(2020-05-30). [Correspondence] Cost-effectiveness of transitional US plans for universal health care. thelancet.com The USA stands alone as the only high-income country not to provide health care as a human right, leaving almost 80 million of its citizens without adequate insurance.1—3 In a 2020 study, we found that securing quality health care for the entire country would save 68‚Äà000 lives and 1 ∑73 million life-years annually.4…
(2020-05-30). [Correspondence] Towards more balanced representation in Lancet Commissions. thelancet.com Enthusiastically, Richard Horton1 reports on the foundation of the Italian Institute of Planetary Health at a time when youth strikes, an emerging pandemic of a new coronavirus, and burning forests remind us of our planet being in jeopardy. We agree that something must change so that the undoubtable advances in science and medicine that were made since the time of Lucretius translate into a better life for all humans, no matter who they are, where they were born, and where they live and work.1 Yet, the lamented crisis of trust in science and medicine cannot be overcome by concepts of global health or planetary he…
(2020-05-30). [World Report] Fears of "highly catastrophic" COVID-19 spread in Yemen. thelancet.com Yemen's health system has been devastated by years of conflict and COVID-19 deaths are reported to be surging in Aden. Sharmila Devi reports.
(2020-05-30). [Correspondence] The health-related determinants of politics. thelancet.com I was pleased to read Richard Horton's Comment about populist politics.1 However, the problem of political populism and solution that he charts out seem somewhat non-sequitur.
(2020-05-30). [World Report] COVID-19 strains remote regions of Peru. thelancet.com The health system in Iquitos is stretched and the true number of COVID-19 cases and deaths is unclear. Barbara Fraser reports from Lima.
(2020-05-30). [Correspondence] Time for global health diplomacy. thelancet.com 2019 was The Lancet's Year for Nutrition. Highlights included reports from the EAT-Lancet Commission1 and The Global Syndemic Commission,2 both emphasising that global trade systems must be transformed to ensure healthy and sustainable diets. But what developments can be expected following these reports? We might get an indication by considering what has happened since The Lancet's 2009 Trade and Health Series. This Series criticised the trade agreements of the World Trade Organization (WTO) for being detrimental to global health, among other things, by facilitating unhealthy diets.
(2020-05-30). [Editorial] COVID-19 in Africa: no room for complacency. thelancet.com Despite over 100‚Äà000 confirmed cases and infections in every country, the passage of COVID-19 through the African continent remains somewhat enigmatic. High numbers of deaths were expected in the region due to fragile health systems, lack of access to preventive measures, barriers to testing, and potentially vulnerable populations. But, according to WHO, Africa is the least affected region globally, with 1 ∑5% of the world's reported COVID-19 cases and 0 ∑1% of the world's deaths. Although comparisons are inaccurate, mortality rates have been lower compared with outbreaks of similar si…
(2020-05-30). [Comment] Justice and health: The Lancet—Health Equity and Policy Lab Commission. thelancet.com Justice forms the foundation for what we owe each other and what fairness among human beings and institutions involves. Globally, there are large inequalities in health outcomes and opportunities for health. Not only is the global burden of disease distributed unevenly but capabilities to prevent and treat disease are also asymmetrical; those in greatest need often have the least access to human, physical, and financial resources for health. Global health justice provides an account of what justice across our planet embodies, offers solutions to global health problems, and identifies who has responsibilities and…
(2020-05-30). [Comment] Offline: After COVID-19—is an "alternate society" possible? thelancet.com How do we make sense of this pandemic? The first interpretations are now appearing. Slavoj ≈Ωi≈æek is a prolific philosopher and cultural theorist. He is the first to produce a volume of reflections—Pandemic! COVID-19 Shakes the World (Polity, 2020). ≈Ωi≈æek doubts the epidemic will make us wiser: he insists that "we should resist the temptation to treat the ongoing epidemic as something that has a deeper meaning". Despite these cautions, we still have an important question to answer: "What is wrong with our system that we were caught unprepared by the catastr…
(2020-05-30). [Department of Error] Department of Error. thelancet.com Wang Y, Zhang D, Du G, et al. Remdesivir in adults with severe COVID-19: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre trial. Lancet 2020; 395: 1569—78. In this Article, a sentence has been added to the Acknowledgments as follows: This work was also supported by the China Evergrande Group, Jack Ma Foundation, Sino Biopharmaceutical, Ping An Insurance (Group), and New Sunshine Charity Foundation. In the legend of table 3, "seven-category ordinal scale" has been corrected to "six-category ordinal scale".
(2020-05-30). [Clinical Picture] Drusen in dense deposit disease: not just age-related macular degeneration. thelancet.com A 40-year-old woman was referred to our clinic by her optometrist because she had lesions on her retina suggestive of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). She was otherwise well: with no systemic or visual symptoms.
