(2020-11-07). [Editorial] COVID-19 in Latin America: a humanitarian crisis. thelancet.com Latin America has some of the highest COVID-19 death rates in the world. Why? For outsiders, much of the discussion of COVID-19 in Latin America has focused on Brazil and the errors of President Jair Bolsonaro. But the region as a whole is facing a humanitarian crisis borne out of political instability, corruption, social unrest, fragile health systems, and perhaps most importantly, longstanding and pervasive inequality—in income, health care, and education—which has been woven into the social and economic fabric of the region.
(2020-11-07). Philadelphia: 'As nurses, we demand justice!'. workers.org 
Workers World Party Philadelphia joined National Nurses United and the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals (PASNAP) in holding a vigil on Oct. 29 for healthcare workers who have died as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Marie Kelly speaks at healthcare worker vigil, Oct. 29. WW Photo: . . . |
(2020-11-07). Iran temporarily releases jailed rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh. middleeasteye.net 
Iran temporarily releases jailed rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh | Release follows warnings by rights groups that Sotoudeh's health had severely deteriorated after a hunger strike | Sat, 11/07/2020 – 13: 43 | Nasrin Sotoudeh, pictured after being freed in 2013 after serving around half of a six-year jail sentence for spreading propaganda and conspiring to harm state security, charges she den…
(2020-11-07). Tuesday 11/10: #ODIC Virtual Town Hall: SCOTUS Hearing on Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act. indybay.org Online town hall…
(2020-11-07). [Correspondence] SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Spain — Authors' reply. thelancet.com We thank Christian Hoffmann and Eva Wolf for pointing out the contradiction of similar severe acute respiratory syndrome corona ≠virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) seroprevalence figures between men and women in our nationwide study,1 compared with the distribution of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the most severely affected countries. Following their suggestion, we provide seroprevalence data stratified by age and sex (appendix) to show that infection rates were similar in men and women during the first epidemic wave in Spain.
(2020-11-07). Iran to produce three new human vaccines by yearend: official. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 07 (MNA) — The Secretary of Biotechnology Development Headquarters of the Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology said that three new human vaccines will be produced in the country by yearend (March 20).
(2020-11-07). [Comment] Offline: Managing the COVID-19 vaccine infodemic. thelancet.com If you read News Punch (aka "Where mainstream fears to tread"), you will be familiar with a series of articles about the prospects for a COVID-19 vaccine. With headlines such as "Big Pharma Exec: We Are Exempt From COVID-19 Vaccine Liability Claims", the website has published report after report casting doubt on the integrity of vaccine science and even the likelihood of a vaccine becoming available. You will find similar pieces on other websites, such as Infowars and AlterNet. The arguments these articles peddle seem deliberately designed to sow uncertainty.
(2020-11-07). [Correspondence] SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in Spain. thelancet.com Marina Pollán and colleagues1 conclude that herd immunity is difficult to achieve because the sero ≠prevalence by point-of-care testing after the first wave of the epidemic was only 5% (95% CI 4 ∑7—5 ∑4).
(2020-11-07). [Perspectives] Roopa Dhatt: advancing gender equality in global health leadership. thelancet.com When Roopa Dhatt was 9 years old, she went into septic shock as a result of appendicitis. Her grandparents rushed her to a local hospital in India. Far from her home in the USA and apart from her émigré parents, who could not afford to join her, the experience is etched in Dhatt's memory. "In the early 1990s", she says, "the health system infrastructure [in India] was so weak, and so under-resourced, I was really fortunate that there was a paediatric surgeon in the city I was in, who was able to operate safely".
