(2020-04-05). Tory incompetence revealed as Hancock admits NHS may not hit ventilator target before virus peak. thecanary.co 
The health secretary has said the government is on track to meet its goal of ventilator capacity for 18,000 patients. However, he also admitted that may not be in place before the expected peak of the virus.Matt Hancock said the virus is expected to peak within a week to 10 days but said the ventilator capacity will likely be below 18,000 by then.He defended the government's handling of the outbreak and said the army is now helping to get personal protective equipment (PPE) to the NHS front line.He also said now is "not the time" to be discussing a pay rise for nurses, but said he was "sympathetic" to calls for t…
(2020-04-05). 'Better days will return': Queen Elizabeth compares Covid-19 fight to WWII, but reassures Brits, as coronavirus deaths near 5,000. rt.com 
Adapting her wartime message for the present, Queen Elizabeth II has assured the UK that by remaining "united and resolute" it will beat the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, the virus claimed another 621 lives overnight. | In what was only her fourth special broadcast since her coronation in 1953, the queen thanked healthcare workers "who selflessly continue their day-to-day duties outside the home in support of us all." | Her Majesty The Queen addresses the UK and the Commonwealth in a special broadcast recorded at Windsor Castle.
(2020-04-05). Covid-19 hotspot Italy rolls out plan for 'living with the virus' once peak has passed. rt.com 
Rome is set to cautiously relax some of its lockdown restrictions when the pandemic slows down or stops its spread, while at the same time boosting health services to keep coronavirus at bay. | Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza has outlined a five-step plan to allow his Covid-stricken country to outlast the fatal disease, which has claimed 15,362 lives to date. "There are difficult months ahead. Our task is to create the conditions to live with the virus," he was quoted as saying by La Repubblica newspaper. | Italy, the worst-affected country in Europe in terms of Covid-19 deaths, will exit the nationwi…
(2020-04-05). Spain registers fewer than 700 new coronavirus-related deaths as daily fatalities show signs of slowing. rt.com 
Spain's death toll from Covid-19 has risen by 674 in the last 24 hours, the country's Health Ministry reported, marking fewer deaths than in previous days. The number of newly-confirmed cases has also fallen by around 1,000. | The daily number of registered cases is also showing signs of decline. Cases rose to 130,759 from 124,736 on Sunday — an increase of 6,023 — down from 7,000 new infections the previous day. | New infections grew just five percent over the past day, which is the lowest rise since the health crisis began, El Pais reported. Total deaths stand at 12,418, with daily fatalities decre…
(2020-04-05). 'Low-risk' businesses in Iran will start operating within a week, Rouhani says. rt.com 
Some commerce and industries in Iran will likely be able to resume activities in a week's time, President Hassan Rouhani has announced, signaling that the Islamic Republic has survived the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic. | "Under the supervision of the Health Ministry, all those low-risk economic activities will resume from Saturday," Rouhani said in a televised meeting. | He added that two-thirds of Iranian government employees will work from their offices starting next weekend, adding that the easing of anti-coronavirus measures does not conflict with the country's health advisories. | Businesses deemed "hig…
(2020-04-05). Colleagues pay tribute to NHS staff who have died during Covid-19 crisis. thecanary.co 
Tributes have flooded in for NHS staff known to have died after contracting Covid-19.Two nurses — both young mothers — five doctors and two healthcare assistants have contracted the coronavirus and died since the start of the outbreak.Nurse Areema Nasreen, 36, died just after midnight on April 2 in intensive care at Walsall Manor Hospital in the West Midlands — the hospital where she had worked for 16 years. | Richard Beeken, chief executive of Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, paid tribute to her, saying: "Any death is devastating but losing one of our own is beyond words."He said Nasreen had started…
(2020-04-05). Scottish health chief RESIGNS after police tells her off for breaking Covid-19 lockdown rules. rt.com 
Dr Catherine Calderwood is stepping down from…
(2020-04-05). Magic bullet for Covid-19? Scientists look to century-old plasma treatment, but there are some big 'BUTS'. rt.com 
As the world seeks a Covid-19 panacea, treating patients with plasma harvested from those who have recovered from the virus is being touted as a possible cure — but big challenges still remain, scientists say. | It's been months since the novel coronavirus started to rage across China, spilling over to other countries and infecting more than a million people around the world, but there is still no clinically tested vaccine or medication. However, one possible treatment that has been around for over a century is attracting attention, with some scientists suggesting it could be a game-changer — provid…