(2020-05-30). [Perspectives] A call for food system change. thelancet.com In shutting down entire societies, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the fundamental inequities and inadequacies of market-driven economies that prioritise profits over human welfare. Inequities show up in businesses that furlough employees while paying high salaries and bonuses to executives. They are also revealed by the dependence of food systems on poorly paid workers and cheap global supply chains. The COVID-19 crisis demonstrates how current food systems fail to protect populations from hunger and diet-influenced non-communicable diseases and why the poor, disenfranchised, discriminated against, and chronic…
(2020-05-29). What's NATO Up to These Days? Provoking Russia, Draining Healthcare Budgets and Protecting Its Own from COVID. counterpunch.org 
In November 2019, as experts warned that a novel coronavirus was likely to develop in the near-future, NATO boasted that its European Allies, including the UK, as well as Canada, were boosting their military budgets by an average of 4.6 percent, or an additional $130bn since 2016. The implication is that this increase in military spending is at the expense of healthcare, which is being privatized worldwide.
(2020-05-29). Bethune's socialized medicine and the public health crisis today. mronline.org 
We are at war! The heads of states throughout the globe are posing as chieftains in this quixotic war against an enemy who no one understands.
(2020-05-29). A Growing Wave of Bankruptcies Threatens U.S. Recovery. counterpunch.org 
The bankruptcy epidemic in the U.S. started last year, long before any COVID-19 pandemic had touched down. U.S. retailers ranked among the greatest casualties of 2019 with a total of 17 bankruptcies. Big names among the retail bankruptcies in 2019 included Gymboree on January 16; Charlotte Russe on February 3; Things Remembered on February 6;
(2020-05-29). The blue plague and black death. mronline.org 
George Floyd's death by Blue Plague in Minneapolis was widely condemned by the same parties that have encouraged and funded the spread of the fatal contagion.
(2020-05-29). U.S. declares a vaccine war on the World. mronline.org 
Donald Trump launched a new vaccine war in May, but not against the virus. It was against the world.
(2020-05-29). Breaking the Big Pharma stranglehold. zcomm.org Affordable healthcare means breaking the stranglehold that Big Pharma has on our system…
(2020-05-29). Coronavirus and the Telecom Crisis. counterpunch.org The current Corvis-19 pandemic provides a unique vantage point to assess key social institutions of American life. Sadly, none has failed so gravely as the nation's health care system, especially as underwritten by the private insurance model. The crisis of the U.S. healthcare system raises the deeper, more fundamental, question as to whether health care
(2020-05-29). Cyprus offers to cover cost of holidays affected by coronavirus. theguardian.com Free healthcare for Covid-19 patients and hotel expenses for dependents will give island unbeatable edge, it says
(2020-05-29). For test and trace to work, the public needs to trust this government. But how can we? | Polly Toynbee. theguardian.com Boris Johnson has consistently sneered at health and safety, so when he wants to end the lockdown early we should be worried The unlocking begins, as some
(2020-05-29). Nursing union NYSNA provides cover for Cuomo's push to reopen the economy. wsws.org The New York State Nurses Association is promoting the illusion that the political establishment responsible for jeopardizing the health of the population and frontline health care workers can be pressured into adopting socially responsible policies.
(2020-05-29). Test and trace is no laughing matter, so don't turn it into a farce | Zoe Williams. theguardian.com Matt Hancock may want to make a joke out it, but if the new measures are to be taken seriously, the health secretary has to act accordinglyHas there ever been a more unsettling sight than Matt Hancock, laughing? Nominally, it was because Kay Burley had asked him why test and trace was being rolled out so fast, when it didn't appear to be ready. One minute we were calling him too slow, he wheezed. And the next we were calling him too fast! HAHAHAHA. Oh, my sides. Whatever it was coursing through his noisy face, it definitely wasn't mirth. He looked as if he had been taught to laugh by the goats that had unaccounta…
(2020-05-29). Monkeys steal Covid-19 test samples from health worker in India. theguardian.com Blood samples later recovered undamaged after fears incident could have helped spread virus
(2020-05-29). Nine in 10 smokers start before they are 18 years old, warns WHO. news.un.org Tobacco products continue to kill eight million people a year who get hooked via a $9 billion a year marketing strategy. That's the warning from the UN World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday, which has said that even during a global pandemic, the tobacco and nicotine industry has continued to promote products that limit people's ability to fight new coronavirus and recover from the disease.
(2020-05-29). Russia's right-wing opposition tries to gain from COVID-19 crisis. wsws.org As President Vladimir Putin's poll numbers fall to historically low levels, right-wing opposition leader Alexei Navalny seeks to present himself as a defender of health care workers and "the people."
