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2020-04-22: Social Media Postees

Please be social by posting these 'POSTEES' on social media! (Copy the text of the postee below, then paste it on social media and the story images will also appear.)

FROM THE FIELD: Migrants use digital 'fab labs' to address Djibouti health protection shortages
news.un.org | 2020-04-22
With Djibouti's health system under enormous strain from the COVID-19 pandemic, young migrants in the country are using 3D-printers to make face shields, and ease the shortfall inside medical facilities.
news.un.org/feed/view/en/story/2020/04/1…

San Leandro Police Execute Black Man in Walmart
APTP | indybay.org | 2020-04-22
As white nationalists gather across the country wielding assault rifles in protest of public health mandates with no response from police, people of color experiencing apparent mental health crises continue to be shot and killed because of egregious and brutally racist law enforcement practices.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/20/1883253…

'We did not get a cent': Palestinian diplomat says US 'lying' about promised $5mn aid package to hospitals facing Covid-19
rt.com | 2020-04-22
The Palestinian envoy to France said Washington lied about sending millions in aid to beleaguered hospitals in Gaza and the West Bank, insisting the funds were earmarked for favored NGOs unlikely to spend a dime on healthcare. | In a tweet last week, Washington's ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, claimed the US would provide $5 million to "Palestinian hospitals and households to meet immediate, life-saving needs in combating Covid-19," while congratulating the US for being the "world's top humanitarian donor." | I'm very pleased the USA is providing $5M for Palestinian hospitals and households to meet imme…
rt.com/news/486516-us-lied-palestine-aid…

Thousands of UK healthcare workers given inaccurate Covid-19 tests, minister admits
rt.com | 2020-04-22
UK healthcare workers were given flawed Covid-19 tests, a government minister has admitted, meaning frontline staff may have returned to work carrying the deadly virus. | Junior health minister Helen Whately told Sky News on Wednesday that NHS staff have been informed that their coronavirus tests were "not up to scratch" and results may not be accurate. They have now been offered a new test. | At least 100 frontline health workers have died from Covid-19, according to the most recent figures. Defending the serious error, Whately claimed it was all part of a "normal process when you are using a test for an illn…
rt.com/uk/486532-healthcare-inaccurate-c…

France and COVID-19: Incompetence and Conceit
Patrick Howlett-Martin | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-22
On December 31, 2019, the Chinese government informed the World Health Organization of an epidemic of animal origin in Wuhan, reporting similarities to SARS-CoV (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, originally appearing in 2002 in the province of Guangdong) and to MERS-CoV (Middle East Repiratory Syndrome, originally appearing in Saudi Arabia in 2012). On January 12, Chinese scientists shared the completely sequenced genome of this new coronavirus with the entire international scientific community.
counterpunch.org/2020/04/22/france-and-c…

Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Managing stress and anxiety during COVID-19 pandemic
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-22
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced changes to daily life, and disrupted normal routines at work, at school, and at home. Physical isolation can negatively affect mental health, and constant news coverage can bring fear and anxiety about the disease. How can you best cope in these uncertain times? On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ma…

US safety agencies bow to corporations as workers file record number of complaints
wsws.org | 2020-04-22
The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has reportedly received 3,000 complaints related to the pandemic, with state agencies receiving many times…
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/22/osha…

Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Critical care units prepare for COVID-19
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-22
An intensive care unit (ICU) is a special unit in a hospital where patients who are very ill can be under constant supervision by their health care team. The COVID-19 pandemic has stressed ICU and critical care units in hot spots where the virus had spread widely. On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Daniel Brown, …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ma…

India suspends Covid-19 antibody tests as accuracy concerns grow
rt.com | 2020-04-22
The Indian government has ordered a pause in coronavirus-antibody testing owing to accuracy concerns, health officials said on Wednesday. As India's tally of cases nears 20,000, this will complicate the fight against the epidemic. | India trails many countries in conducting the standard swab tests to determine the presence of Covid-19 because of limited testing equipment and protective gear for medical workers. | Earlier this month, health authorities approved blood tests for coronavirus antibodies as a faster way to bolster the screening effort, and ordered half a billion testing kits from China. However, Dr…
rt.com/newsline/486534-india-suspends-an…

