(2020-08-19). Bill Clinton lectures Trump on 'taking responsibility' & proper Oval Office behavior while backing Biden's 2020 bid. rt.com 
Former US president Bill Clinton took aim at the Trump administration's pandemic response in his speech to the Democratic convention, saying it has been "only chaos," while urging voters to send Joe Biden to the Oval Office. | "Denying, distracting and demeaning work great if you're trying to entertain or inflame, but in a real crisis, it collapses like a house of cards," Clinton said of President Donald Trump's handling of the ongoing health crisis. | At a time like this, the Oval Office should be a command center. Instead, it's a storm center. There's only chaos. Just one thing never changes — his deter…
(2020-08-19). Hapless Hancock defends cabinet colleague Williamson over exam fiasco. thecanary.co 
Calls for education secretary Gavin Williamson to quit over the A-level grades fiasco are a distraction at a time when he is focused on getting children back to school next month, a Cabinet colleague has said.Health secretary Matt Hancock said all ministers are "trying to do their best" in unprecedented circumstances "and I know that is true of Gavin Williamson".Hancock also acknowledged calls to increase student places at medical schools and promised that the government is working on the problem.Williamson is under intense pressure after he was forced to abandon the algorithm-based system for awarding A-level an…
(2020-08-19). Iran's COVID-19 death toll passes 20,000. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 19 (MNA) — According to Iranian Health Ministry, the novel coronavirus claimed 153 lives in Iran in the past 24 hours, putting the total number of cases in the country at 20,125.
(2020-08-19). Podcast: COVID-19 vaccine trials latest and privacy in contact tracing. imperial.ac.uk In this edition: Results of the COVID-19 vaccine animal trials and the latest news from the human trials, plus privacy in contact tracing apps.
(2020-08-19). Philippines work on use of saliva for COVID-19 testing. yenisafak.com Researchers in Philippines are working to see the possible use of saliva as a sample for coronavirus testing.Maria Rosario Vergeire, a health department official, said Wednesday Filipino researchers were working on the "method of collecting saliva samples for almost a month now," daily Phil Star reported.The archipelago nation Wednesday reported 4,650 new cases and 111 deaths due to the virus. The national death toll climbed to 2,795 after fresh fatalities, while the number of total infections hit 173,774."That is being studied by our lab experts' panel. We forwarded it to our laboratory experts' panel to study a…
(2020-08-19). Britain to bring in mass testing for coronavirus. yenisafak.com Britain is planning to bring in population-wide mass testing for coronavirus to help control the pandemic, said health minister Matt Hancock on Wednesday."This is a really, really important drive that we have across government to bring in mass testing, population-wide testing," Hancock told BBC radio."We'll ramp it up, certainly over the remainder of this year."
(2020-08-19). Philippines reports 4,650 new coronavirus cases, 111 additional deaths. yenisafak.com The Philippine health ministry on Wednesday confirmed 4,650 new coronavirus infections and 111 additional deaths.In a bulletin, the ministry said total confirmed cases have risen to 173,774, the highest in Southeast Asia, while deaths have increased to 2,795.The government on Wednesday relaxed a strict lockdown in the capital and nearby provinces, allowing more business establishments to resume operations.
(2020-08-19). Syria's Idlib records first coronavirus death. yenisafak.com The first coronavirus death in Syria's northwestern Idlib province was recorded, according to health officials. | "A female patient in her 80s died from the virus," the interim government's Health Minister, Maram al-Sheikh, said in a statement late Tuesday. | He indicated that the patient had suffered from a chronic kidney failure. | A total of 54 virus infections have been recorded in areas under the Syrian opposition, of which 46 recovered as of Wednesday.