(2020-05-29). California Governor Gavin Newsom ramps up reopening despite serious public health threats. wsws.org The Democratic governor is accelerating the re-opening of the state, allowing resumption of business for shopping malls, dine-in restaurants, and large gatherings, despite the enormous dangers of COVID-19.
(2020-05-29). Rep. Katie Porter Accuses UnitedHealth of 'Putting Profits Before Patients and Providers' in Midst of Pandemic. commondreams.org "It's flat out wrong for the world's largest insurance company to pass costs on to families in the middle of a pandemic—I want answers." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-05-29). Argentinians hold a virtual mobilization to demand abortion rights. peoplesdispatch.org 
On May 28, on the International Day of Action for Women's Health, the National Campaign for the Right to Legal, Safe and Free Abortion in Argentina celebrated its fifteenth anniversary. On the occasion, the movement that has been at the forefront of the struggle for abortion rights in the country, called on the citizens to mobilize virtually, demanding legalization of this integral human right. | Tens of thousands of women, queer and non-binary people took part in the virtual pañuelazo or a march with green scarves, which represents the feminist struggle for legal abortion. They shared their messages and photos w…
(2020-05-29). Austria says shoppers won't need to wear face masks from June 15 as lockdown rules are relaxed. rt.com 
Austria's shoppers will no longer be required to wear face masks, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Friday, as he outlined the next phase of loosening coronavirus restrictions. "Face masks will no longer be compulsory in shops or in school," Kurz told reporters. The changes will take effect on June 15. | Masks will still be compulsory on public transport, in health facilities including pharmacies, and at service providers where social distancing cannot be ensured, such as hairdressers. | A limit allowing bars and restaurants to seat no more than four adults at a table will be lifted, and a mandatory closing ti…
(2020-05-29). "Mass Sterilization": Kenyan Doctors Find Anti-fertility Agent in UN Tetanus Vaccine. globalresearch.ca This article is of relevance to the ongoing debate on vaccines. | It was first published in February 2015 | According to
(2020-05-29). The Gates / Fauci Vaccine Developed by Moderna. Video Featuring Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Andrew Kaufman. globalresearch.ca This is a four-minute video featuring Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Andrew Kaufman that explains exactly what is in the Gates/Fauci covid19 vaccine currently being developed by Fauci's own vaccine company, Moderna. | Most of the vaccines currently under process …
(2020-05-29). Why US anti-vaxxers will refuse a coronavirus vaccine — video. theguardian.com In a recent survey, 24% of Americans said they will refuse a coronavirus vaccine. Adam Gabbatt investigates the anti-vaxxer movement in the United States — and how the pandemic is helping to fuel its resurgence
(2020-05-29). Unemployment Insurance Is a Vital Part of Economic Freedom. thenation.com Unemployment Insurance Is a Vital Part of Economic Freedom…
(2020-05-29). I've Signed Death Certificates During COVID-19. Here's Why You Can't Trust Any of the Statistics on the Number of Victims. globalresearch.ca As an NHS doctor, I've seen people die and be listed as a victim of coronavirus without ever being tested for it. But unless we have accurate data, we won't know which has killed more: the disease or the lockdown?…
(2020-05-29). With COP 26 Pushed to Late 2021 Due to Pandemic, World Leaders Urged Not to Delay Climate Action. commondreams.org Organizers of the United Nations COP 26 climate change conference that has been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic announced Thursday that the summit will now be held during the first two weeks of November 2021 in Glasgow—prompting a new wave of calls for world leaders to pursue a green and just recovery to the ongoing public health crisis. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-05-29). Warren holds fundraiser for Biden, drops "MedicareFor All" indybay.org Elizabeth Warren's populist pretensions were nothing more than a marketing tool, to be discarded as soon as they become inconvenient.
(2020-05-29). Transit Workers & The Fight Against Covid with TWU 250a President Roger Marenco. indybay.org Roger Marenco, president of SF TWU 250a talks about the battle to defend members against Covid and how they were forced to take action on their own initiative to protect their health and safety. He also discussed the workplace bullying by management against members and the failure of Cal-OSHA to even visit the transit operation to check if workers and the public were being protected.
(2020-05-29). Imperial develops coronavirus outbreak simulation tools for 137 countries. imperial.ac.uk Imperial have developed coronavirus outbreak simulation tools for 137 countries to help healthcare services plan their response to the pandemic.
(2020-05-29). Iran coronavirus update: 2,819 infections, 50 deaths in past 24 hours. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, May 29 (MNA) – The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has infected 2,819 people and claimed 50 lives in Iran in the past 24 hours, a senior health official said.
