(2020-06-17). Why Cuban doctors should receive the Nobel Peace Prize. zcomm.org Due to Cuba's extraordinary commitment to humanity, to public health and to internationalism, a group of human rights organizations and social movements across the world have launched a campaign to award the Nobel Peace Prize to Cuba's Henry Reeve medical brigade…
(2020-06-17). Meet Jamaal Bowman, the Bronx Principal Challenging One of the Most Powerful Dems in Congress. democracynow.org 
In the Bronx, the second most economically unequal district in New York state, the insurgent primary campaign of former middle school principal Jamaal Bowman threatens to unseat 16-term Democratic congressmember and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Eliot Engel. Bowman supports defunding the police, Medicare for All and a Green New Deal. He has also gotten high-profile endorsements from Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and The New York Times editorial board. "I've worked in this district for the last 10 years as a middle school principal," Bowman says. "Ove…
(2020-06-17). Vaccine Developers Have a Problem: the Virus Is Going Away Too Quickly on Its Own. anti-empire.com 
Related:
| The top teams rushing to develop coronavirus vaccines are alerting governments, health officials and shareholders that they may have a big problem: The outbreaks in their countries may be getting too small to quickly determine whether vaccines work. | A leader of the Oxford University group, one of the furthest ahead with human trials, admits the reality is paradoxical, even "bizarre," but said the declining numbers…
(2020-06-17). Climate change is killing Americans. Health departments aren't equipped to respond. nationofchange.org How a decade of neglect and politics undermined the CDC's fight against climate change…
(2020-06-17). Global Issues Require United Action and a Reinvigorated UN. dissidentvoice.org Whatever corner of the world one happens to live in, the most pressing issues of the day affect everyone. Pandemics/epidemics and the environmental emergency; war and terrorism; poverty and food insecurity; overpopulation and the displacement of persons. Such crises cannot be limited by borders or controlled by nation states; no government or corporate power can …
(2020-06-17). Sticks, Stones and Death in Galwan Valley. dissidentvoice.org Things along the Indian-Chinese border in the Himalayas have rarely lacked interest, notably along the secretive, heavily patrolled 3,488 km Line of Actual Control. Neither China nor India have ever quite sorted out their differences on that front, plagued by territorial claims over unclearly demarcated boundaries. The administration of Narendra Modi might well have wood …
(2020-06-17). Virus case tally surges in Oman, Morocco. yenisafak.com Oman confirmed two more fatalities from coronavirus on Wednesday, while Morocco reported fresh infections. | In a statement, the Omani Health Ministry said the country's death toll from the virus rose to 116 after two people had died. | A further 810 new cases were registered over the past 24 hours, bringing the overall infections to 26,079, the ministry said. | According to the ministry, 708 patients have recovered, pushing the number of recoveries to 11,797. | Meanwhile, Morocco's Health Ministry said 54 people tested positive for the disease, while 23 patients have recovered. | The country's toll now stands at…
(2020-06-17). Iran's virus death toll rises by 120 to hit 9,185. yenisafak.com Iran on Wednesday confirmed 120 more fatalities from the novel coronavirus over the past 24 hours, bringing the nationwide death toll to 9,185.Iran's daily number of COVID-19 fatalities decreased to under 100 in mid-April and recorded as 34 on May 25, but daily figures have shown an upward trend in last four days after authorities took measures to ease restrictions.Health Ministry spokesman Sima Sadat Lari said a further 2,612 people tested positive for COVID-19, raising the overall count to 195,051.A total of 154,812 people have recovered and been discharged from hospitals so far, he said, adding that 2,789 rema…
(2020-06-17). EU hopes to provide COVID-19 vaccines in a year. yenisafak.com The EU plans to provide COVID-19 vaccines to its member states within 12-18 months, according to its new strategy announced on Wednesday.The European Commission will sign agreements with vaccine producers on behalf of EU member states to help the development and production of vaccines against the virus.The deal will contribute to the cost of research and development in exchange for delivering a certain number of cures in an agreed period of time.The EU hopes to start the vaccination program within 12-18 months from now, if not earlier."This is a moment for science and solidarity. Nothing is certain, but I am conf…
(2020-06-17). Coronavirus vaccine could be on market in mid-2021. yenisafak.com A vaccine against the coronavirus pandemic by CureVac could be on the market in mid-2021, the unlisted German company said on Wednesday.CureVac might be able to apply for approval early next year, Klaus Cichutek, President of German vaccine regulator PEI, added during a joint videoconference.
