(2020-04-20). Right-wing protest echoes Trump demand to restart economy, endangering workers' lives. fightbacknews.org Saint Paul, MN – On April 17, hundreds of right-wing pro-Trump protesters flouted Minnesota's social distancing guidelines and shelter-in-place order to protest in front of the governor's mansion in Saint Paul. The protest's main demand was for Governor Tim Walz to reverse emergency public health-related measures implemented to slow the spread of the deadly COVID-19 coronavirus and to immediately reopen Minnesota's economy. | The protesters, on foot, were packed tightly together in front of the governor's mansion holding "Trump 2020" signs and flags, American flags and signs mocking Governor Walz,…
(2020-04-20). Facebook deems protests 'harmful misinformation' as citizens defy quarantine orders. rt.com 
Americans protesting their states' coronavirus lockdown measures won't be able to organize protests on Facebook any longer, after the Silicon Valley firm declared them "harmful misinformation." | Speaking to ABC's George Stephanopoulos on Monday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that anti-lockdown protests organized through his platform are considered "harmful misinformation," and will be removed by moderators. | "I think a lot of the stuff that people are saying that is false around a health emergency like this can be classified as harmful misinformation," Zuckerberg added. | @GStephanopoulos urges
(2020-04-20). Bolsonaro hopes quarantine measures end this week in Brazil. rt.com 
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Monday that he hoped this would be the last week of stay-at-home measures to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus. | Bolsonaro has openly railed against lockdown measures to combat the coronavirus and has asserted that the economic risks of shutting down Brazil's economy outweigh the dangers posed by the disease. | Despite Bolsonaro's protests, many of Brazil's governors have more or less shut down their states. The president also fired his popular health minister last week after they clashed over social distancing measures. | Brazil has more cases of the new cor…
(2020-04-20). One 'gruesome' trade is cashing in on the coronavirus pandemic. thecanary.co Many of the world's businesses and workers have taken a But one "gruesome" trade is cashing in on the crisis too. As the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) has revealed, a trader in Vietnam is marketing 'glue' made from tigers as a way to "invest in health"
(2020-04-20). Happiest place on Earth? Only if you're Bob Iger! Disney stops paying 100,000 workers while top exec takes 3% pay cut. rt.com 
The Walt Disney Company has said it will stop paying nearly half of its workforce this week. Disney theme parks and hotels have been shut in Europe and the US for almost five weeks due to worldwide Covid-19 lockdowns. | Scrapping payments for more than 100,000 of the so-called 'cast members' will help the company save $500 million a month, according to the Financial Times. Disney said it will provide full healthcare benefits for staff placed on unpaid leave and urged its US employees to apply for government benefits through the $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package. | Disneyland and Disney World closed thei…
(2020-04-20). Hospital workers angry at PPE delays as death toll tops 16,500. thecanary.co 
Anger over lack of supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) for NHS workers is growing as a desperately needed consignment of 400,000 gowns was delayed.The government has been under increasing pressure to ensure the safety of frontline health staff and one leading NHS figure revealed his "bitter experience" of the lack of basic items such as gowns in recent weeks.The number of hospital deaths of people who tested positive for coronavirus (Covid-19) passed 16,500. The figure does not include those who died in care homes. | The government scheme for workers who have been furloughed — given a temporary l…
(2020-04-20). Reports suggest many have had coronavirus with no symptoms. thecanary.co 
New research suggests that far more people have had the coronavirus without any symptoms, fuelling hope that it will turn out to be much less lethal than originally feared.Based on known cases, health officials have said the virus usually causes mild or moderate flu-like illness.Now evidence is growing that a substantial number of people may have no symptoms at all.Scientists in Iceland screened 6% of its population to see how many had previously undetected infections and found that about 0.7% tested positive.So did 13% of a group at higher risk because of recent travel or exposure to someone sick.Aboard the airc…