(2020-08-18). India's Frontline Health Workers Laboring Through the Lockdown. counterpunch.org 
"We have gone through a lot of strain during the lockdown. Apart from the Covid-19 surveys, I handled 27 childbirths from just April to July. Right from the mother's check-up to taking her to the primary health centre for delivery, I was there for all of them," says Tanuja Waghole, an ASHA worker — accredited
(2020-08-18). California confirms 1st case of PLAGUE in 5 years, health officials urge residents to take precautions. rt.com 
California health officials have reported that a resident of South Lake Tahoe has tested positive for plague, marking the first such case in the state in half a decade. The individual is recovering at home. | It's believed that the person was infected by a flea while walking their dog, El Dorado County's Health and Human Services Agency said in a statement. The individual is being treated by medical professionals but did not require hospitalization. An investigation into the matter is still ongoing. | The uncommon but potentially lethal bacterial disease is usually transmitted by fleas found on infected squirr…
(2020-08-18). US & Brazil are biggest drivers of coronavirus case counts — WHO. rt.com 
The Americas account for 64 percent of officially reported coronavirus deaths around the globe — despite having just 13 percent of the world's population, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said. | Covid-19 cases in the Americas have reached almost 11.5 million as the region continues to carry the highest burden of the disease, WHO Regional Director Carissa Etienne said on Tuesday. | Over 400,000 people have died in the region as a result of the pandemic, she added, speaking at a virtual briefing from Washington with other Pan American Health Organization directors. | The biggest drivers of the case…
(2020-08-18). 'Irresponsible' breaking up of Public Health England expected to be announced. thecanary.co 
Plans to break up Public Health England in the middle of a pandemic are "irresponsible" and "risky", Labour has said.Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said that structural reorganisation is "time consuming" and "energy sapping".In a series of scathing tweets, Ashworth said the government was trying to "shift the blame" when it announces plans to break up the embattled organisation later.A story placed with the Sunday Telegraph suggests that the coronavirus (Covid-19) response work of PHE is to be merged with NHS Test and Trace to form a new Health Protection Institute, designed specifically to deal with p…
(2020-08-18). Refugee with compromised health calls for freedom, thanks supporters. greenleft.org.au 
(2020-08-18). Behavioral Counseling for Sexually Transmitted Infection Risk Reduction. jamanetwork.com For the last decade, the US has experienced an escalating crisis of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Between 2014 and 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported disturbing trends in bacterial STI incidence, including a 63% increase in gonorrhea cases (n‚Äâ=‚Äâ583‚ÄØ405 cases in 2018), a 71% increase in syphilis cases (n‚Äâ=‚Äâ115‚ÄØ045 cases in 2018), and a 185% increase in congenital syphilis cases (n‚Äâ=‚Äâ1306 cases in 2018), the highest numbe…
(2020-08-18). Scientists Determine The Order Of COVID-19 Symptoms. telesurenglish.net Researchers from the University of Southern California (USC) Monday identified the likely order in which COVID-19 symptoms appear, a finding that could help both patients and doctors to better handle the disease. | RELATED: | The study was led by doctoral candidate Joseph Larsen with faculty advisors Peter Kuhn and James Hicks from the USC Michelson Convergent Science Institute in Cancer (CSI-Cancer). | Specialists conclu…
(2020-08-18). WHO chief warns against COVID-19 'vaccine nationalism', urges support for fair access. news.un.org Warning against "vaccine nationalism" in the COVID-19 pandemic, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has again underlined the importance of global solidarity in addressing the crisis.
(2020-08-18). Video: The Great Vaccine Debate! Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. vs Alan Dershowitz. globalresearch.ca Don't miss this historic debate between Children's Health Defense Chairman Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz. | With the current COVID crisis dominating headlines at national and local levels, the topic of vaccines is now front …
(2020-08-18). Physicians and Social Determinants of Health. jamanetwork.com To the Editor The Viewpoint by Dr Schwenk addressed the troubling issues with physician practice and the decline of the patient-physician relationship. However, his caution that physicians should not be responsible for attending to social determinants of health is shortsighted. Although I agree that physicians cannot be the sole arbiters responsible for social determinants of health, they can be vocal agents of change, particularly in an era of reduced funding for public programs and preventive measures, reductions that will assuredly limit access to underserved populations.
(2020-08-18). London bus drivers deliver massive strike vote over "COVID pay," health and safety. wsws.org The ballots show the willingness of drivers to fight but Unite's "consultative" ballot campaign is a fraud.
