(2022-02-16). NZ protests swell, defying police ultimatum. rt.com 
Anti-vaccine mandate demonstrators have ignored a warning from the authorities to leave voluntarily | Hundreds of protesters defied a police ultimatum to leave the area around Wellington's 'Beehive' parliament on Wednesday, with the crowd continuing to swell. The authorities have described the ongoing demonstration as "orderly." | Inspired by the 'Freedom Convoy' in Canada, activists have blocked several roads in the capital with trucks, vans and motorcycles for nine days. Protesters have also been camping on the grounds outside the distinctive parliament building. | Had a bird's eye view of the protest in Wel…
(2022-02-16). Scientists protest Johnson government ripping up UK COVID restrictions. wsws.org Since the detection of Omicron in Britain on November 27, just 11 weeks ago, a staggering 8.2 million people have been recorded infected with COVID and 14,880 more people have died from the disease.
(2022-02-16). Covid vaccines during pregnancy impact newborns — study. rt.com 
Immunity can be passed from jabbed mothers to babies, according to new research | Babies born to mothers who took the Covid-19 vaccine during their pregnancy are likely to have some form of immunity against the virus, according to the latest research from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), published on Tuesday. | Researchers analyzed data from 379 hospitalized infants — 176 suffered from Covid-19 and 203 were admitted for other reasons. The children were all under six months old between July 2021 and January 2022. | Their study found that hospitalization risks were reduced by 61% in…
(2022-02-16). Woman beats HIV using novel treatment. rt.com 
The American became the fourth person ever to be cured of the virus | A New York woman who had undergone a risky treatment for HIV appears to have been cured of the disease. She finished her medication a year ago, and now doctors say they are unable to find any trace of the virus in her system. | The woman, known only as the "New York patient," was diagnosed with HIV in 2013, and developed leukemia in 2017. Her situation seemed hopeless, but it also made her a perfect candidate for a rare and extremely risky stem-cell treatment. | Due to its high fatality rate, the procedure is only being offered to HIV patien…
(2022-02-16). Selected Articles: The COVID Mandates Are Leaving Europe. globalresearch.ca 
By Many of the European countries have announced that they will move forward treating Covid as just another endemic disease. Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, and the …
(2022-02-16). Pandemic and vaccine inequality have exacerbated global inequality. wsws.org While it does not say so explicitly, an International Labour Organisation report makes clear that the refusal to implement an elimination strategy, using both vaccines and stringent public health measures on the basis that it would cost too much, has worsened economic prospects.
(2022-02-16). "Endemic" COVID-19 may lead to 250,000 deaths each year in the US. wsws.org Public health officials and policymakers have little stomach to discuss what the so-called "new normal" will look like when the coronavirus is allowed unimpeded access to every home across the country.
(2022-02-16). Podcast: Debating vaccines, LGBTQ+ history month, and humans of health research. imperial.ac.uk In this edition: A scientist countering vaccine misinformation, members of Imperial's LGBTQ+ network, and the people behind an impactful asthma trial.
(2022-02-16). Constant State of Emergency. indybay.org The wars are waged by special forces, while the population is kept quiet in a permanent state of emergency under the slogan "war is peace" by full technical control, including mental and health surveillance. Anyone who questions this kind of peace is threatened with annihilation.
(2022-02-16). Far-right anti-vaccine protests in Australia's capital promoted by corporate media. wsws.org Prime Minister Scott Morrison praised the right-wing rabble as "speaking up for the things they feel strongly about," while making common cause with their attacks on state vaccine mandates.
(2022-02-16). Unite our class to fight COVID-19. workers.org 
Private industries in the imperialist countries of North America and Europe have superexploited the COVID-19 crisis. And the governments have managed it so poorly that the disaster created an opening for ultraright groups to mobilize. The so-called truckers' revolt in Canada illustrates the danger. In the U.S., the pro-Trump gang . . . |
(2022-02-16). Video: Nurses and midwives strike outside NSW parliament. greenleft.org.au Thousands of nurses and midwives went on strike after years of unsafe staffing levels were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Isaac Nellist reports.
(2022-02-16). The Heat: U.S. Coronavirus pandemic latest. america.cgtn.com 
The United States is inching closer to a staggering milestone: one million deaths as the pandemic rages into a third year.