(2020-11-07). [Correspondence] ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 — Authors' reply. thelancet.com We agree with Anil Chauhan and colleagues that recording of anaphylaxis is important when testing a new vaccine. All participants in the trial were observed in the clinic for at least 30 min after they were vaccinated, and no cases of anaphylaxis occurred.1…
(2020-11-07). [Correspondence] ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine for SARS-CoV-2. thelancet.com The ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), described by Pedro Folegatti and colleagues,1 was an important milestone in vaccine development to contain the ongoing pandemic. The vaccine is one of several SARS-CoV-2 vaccines that have entered the human trial phase, and the phase 1/2 trial showed encouraging results. This trial has focused on the most relevant clinical outcomes of safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of the vaccine. The recruited participants (ie, healthy adults aged 18—55 years who were negative for SARS-CoV-2) were randomly assigned…
(2020-11-07). [Comment] Global growth trends in school-aged children and adolescents. thelancet.com Despite declining rates over the past few decades, stunting continues to affect over 30% of children younger than 5 years in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, south Asia, and the Pacific.1 The extent to which stunting and underweight in early childhood are associated with premature death and disease explains why global nutrition policy, practice, and research have overwhelmingly focused on very young children. Yet, the rapid expansion of obesogenic environments, including in resource-poor countries, requires policy responses to address a more complex and dynamic nutritional landscape.
(2020-11-06). Aid agencies call for urgent action to prevent famine in hunger hotspots. news.un.org People in four food insecurity "hotspots" inside Burkina Faso, northeastern Nigeria, South Sudan and Yemen, need help urgently to avoid sliding into famine, UN humanitarians said on Friday.
(2020-11-06). Covid tears through Jordan on eve of parliamentary elections. middleeasteye.net 
Covid tears through Jordan on eve of parliamentary elections | After managing to keep a lid on coronavirus for months, the kingdom's healthcare system is overwhelmed and a senior official is being treated in Jerusalem | Fri, 11/06/2020 – 14: 58 | A man walks past a poster of one of the candidates ahead of parliamentary elections on 10 November, amid a second wave of the coronavirus (Reuters) | O…
(2020-11-06). U.S. Foreign Policy is a Failure, Whoever's President. counterpunch.org 
The world recognizes what U.S. elites don't: the utter, total American failure to contain Covid-19 has damaged U.S. standing and will do so until the virus is controlled. Meanwhile, regional powers, China and Russia, cooperate and share resources, particularly vaccines. Cuba provides treatments, but the U.S. turns up its nose at Cuban medicine, even if it means more American covid patients die — this, though Cuba's pharmacopeia for this plague appears superior. China sends doctors and medicines across the globe. Russia opts for sane herd immunity — through vaccination. These countries act like adults.
(2020-11-06). Pay people to take Covid-19 vaccine argues leading ethicist, though others warn it would set 'dangerous precedent'. rt.com 
A leading ethicist has proposed financial and other incentives to increase coronavirus vaccination rates, though many of his contemporaries fear this would set a dangerous precedent with potentially disastrous consequences. | This week, Oxford University Professor Julian Savulescu proposed the idea that a financial incentive could persuade those hesitant to take a Covid-19 vaccine. He also suggested exemption from the wearing of face masks and social distancing as possible alternatives to payment. | Savulescu argues that voluntary vaccination wouldn't guarantee a high enough percentage of the population would…
(2020-11-06). Prison, the Plague, Writing and Exile: an Interview With Aslı Erdogan. counterpunch.org 