(2020-04-20). Trump's anti-Chinese racist campaign strategy mobilizes right-wing extremists. peoplesworld.org 
In a direct attack on China and a clear indictment of international cooperation to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally ordered withholding funds from the World Health Organization. In a White House statement, Trump accused the international body of "preferential treatment" for China and "mismanaging" the pandemic. Aside from the glaring hypocrisy …
(2020-04-20). Europe needs ‚Ǩ1.5 TRILLION to recover or single market could 'break in two' — EU economy commissioner. rt.com 
The European Union urgently requires financial injections to stay afloat and survive the coronavirus epidemic currently ravaging the continent, the European commissioner for economy, Paolo Gentiloni, has warned. | A whopping €1.5 trillion ($ 1.63 trillion) could be needed to "deal with this crisis," Gentiloni told Der Spiegel ahead of the EU leaders summit on the crisis sparked by the outbreak of Covid-19. | The commissioner for economic and financial affairs said that Europe is going through the "worst crisis" since WWII, which threatens the very existence of the EU as a single economic and political ent…
(2020-04-20). Russia's aid to Italy is not just a 'one-way road' — Putin. rt.com 
Moscow's assistance to Italy, which is gripped by the novel coronavirus epidemic, stems from mutually beneficial cooperation, President Putin explained, as some have called it a geopolitical PR stunt. | Russia's strong partnership with Italy is "well-known," Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a video conference with experts and officials on fighting the Covid-19 outbreak. Relations between the two nations became particularly close during the pandemic when Italy became the coronavirus hotspot on the continent and Moscow offered its assistance. | "I would like to say that it is not a lopsided game, not…
(2020-04-20). 'I don't want to be forced to take one': Anti-vaxxer Novak Djokovic speaks on fears of compulsory Covid-19 jabs. rt.com 
World number one Novak Djokovic says he could be forced into a corner over his anti-vaccination beliefs if players are required to take compulsory measures against coronavirus to compete once the season resumes. | Serb Djokovic is currently in lockdown with his family in Marbella, Spain, as the world continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic. | The men's ATP and women's WTA tours have been suspended until at least July 13, while Wimbledon has been canceled altogether and the French Open pushed back to September. US Open chiefs are still debating whether to go ahead with the tournament, which is schedu…
(2020-04-20). 'Biden Loves Kids': Trump attacks Biden with meme video of his swimming pool gaffe. rt.com 
President Donald Trump has shared a meme featuring Joe Biden rambling about children touching him in a swimming pool. Fresh from sparring with Biden over China, Trump may be previewing a new line of attack on his handsy opponent. | Posted by Trump on Monday, the meme is a send-up of an Allstate Insurance ad, and features a visibly embarrassed Barack Obama — his head pasted onto an actor's body — squirming as Biden talks about some perplexing encounters with children at a Delaware swimming pool. |
(2020-04-20). The Next Coronavirus Bill Must Protect the 2020 Elections. counterpunch.org First, it was a public health crisis. Now, it's decimating the economy. And for it's next trick, the coronavirus is threatening to undermine the 2020 election. Unless, that is, Congress steps in to ensure we can vote by mail. If you're curious what the worst case scenario is, look no further than Wisconsin, where a
(2020-04-20). COVID-19: What to do if you develop symptoms while away from home. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org In many areas of the U.S. and around the world, people are being told to stay home and avoid travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, travel restrictions may not apply to employees of critical industries, such as trucking, public health professionals, financial services, and food supply. So what should someone do if they develop …
(2020-04-20). French prime minister outlines end to quarantine as coronavirus deaths reach almost 20,000. wsws.org Neither Philippe nor Health Minister Véran provided any rational scientific or medical basis, during this health crisis, for the reopening of the economy planned on May 11.