(2020-06-17). Podcast: Vaccine production, safety on public transport, and emerging economies. imperial.ac.uk In this edition: How to make a billion COVID-19 vaccines, why women feel unsafe on public transport, and how emerging economies fare under COVID-19.
(2020-06-17). Health Care Anti-Bias Tools May Be Endangering Classes of Essential Workers. truthout.org Bias is so baked into health care delivery that COVID-19 forces us to rethink how we allocate resources so Black and Brown people don't suffer more than they already have. | Health care providers worldwide are now considering how to most fairly
(2020-06-17). Fauci Will Not Attend Trump Rally, Citing COVID Risks. truthout.org As President Donald Trump prepares for his upcoming rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, this Saturday, Anthony Fauci, a member of Trump's coronavirus task force, is saying he wouldn't personally attend any campaign event at this time, due to the possibility of contracting the disease. | Fauci, who is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, explained
(2020-06-16). Why Cuban doctors should receive the Nobel Peace Prize? peoplesdispatch.org Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cuba has taken an active role in extending international solidarity to nations hard-hit by the virus. So far, they have sent medical brigades to 27 countries to assist in the fight against coronavirus. Due to Cuba's extraordinary commitment to humanity, to public health and to internationalism, a group of human rights organizations and social movements across the world have launched a campaign to award the Nobel Peace Prize to Cuba's Henry Reeve medical brigade. | On the
(2020-06-16). Why should Cuban doctors receive the Nobel Peace Prize? peoplesdispatch.org Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cuba has taken an active role in extending international solidarity to nations hard-hit by the virus. So far, they have sent medical brigades to 27 countries to assist in the fight against coronavirus. Due to Cuba's extraordinary commitment to humanity, to public health and to internationalism, a group of human rights organizations and social movements across the world have launched a campaign to award the Nobel Peace Prize to Cuba's Henry Reeve medical brigade. | On the
(2020-06-16). WATCH police brutally detain Covid-19 nurse as clashes erupt at Paris health workers protest. rt.com 
A video has emerged showing several French police officers round up a woman in a white medical robe during a health workers protest in Paris. Officers can be seen dragging her by the hair as she begs for help. | The shocking video, filmed at protest in the French capital on Tuesday, shows a policeman in full riot gear pulling the middle-aged woman by the hair and slamming her repeatedly against a tree in an apparent attempt to take her into custody. | Une femme en blouse blanche, tirée par les cheveux, durant une interpellation, finira évacuée le visage en sang durant la manifestation aux Invalides. Elle récla…
(2020-06-16). Colombians mobilize against hunger and state negligence. peoplesdispatch.org 
Thousands mobilized against state negligence, repression and the precarious conditions that communities are forced to endure amid the global health crisis. The protests were attacked by the police and ESMAD agents…
(2020-06-16). Trump Hammers Cuba While Cuba Cures the Sick. mintpressnews.com 
Not content to sabotage Cuba's domestic health sector, the Trump administration has been attacking Cuba's international medical assistance, from the teams fighting coronavirus to those caring for underserved communities in 164 countries.