Number of Covid-19 cases exceeds 10,000 in Poland, which plans to re-open hotels in May
rt.com | 2020-04-22
The number of people infected with the novel coronavirus in Poland rose to 10,034 on Wednesday. The death toll among the country's population of 38 million had reached 404, the health ministry tweeted. | On Monday, the government started to relax some of the restrictions that have been imposed during the outbreak. Hotels may be allowed to re-open in May as part of a second phase, Reuters quoted government spokesman Piotr Muller as saying on Wednesday. | "The opening of hotels should be decided in May, including hotels at the seaside," Muller told state broadcaster TVP Info.
rt.com/newsline/486531-poland-open-hotel…

Mexican Workers Strike For Paid Home Leave
Kent Paterson | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-22
Wildcat strikes involving hundreds if not thousands of workers erupted in the mainly foreign owned factories (maquiladoras) of northern Mexico in recent days. Alarmed by sick co-workers, including some of whom had reportedly succumbed to the health effects of the COVID-19 coronavirus, workers demanded that, in accordance with a federal decree ordering the closure of…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/22/mexican-work…

Donald Trump's Governor Problem
Binoy Kampmark | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-22
Things are getting dizzy in the White House on what, exactly, is being done to "open the economy". Cranky advocates for the financial argument over the restrictions of public health have been attempting to claw back some ground. As Jonathan Chait puts it,…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/22/donald-trump…

COVID-19: What to do if you develop symptoms while away from home
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-22
In many areas of the U.S. and around the world, people are being told to stay home and avoid travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, travel restrictions may not apply to employees of critical industries, such as trucking, public health professionals, financial services, and food supply. So what should someone do if they develop …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/co…

Beaumont Health lays off 2,500 and eliminates 450 jobs in Metro Detroit
wsws.org | 2020-04-22
Michigan's largest health care provider, Beaumont Health, announced the layoff of 2,475 employees and the permanent elimination of 450 positions at its Detroit-area facilities.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/22/beau…

First Covid-19 deaths in US occurred WEEKS EARLIER than previously thought
rt.com | 2020-04-22
People in the US were dying of the novel coronavirus weeks before authorities officially reported the first death linked to the disease, new data published in Santa Clara County, California reveals. | Autopsies performed on two people who died at home on February 6 and February 17 show that their tissues were infected with Covid-19, Santa Clara health authorities said in a statement, adding that another previously unreported death associated with the coronavirus had occurred on March 6. | The fi…
rt.com/usa/486522-first-us-covid-death-e…

Kazakhstan: Hospital workers demand resignation of government official over spread of COVID-19
wsws.org | 2020-04-22
Hospital workers demanded that the city's chief public health officer, who accused medical workers of being responsible for the spread of the virus, be removed from office.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/22/kaza…

Blame the Covid-19 failure on your governments, not on China
Davide Mastracci | indybay.org | 2020-04-22
The anti-Chinese narrative is based on false statements and serves to distract people from the failure of neoliberalism. Build hospitals and make health care universal! Cut military spending in half! Testing, not imprisonment, abuse and neglect!
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/20/1883251…

Lockdown reveals fresh air and cleaner rivers in India
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-04-22
India's extended lockdown to curb the coronavirus outbreak has shut down schools, workplaces, industries, transport, and forced people to stay home.It also led to an unexpected bonus in the country with six out of 10 of the world's most polluted cities: cleaner air.India accounts for the highest pollution-related deaths in the world with more than two million people every year, according to a December 2019 report by the Global Alliance of Health and Pollution.On 25 March, the first day of the lockdown, the average PM 2.5 levels decreased by 22% and nitrogen dioxide

Report offers insight into China's COVID-19 response
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-04-22
TEHRAN, Apr. 22 (MNA)

What to do when anxiety affects your sleep
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-22
While anxiety around COVID-19 may be affecting your sleep, getting a good night's sleep is key to protecting your health. In these days where there is high anxiety around COVID-19, getting your sleep isn't easy. But a good night's sleep is a key factor in maintaining your health and protecting your immune system. "Sleep is …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/wh…

COVID-19: Will social distancing be the new normal? A Mayo Clinic expert discusses what the future might look like
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-22
As some states look toward relaxing restrictions and social distancing measures, such as stay-at-home orders, new projections suggest social distancing may need to continue through 2022. Researchers predict that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, will return every winter, and that prolonged or intermittent social distancing strategies could limit the strain on health care systems. …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/co…