(2020-08-18). Mapuche Leader Celestino Córdova Agrees to End Hunger Strike. telesurenglish.net Mapuche leader Machi Celestino Córdova decided to end his 107 days fast after signing an agreement with the Government on Tuesday. | RELATED: | The spiritual leader accepted ending his hunger strike as Chilean authorities signed an eight-point understanding that includes a 30-hour visit to Celestino's home once he recovers. However, the conditions will be imposed by health and prison entities. | Moreover, the Mini…
(2020-08-18). "A poor man's virus:" COVID-19 reveals the class chasm in America. wsws.org America's extreme social inequality underpins all aspects of the US government's response to the pandemic, which has been characterized by total disregard for the health, safety and well-being of the vast majority of the population.
(2020-08-18). Doctors in Kenya strike for better conditions as infection rate among professionals rises. peoplesdispatch.org Over 750 healthcare workers tested positive, at least 14 of whom died, including some of the country's top doctors. The union claims that doctors have not received their salaries since July and don't have health insurance…
(2020-08-18). Peru: Doctors to Go on Strike for Better Working Conditions. telesurenglish.net Peru's Medical Federation (FMP) Monday announced a 48-hour national strike to demand greater investment in the health sector as COVID-19 cases soar in the country. | RELATED: | In a letter addressed to Health Minister Pilar Mazzetti, the FMP asked for better working conditions and salary improvement as more of their colleagues become infected. | They also pointed out that the strike will take place on August 26 and 27 since the government…
(2020-08-18). President Piñera Launches Bidding to Set up 5G Network in Chile. telesurenglish.net Chile's President Sebastian Piñera launched the first bidding process to install the 5G technology in the country, which is one of the first Latin American nations to develop this network. | RELATED: | "The 5G application will be prioritized in essential sectors such as health, education, transportation, and natural disaster control," Piñera said. | Chile will allocate between US$2.65 billion and US$3 billion to dou…
(2020-08-18). Physicians and Social Determinants of Health—Reply. jamanetwork.com In Reply Dr Rousseau vigorously defends the role of physicians in addressing social determinants of health for the benefit of their patients. I agree with him up to the point of expecting physicians to be responsible for resolving the socioeconomic deficiencies that affect their patients. Knowledgeable—yes. Aware—yes. Supportive—yes. Responsible—no.
(2020-08-18). Prevalence of Psychotropic and Opioid Prescription Fills Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults With Dementia in the US. jamanetwork.com This pharmacoepidemiology study uses Medicare data to estimate US prescription fills for antidepressants, anxiolytics, antipsychotics, opioids, and antiepileptics among community-dwelling older adults with dementia in 2014-2015, and identifies the most commonly prescribed medications.
(2020-08-18). Cuba to Start a Clinical Trial for a COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate. telesurenglish.net Cuba advances in the development of its COVID-19 vaccine as the country already has four vaccine candidates and one of them has already been approved for clinical trials. | RELATED: | The Finlay Vaccine Institute (IFV) registered a clinical trial for one of its vaccine candidates on August 13 in the Cuban Public Registry of Clinical Trials. The trial, named SOBERANA 01, is on phase I and II and the first enrollmen…
(2020-08-18). In 24 hours 2,385 COVID-19 cases recorded in Iran. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Aug. 18 (MNA) — The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has infected 2,385 people and claimed 168 lives in Iran in the past 24 hours, a senior health official said.
(2020-08-18). The Specter Of A Fascist Coup By Trump Haunts The US. popularresistance.org Spreading faster than COVID-19 among those on the portside, warnings of a fascist-style coup by Trump are rampant this presidential campaign season. Meanwhile, in the real world, more than 51 million Americans have filed for unemployment since March. Some 27 million people have lost their health insurance on top of around 30 million who were uninsured before, in the face of the massive pandemic. The Federal Reserve has pumped $7 trillion into corporate bonds, municipal securities, loans and grants to business, while millions are going hungry. The pandemic death toll in the US is 168,345 as it rages out of control…
(2020-08-18). 'That's a Good Thing': More Infectious COVID-19 Mutation Less Deadly Than Other Strains, Expert Says. sputniknews.com The D614G mutation, a common strain of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus that has been found in Europe and North America and recently in parts of Asia, may be more infectious than other strains. However, it may also be less deadly, according to Paul Tambyah, the president-elect of the International Society of Infectious Diseases.