(2020-06-16). "Normal" Isn't Coming Back, Prioritize Your Mental Health: Notes From The Edge Of The Narrative Matrix. thealtworld.com 
I wouldn't invest any emotional energy in the hope that things will eventually return to normal. They won't. The good news is that what we think of as "normal" is actually as crazy as a species could possibly be, and we may in fact be clumsily stumbling toward actual sanity. | Speaking of which, please prioritize your mental health at this point in history. Like, really, truly prioritize it. Things are only going to get more unusual and confusing from here on out, and you'll need to keep your feet underneath you. | ~ | Keep truthfully saying what you believe to be true in each moment and eventually you will have…
(2020-06-16). Trump's 'AIDS vaccine' gaffe torn apart on social media — but was it really a gaffe? rt.com 
US President Donald Trump is being savaged for praising the government scientists who'd "come up with the AIDS vaccine," with his haters holding it up as proof of incipient dementia. But it's not as outlandish as it sounds. | Trump made the remark during a press conference on Tuesday before signing an executive order on police reform, making a momentary diversion to update reporters on the progress towards a vaccine against Covid-19. Predicting researchers will have "a very successful vaccine, therapeutic, and cure" before the end of 2020, he hailed the "incredible scientists and doctors" who'd come up with "m…
(2020-06-16). Mind Virus-19 and the Government Killed 35,000 Americans and That's a Conservative Estimate. anti-empire.com 
Editor's note: A conservative estimate because the author's suggestion that deaths *with* Covid overcount deaths *from* Covid (based on a revision by Colorado which likely removed only the most egregious cases) is a very, very conservative one. |
| The cure is worse than disease may be literally true for much of the country, including Colorado. While it is clear the worldwide response to coronavirus has created unprecedented economic devastation, there is also reason to believe many of the excess deaths that have occurred over the last couple of months were not caused by coronavirus, but by our response to c…
(2020-06-16). Healthcare system on the verge of collapse in Chile. peoplesdispatch.org After Brazil and Peru, Chile is the third worst-hit country in the region and the twelfth most affected in the world with the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of coronavirus cases is growing rapidly across the country. The increasing demand for medical attention, intensive care units (ICU) and ventilators, has strained the country's healthcare system. | With a population of 18.5 million, Chile is reporting more than 4,000 new cases everyday. Nearly 15% of the cases require hospitalization. About 95% of the ICU beds in the hospitals across the country have already been occupied. Doctors have been forced to make wrenc…
(2020-06-16). Virginia and Maryland ease COVID-19 restrictions. wsws.org The state authorities in Virginia and Maryland are proceeding with the reopening of the economy with complete indifference to the lives and health of working people in the Washington DC area and across the entire region.
(2020-06-16). New Zealand government lifts all COVID-19 restrictions. wsws.org New Zealand's health system is in severe crisis following decades of austerity and is unprepared for future COVID-19 outbreaks.
(2020-06-16). Syrian refugees resort to ever more desperate measures to resist pandemic impact. news.un.org The COVID-19 crisis has caused a dramatic spike in the number of Syrian refugees in need of emergency assistance in the last three months, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday, in an appeal for funding to confront new challenges posed by the health emergency.
(2020-06-16). US/UK trade deal — what your digital life will look like. truepublica.org.uk TruePublica Editor: At TruePublica we have taken the stance that doing a trade deal with America, on balance, will be a bad thing for Britain as a country and its overall way of life. America is already Britain's largest trading partner outside of the EU and provides us with a healthy trade surplus. But once …
(2020-06-16). Screening for Adverse Childhood Experiences in Primary Care. jamanetwork.com This Viewpoint discusses the effects that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have on long-term mental and physical health and reviews the potential benefits and harms of screening for ACEs in primary care settings.
(2020-06-16). Digital Health Equity as a Necessity in the 21st Century Cures Act Era. jamanetwork.com This Viewpoint discusses inequities in broadband access and digital health literacy in the US, and proposes policies and actions to bring equity to patient-facing digital health tools, in the context of a 2020 final rule release giving patients more control of their health data from the US Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) for Health Information Technology's Cures (HI-TEC) Act.
(2020-06-16). Study Explores Psychological Harm to Health Workers During Outbreaks. jamanetwork.com Researchers in Australia have identified dozens of factors that can either increase or decrease clinicians' risk of psychological harm during emerging disease outbreaks.
(2020-06-16). COVID-19 Reveals Urgent Need to Strengthen the World Health Organization. jamanetwork.com From the time China reported a novel coronavirus to the World Health Organization (WHO) on December 31, 2019, it took barely 4 months to become a pandemic, killing hundreds of thousands, and growing daily. It is now clear that the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) had been circulating in Wuhan, China, for weeks before China reported it to the WHO, and that authorities hid information. China maintained SARS-CoV-2 was not readily transmissible between humans. The WHO published China's data, but without independently verifying their accuracy.
(2020-06-16). Genetic Analysis Tracks SARS-CoV-2 Mutations in Human Hosts. jamanetwork.com An analysis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genomes collected from more than 7500 patients worldwide has identified mutations in the virus that could aid in drug and vaccine development.