(2022-02-16). The criminal role of the Swedish government in the pandemic: Testimony from anti-COVID activist Keith Begg. wsws.org This is the first of a two-part interview on the experience of the pandemic in Sweden, the birthplace of the homicidal "herd immunity" strategy which the Social Democratic government has ruthlessly pursued since March 2020.
(2022-02-16). Cuba presentará en marzo dossier de vacunas anticovid a la OMS. telesurtv.net El anuncio fue hecho por el funcionario cubano en rueda de prensa durante la convocatoria al Congreso Internacional Bio Habana 2022.
(2022-02-16). Weekly COVID-19 mortality up 4% worldwide – WHO. tass.com The number of new infections decreased by 19%…
(2022-02-15). Headlines for February 15, 2022. democracynow.org Russia Withdraws Some Troops from Ukraine Border, Says It's Open to More Diplomacy, California Will Keep Mask Mandate for Schools as Universal Mask Mandate Ends, Canadian PM Invokes Emergency Powers as Police Say Anti-Vaccine Protesters Plotted Violence, Thousands of Nurses Go on Strike as Australia Suffers Its First COVID-19 Surge, Civil Society Groups Demand Moderna Drop Vaccine Patent Filings in South Africa, Sudanese Forces Kill Two More Protesters Demanding End to Military Rule, Israeli PM Meets Bahrain's Crown Prince in First-of-Its-Kind Visit, Mexican Media Workers Demand End to Impunity for Th…
(2022-02-15). Report on Mobilization Against the Convoy in Montreal. itsgoingdown.org Report on antifascist mobilization against the far-Right convoy in so-called Montreal. Originally published to Montreal Counter-Info. Screenshot: @LRsocialiste We were more than 150 on Saturday morning gathered to oppose the far right, which is currently riding the wave of anger at health measures to advance its political agenda. Among the demonstrators we were confronted with, if…
(2022-02-15). Omicron rages in German hospitals and nursing homes. wsws.org Every week there are hundreds of virus outbreaks in hospitals and nursing homes where sick and frail people are cared for.
(2022-02-15). Governments across the globe are pressing to declare the pandemic over. wsws.org Since the WHO declared the Omicron strain a variant of concern at the end of November 2021, more than 140 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported with almost 600,000 deaths.
(2022-02-15). Guidelines Synopsis: Diagnosis of Lyme Disease. jamanetwork.com This JAMA Clinical Guidelines Synopsis summarizes the diagnosis portion of a 2020 practice guideline on Lyme disease.
(2022-02-15). Can Eating Organic Help Prevent Parkinson's Disease? independentmediainstitute.org Agricultural workers in the United States currently use more than 400 different pesticides on their crops to ensure "higher yields and improved product quality." These pesticides, however, threaten the health of people who work with them on farms or agricultural land and of those who live near these areas. Two of the most dangerous pesticides …
(2022-02-15). Puerto Rico: March Of Indignation Against 'Shakedown Plan' Of More Austerity. popularresistance.org Tens of thousands of teachers and other public workers have taken to the streets of San Juan, Puerto Rico in a March of Indignation to protest a debt restructuring plan given the green light by Judge Taylor Swain of New York. Puerto Ricans call it the "Shakedown Plan" because it will enforce more austerity on a land where disinvestment in education and health care and privatization of the energy system have already caused great hardship. A National Strike has been called for February 18. Clearing the FOG speaks with Monisha Rios, a Puerto Rican social worker and psychologist, about who and what are behind the pro…
(2022-02-15). Health System—Based Low-Intensity Interventions to Prevent Self-harm Among Patients With Suicidal Ideation. jamanetwork.com Suicide ranks among the leading causes of mortality in the US, estimated to account for nearly 46‚ÄØ000 deaths in 2020. Nonfatal suicide attempts resulted in an estimated 381‚ÄØ295 emergency department visits and nearly 200‚ÄØ000 hospitalizations each year from 2015 to 2019. At the same time, mental health services are stretched to the limit and patients are often unable or unwilling to access care even when their condition carries high risk. For example, patients discharged from the emergency department following a suicide crisis can wait weeks for an outpati…
(2022-02-15). Super Bowl 2022—A spectacle of money-making and nationalism in the midst of mass death. wsws.org The NFL championship is a superspreader event which should have been cancelled in the interests of public health.
