(2021-05-29). Chinese paper calls for probe of U.S.' Fort Detrick biolab amid Wuhan Lab COVID-19 origins fracas. mronline.org 
Chinese scientists sequenced the genome of SARS-CoV-2 in early January 2020 and by March of that year had "irrefutably" concluded the virus was not of human design. Since then, the goalposts have shifted repeatedly in an attempt to keep laboratory escape a viable theory, despite no evidence to support the continued supposition. | May 29, 2021…
(2021-05-29). The Wuhan lab conspiracy theory: American capitalism's "big lie" wsws.org In defiance of overwhelming scientific evidence, the US media and political establishment are attempting to convince the public that COVID-19 originated in a Chinese laboratory.
(2021-05-29). President Maduro: Bicentennial Congress Articulates All of Venezuela's Social Forces. orinocotribune.com On Thursday, May 27, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro presented a report on the Bicentennial Congress of the Peoples, and asserted that this is a process that articulates all the social forces of the country. He emphasized that the Congress is taking place in a time of union and social awakening, in a time of sacrifice and social struggle. He stressed that over the course of the nation's revolutionary process, never had so many social movements united together as what is happening now through this Congress of the Peoples. | "Youth, women, healthcare personnel, CLAP, communicators, socialist missions, culture,…
(2021-05-29). La vacunación masiva provoca un aumento de casos y muertes. globalizacion.ca 
*** | Los casos de COVID han aumentado considerablemente en casi todos los países que han lanzado una campaña de vacunación masiva. | Camboya inició su campaña de vacunación a principios de febrero después de haber recopilado cero muertes; después de que…
(2021-05-29). The World Trade Organization Is Threatening Vaccine Equity and Climate Goals. truthout.org 
The huge COVID-19 vaccine supply gap between rich and poor countries exposes the deadly problem of intellectual property (IP) rights and the dangerous monopoly power of Big Pharma. It also exposes in glaring terms the failures of the entire system of global trading rules regulated by the World Trade Organization (WTO). In this exclusive interview for Truthout, Jayati Ghosh, one of the world's leading development economists, dissects the question of intellectual property rights relating to vac…
(2021-05-29). Medicare for None: A Response to the State-Based Universal Health Care Act of 2021. commondreams.org Warning! "Based on the historical precedents set by the Affordable Care Act (ACA)," write Ana Malinow and Kay Tillow, "the story of Medicaid expansion serves as a cautionary tale to those who'd like to leave healthcare to the states." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2021-05-29). SEP (Sri Lanka) to hold online meeting this Sunday on COVID-19 catastrophe in India. wsws.org The Socialist Equality Party (Sri Lanka) is holding an online meeting—"The COVID-19 pandemic and the need for a socialist strategy"—this Sunday, May 30, at 6: 00 p.m. Indian Standard Time.
(2021-05-29). [World Report] Yemen's health system has "collapsed", warns UN. thelancet.com The ongoing conflict is exacerbating the effects of COVID-19 as aid agencies warn of a worsening humanitarian situation. Sharmila Devi reports.
(2021-05-29). Construction unions complicit in Ontario's devastating COVID-19 third wave. wsws.org Workers in Ontario's construction industry and related trades are being sacrificed to COVID-19 in order to keep profits flowing in Canada's speculative real estate frenzy.
(2021-05-29). South Korea records hundreds of new COVID-19 cases a day. wsws.org Seoul and Washington are also exploiting the coronavirus pandemic to deepen their alliance against China.
(2021-05-29). Venezuela Starts Mass Vaccination – Herd Immunity By 2021. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's Health Minister Carlos Alvarado announced everything was ready to start the second stage of the Mass Vaccination Plan against COVID-19 on Saturday. | RELATED: | In this stage, health workers will finish the vaccination of the high-risk groups and will begin vaccinating the rest of the population. | In order to comply with the pre-established schedule, 27 vaccination points have been set up throughout the country to avoi…
(2021-05-29). Australia's second-largest state on a knife-edge amid outbreak of Indian COVID variant. wsws.org While infection numbers remain low, the cases have grown swiftly and most of the population remains unvaccinated.
