(2021-01-30). Congress Took on Vital Health Issues in Last Month's Massive Spending Bill. truthout.org 
This story also ran on Late last month, before President Joe Biden took office and proposed his pandemic relief plan, Congress passed a nearly 5,600-page legislative…
(2021-01-30). Little-Known Federal Volunteer Unit Remains Underutilized for Mass Vaccinations. truthout.org 
In theory, Alice Weisz retired in 2016. But in practice, the retired endocrinologist in Virginia Beach has had a busy year. Last January, as Covid-19 reached the U.S., Weisz volunteered to help the local health department field phone calls. By late spring, she was sliding swabs up people's nostrils at drive-through Covid-19 testing sites. | In the fall, Weisz administered flu shots. And earlier this month, she found herself in the vacant ambulance bay of a Virginia Beach emergency medical…
(2021-01-30). Health workers, students and teachers rise up for their rights in Greece. peoplesdispatch.org Health workers demanded fresh investment in the sector to combat the pandemic while students and teachers opposed the deployment of security forces on university campuses…
(2021-01-30). Ranks of workers receiving unemployment insurance grows in January. fightbacknews.org San José, CA – The broadest measure of unemployment insurance, which includes the regular state unemployment insurance or UI, the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance or PUA, the federal Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation or PEUC, as well as the state Extended Benefits or EB rose in the first week of January by 2.3 million people to a total of 18.3 million people. While down from its peak in April, it is still nine times as high as it was a year ago before the recession began, according to the weekly report by the U.S. Department of Labor released on Thursday, January 28. | Part of the bounce in une…
(2021-01-30). The failings of our unemployment insurance system are there by design. mronline.org 
Our unemployment insurance system has failed the country at a moment of great need. With tens of millions of workers struggling just to pay rent and buy food, Congress was forced to pass two emergency spending bills, providing one-time stimulus payments, special weekly unemployment insurance payments, and temporary unemployment benefits to those not covered by …
(2021-01-30). Covid-19: Iran says locally produced vaccine effective against UK variant. middleeasteye.net 
Covid-19: Iran says locally produced vaccine effective against UK variant | Meanwhile, Tehran sets new rules requiring travellers from Europe to self-quarantine for two weeks after testing negative upon arrival | Sat, 01/30/2021 – 13: 45 | A health worker in Iran prepares an injection during the first trial phase of a locally made vaccine for the Covid-19 coronavirus disease in Tehran on 29 December 2020 (AFP)…
(2021-01-30). US imposes federal mask mandate on all forms of public transportation from February 1. rt.com 
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has ordered Americans to wear masks on all forms of public transport, including airplanes, trains, and buses. They also must remain masked up in airports and bus terminals. | Starting from February 1, people in the US must wear masks on planes, trains, subways, buses, taxis, ships, and ferries. They must do the same in transportation hubs, including airports, train stations, and bus terminals. | Transportation companies and personnel were instructed to deny service to maskless passengers and to otherwise enforce the new rules. | The CDC said that surgical…
(2021-01-30). Iran COVID-19 update: 82 deaths, 6,317 cases in 24 hours. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Jan. 30 (MNA) — The Iranian Health Ministry has confirmed 6,317 COVID-19 infections and 82 deaths due to the disease in the past 24 hours.
(2021-01-30). [Editorial] Health and care workers are owed a better future. thelancet.com It has been a traumatic and testing year for the health and care workforce globally. In recognition of their contribution and struggles during the pandemic response, WHO has designated 2021 as the International Year of Health and Care Workers. This campaign highlights the need for investment in health workforce readiness, education, and learning to manage the COVID-19 pandemic, to maintain health services, and to prepare for vaccine roll-outs. A call for action on behalf of the health-care workforce is welcome.
(2021-01-30). [World Report] Health experts slam Bolsonaro's vaccine comments. thelancet.com Brazil has begun COVID-19 vaccinations, but health experts are having to boost confidence following the president's remarks. Joe Parkin Daniels reports.
(2021-01-30). [Comment] Offline: The case for No-COVID. thelancet.com As many countries continue to struggle with a third wave of COVID-19—Hong Kong is suffering its fourth wave and is contemplating a fifth and sixth—all governments and public health authorities will need to remain open to new ideas for controlling the pandemic. This past week, Ilona Kickbusch, founding director of the Global Health Centre at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, shared a proposal being widely discussed in Germany. The approach devised by a group of clinicians and academics, which in addition to Kickbusch includes Melanie Brinkmann, Michael Hallek, M…
(2021-01-30). 'Mafia-Like EU 'Cocked up Big Time' Over 'Trumpian' Move to Block COVID Jabs From Entering UK. sputniknews.com Earlier, Brussels introduced export controls on COVID-19 vaccines, affecting countries like the UK, US, Canada, and Australia, while temporarily overriding Brexit deal terms enabling goods to flow across the Northern Irish border, only to swiftly backtrack on what was branded by Northern Ireland as an "incredible act of hostility."