(2020-04-05). Some good news! Number of people who've RECOVERED from Covid-19 passes quarter of a million. rt.com 
Perhaps the most under-reported statistic in the entire coronavirus pandemic passed an important milestone on Sunday as 250,000 were marked as having recovered from the illness. | The onward march of the death toll and number of confirmed cases has prompted countless hours of media coverage, as the virus spread around the globe. However, the number of people who are officially recorded as having recovered from the disease receives far less attention. | The important stat climbed past the quarter of a million barrier (to 252,478) on Sunday, as more than 20 percent of confirmed carriers of the virus have officia…
(2020-04-05). Updates from Santa Cruz's Struggling Benchlands Meal & Santa Barbara's Peter Marin. indybay.org Santa Barbara activist Peter Marin blasts Santa Barbara's "Let 'Em Die: " Lack of Services. Santa Cruz Food Not Bombs activist Keith McHenry Calls for More Volunteers, Warns Local Authorities Violate CDC Safeguards for Those Outside…
(2020-04-05). Latinos and Asian Americans hit hardest by early COVID-19 job losses. fightbacknews.org San José, CA – The headline news that the unemployment rate for March jumped by almost a full percentage point, to 4.4%, was bad enough. The actual unemployment rate was much higher by the end of March, given that the more 10 million people who lost their jobs and filed for unemployment insurance benefits in the last two weeks of March were not counted. Adding in these workers would have increased the unemployment rate by more than 6%, raising the total rate at the end of March to about 10.5%. | The official government unemployment rate also understates the number of jobless workers, as you have to be out of work…
(2020-04-05). California regulators approve new fracking permits during COVID-19 epidemic. indybay.org The increase in oil and gas drilling permits in recent years, including fracking operations — and fact that California has no health and safety setbacks like many other states do — is a result of the millions of dollars every year that WSPA and oil companies spend every year on lobbying state officials, including the Governor's Office and state regulatory agencies, as well as the many millions spent by the oil industry on campaign contributions to politicians and campaign committees.
(2020-04-05). No-one's buying Matt Hancock's excuse for more draconian restrictions on our lives. thecanary.co Health secretary Matt Hancock appeared on The Andrew Marr Show on 5 April. He warned that unless people follow the rules on essential travel and social distancing then tougher restrictions would be introduced. Hancock If you don't want us to take the next step and ban exercise… then the message is very clear… you have to follow the rules.
(2020-04-05). The Struggle Of The Grand Princess Crew & All Crew Members For Healthcare & Justice. indybay.org Terry Valen, the president of the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON) talks about the conditions of the Grand Princess crew which is docked off Hunters Point shipyard. He also talks about the conditions of repatriated seafarers from the Grand Princess who are now in the Philippines…
(2020-04-05). The Billionaires Putting Their Wealth Above Public Health Amid the Pandemic. truthout.org While millions are facing health and financial uncertainty and unemployment rolls are reaching record levels due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, a small group of wealthy elites are thriving. Not only do the rich and powerful seem to have access to otherwise near-impossible to obtain
(2020-04-05). Brazil, Chile, Ecuador Report Highest Number of COVID-19 Cases. telesurenglish.net Brazil, Chile and Ecuador are currently reporting the highest number of COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases in the entire Latin America region, the latest reports revealed on Sunday morning. | RELATED: | According to data from the Brazilian Ministry of Health, the death toll from coronavirus increased to 432, with 73 deaths reported in the last 24 hours. | The figure of 73 deaths is the highest for a single day since the first cas…
(2020-04-05). Governor Newsom Issues Moratorium on Water Shutoffs to Homes, Small Businesses. indybay.org In a statement, Alexandra Nagy, Food & Water Action California Director, lauded Newsom for making the "common sense decision" to halt water shutoffs in California. | "We're very pleased that Governor Newsom has made the common-sense decision to halt water shutoffs in the state while we confront this overwhelming public health crisis. He must also ensure that water is restored to every home where it was previously cut off.