(2021-05-29). Over 170 Brazilian Cities Rise Up Against "Genocidal" Bolsonaro. telesurenglish.net Brazilians on Saturday have taken the streets to protest against the chaos created by President Jair Bolsonaro's mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | Demonstrators were calming actions against the responsible for over 459.000 Brazilian lives taken by COVID-19 and the recklessness of their President. | Currently, Bolsonaro is under investigation by a Senatorial Commission, which has to evaluate his COV…
(2021-05-29). [Research Paper] COVID-19: Rapid antigen detection for SARS-CoV-2 by lateral flow assay: A national systematic evaluation of sensitivity and specificity for mass-testing. thelancet.com Our results suggest LFDs have promising performance characteristics for mass population testing and can be used to identify infectious positive individuals. The Innova LFD shows good viral antigen detection/sensitivity with excellent specificity, although kit failure rates and the impact of training are potential issues. These results support the expanded evaluation of LFDs, and assessment of greater access to testing on COVID-19 transmission.
(2021-05-29). [World Report] Cambodia ends controversial COVID-19 restrictions. thelancet.com Strict policies that prevented hundreds of thousands of people from leaving home, and left many without food or supplies for weeks, have been lifted. Megan Tatum reports.
(2021-05-29). [Perspectives] Cultures of contagion. thelancet.com The Science Gallery Bengaluru's online exhibition CONTAGION opened in April, 2021, just as India approached a staggering 20 million reported cases of COVID-19, a number likely to be a vast undercount. The alarming second wave of COVID-19 in India gives this exhibition an immediacy and relevance.
(2021-05-29). [World Report] Africa's need for more COVID-19 clinical trials. thelancet.com Few treatments and vaccines are being tested in Africa, leaving a lack of data for the COVID-19 response. Munyaradzi Makoni reports from Cape Town, South Africa.
(2021-05-29). L.A. City Council votes to support closing SoCalGas Aliso Canyon gas storage facility. indybay.org "Governor Gavin Newsom, stop ignoring the other health crisis right here in LA," said Matt Pakucko, co-founder of Save Porter Ranch and 14-year resident of Porter Ranch, at the press conference. "You shut down the entire state. It's time to shut down this health disaster. It is as real as Covid for the thousands of people that are continually sickened by this fossil fuel dinosaur."
(2021-05-29). Demanding Decarceration by San Jose D.A. indybay.org We call on San Jose D.A. to free our people, free 'em all NOW! Decarceration will not wait while he builds his new brand as a "progressive prosecutor"! We are in solidarity with people inside who have been locked up for over a year during COVID, hunger striked over horrible conditions and make the demand for liberation.
(2021-05-29). The safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines for children. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org A coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine is now available to children ages 12 through 15 in the U.S. Here's what parents, caregivers and children need to know about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine, the possible side effects, and the benefits of getting vaccinated. This is written by Mayo Clinic Staff and you can …
(2021-05-29). Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine graduates ease physician shortage in world affected by COVID-19 pandemic. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Ninety-eight students took part in commencement events on Friday, May 21, at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine ? Arizona Campus and Sunday, May 23, at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine. This is the first multistate commencement for Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine and the first commencement for the inaugural class of students …
(2021-05-29). Mayo Clinic offers COVID-19 walk-in vaccine clinics in Minnesota. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Mayo Clinic in Rochester and at its Health System sites continue to offer patients, visitors and staff additional convenient opportunities to be vaccinated for COVID-19. All domestic and international patients, visitors and staff who want to be vaccinated for COVID-19 have a couple of opportunities to do so at walk-in clinics this week: Mayo Clinic …
(2021-05-29). Mayo Clinic updates masking, in-person meeting guidance. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released guidance on May 13 stating that people who are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 do not need to socially distance or wear a mask indoors in most settings. This updated guidance excluded certain environments, including health care facilities. Mayo Clinic has reviewed its guidance for masking, distancing and …
(2021-05-29). Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Dissecting COVID-19 research and putting data in perspective. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org The number of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths in the U.S. continues to decline. However, cases of COVID-19 are increasing in younger populations. "It's becoming a childhood disease," says Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group. "Children have composed over 16,000 hospitalizations for COVID-19 and about 300 have died." …
(2021-05-29). Africa Needs Vaccines Now. popularresistance.org The World Health Organization (WHO) has made an urgent call for another 20 million doses of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine to be distributed in African nations in the next six weeks, or many who have received their first dose will not get the boosted protection of a second shot.