(2022-02-15). Errors in Data Analysis and Outcomes Coding. jamanetwork.com The Original Investigation titled "Association of Dose Tapering With Overdose or Mental Health Crisis Among Patients Prescribed Long-term Opioids," published in the August 3, 2021, issue of JAMA, had errors in the data analysis and outcomes coding. The statistical programming did not properly ascertain the study outcomes and these patient-months were incorrectly counted as zero in the data. There were also errors in use of ICD codes that led to overcounting of overdoses for part of the study period. After reanalyzing the data, the results showed that dose tapering remained significantly associated with both overd…
(2022-02-15). French COVID-19 deaths reach highest level since the winter of 2021. wsws.org A new rise in daily deaths has not stopped the Macron government from seeking to remove all remaining health measures against COVID-19.
(2022-02-15). Errors in Data Analysis and Outcomes Coding in Study of Dose Tapering and Overdose or Mental Health Crisis in Patients Prescribed Opioids. jamanetwork.com To the Editor My coauthors and I recently undertook a review of the Original Investigation titled "Association of Dose Tapering With Overdose or Mental Health Crisis Among Patients Prescribed Long-term Opioids," published in the August 3, 2021, issue of JAMA. We found that study outcomes were incorrectly tabulated. For the pretapering period among patients who eventually had a dose taper, the statistical programming did not properly ascertain the study outcomes and these patient-months were incorrectly counted as zero in the data. The outcomes were properly ascertained, however, for…
(2022-02-15). Thousands of Australian nurses strike in NSW, defying government-court ban. wsws.org The first nurses' stoppage since 2013 reflects a growing mood of resistance among nurses, health staff and the working class more broadly.
(2022-02-15). The Women's Wrighting Group: Nurturing the Heart of Primary Care. jamanetwork.com This Arts and Medicine feature describes a primary care women's writing group in which patients joined a physician and psychologist to share personal experiences through journal entries and support each other through health and other challenges over the years.
(2022-02-15). UK schools inspectorate blames COVID-19 "bubble mentality" for pupil absences. wsws.org That the body responsible for maintaining standards in educational facilities expresses no concern whatsoever with the health and wellbeing of those whose welfare it is supposedly supporting is criminal.
(2022-02-15). The Medical Aspects of the Modern "Sky Scraper." jamanetwork.com The semi-revolution in urban architecture of the past few years, to which we owe the lofty structures that make a distant view of even the flattest of our cities picturesque, has a side that perhaps calls for some attention to be given it by the medical profession. The guardians of the public health have a right to investigate and, if needs be, pass judgment on any novelty that may directly or indirectly affect it, and it is quite possible that there exist in these sky-scraping structures, with all their advantages in economy of ground surface, some serious disadvantages that call for our professional considerati…
(2022-02-15). Controversies About Advance Care Planning. jamanetwork.com To the Editor We have grave concerns about the advance care planning (ACP) evidence review and policy implications presented in the recent Viewpoint, which concluded that ACP is not essential because it does not support goal-concordant end-of-life (EOL) care. First, the authors misrepresented the conclusions of the 2 major review articles that formed the foundation of their argument. Indeed, the 2018 review concluded that ACP provides several benefits, including "improved end-of-life communication, documentation of care preferences, dying in preferred place, and health care savings," and the 2020 review concluded…
(2022-02-15). Patient Information: Caffeine and Health. jamanetwork.com This JAMA Patient Page describes caffeine and how it is used, and the beneficial and negative effects of caffeine on health.
(2022-02-15). How Sex and Gender Differences Relate to Medical Devices. jamanetwork.com The FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) recently released its "Health of Women Program Strategic Plan."