This interview with the Turkish author Aslı Erdogan was conducted by mail in recent weeks. She is a renowned author in Turkey, and well known in Europe where works have been translated into English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and possibly some other languages. Her works have won numerous international literary prizes. She is also
(2020-11-06). Budapest & Brussels on potential collision course as Hungary says it will import Russian Covid-19 vaccine despite EU objections. rt.com 
Hungary announced it will purchase Russia's Sputnik-V coronavirus vaccine for research and licensing purposes, in a move that risks creating tensions with EU authorities who insist only formulas made in the bloc should be used. | Foreign Minister Peter Sijarto said on Thursday that Budapest will place an order for the vaccine. "Russia will start supplying small batches in December to complete clinical trials and research here," he told journalists. | Russia became the first country in the world to approve a jab for Covid-19 in September. It drew criticism from some international commentators for the speed of t…
(2020-11-06). How COVID-19 reveals inequalities in the U.S. economy. workers.org 
The Trump administration has admitted it has no plan to get COVID-19 under control. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told CNN Oct. 25 that "We are not going to control the pandemic. We are going to control the fact that we get vaccines, therapeutics and other mitigation areas." . . . |
(2020-11-06). Former British Prime Minister May Leads Lockdown Rebellion as UK Struggles Against Second COVID Wave. globalresearch.ca Former Prime Minister Theresa May has led a backbench rebellion against a second lockdown, demanding the government provide more statistics on the adverse harm the first lockdown had on people's health. A total of fifty Conservative MPs rebelled against the …
(2020-11-06). 'Trump Is Trying to Steal the Election and Wall Street Is Silent': Corporate Executives Urged to Condemn President's Attacks on Democracy. commondreams.org Stop the Money Pipeline coalition pressures executives at major banks, insurance companies, and asset managers to call out his behavior. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-11-06). Video: British Healthcare Assistant Reveals the Lies on Covid Testing and the Lockdown. We Say No the Army and the Police. globalresearch.ca Transcript by Rawan R. Mhamsa | Oh, working as a healthcare assistant for the NHS. I don't think that the uniform to prove that I work for them, but today I'm publicly resigning. | OK, well. | I'm wearing this uniform sadly for …
(2020-11-06). New Orleans protesters march to defeat Trump, defend people's freedoms. fightbacknews.org New Orleans, LA – On November 4, a coalition of progressive groups took to the streets under the slogan "Defeat Trump!" As the rally moved through the central business district, speakers highlighted local issues and areas of action in the city. | While the march came after the national election, it made broad demands. The group united around a shared progressive agenda and the need for more coalition actions. Marchers chanted, "Count the votes!" and "No justice, no peace, no racist police!" They also shouted their demands for housing, quality healthcare, economic relief, safe education, prison abolition and more.
(2020-11-06). 'Emergency action' needed to prevent major polio, measles epidemics. news.un.org Globally, millions of children are at a heightened risk of polio and measles — dangerous but preventable diseases — amid disruptions to vital immunization programmes due to the coronavirus pandemic, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organization (WHO) have said.
(2020-11-06). World can save lives and 'end this pandemic, together' — WHO chief. news.un.org As the COVID-19 pandemic continues evolving, the world must "take all opportunities to learn and improve the response as we go", the UN health agency chief said on Friday.
(2020-11-06). Alberta's Conservative government slashes health care amid COVID-19 pandemic. wsws.org Even as Alberta is experiencing a rapid rise in COVID-19 infections, the UCP provincial government is moving to eliminate 11,000 public health care jobs.