(2020-04-05). By Refusing to Cancel In-Person Voting, Wisconsin GOP Weaponizes Coronavirus. truthout.org Despite warnings from public health experts and legal challenges by voting rights groups, the Democratic primary and state and local elections are set to go forward on Tuesday after Republican state legislators refused to take up a proposal to cancel most in-person voting in light of the coronavirus pandemic. | After Democratic Gov. Tony Evers
(2020-04-05). Spain's Sanchez Calls for New 'Marshall Plan' in Europe. telesurenglish.net Spanish President Pedro Sánchez, told the nations of the European Union (EU) that they will fail as a community if forceful measures are not taken to face the coronavirus pandemic. | RELATED: | In an article published on Sunday in more than a dozen European newspapers, in different languages, Sánchez appealed for solidarity between EU countries to get ahead in the face of the health emergency that is hitting the co…
(2020-04-05). NARAL America: Combating Health Disinformation National Training Webinar. indybay.org Online…
(2020-04-05). California Apartment Association is afraid of coronavirus rent strikes. indybay.org With millions in California losing their jobs, income, food, and healthcare, while being ordered to shelter-in-place as a result of the coronavirus pandemic spreading across the state and the nation, it seems reasonable to many that a rent strike not only seems feasible, but necessary.
(2020-04-05). Coronavirus tally rises in several Arab countries. yenisafak.com Health authorities in several Arab countries confirmed new cases and deaths from the novel coronavirus on Sunday.The Lebanese Health Ministry recorded a new fatality, raising the death toll to 18, while seven people tested positive for the virus, bringing the total to 527.In Morocco, the Health Ministry said the death toll has risen to 66 after seven deaths were recorded.The number of confirmed cases climbed to 960 with another 41 cases recorded.In Iraq, health authorities recorded one death, bringing the death toll to 57, and a total of 908 cases after 18 more cases were confirmed.The Palestinian government, for…
(2020-04-05). Moroccan king pardons 5,000 prisoners amid COVID-19. yenisafak.com Moroccan King Mohammed VI on Sunday pardoned 5,645 prisoners in preventive measures against coronavirus, the Justice Ministry said in a statement. | The monarch called for "taking all necessary measures to strengthen the protection of inmates and correctional institutions [concerned with minor prisoners under 18 years old] from the spread of coronavirus." | "Due to the exceptional circumstances associated with the situation of health emergency and the imposed precautions to take, this process will be implemented in a gradual manner," the statement said. | On Saturday, the Moroccan Ministry of Health said that the…
(2020-04-05). Germany's coronavirus death toll climbs to 1,446. yenisafak.com The death toll from coronavirus in Germany has climbed to 1,446 on Sunday, according to figures released by local authorities.Data analysis firm Risklayer and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, which compiled real-time figures from nearly 400 local health authorities, reported 169 new deaths over the past 24 hours.With 5,024 new cases, the number of people infected with the virus increased to 96,108 in the country.More than 26,400 people were reported to have recovered from the virus.Despite the slowing trend in new coronavirus infections, which remained below 6,200 for more than a week, the country recorded on S…
(2020-04-05). Turkish Cargo maintains operations for healthier world. yenisafak.com Turkish Cargo, a division of Turkey's national flag carrier Turkish Airlines, has planned 155 flights per week for cargo freighters and 60 flights per week for passenger aircraft that are being used for cargo operations, departing from Istanbul in April.According to a statement by Turkish Airlines, Turkish Cargo maintains the air bridge built by Turkish Airlines with its cargo operations.The statement emphasized that the new type of coronavirus (COVID-19) brought the entirety of the travel industry nearly to a halt after declaring as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO).It is also stressed that over…
(2020-04-05). Singapore reports 120 new coronavirus cases in record daily jump. yenisafak.com Singapore's health ministry on Sunday confirmed 120 more coronavirus cases, the most new infections reported in a single day for the city-state.The number of new cases is a 60% increase over the 75 reported on Saturday, which was the previous biggest rise. Singapore has reported a total of 1,309 infections and suffered six deaths from the global pandemic.
(2020-04-05). Coronavirus deaths in Netherlands rise by 115 to 1,766. yenisafak.com The number of deaths caused by the new coronavirus in the Netherlands has increased by 115 to 1,766, health authorities said on Sunday.Confirmed infections increased by 1,224 to 17,851, the Dutch Institute for Public Health said.
(2020-04-05). Flying in Coronavirus' Face: Jobless Thai Sex Workers Forced to Comb Streets for Clients – Report. sputniknews.com Among those Thais, who have lost their jobs due to the worsening epidemic, not everyone can afford to stay in, with concerns rising that the government's compensation scheme will exclude those who have hitherto not been formally registered as employed – sex workers, for instance.