(2021-01-30). 'Greatest Crisis Since World War II': EU Struggles With COVID Vaccine Roll-Out Amid Shortages. sputniknews.com Earlier, the European Union slapped restrictions on exports of COVID-19 inoculations outside the bloc amid an escalating vaccine trade war with Great Britain, as Brussels found itself under fire over the slow pace of delivery to the 27 member-states, while post-Brexit UK was making impressive immunisation strides.
(2021-01-30). Algeria starts COVID-19 vaccination campaign. yenisafak.com Algeria has started its vaccination campaign against the coronavirus pandemic on Saturday, according to local media.State-run television aired images of a health worker being vaccinated in the southern Blida province, an epicenter of the COVID-19 virus."Blida was chosen in a symbol move at the start of the vaccination campaign since the province was the first epicenter of the pandemic last March," Health Minister Abderrahmane Benbouzid told a press conference.Jamal Fourar, the head of the anti-virus national committee, said the months-long vaccination campaign aims to vaccinate around 80% of the country's 44 mill…
(2021-01-30). Iran authorizes use of Russian COVID-19 vaccine. yenisafak.com Iranian envoy to Moscow Kazem Jalali said Saturday that the second consignment of the Russian vaccine will reach Iran by the end of February.In the second phase, the vaccine will be jointly produced by the two countries, Jalali said, while emphasizing its safety and efficacy.The confirmation first came during Foreign Minister Javad Zarif's visit to Moscow this week, where he said the vaccine has been registered in Iran after approval from the country's health authorities.Produced by Russian Health Ministry's Gamaleya Center, Sputnik V has so far been approved for use in 14 countries even though discussions at the…
(2021-01-30). 'About half' of virus cases in Lisbon due to UK variant. yenisafak.com Hospitals in Portugal's capital Lisbon continued overflowing with patients on Friday, with nearly half of the COVID-19 infections in the worst-hit region thought to be caused by the coronavirus variant first detected in the UK.The highly contagious variant is responsible for more than 32% of cases nationwide and almost 50% of all cases confirmed in Lisbon, Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said on Twitter late Thursday.Citing the same figures, Health Minister Marta Temido said the data may not paint a full picture as it is coming from just one laboratory.Portugal has been under lockdown for two weeks and ha…
(2021-01-30). Vietnam approves AstraZeneca vaccine amid fresh Covid-19 outbreak. laprensalatina.com Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Jan 30 (efe-epa).- Vietnam on Saturday announced that it had approved the Covid-19 vaccine developed by British-Swedish firm AstraZeneca, the first to be authorized in the country. It comes amid a sudden new outbreak of the virus, with 34 new cases reported Saturday. AstraZeneca has pledged to supply 30 million …
(2021-01-30). Israel to provide Palestinian Authority with 5,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine. laprensalatina.com Jerusalem, Jan 30 (efe-epa).- Israel is to provide the Palestinian National Authority with 5,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine. The jabs are designated for the healthcare workers, an Israeli official source told Efe on Saturday. Some of which could be sent to the Gaza Strip. Israel is expected to start delivering the Pfizer-BioNTecH vaccine early …
(2021-01-30). An ever-growing memorial: Peru's health worker death toll nears 300. laprensalatina.com Lima, Jan 30 (efe-epa).- A row of almost 300 portraits of healthcare professionals who have died from Covid-19 lines the sidewalk outside the Medical College of Peru in the capital Lima. The memorial was launched in June 2020 with around 45 portraits to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the campaign against …
(2021-01-30). New York Governor Cuomo Shifts Blame For Nursing Home Scandal to Trump Administration. sputniknews.com Last year, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo faced criticism for his order for nursing homes to accept COVID-19 patients while the facilities were under-equipped. He's now under fire again after a report by the NY Attorney General revealed that the state health department under-counted the number of deaths from COVID-19 in nursing homes by 50 percent.