(2020-04-20). Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Critical care units prepare for COVID-19. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org An intensive care unit (ICU) is a special unit in a hospital where patients who are very ill can be under constant supervision by their health care team. The COVID-19 pandemic has stressed ICU and critical care units in hot spots where the virus had spread widely. On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Daniel Brown, …
(2020-04-20). Mayo Clinic teaming up with area organizations to collect face masks. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) recently recommended that all people wear cloth face masks or coverings when in public. While face masks do not replace social distancing measures, they help prevent the spread of COVID-19 to others. Mayo Clinic, and local government and health care partners, have come together to collect and …
(2020-04-20). Over 83,000 infected by coronavirus in Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 20 (MNA) — Iranian Health Ministry announced on Monday that the number of coronavirus cases has hit 83,505 in Iran, while 59,273 have recovered from the disease.
(2020-04-20). Stanford's Antibodies Study Wraps Up, Shows Covid-19 Is 50x More Prevalent and 50x Less Deadly than Believed. globalresearch.ca The heavily anticipated ( Background | Addressing COVID-19 is a pressing health and social concern. To date, many epidemic projections and policies addressing COVID-19 have …
(2020-04-20). Lab-based coronavirus test 'can produce 46,000 results a day'. thecanary.co A diagnostics company has launched a new lab-based coronavirus antibody test which can produce 46,000 results a day. | Mologic said it will start manufacturing its laboratory diagnostic test for Covid-19 following validation by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and St George's, University of London. | The test has also been sent to Public Health England for formal verification. | It will allow individuals to identify whether they have antibodies for the virus — produced by the immune system when it is being attacked. | An agreement between Mologic and Omega Diagnostics Ltd will see Omega immediately…
(2020-04-20). Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Emergency medicine in the time of COVID-19. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Emergency medicine is a specialty that prides itself on a mantra: anyone, anything, anytime. The COVID-19 pandemic has put emergency health care providers and first responders on the front lines, fighting the spread of the virus and caring for critically ill patients. On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Annie Sadosty, a Mayo Clinic emergency medicine …
(2020-04-20). De-Funding the World Health Organization: Unethical, Cruel, and Dangerous for the World. counterpunch.org Just when we thought things couldn't get any worse than a global pandemic that has reached all corners of the earth, infecting over 2 million people and killing over 146,000 — over 33,000 so far in the U.S. — President Trump has announced that the U.S. will suspend all funding to the World Health Organization.
(2020-04-20). Mayo Clinic Laboratories launches serology testing in support of COVID-19 response. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org ROCHESTER, Minn. ? A new serology test from Mayo Clinic Laboratories that is used to identify the presence of immune response to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is now available to more health care organizations. Mayo Clinic is working closely with state and federal officials to prioritize access to its initial testing capacity to support efforts …
(2020-04-20). Blame the Covid-19 failure on your governments, not on China. indybay.org The anti-Chinese narrative is based on false statements and serves to distract people from the failure of neoliberalism. Build hospitals and make health care universal! Cut military spending in half! Testing, not imprisonment, abuse and neglect!
(2020-04-20). Police chief lauds medical staff of Imam Khomeini Hospital. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 20 (MNA) — On the occasion of Health Week, Tehran Police Chief Brigadier General Hossein Rahimi attended Tehran's Imam Khomeini Hospital on Sun. and appreciated the relentless efforts of the medical staff of the hospital.
(2020-04-20). De-Funding the World Health Organization. zcomm.org Unethical, Cruel, and Dangerous for the World…
(2020-04-20). Is COVID-19 the end of the handshake as we know it? newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many people to accept a "new normal" and change behaviors. One example has been the need to alter how we greet each other. As part of social distancing, health experts have recommended that people to avoid shaking hands, since hands tend to carry a lot of germs. Dr. Anthony Fauci, …
(2020-04-20). Donald Trump's Governor Problem: Debates on Opening Up the Economy. globalresearch.ca Things are getting dizzy in the White House on what, exactly, is being done to "open the economy". Cranky advocates for the financial argument over the restrictions of public health have been attempting to claw back some ground. As Jonathan …
(2020-04-20). Millions of Essential Workers Left Out of COVID-19 Workplace Safety Protections. zcomm.org Even as OSHA has been inundated with complaints, it has rolled back safety standards and virtually eliminated non-health care workplaces from government protection…
(2020-04-20). Trump Was Real Time Informed During COVID-19 Outbreak in China. telesurenglish.net U.S. health experts briefed President Donald Trump in real time about the emergence of COVID-19 in China while working full-time at World Health Organization headquarters in Geneva in late 2019. | RELATED: | A dozen U.S. researchers, doctors and experts were at WHO headquarters when the new coronavirus outbreak began in China. | They kept the Trump administration informed of its discovery and spread, U.S. and internation…
(2020-04-20). Prescribing an overdose: A chapter in the opioid epidemic. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org ROCHESTER, Minn.