(2022-02-15). Military Situation In Palestine On February 15, 2022 (Map Update). southfront.org 
Click to see full-size image | On February 15, a Palestinian teen was killed in a clash between the Palestinians and Israeli forces in the village of Nabi Saleh, west of Ramallah, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health; | On February 14, clashes between the Palestinians and Israeli forces were reported in Sheikh Jarrah; | On February 13, a Palestinian young man succumbed to his wounds sustained by Israeli bullets in the al-Ras area, in the town of Al-Sila Al-Harithiya, near Jenin; | Israeli Pr…
(2022-02-15). The Fraud of Capitalist Democracy. liberationnews.org 
The panel discusses Johnson & Johnson's decision to halt vaccine production, the attempted lynching of a Black FedEx driver, more racist disenfranchisement, and other stories showing the hollow nature of so-called democracy under U.S. capitalism…
(2022-02-15). 5 Million French Citizens Become 'Unvaccinated' Overnight. libya360.wordpress.com The unboosted are now excluded from bars, cinemas and other public venues The French government rescinded the vaccine passports of up to five million of its people today, effectively banning them from much of French society. From 15 February, French citizens must have received a booster jab within four months of their second dose in order…
(2022-02-15). NYC Cop Mayor Eric Adams Fires 1,400 Workers For Not Getting Vaccine Jab. moguldom.com Some 1,430 New York City workers are out of a job after being fired by Mayor Eric Adams for failing to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. Cop Mayor Adams, who spent 20 years on the New York City Police Department before entering politics, fired the government workers on Feb. 14. Among the axed workers are …
(2022-02-15). Anti-vaccine Mandate Protesters Occupy Streets Outside Australia Parliament. asia-pacificresearch.com
(2022-02-15). Temporary layoffs extended at US Ford auto plants, expand to other automakers. wsws.org Ford and other automakers have cut production in the US due to shortages, while COVID continues to spread through the plants left open.
(2022-02-15). Dexamethasone and Number of Days Alive Without Life Support in Adults With COVID-19 and Severe Hypoxemia. jamanetwork.com To the Editor We have some questions regarding the data presented in the COVID STEROID 2 trial. A close review of the baseline patient characteristics reveals there was no significant difference in median weight between the high-dose vs low-dose dexamethasone groups, and an analysis stratified by body mass index or weight was not presented in the article. However, studies have demonstrated that patients with COVID-19 and overweight or obesity require more assisted ventilation and are more frequently admitted to intensive care units.
(2022-02-15). How Young Workers Are Being Exploited in the COVID-19 Economy. independentmediainstitute.org The newcomer to Bob Garrou's high school wrestling program had won his first match, and was growing in confidence, when he abruptly quit the team. It sickened Garrou to learn why. A local store summarily fired the teen when he balked at working more than the 16 hours he already put in each week, leading …
(2022-02-15). The Covid Regime Has Fooled Us All. libya360.wordpress.com Jacob Siegel Did mass formation psychosis make us easy to deceive? In the late stages of the American Covid regime, "The Science" has become dramatically less important to the ruling class. Notably missing from a new debate about masking policy, in which President Biden has cast doubt on the recent decision by seven Democratic governors…
(2022-02-15). Cuba is Moving Closer to Controlling the Pandemic. libya360.wordpress.com Alejandra Garcia photo: Ismael Batista Two years ago, when COVID-19 broke out, we had no idea that it would be the most traumatic experience that every country in the world would have to live through, and that it would hit especially hard those nations with low resources, such as this small Caribbean island. As soon…
(2022-02-15). COVID-19 and Blood Donation. jamanetwork.com Using laboratory tests to screen routine blood donors for COVID-19 isn't recommended, according to recently updated information from the FDA.
(2022-02-15). As COVID-19 surges, Sri Lankan apparel workers support Global Workers Inquest. wsws.org The Rajapakse government's "profits before lives" policy has resulted in thousands of apparel workers being infected with the coronavirus.
(2022-02-15). Dexamethasone and Number of Days Alive Without Life Support in Adults With COVID-19 and Severe Hypoxemia—Reply. jamanetwork.com In Reply Drs Zhao and Ma express concern that the emergence of the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 during the enrollment period of our study may have changed the effect of dexamethasone because this variant may be more resistant to interventions. To our knowledge, there are no data supporting this hypothesis. Importantly, dexamethasone has anti-inflammatory effects and is unlikely to have antiviral effects. Regarding the concern expressed by Zhao and Ma about the different treatment locations of patients enrolled, we assessed the interaction of intervention effect between patients enrolled in India and in Europe in a…