UK coronavirus deaths may have reached 41,000, study finds
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-04-22
Deaths linked to coronavirus (Covid-19) in the UK may have already reached 41,000, according to new analysis.The Financial Times estimate is more than double the latest total announced by the Department of Health, which stood at 17,337 at 5pm on 20 April.The government's figure is based almost entirely on the deaths of hospital patients who tested positive for Covid-19.Differences in reporting mean this total can include a small number of deaths outside hospital that occurred in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.The Financial Times has used separate figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS)…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/2020/04/22/uk-coronavirus-deaths-may-have-reached-41000-study-finds/

Iran records 1,194 new cases, 94 deaths on Wednesday
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-04-22
TEHRAN, Apr. 22 (MNA)

Baykeeper's Healthy Bay Challenge
Lea Pfeffer | indybay.org | 2020-04-22
You can participate anywhere and anytime until May 31, 2020!
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/20/1883253…

US reports 2,700+ coronavirus deaths in 24 hours in its 2nd biggest single-day spike as it prepares to reopen economy
rt.com | 2020-04-22
The United States has reported over 2,700 new Covid-19 fatalities in the space of a single day, AFP reported, citing data from Johns Hopkins University. The daily death toll surged as the country is gradually easing lockdowns. | Some 2,751 American deaths on Tuesday marked one of the deadliest days yet in the global health crisis, which has claimed the lives of some 44,845 people in the US alone. Still the top hotspot for the coronavirus, the US will soon surpass 825,000 cases, more than several of the next worst-hit nations combined. | The spike in fatal cases in the US comes as 20 states

Stephen Hawking's ventilator donated to NHS to help coronavirus patients
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-04-22
Stephen Hawking's ventilator has been donated to the Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge to help treat patients with coronavirus. | The physicist, who had motor neurone disease, died in 2018, aged 76. | His daughter, Lucy Hawking, said: "Our father received brilliant, dedicated and compassionate medical care from both Royal Papworth and Addenbrooke's Hospitals in Cambridge. | "As a ventilated patient, Royal Papworth was incredibly important to my father and helped him through some very difficult times. | "We realised that it would be at the forefront of the Covid-19 epidemic and got in touch with some of our old…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/2020/04/22/stephen-hawkings-ventilator-donated-to-nhs-to-help-coronavirus-patients/

Hosing down corona: WATCH Russian troops disinfect military training center in Serbia
rt.com | 2020-04-22
Russian troops who arrived in Serbia to help the country fight its coronavirus epidemic have already disinfected some 80 sites in the Balkan nation. A fresh video has caught them in action. | Footage released by the Russian Ministry of Defense showed a string of khaki-colored Kamaz trucks veering into the training compound in the city of Pozarevac. After disembarking, the servicemen in full protective gear sprayed the buildings' interiors with a disinfectant. | The soldiers worked hand-in-hand with Serbian chemical defense troops, who took it upon themselves to decontaminate an area adjacent to the training…
rt.com/news/486510-serbia-russia-militar…

Prescribing an overdose: A chapter in the opioid epidemic
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-22
ROCHESTER, Minn.

The Origin of Plagues: From Mao to Trump
Evaggelos Vallianatos | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-22
On July 1, 1958, the ruler of China, Mao Tse-tung, said farewell to the god of plagues. Mao's celebration was short lived. The god of plagues has been ravaging China and the rest of the world to this day of the existential corona pandemic in 2020.
counterpunch.org/2020/04/22/the-origin-o…

University Jihad studies on COVID-19
en.mehrnews.com | 2020-04-22
TEHRAN, Apr. 22 (MNA)

Podcast: COVID-19 vaccine development, patient data and isolation diaries
imperial.ac.uk | 2020-04-22
In this edition: We hear from researchers working on a COVID-19 vaccine and with patient samples, and how students are coping in isolation.
imperial.ac.uk/news/197016/podcast-covid-19-vaccine-development-patient-data

Imperial COVID-19 vaccine team secures £22.5 million support
imperial.ac.uk | 2020-04-22
The UK government will provide £22.5 million to fast-track Imperial's development of a coronavirus vaccine.
imperial.ac.uk/news/197017/imperial-covid-19-vaccine-team-secures-225