(2020-04-05). Love in the Time of Coronavirus: Couples Wear Face Masks Over COVID-19 Fears. sputniknews.com The World Health Organisation declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic on 11 March. To date, more than 1,213,900 people have been infected with the coronavirus worldwide, with over 65,600 fatalities, according to the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Centre.
(2020-04-05). Watch Hospital for Infectious Diseases Under Construction Catch Fire in Moscow. sputniknews.com With the COVID-19 pandemic showing no signs of abating, governments have been taking emergency measures to stop the spread of the infection. According to the World Health Organisation, the number of confirmed cases globally has exceeded one million with over 58,000 deaths.
(2020-04-05). UK Health Secretary: Follow Coronavirus Lockdown or Exercise Will Be Banned. sputniknews.com The UK's second weekend in lockdown is predicted to be the country's warmest in six months, drawing many Britons to streets and parks to bask in the light and heat – but if their conduct amounts to breaches in isolation guidance, restrictions on outdoor movement could be severely curtailed.
(2020-04-05). Russia Confirms 658 New Coronavirus Cases in 24 Hours Bringing Total to 5,389. sputniknews.com The country previously went had a paid week off, as Russian President Vladimir Putin urged people to stay at home to curb the coronavirus pandemic, also introducing travel bans and boosting the healthcare system.
(2020-04-05). New Labour Head Sir Keir Starmer Claims Johnson Made 'Serious Mistakes' in Dealing With Corona Woes. sputniknews.com Sir Keir Starmer assumes the Labour leadership, taking over from Jeremy Corbyn, at a really challenging time, as the whole world is struggling to stamp out an infectious disease and the tremendous economic fallout of what the WHO declared a pandemic last month.
(2020-04-05). 'Reckless': Chaos Expected in Tuesday's Elections After Wisconsin Republicans Refuse to Cancel In-Person Voting. commondreams.org Despite warnings from public health experts and legal challenges by voting rights groups, the Democratic primary and state and local elections are set to go forward on Tuesday after Republican state legislators refused to take up a proposal to cancel most in-person voting in light of the coronavirus pandemic. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-04-05). US Government's Handling of Coronavirus Crisis Has Likely Led to Severe Undercounting of Deaths, Public Health Officials Say. commondreams.org Decision-making by the U.S. government early on during the coronavirus outbreak has likely led to the country severely undercounting the number of deaths from the coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, according to public health experts. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-04-05). 'This President Has Blood on His Hands': Trump Again Urges Public to Take Anti-Malaria Drug for Coronavirus, Despite Reports of Danger. commondreams.org The nation's top expert on infectious diseases was forced once again on Sunday to negate President Donald Trump's latest claim that an anti-malaria drug can treat coronavirus, which the president made at his Saturday evening press conference. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-04-05). Mehdi Hassan Interviews Professor Marandi About Iran's Response to COVID-19. iranian.com According to official figures, at least six people die every hour in Iran from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. The Islamic republic has become one of the world's coronavirus epicentres, with the death toll surpassing 3,000 this week and the number of cases topping 50,000. As the virus spreads in Iran, the government …
(2020-04-05). Iran to produce 4 million face masks daily. iranian.com As the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, Iran is to increase its production of protective face masks to 4 million a day in coming weeks, according to the Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Reza Rahmani. Iran's daily capacity for production of face mask was about to 700,000 before the outbreak of the …
(2020-04-04). The Mutilated World Is Moved by the Nurses and Doctors. zcomm.org Even in the most threadbare health systems, cannibalized by austerity, it is the nurses and doctors, the ambulance paramedics and the janitors, who have been heroic in their work…
(2020-04-04). [Correspondence] Obsolete medical law in Japan harms doctors' health. thelancet.com Japan has achieved one of the most successful health-care systems in the world.1 Under the nation's insurance scheme, Japanese citizens have taken for granted that anyone can choose any health-care facility and receive the most advanced medical care across the nation. However, little attention has been paid to the fact that such a health system is supported by dedicated and self-sacrificing medical professionals. Such overloaded expectation is especially high in rural areas where the number of doctors remains low.