(2020-08-18). Politics Slows Flow of US Pandemic Relief Funds to Public Health Agencies. truthout.org As the coronavirus began to spread through Minneapolis this spring, Health Commissioner Gretchen Musicant tore up her budget to find funds to combat the crisis. Money for test kits. Money to administer tests. Money to hire contact tracers. Yet even more money for a service that helps tracers communicate with residents in dozens of languages. | While Musicant diverted workers from violence prevention and other core programs to the COVID-19 response, state officials debated how to distribute $1.87…
(2020-08-18). Customized Injection Guidelines Reduce Nurses' Errors. jamanetwork.com After a study showed that user-friendly directions for nurses reduced intravenous drug administration errors, the United Kingdom's National Health Service will begin user testing of all injection guidelines.
(2020-08-18). National vaccine efforts need to fit global approach, says WHO. yenisafak.com National supply deals in the event of the development of a successful vaccine against the coronavirus should fit a global approach, World Health Organization senior adviser Bruce Aylward said on Tuesday.World leaders pledged in late April to accelerate work on tests, drugs and vaccines against COVID-19 and to share them around the globe under a WHO-led initiative known as the ACT (Access to COVID-19 Tools) Accelerator.More than 21.9 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 772,647 have died, according to a Reuters tally.
(2020-08-18). Early clinical and sociodemographic experience with patients hospitalized with COVID-19 at a large American healthcare system. thelancet.com Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 are frequently of vulnerable socioeconomic status and often require intensive care. Patients who survive COVID-19 hospitalization have substantial need for post-acute services.
(2020-08-18). [Original Research] Changes in mental health and drug use among men who have sex with men using daily and event-driven pre-exposure prophylaxis: Results from a prospective demonstration project in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. thelancet.com Mental health disorders are prevalent among those initiating PrEP. We did not find increases in mental health disorders during PrEP use, but rather a decrease in sexual compulsivity and drug use disorders. The initial prevalence of mental health disorders in our study point at the continuous need to address mental health disorders within PrEP programs.
(2020-08-17). Missionaries Gain Access to Amazon's Indigenous Peoples, Despite Pandemic. globalresearch.ca When the first COVID-19 cases hit Brazil in March, the government agency in charge of protecting the country's Indigenous peoples, the National Indigenous Foundation, ordered all civilians to leave the Indigenous reservations. Only essential workers, such as health care personnel …
(2020-08-17). "I Cannot Vote for This Platform": Rep. Ro Khanna on Why Democrats Must Support Medicare for All. democracynow.org 
As the Democratic National Convention kicks off virtually in Milwaukee, we speak with Democratic Congressmember Ro Khanna, who says he will be voting no on the Democratic platform because it does not support Medicare for All. Khanna, who served as national co-chair of Senator Bernie Sanders's 2020 presidential campaign, says ensuring universal healthcare is crucial for the Democratic Party, especially during a pandemic. "I am very enthusiastic about supporting Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to defeat Donald Trump, but I cannot vote for this platform that does not have universal healthcare as a right," says Khanna.
(2020-08-17). Platform fight precedes Democratic convention. peoplesworld.org 
The Democratic National Convention hasn't started yet, and already there's a fight over the party platform. There are differences in a party united in its determination to defeat Trump but divided on some key issues like Medicare-for-All and the Green New Deal. And another fight may be brewing over the party leadership's decision to basically …
(2020-08-17). Trump's America Fails Coronavirus as 170,000 to 204,000 Die, Child Cases Spike, While Other Countries Are Back to Normal. commondreams.org We have a system that works for the rich, instead of a public health system for all Americans that readily anticipates and controls new pathogens through testing, contact tracing, and quarantine. (Photo: Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-08-17). Venezuela: President Maduro Volunteers To Test Russian Vaccine. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro Sunday announced he'll be the first to get vaccinated when the Russian COVID-19 vaccine, Sputnik V, arrives in the country. | RELATED: | He recalled that Russia was the first country in the world to vaccinate its population and volunteered to test the Sputnik V. | "There will be a time when we all get vaccinated and the first to be vaccinated will be me. I'm going to get the vaccine, I…
(2020-08-17). Russia officially produces first batch of COVID-19 vaccine. mronline.org 
"Russia's health workers and teachers will be the first ones to receive the vaccine in the country," Russia's Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said.