Cuban Drug to Strengthen Natural Immunity in Trial Phase
Angel Guerra Cabrera | globalresearch.ca | 2020-04-22
Given the threat posed by the new coronavirus, it is encouraging to learn that trials are underway in Cuba of a vaccine to strengthen innate immunity, to help reduce the risk of infectious agents entering the human body. | The new …
globalresearch.ca/cuban-drug-strengthen-natural-immunity-trial-phase/5710444

Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: How contact tracing can fight the spread of COVID-19
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-22
Contact tracing is a used to slow community spread of infectious diseases like COVID-19. Contact tracing is the process of finding and reaching out to the people who have been in contact with an infected person. Then close contacts of a person who might have COVID-19 can be isolated or quarantined to lessen further spread …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ma…

Infographic: Understanding COVID-19 testing
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-22
For the latest updates on the COVID-19 pandemic, check the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. For more information and COVID-19 coverage, go to the Mayo Clinic News Network and mayoclinic.org.
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/in…

When to seek emergency care during COVID-19 pandemic
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-22
In an effort to reduce the burden on hospitals due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and to lower the risk of disease transmission, people are asked not to go to emergency rooms if they think they may have COVID-19 symptoms but otherwise feel okay. Instead, they're asked to call their primary care provider to discuss their …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/wh…

COVID-19: Mayo Clinic expert on what it's going to take to reopen the US
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-22
Image Courtesy: April 19, 2020 U.S. map / Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Widespread stay-at-home efforts have forced many businesses to close during the COVID-19 pandemic. As talk of reopening the economy ramps up across the U.S., Dr. Gregory Poland, a Mayo Clinic COVID-19 expert, answers questions about what it's going to take to …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/co…

Politicians debate lockdown as Spain sees 435 more deaths
yenisafak.com | 2020-04-22
As Spain's politicians discuss what a partial return to normalcy could look like, the country registered another 435 deaths on Wednesday, bringing the total official death toll to 21,717.More than 4,000 new cases were also confirmed, according to the Health Ministry. In total, 209,706 people have tested positive for the virus in Spain and nearly 86,000 people have recovered.Spain remains on a strict lockdown but the government announced that starting this weekend, some restrictions will be lifted on children who have been confined to their homes since March 14.Restrictions have previously been eased on non-essent…
yenisafak.com/en/world/politicians-debat…

Turkey repatriating nationals while fighting off virus
yenisafak.com | 2020-04-22
Turkey is working hard to bring back its nationals stranded abroad amid the coronavirus pandemic while working to stem its further spread, said the nation's vice president on Wednesday."Currently we have nearly 26,000 citizens who have applied [for evacuation] from 73 countries," Fuat Oktay told Anadolu Agency.Oktay said that upon their return to home soil, Turkish citizens coming from abroad are spending 14 days in quarantine at 87 student dormitories in 73 of Turkey's 81 provinces.On combating coronavirus, Oktay said: "With its health investments, and city hospitals, Turkey was confident [in fighting the virus]…
yenisafak.com/en/news/turkey-repatriatin…

Iran's coronavirus death toll nears 5,400
yenisafak.com | 2020-04-22
With 94 new deaths reported in Iran, the death toll from coronavirus surged to 5,391, state media said on Wednesday. A total of 1,194 more people tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the total infections to 85,996, Iranian state TV reported Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour as saying. | Jahanpour said 63,113 people have recovered so far and been discharged from hospitals, while 3,311 patients are in critical condition. | The virus has spread to at least 185 countries and regions since emerging in China last December, with the U.S. and Europe now the hardest-hit areas. | There are…
yenisafak.com/en/world/irans-coronavirus…

'I | thought my lungs would explode': | Turkish survivor warns youth to take coronavirus seriously
yenisafak.com | 2020-04-22
A 21-year old Turkish undergraduate who recovered from the coronavirus after being hospitalized for 10 days has warned his peers to heed the warnings of authorities and not be complacent.Even though Mehmet àñzàßetin is physically active, non-smoker and a healthy young man, he did not assume that he was immune or invincible against the deadly coronavirus and self-isolated to protect his family in Turkey's western province of Afyon.àñzàßetin's harrowing ordeal with the deadly disease began fourteen days after his arrival from Turkey's northwestern àáanakkale province when he started…
yenisafak.com/en/news/ithought-my-lungs-…