(2020-04-04). [Comment] A planetary health perspective on COVID-19: a call for papers. thelancet.com It is natural during the unfolding coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic to focus on emergency response planning, including containment, treatment procedures, and vaccine development, and nobody would doubt the need for these measures. However, an emergency can also open a window of opportunity for reflection and learning. We live in increasingly global, interdependent, and environmentally constrained societies and the COVID-19 pandemic exemplifies these aspects of our world. We would therefore be wise to take a broad integrated perspective on this disease, the impacts of which are already spilling over in…
(2020-04-04). [Correspondence] Chagas disease: still a neglected emergency? thelancet.com 10 years after highlighting the health consequences for millions of people infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, a 2019 report from the Pan American Health Organization concluded that there has been little progress in the prevention and treatment of Chagas disease, a problem that now extends beyond Latin America.1…
(2020-04-04). [Editorial] Redefining vulnerability in the era of COVID-19. thelancet.com What does it mean to be vulnerable? Vulnerable groups of people are those that are disproportionally exposed to risk, but who is included in these groups can change dynamically. A person not considered vulnerable at the outset of a pandemic can become vulnerable depending on the policy response. The risks of sudden loss of income or access to social support have consequences that are difficult to estimate and constitute a challenge in identifying all those who might become vulnerable. Certainly, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, vulnerable groups are not only elderly people, those with ill health and comorbidities, or…
(2020-04-04). [Comment] Offline: COVID-19—what countries must do now. thelancet.com How should countries plan for the approaching health crisis caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)? In the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, himself struck down with infection, has written to every household warning that, "we know things will get worse before they get better". The UK Government is right to prepare the public for the coming human catastrophe. All governments have a responsibility to do the same. But this advice does not go far enough. Here are five critical actions that need to be considered immediately.
(2020-04-04). [Editorial] Open versus endovascular repair of aortic aneurysms. thelancet.com When the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) released draft guidelines on the diagnosis and management of abdominal aortic aneurysms in May, 2018, it caused outcry. By recommending that endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) of unruptured aneurysms should not be offered—even in patients for whom open surgical repair was contraindicated—critics said that many patients would be denied life-saving treatment and that the guidelines were unworkable.
(2020-04-04). [Correspondence] Authoritarianism and the threat of infectious diseases. thelancet.com Punitive social policy, encompassing the dismantling of the welfare state with the expansion of the penal state and its associated institutions, as nicely stated by Elias Nosrati and Michael Marmot in their Perspective,1 might indeed be considered an upstream social determinant of health. Nosrati and Marmot's analysis relates to the findings described by Navarro and colleagues,2 linking political ideology with policies aimed at reducing social inequalities such as welfare state and labour market policies.
(2020-04-04). [World Report] 2020 Canada Gairdner Award winners announced. thelancet.com On March 31, the Gairdner Foundation announced the winners of its annual prizes in biomedical science and global health. Talha Burki spoke with the laureates.
(2020-04-04). [Correspondence] Education and research are essential for lasting peace in Yemen. thelancet.com Yemen, known to many as the land of Sheba, and Manhattan of the desert, is now referred to only as one of the poorest countries on Earth. The name Yemen has become synonymous with cholera, famine, death, instability, and war. The war continues to erase the lives, history, and the future of Yemenis, and meaningful aid and peace have yet to reach Yemen.
(2020-04-04). [Comment] The COVID-19 pandemic in the USA: what might we expect? thelancet.com As of March 19, 2020, 191‚Äà127 cases of, including 7807 deaths attributed to, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been reported worldwide.1 The incidence of reported cases in China has dramatically reduced to tens per day as a result of strict social distancing measures; however, the pandemic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is now generating sustained transmission in many countries including the USA. In The Lancet, Isaac Ghinai, Tristan D McPherson, and colleagues2 report details of the first known human-to-human transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the USA, which was…
(2020-04-04). [Correspondence] Mass drug administration: time to consider drug pollution? thelancet.com Mass drug administration is the strategy recommended by WHO to control or eliminate many neglected tropical diseases that cause devastating consequences worldwide. This strategic approach, which has produced unquestionable benefits, consists of treating every person, infected or not, living in a defined geographical area at approximately the same time.1 In 2017, more than 1 ∑7 billion treatments (mainly albendazole, mebendazole, ivermectin, azithromycin, and praziquantel) were delivered to 1 ∑04 billion individuals.