(2021-01-30). EU Continues Its Smoke Screen Stunts Towards the UK and Its Own Vaccine Chaos. strategic-culture.org With the deaths rising in countries like Italy many are wondering if the EU will run out of time to claw back the credibility that the European Commission and Ursula von der Leyen badly needs. | Was it the great Groucho Marx who once said, when asked about whether he was a member of a club, "I wouldn't want to join a club which would accept me as a member"? | Is this perhaps the dilemma now for many member states of the European Union who are beginning to wake up to some harsh realities about the project? Italy, for sure, will be counting its dead and wondering why or how the EU managed to take so long to get aro…
(2021-01-30). Rebels invite UN envoys to assess famine in Yemen. yenisafak.com Yemen's Houthi group on Saturday invited envoys of the UN Security Council members to visit the war-torn country to assess the exacerbating humanitarian situation."We call on representatives of the Security Council member-states to visit Yemen to see the catastrophic situation, which has been termed as the world's worst humanitarian catastrophe," Mohammed al-Houthi, a member of the group's Supreme Political Council, said on Twitter.He called on the Council members to "play their humanitarian role to address the famine and the blockade imposed on Yemen".The Houthis blame the Saudi-led coalition for the humanitaria…
(2021-01-30). The Vaccines, The Plunder, and the Arrival of the Great Reset. globalresearch.ca "Rebuilding trust and increasing global cooperation are crucial to fostering innovative and bold solutions to stem the pandemic and drive a robust recovery." | — Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum [1] | "I don't consider the …
(2021-01-30). [Correspondence] Managing NSTEMI in older patients — Authors' reply. thelancet.com We thank Francesco Versaci and colleagues and Alberto Cordero and colleagues for their comments about our SENIOR-NSTEMI study.1 Versaci and colleagues raise concerns about residual confounding relating to the extent and severity of coronary artery disease, which might have influenced management strategy decisions and patient prognosis. Information regarding the burden of coronary artery disease is usually not known when the clinical decision to manage patients with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction invasively or non-invasively is made.
(2021-01-30). [Comment] Vaccines work: a reason for celebration and renewed commitment. thelancet.com With policy makers around the world considering how to allocate limited health budgets and individuals considering whether to accept vaccinations for themselves and their children, understanding the impact of vaccination has never been more important to inform those decisions. A modelling study by Xiang Li and colleagues in The Lancet reports that vaccination against ten common vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) reduced deaths by nearly half in low-income and middle-income countries between 2000 and 2019.
(2021-01-30). [Seminar] Biliary tract cancer. thelancet.com Biliary tract cancers, including intrahepatic, perihilar, and distal cholangiocarcinoma as well as gallbladder cancer, are low-incidence malignancies in most high-income countries, but represent a major health problem in endemic areas; moreover, the incidence of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is rising globally. Surgery is the cornerstone of cure; the optimal approach depends on the anatomical site of the primary tumour and the best outcomes are achieved through management by specialist multidisciplinary teams.
(2021-01-30). [Comment] High burden of postoperative cancer mortality in LMICs. thelancet.com Low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) have a large burden of cancer mortality compared with high-income countries, with as many as 70% of global cancer deaths in these regions and a paucity of data to drive cancer policies.1,2 Several factors contribute to this burden, ranging from late presentation of disease to poor access to diagnosis and treatment.2 Access to surgical interventions is reduced in LMICs, and the risk of complications of surgery is high in these regions.3—5 When surgical interventions are available, knowledge about how to avoid complications can be scant.
(2021-01-30). [Perspectives] Fransisca Handy Agung: improving adolescent health in Indonesia. thelancet.com Fransisca Handy Agung thinks she was "too serious" as an adolescent growing up in Indonesia. "I was just thinking about how to get to medical school. I wasn't exposed to other parts of life", she recalls. "Adolescents need to have more experiences and exposures that provide them with all the life skills they need", she says. Nonetheless, Agung's early drive and focus are now benefiting her country's younger citizens. Agung is a lecturer in child and adolescent health at the Universitas Pelita Harapan, Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia, a paediatrician at Siloam Hospital, Karawaci, Banten, and the founder of the Indone…
(2021-01-30). [Obituary] Adetokunbo Oluwole Lucas. thelancet.com Leading expert in global health. He was born in Lagos, Nigeria, on Nov 25, 1931, and died in Ibadan, Nigeria, on Dec 25, 2020, aged 89 years.
(2021-01-30). [Perspectives] Afraid together. thelancet.com "I think the neighbours have it." My mum was always conscious of her health. Nevertheless, the anxiety in her voice was jarring. Although we were talking by telephone, I could picture what she looked like. Her usual smile would flatten, transforming her face into an ashen mask. "I am scared. If I get it, I have no one. I am alone."