(2021-05-29). Uber Drivers in New York City Do Not Net $37 an Hour. cepr.net A New York Times article on efforts to create a cooperative for an Uber-like service, reported without comment the claim by Uber that its drivers in the city have a median wage of $37.44 an hour. It is important to note that this is a gross figure. It does not subtract expenses like gas, insurance, …
(2021-05-29). [Correspondence] Inappropriate use of global health metrics for analysis of the determinants of health. thelancet.com Current global health metrics have been criticised in terms of their usefulness and accountability.1 However, there is an additional point on their value for evidence-based decision making that could be added. Many studies use these global health metrics to analyse determinants of changes in health outcomes over time across countries.2—5 This is usually not an appropriate use of these data. The use of modelling to impute missing values, and smoothing of reported outcomes over time to reduce measurement error, that is standard in creating global health metrics (eg, by the Institute for Health Metrics and the…
(2021-05-29). [World Report] 800‚Äà000 South Sudanese to lose access to health care. thelancet.com The International Organization for Migration warns that primary care services will cease unless donors contribute. Sharmila Devi reports.
(2021-05-29). [Comment] Pragmatic but flawed: the NICE guideline on chronic pain. thelancet.com The 2021 UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance on chronic pain1 (chronic primary pain, chronic secondary pain, or both) and the management of chronic primary pain among people older than 16 years has prompted debate among clinicians. The NICE recommendations on assessment of chronic pain, with person-centred assessment at its heart, make good sense and are to be welcomed. But the recommendations on chronic primary pain are more controversial.
(2021-05-29). [Editorial] Rethinking chronic pain. thelancet.com To live with chronic pain is to live with daily challenges around simple tasks that others take for granted. It often means being disbelieved, stigmatised for not getting better, or judged as not coping. It might mean living with poor mental health and self-esteem, absenteeism from school or work, the breakdown of relationships, and socioeconomic disadvantage. For society, the costs are staggering: low back pain is the leading cause of years lost to disability and chronic pain costs billions of dollars through health system expenditures, productivity losses, reduced quality of life, and informal care.
(2021-05-29). 2021 Stockton Juneteenth Historic Waterfront District. indybay.org Generations of enslavement and affliction, chattel slavery and horrors of captive bondage ended after the bloody battles of the US Civil War where over 700,000 white men Confederate and Union soldiers, died on and off the battlefield to secure the hard fought freedoms we enjoy today. Vestiges of post traumatic episodes on all fronts continues today and May is Mental Health Month to help end the stigma of getting help.
(2021-05-29). Consumer Health: Antidepressants and tinnitus. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Tinnitus is the perception of noise or ringing in the ears. A common problem, tinnitus affects about 15% to 20% of people. Tinnitus isn't a condition itself — it's a symptom of an underlying condition, such as age-related hearing loss, ear injury or a circulatory system disorder. Tinnitus also can be caused by a number …
(2021-05-29). Dr. Prathibha Varkey named president of Mayo Clinic Health System. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org ROCHESTER, Minn. ? Prathibha Varkey, M.B.B.S., has been named president of Mayo Clinic Health System, effective August 16, 2021.Dr. Varkey will partner with Mary Jo Williamson, chief administrative officer, Mayo Clinic Health System, to lead the strategy and operations of the health system's 17 hospitals and nearly 50 community clinics across Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin."We're …
(2021-05-29). Consumer Health: What do you know about inflammatory bowel disease? newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org World IBD Day will be observed on Wednesday, May 19, which makes this a good time to learn more about how these disorders are similar and different. Inflammatory bowel disease, also known as IBD, is an umbrella term used to describe disorders that involve chronic inflammation of your digestive tract. Inflammatory bowel disease can be …
(2021-05-29). Consumer Health: Understanding the link between depression and pain. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. It affects how you feel, think and behave, and it can lead to emotional and physical problems. Depression and pain are closely related. Depression can cause pain, and pain can cause depression. Sometimes pain and depression create a vicious cycle …
(2021-05-29). AI-enabled EKGs find difference between numerical age and biological age significantly affects health, longevity. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org ROCHESTER, Minn. — You might be older ? or younger ? than you think. A new study found that differences between a person's age in years and his or her biological age, as predicted by an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled EKG, can provide measurable insights into health and longevity. The AI model accurately predicted the age …