(2020-06-16). Home Noninvasive Positive Pressure Ventilation for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease—Reply. jamanetwork.com In Reply The issue of combining randomized clinical trials and nonrandomized studies in a meta-analysis is a common challenge faced during evidence synthesis. When an abundance of well-done randomized clinical trials does not exist, clinical decision-making has to proceed based on the available evidence. In our systematic review about home noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) in COPD, we judged that combining these 2 types of studies was appropriate. For transparency purposes, we presented estimates separately from each study design. When examining the 2 designs, we observed similar trends, consisten…
(2020-06-16). Using Controlled Trials to Resolve Key Unknowns About Policy During the COVID-19 Pandemic. jamanetwork.com This Viewpoint proposes implementing comparison groups for policy decisions, for example assessing disease transmission with alternative housing vs in-home isolation of individuals who test positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), or with different durations or cycles of school openings, to gather data that could make broader and future policy implementations more informed and effective.
(2020-06-16). Home Noninvasive Positive Pressure Ventilation for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. jamanetwork.com To the Editor Dr Wilson and colleagues reviewed bilevel positive airway pressure (BPAP) and home mechanical ventilation for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We are concerned about certain issues related to their methodology.
(2020-06-16). Coronavirus may move travel into 'the realm of luxury' in Iran. iranian.com The coronavirus pandemic may turn tours and travels in Iran into luxury items as observing health protocols will rise the cost of travel in the country, Mohammad Ali Vaqefi, the vice president of the Iranian Tour Operators Association, has warned. "With the continuation of the coronavirus outbreak, tourists may prefer individual travel rather than tours. …
(2020-06-16). Virus case tally rises in Kuwait, Morocco. yenisafak.com Kuwait confirmed new fatalities due to the novel coronavirus on Tuesday, while Morocco reported fresh infections. | The Kuwaiti Health Ministry said five people died from COVID-19 and 257 new cases were registered in the last 24 hours. | The country's tally now stands at 36,095 confirmed cases, including 303 deaths, and 28,206 recoveries. | In Morocco, 36 fresh cases and 52 recoveries were recorded, according to the Health Ministry. | Morocco's total cases now stand at to 8,921 including 212 deaths and 7,880 recoveries. | After emerging last December in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the virus has spread to at least…
(2020-06-16). World Bank approves $1 billion for health, education in Congo. yenisafak.com The World Bank said on Tuesday it had approved $1 billion in funding for Democratic Republic of Congo's education and health systems that have been weakened by years of under-funding, conflict and mismanagement.The financing comprises $800 million to support free primary school education and $200 million to improve maternal and child health."This funding is all the more important because it will help alleviate the economic and social consequences of the coronavirus affecting the poorest," said Jean-Christophe Carret, World Bank country director.The funding includes $435 million in grants and $565 million in credi…
(2020-06-16). '22% of world population at risk of severe COVID-19'. yenisafak.com According to the study published by The Lancet medical journal, an estimate of 1.7 billion people or 22% of the global population "have at least one underlying condition that puts them at increased risk of severe COVID-19 if infected.""Estimates of the number of individuals at increased risk were most sensitive to the prevalence of chronic kidney disease, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and chronic respiratory disease," it added.The researchers said the study focused on underlying health conditions for considering the number of individuals that might need to be shielded or vaccinated as the global pandemic unfo…
(2020-06-16). COVID-19: Indonesia to reopen schools in low-risk areas. yenisafak.com Indonesia will reopen schools located in low risk areas starting July after months of closure due to coronavirus, the Education Ministry said Tuesday.Sri Wahyuningsih, a ministry official, said in a webinar that the reopening of schools will be carried out in phases depending on the level of education and the provisions of the health protocols."Middle and high schools will start to reopen in July, elementary schools in September, while kindergartens will be the last to reopen in November at the earliest," said Wahyuningsih.She said that only 6% of all schools in the country are located in low risk areas."Despite…
(2020-06-16). Preexisting Health Conditions Increase Risk of Death From COVID-19 Twelvefold – CDC. sputniknews.com New data released Monday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals that COVID-19 leads to "severe outcomes in older adults and those with underlying health conditions" such as heart disease, diabetes or lung disease.
