretionary | Opportunity Category Explanation: | Funding Instrument Type: | Grant | Category of Funding Activity: | Other (see text field entitled "Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity" for clarification) | Category Explanation: | WASH, Social services, Income generating activities, Education, Health, Vocational training | CFDA Number(s): | 19.517 | Eligible Applican…
(2021-01-22). Pilot and Feasibility Studies to Facilitate the Use of Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support to Improve Diabetes Care (R34 Clinical Trial Required). grants.gov RFA-DK-20-032 | Funding Opportunity ID: | 330761 | Opportunity Number: | RFA-DK-20-032 | Opportunity Title: | Pilot and Feasibility Studies to Facilitate the Use of Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support to Improve Diabetes Care (R34 Clinical Trial Required) | Opportunity Category: | Discretionary | Opportunity Category Explanation: | Funding Instrument Type: | Grant | Category of Funding Activity: | Food and Nutrition | Health | Category Explanation: | CFDA Number(s): | 93.847 | Eligible Applicants: | State governments | County governments | City or township governmen…