(2021-01-30). [World Report] Biden unwinds Trump health-care policies. thelancet.com A Democrat in the White House and a Democratic Congress could bring big changes to US health policy, but challenges remain. Susan Jaffe reports from Washington, DC.
(2021-01-30). [Articles] Estimating the health impact of vaccination against ten pathogens in 98 low-income and middle-income countries from 2000 to 2030: a modelling study. thelancet.com Increases in vaccine coverage and the introduction of new vaccines into LMICs have had a major impact in reducing mortality. These public health gains are predicted to increase in coming decades if progress in increasing coverage is sustained.
(2021-01-30). [Seminar] Multiple myeloma. thelancet.com Multiple myeloma is the second most common haematological malignancy in high-income countries, and typically starts as asymptomatic precursor conditions—either monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance or smouldering multiple myeloma—in which initiating genetic abnormalities, such as hyperdiploidy and translocations involving the immunoglobulin heavy chain, are already present. The introduction of immunomodulatory drugs, proteasome inhibitors, and CD38-targeting antibodies has extended survival, but ultimately the majority of patients will die from their disease, and some from treatment-relat…
(2021-01-30). Open toileting plagues cities in Zimbabwe. yenisafak.com With flies hovering all over the vicinity of the crowded slums of Epworth, an urban settlement approximately 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) east of the Zimbabwean capital Harare, laden plastic paper bags lie scattered on streets and sidewalks, with small children rummaging through garbage and vendors going about their normal business oblivious to the wafting stench of human waste.For 45-year-old Tambudzai Munondo, one of the residents in the slums of Epworth, strangely, they have become used to co-exist with human waste, saying they cannot do anything about it."Most of these homes you see here have no toilets and it'
(2021-01-30). Lebanon: Protests break barrier of fear in Tripoli. yenisafak.com Lebanon's Mediterranean city of Tripoli has witnessed days of protests with reports of clashes with security forces after a coronavirus lockdown was imposed in the country.The most violent clash occurred on Thursday night when the city center and the governorate building were torched by angry protesters.The clashes resulted in the death of a 30-year-old demonstrator, Omar Taiba, who was shot in the back, according to health authorities."What is happening in the city is a result of the economic and social conditions caused by the Lebanese state, especially the total lockdown decision due to the coronavirus pandemi…
(2021-01-30). Turkey ratifies agreements with 7 countries. yenisafak.com The Turkish government ratified agreements with seven countries in areas of education, sports, and health, according to information issued in the Official Gazette on Saturday.A visa cooperation deal with Azerbaijan, signed on Feb. 25 last year, was among the approved agreements.It aims to facilitate short-term travel between the two countries and gives citizens a 30-day visa validity period from the date of entry.Turkey's extradition agreement with Kosovo inked on May 31, 2011 was also ratified.The agreement aims to "develop international cooperation in the field of criminal law" and "further ends of justice and…
(2021-01-30). EU performs U-turn on vaccine controls at Irish-UK border. laprensalatina.com Brussels, Jan 30 (efe-epa).- The European Union has backed down on its plan to subject vaccine exports to checks on the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The European Commission on Friday implemented a mechanism to track the export of vaccines manufactured on EU soil amid a contract dispute with Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical …
(2021-01-30). We Should All Be Outraged. popularresistance.org Someday the world will be free of the coronavirus. Then, we will glance backward at these years of misery inflicted by virions with spike proteins that have struck down millions of people and held social life in its grip. Much will be debated about the origins of the virus and the rapidity of its spread around the world, a transmission that shows how closely interconnected we have become due to modern transportation technology. There is no going backward from the processes that will continue to shrink the globe, bringing us closer and closer together, bringing other viruses and diseases greater and greater host p…
(2021-01-29). Selected Articles: "Western Civilization": The Culture of Slavery vs. the Culture of Resistance. globalresearch.ca 
By On Jan. 13, California health officials issued a hold…
(2021-01-29). Worldwide Anti-Science Movement Threatens Pandemic Response and Public Health. truthout.org 
The Biden administration has vowed to increase the rate of vaccinations as COVID-19 continues to spread uncontrollably across the entire U.S., with 90,000 people predicted to die in the next four weeks. President Biden announced plans to acquire another 200 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines made by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech and is devising ways to allow retired nurses and doctors to administer vaccines. Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children's Ho…