(2020-08-17). The Pandemic Has Revealed America's Zip Code Map of Inequality. counterpunch.org 
It is understandably tempting to drop all the blame for America's catastrophic response to COVID-19 on the big desk in the Oval Office. But there's more to the story than epic incompetence, grift and delusion at the highest levels of government. The stark divide in the level of health care from testing to treatment is
(2020-08-17). Europe still dealing with initial stage of Covid-19 pandemic, real 'second wave' likely to arrive in fall — leading Russian expert. rt.com 
A top Russian expert in virus control says Europe is experiencing the continuation of the initial stage of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the current increase in infections is not a sign of a "second wave" as many experts speculate. | Worryingly, Nikolai Malyshev, the chief infectious diseases specialist in the Moscow Health Ministry, believes there will be a new outbreak, but it will come in the fall, as the daylight hours become fewer and the weather gets colder. | "The rise in respiratory infections, as you and I know, [occurs] yearly at the end of autumn and the beginning of winter," Malyshev explained at a pr…
(2020-08-17). Another Russian Covid-19 vaccine on the way? Siberian lab begins 2nd phase of trials just days after registration of Sputnik V. rt.com 
A mere week after Russia registered the world's first coronavirus vaccine, the 'Vector' virology center in Novosibirsk has announced that an entirely different Covid-19 solution is entering the second stage of clinical trials. | As with the US, Russia is not putting all its eggs in one basket when it comes to a potential fix for coronavirus. Anna Popova, the head of the national health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, announced on Monday that volunteers were injected with Vector's experimental vaccine on August 12. Five days later, on August 17, a second group received the shot. | "Clinical trials are being carried o…
(2020-08-17). Boris Johnson under pressure to end A-level chaos. thecanary.co 
Boris Johnson is facing a Tory backlash over the deepening A-levels crisis in England as pupils and teachers continued to protest about the results awarded.Senior Conservatives called for the government to resolve the "shambles" which had been "terribly unfair" to students who got lower-than-expected grades after their exams were cancelled as a result of coronavirus.Johnson is expected to go on holiday to Scotland this week, but Labour leader Keir Starmer called on him to take "personal responsibility" in dealing with the situation. | The Conservative former education secretary Kenneth Baker urged ministers to de…
(2020-08-17). Bolivia Surpasses 100,000 COVID-19 Cases. telesurenglish.net Bolivia's Health Ministry Sunday reported 1,198 new COVID-19 cases, which bring contagion numbers to 100,344 since the beginning of the pandemic. | RELATED: | "Although the figures are already exorbitant, the peak of the disease in Bolivia is expected to be in September," Health Ministry spokesman Rene Sahonero said. | "Cases are climbing steadily, at least on the western side of the country. By the end of the month, we will reach form 130,000 t…
(2020-08-17). Abnormalize The Status Quo. thealtworld.com If we'd been living in a healthy society and then suddenly had this society's sick, insane status quo thrust upon us by powerful people, we'd have all been out in the streets making life very hard for those powerful people in an instant. | We are in the same situation now. We are having a wildly insane status quo thrust upon us by the powerful and for the benefit of the powerful. Only difference is we're not all out in the streets, and instead of thrusting this horrible situation upon us suddenly, they've been doing it this entire time. | Which is precisely why we're not out in the streets. We were born into this…
(2020-08-17). Real Life Heroes: building trust, and saving lives. news.un.org Marie-Roseline Bélizaire, a doctor and epidemiologist with the World Health Organization (WHO), is using her passion for community medicine to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the Central African Republic (CAR).
(2020-08-17). A risky game with health and lives as schools reopen throughout Germany. wsws.org With the beginning of mandatory school attendance, the number of COVID-19 infections is increasing.
(2020-08-17). 10-year-old rape victim in Brazil safely aborts after feminists expel religious extremists. peoplesdispatch.org Religious fundamentalists attempted to invade a health center in the city of Recife in a bid to prevent the procedure. The child earlier had to travel over 1,800 km after she was denied her legal right in her home State…