(2020-04-20). Six contracts inked for producing COVID-19 vaccine: VP. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 20 (MNA) — Vice President for Science and Technology Sorena Sattari said on Sun. that six contracts were concluded with knowledge-based companies in the field of producing coronavirus vaccine in the country.
(2020-04-20). Int'l organisations call on UK government to prevent Big Pharma profiteering from Covid-19. truepublica.org.uk The UK is urged to guarantee that any Covid-19 medicines or technologies created with public funds are available to all, patent-free. A wide group of international aid and development organisations and academics last Friday urged the UK government ensure that any Covid-19 vaccines developed with UK taxpayers' money are produced 'patent-free' to prevent Big Pharma …
(2020-04-20). How Iran could curb COVID-19 despite sanctions, restrictions? en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Apr. 20 (MNA) — Since the first case of coronavirus was identified in Iran, the country has taken extensive measures to curb the spread of the disease, so that daily death toll has been declining over the past few days, unlike some other countries around the world which are still grappling with high casualties and infection.
(2020-04-20). When to seek emergency care during COVID-19 pandemic. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org In an effort to reduce the burden on hospitals due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and to lower the risk of disease transmission, people are asked not to go to emergency rooms if they think they may have COVID-19 symptoms but otherwise feel okay. Instead, they're asked to call their primary care provider to discuss their …
(2020-04-20). The Massive Covid-19 Hoax. globalresearch.ca By all accounts and from the very beginning it was clear that Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) was at the very most a bad cold — little more dangerous than the annual flu — but being
(2020-04-20). Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: How contact tracing can fight the spread of COVID-19. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Contact tracing is a used to slow community spread of infectious diseases like COVID-19. Contact tracing is the process of finding and reaching out to the people who have been in contact with an infected person. Then close contacts of a person who might have COVID-19 can be isolated or quarantined to lessen further spread …
(2020-04-20). India & the Coronavirus. zcomm.org While the coronavirus has focused much of the world on Europe and the United States, India promises to be the greatest victim of the disease…
(2020-04-20). The Coronavirus Pandemic and Our Civilizational Crisis. counterpunch.org Although the coronavirus pandemic is not unique in its global reach, it, nevertheless, reminds us of the deficiencies inherent in the systems within which we operate. Indeed, all such infectious diseases exist in specific contexts that determine how lethal they will be and what will be the extent of our capacities for dealing with the
(2020-04-20). Infographic: Convalescent plasma. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Check the?Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website?for additional updates on COVID-19. For more information and all your COVID-19 coverage, go to the?Mayo Clinic News Network?and?mayoclinic.org.
(2020-04-20). Dutch coronavirus cases rise by 750 to 33,405 with 67 new deaths. yenisafak.com The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the Netherlands rose by 750 on Monday to 33,405, health authorities said, with 67 new deaths.Total confirmed deaths are now 3,751, the National Institute for Public Health (RIVM)said in its daily update. The RIVM cautions that the real number of cases and deaths in the Netherlands are higher, as it primarily tests only health workers and the very ill.