(2020-11-05). UN raises alarm over Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul's health following hunger strike. middleeasteye.net 
UN raises alarm over Saudi activist Loujain al-Hathloul's health following hunger strike | The Saudi activist launched a hunger strike last month to protest against restrictions on contacting her family | Thu, 11/05/2020 – 12: 56 | UN experts have raised concerns about Loujain's health after launching her second hunger strike(AFP) | UN experts have raised concerns over the deteriorating health of jailed…
(2020-11-05). To have & to hold? Japanese scientists create robot to simulate hand-holding with a girlfriend. rt.com 
Robotics experts have developed a somewhat creepy-looking device that can simulate the experience of holding hands with a woman, in an effort to combat Japan's loneliness epidemic. | "For some people, finding a girlfriend is very difficult," say the researchers behind the project at Gifu University. With that problem in mind, they decided to create a new way for lonely men to "experience holding their girlfriend's hand more easily" than by actually dating. | Thus, their project was born, a robotic hand called Osampo Kanojo, or the 'Walking Bride'. | At a first glance, the Walking Bride might seem like just…
(2020-11-05). Kremlin says coronavirus situation 'tense but under control' as Omsk region health chief fired over shortage of beds. rt.com 
President Vladimir Putin's spokesman sought to reassure Russians on Thursday that the coronavirus pandemic in the country is under control. Meanwhile, a number of cities across the country are bracing for a rise in cases. | Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the president is aware of a number of failings of local healthcare systems, saying that "the epidemic is developing, and it is continuing. The situation is indeed very tense, but it is under control. Unfortunately, in some regions we see disruptions, the president knows about them and there is a system in place to respond to them." | The news comes as Russi…
(2020-11-05). Labor Department reports 21.5 million still getting jobless aid. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—New claims for jobless benefits, from people thrown out of work by the coronavirus pandemic and actions to counter the community spread of the plague, totaled 21.51 million for the week ending on Oct. 17, the Labor Department reported. That doesn't count new claims for state or federal jobless benefits since then, the Bureau of …
(2020-11-05). How Trump, Hannity and Limbaugh Violated Election Law. counterpunch.org Conservative media celebrities Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh have flagrantly violated the federal election law prohibition of donating anything of value exceeding $2,800 to a presidential candidate. The ongoing strategic collaboration between Trump, Hannity and Limbaugh is obvious and has been widely documented in newspapers and books. Both Hannity and Limbaugh have collaborated with President
(2020-11-05). Ahead of global health assembly, WHO stresses need for solidarity, preparation. news.un.org The COVID-19 pandemic can be defeated through science, solutions and solidarity, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday, underlining one of its core messages throughout the crisis.
(2020-11-05). UN rights experts call for release of Saudi activist championing women's right to drive. news.un.org The deteriorating health‚ÄØof Saudi women's rights activist Loujain Al-Hathloul is‚ÄØ"deeply alarming", UN-appointed rights experts said on Wednesday, calling for her release along with "all other women human rights defenders in detention".
(2020-11-05). PAHO Praises Mexico's Handling of the COVID-19 Pandemic. telesurenglish.net The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) highlighted Thursday Mexico's progress in reconverting hospitals to treat COVID-19 cases. | RELATED: | "It was not easy, mobility was reduced in almost all states to below 60 percent, and it is thanks to that effort, which is no less, in a country where half the population has to go out to work to survive, that this has been done," said PAHO's representative in Mexico Ch…
(2020-11-05). Canada Reports First Case of Rare Swine Flu Virus in Alberta Patient. sputniknews.com Health officials in Canada on Wednesday reported the country's first case of a human becoming infected with the H1N2 virus, a rare strain of swine flu.
(2020-11-05). COVID-19 kills almost 17 Iranians every hour. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 05 (MNA) — According to the latest announced figures by the Iranian Health Ministry, 406 patients have succumbed to the COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.
(2020-11-05). About 30,000 health service staff off work due to coronavirus. thecanary.co Around 30,000 NHS staff are self-isolating or off work due to coronavirus (Covid-19), the organisation's chief executive has said. | Isolation: | NHS boss Simon Stevens said the numbers underlined the need to control the spread of coronavirus in order to protect the care that could be offered in the health service. Appearing at a Downing Street press conference on 5 November, he was asked if coronavirus-related restrictions could last into the new year to help keep routine NHS services going. | Simon said: This will be a function of how well we are collectively able to get the infection rate down over the…
(2020-11-05). COVID-19 cases spike across US as health care workers struggle with understaffing in hospitals. wsws.org Nurses in California and Connecticut have held protests and strike votes to fight unsafe staffing levels as infections and hospitalizations rise across the US.