UK PM Johnson under fire over handling of coronavirus crisis
yenisafak.com | 2020-04-22
Johnson initially refrained from approving the stringent controls that other European leaders imposed as the coronavirus spread, but he later closed down the country when projections showed a quarter of a million people could die in the United Kingdom.Since the lockdown, though, the government has given conflicting explanations of why it failed to join a European Union ventilator scheme and admitted there have been problems getting health workers enough protective equipment."Once we are through this crisis, there will of course need to be an independent inquiry to officially review the government's response to th…
yenisafak.com/en/world/uk-pm-johnson-und…

India Passes Ordiance Stipulating Up to 7 Years in Jail to End Violence Against Health Workers
sputniknews.com | 2020-04-22
New Delhi (Sputnik): While some Indians are expressing gratitude for healthcare workers putting their lives on the line to treat the coronavirus, others are venting their anger and disappointment at them. Attacks have been carried out on COVID-19 paramedic teams in the field and doctors in hospitals across the country.
sputniknews.com/india/202004221079053030…

Prince Charles Reveals He Watches Viral Videos During COVID-10 Lockdown
sputniknews.com | 2020-04-22
The eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, left self-isolation earlier this month after testing positive for the coronavirus on 25 March. As of 22 April, there are more than 124,000 registered cases of the virus in the United Kingdom, according to the World Health Organisation, and more than 16,000 fatalities.
sputniknews.com/uk/202004221079053090-pr…

UK Foreign Minister Raab Takes Questions From MPs in Johnson's Stead – Video
sputniknews.com | 2020-04-22
The UK Department of Health and Social Care has confirmed more than 120,000 cases of the coronavirus disease since the start of the outbreak, which has resulted in the deaths of more than 16,000 people.
sputniknews.com/uk/202004221079053736-uk…

#EarthDay: It Took Shutting Down Everything to Get Blue Skies Again – Indian Environmentalist
sputniknews.com | 2020-04-22
New Delhi (Sputnik): The 50th Earth Day comes at a time when the world is hit by the coronavirus pandemic. The lockdowns imposed by various countries to stop the spread of the highly contagious disease have yielded unintended benefits for the environment

Trump to Suspend Immigration to the U.S. Due to COVID-19
telesurenglish.net | 2020-04-21
The U.S. President Donald Trump Monday night announced that he will sign a decree to temporarily suspend the entry of immigrants to his country while his administration faces the health and economic effects triggered by the COVID-19. | RELATED: | Trump Orders Deportation of Migrant Children Due to Coronavirus | "In light of the attack from the invisi…
telesurenglish.net/news/Trump-to-Suspend…

Trump Tweets Plan to Suspend All Immigration to US
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-04-21
President Donald Trump declared in a tweet late Monday night that he intends to sign an executive order "temporarily" banning all immigration to the U.S. amid the Covid-19 outbreak, an announcement rights groups condemned as a shameful attempt to scapegoat immigrants that will do nothing to safeguard either Americans' health or jobs. | "In light of the attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT Ameri…
truthout.org/articles/trump-tweets-plan-…

Anti-Immigrant Movement Has History of Politicizing Disease
Eddie Bejarano | splcenter.org | 2020-04-21
COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus, is the latest disease the nativist movement has politicized to demonize immigrants.
splcenter.org/hatewatch/2020/04/21/anti-…

Will America's Corruption End on a Ventilator or in a Mushroom Cloud?
Medea Benjamin, Nicolas J.S. Davies | commondreams.org | 2020-04-21
As we struggle to emerge from today's tragic pandemic, more and more Americans are understanding that healing our sick, corrupt political system is the vital key to a healthy and peaceful future. (Photo: Daily Express) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files…
commondreams.org/views/2020/04/21/will-a…

2020-04-21: News Headlines

imperial.ac.uk (2020-04-22). Imperial COVID-19 vaccine team secures £22.5 million support. imperial.ac.uk The UK government will provide £22.5 million to fast-track Imperial's development of a coronavirus vaccine.

WSWS (2020-04-21). COVID-19 lockdown leaves Gulf states' migrant workers penniless in unsanitary conditions. wsws.org Unable to return home because of travel restrictions or their countries' refusal to accept them, migrants are left to fester in lockdown, confined to overcrowded, unsanitary dormitories without access to either health care or help.