(2020-05-29). UK: Weston General Hospital shuts due to coronavirus outbreak among staff. wsws.org The outbreak reveals the enormous dangers to the health and lives of National Health Service workers.
(2020-05-29). Doctors Demand Hospital Industry Stop Funding Dark Money Lobby Group. popularresistance.org A progressive organization of 23,000 physicians from across the U.S. demanded Thursday that the American Hospital Association (AHA) divest completely from a dark-money lobbying group that has spent millions combating Medicare for All and instead devote those financial resources to the fight against Covid-19 and to better support for patients and healthcare workers. | Dr. Adam Gaffney, president of Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP), said in a statement that "the Covid-19 pandemic has stretched hospitals' resources to the limit, and the AHA should not waste precious member hospitals' funds lobbying ag…
(2020-05-29). Health Care Crisis: Future Is Up To Us. popularresistance.org A society that is governed in such a way that it fails to protect its people from the catastrophic harm of the COVID 19 pandemic is a society ripe for revolutionary transformation. The pandemic crisis exposes capitalism's inability to solve the problems it has created for humankind and the earth. The future depends on our class' — the working class most impacted by the crisis — capacity to implement the visionary transformation necessary to literally save our lives and the planet. | From the outset, the U.S. response to the virus illuminated the chasm between the needs of the public's health and safet…
(2020-05-29). 40 Million Health Workers Endorse Green Recovery. popularresistance.org More than 40 million doctors and nurses are in, and they are prescribing a green recovery from the economic devastation caused by the new coronavirus. | More than 350 health organizations representing some 40 million medical professionals, as well as more than 4,500 individual health workers from 90 countries, signed a letter to the G20 leaders Tuesday urging them to craft what they are promoting as a #HealthyRecovery by taking measures such as reforming fossil fuel subsidies and fighting pollution and deforestation. | "A truly healthy recovery will not allow pollution to continue to cloud the air we breathe and…
(2020-05-28). Trump using record unemployment to push an anti-labor agenda. peoplesworld.org 
Trump, followed immediately by Republican governors across the nation, stated that our nation "must reopen." Those governors all then told workers in their states that they must return to work when recalled, or they will have their unemployment benefits cut off. This past week, with millions more filing jobless claims, the total new claims related …
(2020-05-28). New York Communist Party and community activists rally for 'Graffiti Grandma'. peoplesworld.org 
NEW YORK—On Memorial Day this past Monday, members of the New York District Communist Party USA, along with activists from the Black Radical Congress and the Riverside-Edgecomb Neighborhood Association, rallied in support of Washington Heights' "Graffiti Grandma." Jill Nelson, an activist, author, and journalist, was arrested on April 16 for chalking "Trump = Plague" on …
(2020-05-28). We're Working to Safeguard Our Democracy and Our Health. aclu.org 
No one should have to choose between their health and their vote, but during the Wisconsin primary, an estimated
(2020-05-28). "Fight Back!": ACT UP Members & Tony Kushner Remember Trailblazing AIDS Activist Larry Kramer. democracynow.org 
We discuss the life and legacy of Larry Kramer, the legendary writer and trailblazing activist in the fight against AIDS, who has died at the age of 84. Kramer helped start Gay Men's Health Crisis and ACT UP to demand life-saving drugs, and faced off with Dr. Anthony Fauci before the two became friends. Many credit Kramer for saving thousands of lives. We hear from Kramer in his own words at the 2019 anti-corporate Queer Liberation March and host a roundtable with two former ACT UP members: "Gay USA" host Ann Northrop and Yale epidemiologist Gregg Gonsalves. We also speak with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright To…
(2020-05-28). UK weeks behind where it ought to be with testing and tracing — NHS Providers. thecanary.co 
The UK is "weeks behind" where it should to be with coronavirus (Covid-19) testing and tracing, the chief executive of NHS Providers has claimed amid reports of major problems with the service.The NHS Test and Trace system — seen as key to easing lockdown restrictions — has been rolled out across England with the help of 25,000 contact tracers.However, MPs said they were told the programme would not be operational at a local level until the end of next month, while an accompanying app is delayed by several weeks.(PA Graphics)The Department of Health and Social Care also admitted that "some staff initial…
(2020-05-28). India forced to deal with heatwave and plague of locusts as it battles Covid-19. thecanary.co 
As if Covid-19 was not enough, India has been grappling with scorching temperatures and the worst locust invasion in decades as authorities prepared for the end of lockdown despite recording thousands of new infections every day.This triple disaster drew biblical comparisons and forced officials to try to balance the competing demands of simultaneous public health crises: protection from eviscerating heat but also social distancing in newly reopened parks and markets.The heat wave threatens to compound challenges of containing the virus, which has started spreading more quickly and broadly since the government be…