(2020-11-05). Mass detention of health workers in India; union to continue fight. peoplesdispatch.org As many as 2,000 Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) were forcefully detained in the State of Andhra Pradesh on November 2. They were staging protests to demand the implementation of the National Health Mission guidelines…
(2020-11-05). Cost-effectiveness of cancer drugs: Comparative analysis of the United States and England. thelancet.com England's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the US' Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) both conduct cost-effectiveness evaluations for new cancer drugs to help payers make drug coverage decisions. However, NICE and ICER assessments have been noted to reach different conclusions. We aim to better understand the degree to which their recommendations diverge and what drives these apparent differences.
(2020-11-05). Official academics downplay the risks of school reopenings as pandemic rages across the US. wsws.org The official bourgeois academics and health experts, as evidenced by the likes of Emily Oster, Ashish Jha and Scott Atlas, place the profit interests of the ruling class above the safety and lives of the working class.
(2020-11-04). 'Serious situation': NHS England moves to highest alert level to stop Covid-19 cases 'spiralling out of control' in 2nd wave. rt.com 
NHS England will move to its highest alert level from midnight tonight as its chief executive warned that strident measures are needed to prevent Covid cases "spiralling out of control" and swamping the health service. | There are currently more than 10,000 Covid-19 patients hospitalized across England, with almost 1,000 on ventilators, according to government data. | Hospitals could handle about 20,000 coronavirus patients before hitting full capacity, according to NHS England on Wednesday. The agency's chief Sir Simon Stevens explained, however, that the country is currently dealing with "22 hospitals' worth…
(2020-11-04). Amazon Bans Book Exposing US COVID-19 Chaos. popularresistance.org A decision by the Amazon company to block a book focused on a scientific and cooperative approach to COVID-19 amounts to corporate information control operating at a new intensity. This censorship occurs while almost every form of U.S. media permits and promotes racist, unscientific and thoroughly confusing information. | The censored book is "Capitalism on a Ventilator: The Impact of COVID-19 in China & the U.S." This anthology of 55 articles by a broad range of social justice authors discuss the importance of free health care, social distancing, testing, protective equipment, education and social mobilizat…
(2020-11-04). How Will the U.S. Election Change the Mideast? scheerpost.com By Juan Cole / Informed Comment If Joe Biden wins the presidency and the Democrats sweep to power in both houses of Congress, it will have a huge impact on domestic policies, on everything from health care to workers' rights to green energy. But the impact on foreign policy would be equally significant. The biggest foreign loser in such a sea change will be Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is a country… |
(2020-11-04). Coronavirus infects 8,452, kills 419 in Iran in 24 hours. en.mehrnews.com TEHRAN, Nov. 04 (MNA) — The daily count of COVID-19 infections in Iran reached 8,452 on Wednesday, bringing the total cases to 646,164, according to the Health Ministry.
(2020-11-04). Robin Shattock says 'we could be living with COVID-19 for years to come'. imperial.ac.uk Imperial's COVID-19 vaccine lead, Professor Robin Shattock, has told MPs we could be living with the virus for years to come.
(2020-11-04). South Korea Approves New Test to Simultaneously Detect COVID-19, Flu. sputniknews.com Health officials in South Korea have approved a new test that can detect both COVID-19 and seasonal influenza at the same time.
(2020-11-04). The fraud of IMF-World Bank "debt relief" for poor countries. wsws.org Even where money is provided by the IMF, in many cases it is used not to finance health and other necessary measures, but to pay off private-sector lenders.
(2020-11-04). Coronavirus Mutations Unlikely To Resist Potential Vaccine. telesurenglish.net A study from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) confirms that SARS-CoV-2 virus mutations should not affect potential COVID-19 vaccines. | RELATED: | According to the Australian institution, after studying the 'D614G' mutation, which was considered "to adversely affect the efficacy of most vaccines," it was demonstrated that the mutation was not stronger than "virus neutralization assays performed…
(2020-11-04). That Mask Is Giving You Lung Cancer. globalresearch.ca I happen to know a thing or two about masks and safety. Why? Because for 25 years I was the editor of an award-winning trade magazine called HazMat Management that covered such topics as pollution prevention and compliance with health …