(2020-06-15). Unfinished Revolution: Where Do The George Floyd Protests Go From Here? popularresistance.org Will we release some steam for a few days, be satisfied with the prosecution and (if we're lucky) conviction of a few cops, accept a few reforms of a police system that will never be accountable to anyone else but their maker — the ruling class? Will we settle for mere survival, be content not to be killed, so that we can live under the peace of everyday violence and robbery forced upon our communities, our health, and our lives? | Will we hang onto illusions that equate equal opportunity with being as exploited as a vanishing group of white, middle-class workers are or as a few black and brown faces rising…
(2020-06-15). Johnson's racial inequality commission written on 'back of a fag packet' says Lammy. thecanary.co Boris Johnson's pledge to establish a cross-government commission on racial inequality is a "back of a fag packet" plan designed to "assuage the Black Lives Matter protest", Labour has claimed. | Shadow justice secretary David Lammy said there have been several reviews into racism in the UK in recent years — and the announcement of another makes it feel like "we want figures, data — but we don't want action". | Johnson, writing in the Daily Telegraph, said the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities would look at "all aspects of inequality — in employment, in health outcomes, in academic and a…
(2020-06-15). Supreme Court Ruling on LGBTQ Rights Defangs Trump's Attack on Trans Health Care. truthout.org The Supreme Court's ruling on anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people is not only an extraordinary victory for workplace equity, it also provides strong legal pushback against Donald Trump's attempts to roll back health care discrimination protections for LGBTQ people. | The Supreme Court on Monday unambiguously
(2020-06-15). Body count grows in Trump drive to kill off seniors. peoplesworld.org 
Donald Trump started in earnest soon after his election to endanger the health and lives of America's seniors by putting Social Security and Medicare cuts in every single one of his budget proposals. Further endangering their health and lives, he is now holding giant rallies in the middle of a pandemic that has already killed …
(2020-06-15). Face coverings: What does the law say? thecanary.co 
Face coverings are now mandatory on public transport in England.Passengers caught not complying with the regulations risk being fined £100 and removed from services.We take a look at the new laws: — What is new?Legislation called The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Wearing of Face Coverings on Public Transport) (England) Regulations 2020 came into force on Monday.— What does this mean?It is mandatory to wear a face covering — meaning anything which covers someone's nose and mouth — while using public transport unless you have a reasonable excuse.The rules apply in England and in English a…
(2020-06-15). Nurses outraged over US hospital chain bailouts, layoffs and bloated CEO pay. wsws.org The largest health care corporations and hospital chains have collected billions in federal grants and laid off tens of thousands of health care workers, while compensating top executives hundreds of millions.
(2020-06-15). COVID-19: Preparations for southern flu season must be a priority: WHO's Tedros. news.un.org Despite the ongoing global response to COVID-19, the world cannot lose sight of the significant public health risk posed by influenza, which affects every country every year and takes its own deadly toll, World Health Organization (WHO) Director General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said on Monday.
(2020-06-15). Health Passports — biosurveillance and pervasive health monitoring to be rolled out. truepublica.org.uk By Rob Woodward — TruePublica: VST Enterprises Ltd (VSTE) the British cybersecurity company founded by tech entrepreneur Louis-James Davis announced recently that a 'sports health passport' style app was now in play to help kick start attendance at all British sporting events over the coming months as Britain emerges and recovers from Covid-19. VSTE want …
(2020-06-15). Bank of England Infringes Human Rights: Venezuelan Central Bank. telesurenglish.net The Bank of England (BoE) is "putting lives at risk" by denying access to gold reserves, Legal representatives of the Central Bank of Venezuela (BCV) denounced Monday. | RELATED: | BoE refuses to release around US$1.13 billion of gold reserves which the South American nation could use to fight the health emergency derived from the COVID-19 outbreak. Venezuela is seeking to get a court order for the urgent release of abo…
(2020-06-15). Colombia exceeds 50,000 coronavirus cases, 1500 deaths. colombiareports.com Colombia's health authorities have confirmed more than 50,000 total coronavirus infections and 1,500 Covid-19 deaths in total and 75 deaths on Sunday alone, the deadliest day of the pandemic so…