Eddie Bejarano (2020-04-21). Anti-Immigrant Movement Has History of Politicizing Disease. splcenter.org COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus, is the latest disease the nativist movement has politicized to demonize immigrants.

Prof Michel Chossudovsky (2020-04-21). Video: COVID-19: Closing Down the Economy Is Not the Solution. globalresearch.ca Millions of people have lost their jobs, and their lifelong savings. In developing countries, poverty and despair prevail. | While the lockdown is presented to public opinion as the sole means to resolving a global public health crisis, its devastating economic …

Eric Wagner (2020-04-21). The Gates Foundation's Vaccination Activism. globalresearch.ca In the corona crisis, billionaire Bill Gates makes a high-profile appearance as a vaccination activist. The essence: a vaccine is the solution, it is only a matter of implementation. According to Gates, the G20 should now "address the logistics of …

APTP (2020-04-21). San Leandro Police Execute Black Man in Walmart. indybay.org As white nationalists gather across the country wielding assault rifles in protest of public health mandates with no response from police, people of color experiencing apparent mental health crises continue to be shot and killed because of egregious and brutally racist law enforcement practices.

teleSUR (2020-04-21). US: Nurses Protest Over Lack of Resources. telesurenglish.net The U.S. Nurses Union protested Tuesday in front of the White House. The health workers demonstrated in honor of the coworkers they lost due to the pandemic. They also demanded better biosafety resources. | RELATED: | According to Bonnie Castillo, Executive Director of the National Nurses Union (NNU), nurses are asking for better Personal Protection Equipment. Nurses will read aloud the names of those who lost their lives bec…

Ajamu Baraka (2020-04-21). Coronavirus and the crisis of African American human rights. mronline.org With the overwhelming evidence that the capitalist system is fundamentally antithetical to the realization of human rights, including what should be an elementary right—access to healthcare—the presidency of Donald J. Trump has been a godsend for the capitalist rulers.

RT (2020-04-21). De Blasio promises a lavish PARADE for healthcare workers, but history says this could be a bad idea. rt.com New York City's Mayor Bill de Blasio has promised to treat his healthcare workers to a ticker-tape parade once lockdown is lifted. Commenters have blasted the blundering mayor for "basically guaranteeing a second outbreak." | De Blasio's response to the coronavirus outbreak in New York has been marred by one blunder after another. In March, he accused President Trump of "playing catch-up" with the virus; yet, two days earlier, he had told New Yorkers to "go about your lives" as normal. That same week he told a radio host that asymptomatic carriers can't transmit the disease, refused to cancel the city's St Pat…

RT (2020-04-21). WHO worker dies as vehicle carrying Covid-19 samples is attacked in Myanmar. rt.com A World Health Organization driver was killed in an attack on a "marked UN vehicle" transporting some "surveillance samples" through Myanmar's troubled Rakhine province, where fighting resumed several days ago. | Myanmar, where the tally of Covid-19 cases now stands at 119, saw "a security incident" in the Minbya township of the country's westernmost Rakhine state, a local United Nations office It said the vehicle, bearing UN credentials, has been transporting "Covid-19 sur…

Workers World staff (2020-04-21). A prescription for health care justice. workers.org After much discussion, the health care workers caucus — comprised of Workers World Party members working in various areas of medicine and patient care — has developed a 10-point program, or prescription, to address some of the ailments in the U.S. health care system. We intend to elaborate on each . . . |

RT (2020-04-21). Antibody tests suggest Covid-19 may have spread much more than predicted, with possibly HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS infected worldwide. rt.com The WHO says new studies indicate that up to 230 million people may have had coronavirus and survived — more than ninety times more than the current official tally of 2.5 million confirmed cases. | The World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed that early data from antibody testing studies around the world indicate that "only" 2-3 percent of people have been infected by the coronavirus, a figure lower than expected. | Antibodies for a specific virus appear in the blood of people who have had and cleared that virus. Antibody or serological testing takes advantage of this by checking specifically for the…

RT (2020-04-21). 'Virus may have peaked' in Stockholm, but danger isn't over, Swedish health agency says. rt.com Around one-third of Stockholm's million people will have had the novel coronavirus by the start of May, according to Sweden's public health agency. The disease may have already passed its peak in the capital, it said on Tuesday. Stockholm accounts for around half of Sweden's 15,300 confirmed cases of Covid-19, and a high proportion of its 1,765 deaths, including among very elderly people living in care homes, Reuters said. | The health agency said its modeling suggested the rate of new infections in the city had peaked on April 15, although a decline was not yet evident from its data. "Already a bit more than…