(2021-01-29). Fauci optimistic about more vaccines coming soon. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—The nation's top expert on the coronavirus, Dr. Anthony Fauci, is optimistic that more pharmaceutical companies will announce "within the next few days" that they, too, have vaccines to join the two whose anti-viral vaccines are already being injected into people's arms. "There's some light at the end of the tunnel" in the U.S.'s fight …
(2021-01-29). EU to impose controls on Covid-19 vaccine exports, saying it has 'no choice but to act' amid AstraZeneca row. rt.com 
The EU will impose export controls on Covid-19 vaccines made within the trading bloc, the European Commission said on Friday, in the wake of its huge row with manufacturer AstraZeneca over vaccine shortages. | Under the restrictions, in place until the end of March, vaccine manufacturers such as AstraZeneca and Pfizer must tell the EU where they are sending doses, and are required to get EU authorization before shipping doses from the bloc to non-EU nations. | The act applies only to exports from companies with which the EU has already signed an advance-purchase agreement, such as AstraZeneca. | The World Trad…
(2021-01-29). New Vaccine Is So Far 100 Percent Effective at Preventing Hospitalization. truthout.org 
Johnson & Johnson announced on Friday that its COVID-19 vaccine is 85 percent effective against severe COVID-19 infections, and no study participants who received the vaccine died or had to be hospitalized. | The results also show that the vaccine is
(2021-01-29). 'No prejudice': French vaccination strategy chief says EU should 'consider' using Russian, Chinese jabs. rt.com 
There is no reason for Brussels not to consider using the Covid-19 vaccines developed by Russia or by China if their safety and efficacy has been demonstrated, France's vaccination program coordinator, Alain Fischer, has said. | The EU should consider every Covid-19 vaccine available, Fischer told France's BFM TV on Friday, adding that "there should be no prejudices regarding the origins of vaccines." The immunology professor and pediatrician said that the only criteria one should use in assessing a jab are its efficacy and safety, and the ease with which it can be delivered to European countries. | "If they s…
(2021-01-29). Headlines for January 29, 2021. democracynow.org South African Coronavirus Variant Detected in U.S. for First Time, Novavax Vaccine Cut COVID-19 Cases by 90 Percent in Trial But Lagged Against South African Variant, President Biden Expands Affordable Care Act Enrollment Amid COVID-19 Pandemic, U.S. Economy Shrank by 3.5% in 2020 as Pandemic Took Hold , House Speaker Blasts GOP for Assigning Racist Conspiracy Theorist to House Education Committee, "Brazen, Entitled, Dangerous": Capitol Rioter Who Looted House Speaker's Office Denied Bail, House GOP Leader Signals Devotion to Trump as Lawmakers Target Rep. Liz Cheney Over Impeachment Vote, Indian Farmworkers Call…
(2021-01-29). Bolivia Sets Prices for Private Clinics Treating COVID-19 Cases. telesurenglish.net Bolivia's Health Ministry Thursday issued a resolution that sets fees for COVID-19 patients' care and treatment in private clinics. | RELATED: | The 49 services provided by private clinics to COVID-19 patients may not exceed 5 percent of the stipulated reference prices. The clinics' owners could be prosecuted if they do not comply with the new resolution. | Laboratories will also have to adjust their prices for COVID-19 tests, which should cos…
(2021-01-29). Mexico: Epidemiological Alert Over COVID-19 Maternal Mortality. telesurenglish.net On Friday, Mexico's Ministry of Health issued a COVID-19 epidemiological alert for pregnant women after maternal mortality increased by 40 cases during the firsts two weeks of January. | RELATED: | Authorities reported that 16 expecting mothers died during the firsts seven days of 2021, an unprecedented figure for this period since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, 10,504 pregnant women have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-…
(2021-01-29). WHO urges effective and fair use of COVID vaccines. news.un.org With COVID-19 vaccines currently in scarce supply, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday pressed governments to prioritize inoculation of health workers and older persons, and to share excess doses with other nations.
(2021-01-29). Ecuador: Health Minister Investigated Over Influence Peddling. telesurenglish.net Ecuadorian Attorney General's Office Thursday opened an investigation against Health Minister Juan Zeballos over an alleged crime of influence peddling during the COVID-19 vaccine distribution process. | RELATED: | The investigation started after several complaints against the minister, who presumably allowed some family members to receive the first doses of the Pfizer vaccine. | The Popular Legal Action and Amapola Nara…
(2021-01-29). Sri Lanka online public meeting: Build workers' action committees to win health workers' rights! wsws.org All health workers are invited to participate in this vital online meeting on February 7 to discuss how to protect ourselves and other workers from the danger of COVID-19 infections and to defend our rights.