(2021-05-29). Infographic: Cardiac ablation. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Learn more about cardiac ablation.More healthtip infographics: mayohealthhighlights.startribune.com…
(2021-05-29). Mayo Clinic Cancer Center joins national call to get HPV vaccinations back on track. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org ROCHESTER, Minn. ? Mayo Clinic Cancer Center has joined 71 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in calling on the nation's health care providers, parents and young adults to help get HPV vaccinations back on track. HPV causes several types of cancers, and nearly everyone gets infected with HPV by age 50. "Mayo Clinic recommends …
(2021-05-29). Mayo Clinic Q and A: 21st century stroke prevention strategies. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org DEAR MAYO CLINIC: A family member had a stroke a month ago. I'm 45 years old, and I maintain a healthy lifestyle with regular exercise and a good diet. What steps can I take to make sure this doesn't happen to me? ANSWER: A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of your brain is interrupted …
(2021-05-29). Consumer Health: Recovering from a stroke. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org May is National Stroke Awareness Month, which makes this a good time to learn more about stroke and stroke rehabilitation. Stroke is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. and a major cause of serious disability for adults. More than 795,000 people in the U.S. have a stroke each year, according to the Centers …
(2021-05-29). Consumer Health: What do you know about Lou Gehrig's disease? newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org May is ALS Awareness Month, which makes this a good time to learn more about Lou Gehrig's disease, which is also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a progressive nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control. More than 5,000 people …
(2021-05-29). Consumer Health: Meditation for healthy living. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org World Meditation Day will be observed on Friday, May 21, which makes this a good time to learn more about the benefits of meditation. Meditation is a type of mind-body medicine that's been practice for thousands of years. Of the many forms of meditation, most have in common a quiet setting, a comfortable position, focused …
(2021-05-28). Dossier no. 40: The challenges facing Brazil's left. mronline.org 
If the social consequences of adopting an ultra-neoliberal project weren't enough already, the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and the gross mismanagement and negligence in combatting the virus have led to the worst-case social, economic, and health scenarios. | May 27, 2021…
(2021-05-28). UBER/Ride Share Gig Drivers Protest Against Rip-offs & CA Prop 22 At UBER World HQ. indybay.org A rally was held of UBER, Lyft and Rideshare workers to protest the lack of healthcare and the cost shifting by these companies having the state pay for healthcare.
(2021-05-28). Necropolis Now: The U.S. Assault on Iraqi Healthcare. counterpunch.org The recent Baghdad hospital fire, Western reporters told Iraq, is a "you" problem. The Washington Post blamed the country's "endemic corruption" for the 82 deaths. The New York Times denounced its "mismanagement" and "legacy of decrepit infrastructure." And the Wall Street Journal, quoting Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, cited "negligence." But Iraqi healthcare wasn't always
(2021-05-28). The Dominic Cummings Show. dissidentvoice.org The former chief strategist for Prime Minister Boris Johnson was in a stroppy mood before the UK parliamentary Health and Science committee. For seven hours, Cummings unleashed salvo after salvo against his former boss and the government coronavirus response. Boiling down some points of the Cummings show: there was a failure on the part of …
(2021-05-28). How It All Went Wrong: the Global Response to COVID-19. counterpunch.org The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response was never likely to hand down a rosy report with gobbets of praise. Organised by the World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus last May, the panel's gloomy assessment was grim: the COVID-19 pandemic could have been avoided. Almost nothing in the main report could be seen
(2021-05-28). Bolsonaro Reattempts To Curb Subnational COVID-19 Restrictions. telesurenglish.net Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro filed a new appeal before the Supreme Court against epidemiological measures implemented by subnational governments. | RELATED: | He urged judges to declare "unconstitutional" the curfews imposed in Bahia, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasilia, and other States considering this health measure "an exaggeration." | The Union Attorney General's Office (AGU), which represents the Executive branch, urged…
(2021-05-28). Workers and communities must control COVID relief funds: A view from Detroit. liberationnews.org 
The people must organize to make sure these funds aren't squandered as they too often are in the capitalist United States, diverted to crony contractors and nonprofits.
(2021-05-28). Vijay Prashad on India, Covid and Modi. fair.org 
New York Times ( This week on CounterSpin: A May 25 New York Times