RT (2020-04-21). 'Not possible to determine' exact origins of Covid-19, but available evidence points to animal source — WHO. rt.com While the origin of the coronavirus has yet to be confirmed, early findings suggest it originated in animals, a top World Health Organization (WHO) official said shortly after the US president fueled the 'Wuhan lab' theory. | Asked to comment on recent reports by major US media outlets suggesting the lethal virus emanated from a virology lab in the Chinese city of Wuhan, Takeshi Kasai, WHO regional director for the Western Pacific, cautioned against speculation, saying the verdict was still out on the exact origins of the pathogen. | "I think at this stage it's not possible to determine the precise source, but…

RT (2020-04-21). Czechs to test 27,000 people for coronavirus antibodies. rt.com The Czech Republic will test 27,000 people for coronavirus antibodies, to gain information on how many came into contact with the infection. The study, wider in scope than others made in European countries and the US in recent weeks, will start on Wednesday and involve all age groups, officials said on Tuesday. | Four regions were picked, from areas that were little affected by the virus to ones highly affected, said Ladislav Dusek, the director of the republic's Institute of Health Information and Statistics. | Results, expected in early May, should give the government a clearer view of how many asymptomatic…

The Canary (2020-04-21). No 10 stands by 100k coronavirus testing target despite failure to use capacity. thecanary.co Less than half of the available coronavirus testing capacity has been used according to the latest figures, leaving the government facing an uphill battle to meet its 100,000 a day target.Downing Street insisted Boris Johnson — who is continuing his recovery from Covid-19 — had full confidence in health secretary Matt Hancock but the government has come under fire over both its testing programme and the availability of vital equipment for health staff.The government remains committed to the goal of carrying out 100,000 tests a day by the end of the month, but fewer than 20,000 were conducted in the 24 h…

RT (2020-04-21). Boy infected with Covid-19 'didn't spread' it to any of his 172 contacts, raising questions about child transmission — study. rt.com A French schoolboy who contracted Covid-19 on a skiing holiday in February didn't infect anyone else he came into contact with despite showing symptoms, a new study reports. It sheds new light on children as virus 'vectors.' | The child had stayed in a ski chalet in Les Contamines-Montjoie, where British coronavirus 'super-spreader' Steve Walsh had also been vacationing. Walsh unwittingly exposed about a dozen of his fellow guests to the disease after picking it up during a business trip to Singapore in January, before traveling on to France. | A Public Health France investigation into the child's case discove…

Mark Gruenberg (2020-04-21). AFGE: Feds fail to protect 290,000 workers from coronavirus. peoplesworld.org WASHINGTON—The top federal workers union, the Government Employees (AFGE), formally charged the Veterans Affairs Department and the Bureau of Prisons, with endangering the health and safety of 290,000 workers by exposing them, without protection, to patients — and prisoners — suffering from the coronavirus pandemic. Some 260,000 workers are in danger at the VA and …

RT (2020-04-21). Mexico enters 'most serious Phase 3' in spread of epidemic — minister. rt.com Mexico has entered its most serious stage in the spread of the coronavirus, which the government calls 'Phase 3,' Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell said on Tuesday. Mexico has registered 712 coronavirus deaths and 8,772 infections, with 511 new cases reported on Monday, Reuters reports. | Lopez-Gatell said it was vital Mexicans followed government instructions to help the country's health system. "We are in the phase of rapid spread where a large number of infections and hospitalizations are accumulated," Lopez-Gatell cautioned, during a daily morning news conference held by President Andres Manuel Lope…

Editor (2020-04-21). Fighting for health, for us and the planet. workers.org Workers World celebrates the historic 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Launched by a mass outpouring of demonstrators in 1970, this day continues to mobilize scientific and coordinated efforts to defend the health of our planet and of us who live here. Earth Day is still urgently needed as a call . . . |

RT (2020-04-21). Denmark to allow gatherings of 500 people from May 10. rt.com Denmark's Ministry of Health has announced it will allow public gatherings of up to 500 people for the foreseeable future, as the country tentatively eases lockdown measures. | Starting on May 10, authorities will lift the ban on gatherings of more than 10 people which had been in place. The new limit will last until at least September 1 this year, reports state broadcaster The Ministry of Health insisted that it would continue to monitor the situation…

Greg Moses (2020-04-21). Young American Scholars: Give Them Their $6.25 Billion Already. counterpunch.org While small business owners and individual workers are well aware that the first round of fiscal stimulus is not enough to keep them going through the COVID-19 pandemic, America's college students are just now discovering that they are owed $6.25 billion in federal emergency relief funding to help them cover "food, housing, course materials, technology, health care, and child care."