(2020-04-20). Belgium says COVID-19 peak passed, starts looking at lockdown exit. yenisafak.com Belgium's immediate coronavirus crisis appears to have passed its peak as the number of people admitted to hospitals with COVID-19 fell to its lowest level in a month, health officials said on Monday.Belgium, with one of the highest per capita rates of confirmed COVID-19 cases and related deaths in Europe, announced that 232 people were taken into hospital on Sunday, the lowest level since March 19."There are several indicators that are going in the right direction and that continue to go in the right direction," Emmanuel Andre, spokesman for the country's COVID-19 council, told a news conference."And so yes, by…
(2020-04-20). Malaysia reports lowest number of new coronavirus cases. yenisafak.com Malaysia on Monday reported 36 new cases of the coronavirus, marking the lowest daily number since the outbreak in the country, local media reported.According to daily Malay Mail, with the latest cases, the tally rose to 5,425 in the country.Malaysia's health chief Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah said that there was no death due to the virus over the past 24 hours. The death toll in the country stood at 89.As many as 3,295 patients have so far recovered from the disease since the outbreak in the country.Abdullah said there were only 2,041 active cases of the coronavirus currently being treated at different health facili…
(2020-04-20). UK's main concern is to prevent second coronavirus wave: spox. yenisafak.com Britain needs to be sure that any lifting or easing of social distancing measures does not lead to a second wave of the coronavirus outbreak, a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday."The big concern is a second peak, that is what ultimately will do the most damage to health and the most damage to the economy," the spokesman told reporters."If you move too quickly then the virus could begin to spread exponentially again. What we need to be certain of is that if we move to lift some of the social distancing measures it isn't going to lead to the virus starting to spread exponentially again."
(2020-04-20). Cartoon monster helps explain coronavirus to Nigerian children. yenisafak.com It is hard enough for adults to get their heads around the coronavirus, but for children it can be even more difficult to understand why they can't see their friends or play outside.That is where Niyi Akinmolayan's cartoon monster comes in.The Nigerian filmmaker has created a 90-second animation to help youngsters understand why they have to stay at home after schools in Lagos were shut from March 23 and public gatherings were banned to stem the spread of the disease.It tells the story of two siblings, Habeeb and Funke. Habeeb gets tired of staying at home and decides to sneak out to play soccer. His older sister…
(2020-04-20). Virologists 'Concerned' to See 80 Percent of COVID-19 Cases in India Asymptomatic. sputniknews.com New Delhi (Sputnik): Despite the Indian government giving permission to some sectors to resume work amid the lockdown, the number of COVID-19 has been growing. According to the Health Ministry, the country has over 17,200 coronavirus positive cases so far.
(2020-04-20). Virgin Atlantic About to Collapse Without Public Bailout Warns Richard Branson in Rescue Plea. sputniknews.com The coronavirus epidemic, which has rapidly led to widespread shut downs of large sectors of the economy, is starting to put the United Kingdom's staple airline – Virgin Atlantic – under significant strain. Owner Richard Branson has been pleading for a bailout from the government in order to save the flight provider from folding.
(2020-04-19). COVID-19 and the Wasting Disease of Normalcy. dissidentvoice.org 
"But what of the price of peace?" asked Jesuit priest and war resister Daniel Berrigan, writing from federal prison in 1969, doing time for his part in the destruction of draft records. "I think of the good, decent, peace-loving people I have known by the thousands, and I wonder. How many of them are so …
(2020-04-19). Warren Says by Backing Protests, Trump Is 'Trying to Turn This Health Crisis Into a Political Rally for Himself'. commondreams.org Democratic lawmakers have joined with advocacy groups in criticizing President Donald Trump for encouraging recent protests against stay-at-home orders enacted by state and local governments in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic—including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who accused the president of using the COVID-19 crisis to garner voter support. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-04-19). Herd immunity? 1 in 3 test positive for Covid-19 ANTIBODIES in pilot Massachusetts street study. rt.com 
Nearly a third of 200 randomly tested residents of Chelsea, Massachusetts were found to have Covid-19-related antibodies in yet another indication that the virus could be far more widespread and much less lethal than believed. | All of the participants "generally appeared healthy," but around half of them admitted that they had suffered at least one coronavirus symptom in the past month, according to the Massachusetts General Hospital researchers. Those who had previously tested positive for Covid-19 in the regular nasal swab were deliberately excluded from the study. | A total of 64 out of 200 blood samples t…