RT (2020-04-21). Singapore extends partial lockdown until June 1. rt.com Singapore has extended by four weeks until June 1 a partial lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus infections, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Tuesday. The measures, which include the closures of most workplaces and schools, were initially set to run from April 7 until May 4. | The city-state on Tuesday confirmed 1,111 new coronavirus cases, taking the total infections to 9,125, Reuters said. | Most of the cases were migrant workers living in dormitories — a group that accounts for more than three-quarters of Singapore's total infections, according to its health ministry. | The World Health Org…

RT (2020-04-21). No confirmation needed? CNN fans rumors about Kim Jong-un's alleged health issues, reports he's in 'grave danger' after 'surgery'. rt.com North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is extremely unwell after undergoing surgery, CNN reported, citing a nameless US government source. Rumors of Kim's alleged health scare have been dismissed by both Seoul and Beijing, however. | "The US is monitoring intelligence that North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, is in grave danger after a surgery, according to a US official with direct knowledge," CNN's Chief National Security Correspondent Jim Sciutto reported on Monday evening. | The scoop came as Daily NK, a Seoul-based outlet, reported that Kim had undergone a "cardiovascular surgical procedure" on April 12 and is bel…

RT (2020-04-21). 'We're on the right track': Chancellor Kurz reassures citizens as Austria to reopen schools, churches & restaurants in mid-May. rt.com Vienna has announced its plans to allow school classes and church services as well as to let restaurants reopen their doors for clients starting from May 15, as the nation returns to life following its Covid-19 outbreak. | "We are on the right track," Chancellor Sebastian Kurz told a press conference on Tuesday as he announced new steps in loosening the lockdown imposed over the epidemic. He said that there were "no reasons" not to continue with the "opening up" plans under the slogan "as much freedom as possible, as much restriction as necessary." However, some restrictions will remain mandatory for the comin…

RT (2020-04-21). Let the blame games begin: Missouri sues China, including WUHAN LAB, over coronavirus outbreak. rt.com The state of Missouri has sued China – plus its Communist Party and a handful of other entities – for "causing a global pandemic that was unnecessary and preventable." It's the first state to take the dubious accusation to court. | Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt filed suit on Tuesday against the entire nation of China, its national, provincial and city governments, and a smattering of government agencies and research institutes, blaming the lot for allowing the coronavirus epidemic to go global. Laying the sum total of suffering that has resulted from the epidemic at China's feet might sound like an ov…

RT (2020-04-21). Pakistan PM Khan to be tested for Covid-19, after contact with virus carrier while receiving charity check. rt.com They say no good deed goes unpunished and that may prove to be wistfully true for Pakistan's prime minister, Imran Khan, who came into contact with a Covid-19 case while receiving a check from a charity to help fight coronavirus. | Khan could be the latest political leader to contract the illness, after it was confirmed that Faisal Edhi, the head of Pakistan's biggest charitable organisation, has tested positive for the disease. | The prime minister met Edhi last week, ironically to receive a check to help fund Pakistan's fight against the coronavirus. Neither man was shown wearing a face mask in the photograp…

RT (2020-04-21). Moscow opens new coronavirus hospital built in just a month, as Russia braces for Covid-19 PEAK. rt.com Moscow's brand-new infectious diseases hospital has admitted its first patients, despite construction having begun in mid-March. It comes as Russia recorded over 5,600 Covid-19 cases in a day, with the peak still approaching. | The 800-bed facility's completion is a much-needed antidote to the country's ever-worsening coronavirus crisis. As of Tuesday afternoon, Russia has 52,763 confirmed cases of Covid-19, and more than half of infections are in Moscow and the Moscow Region. With 5,642 cases nationwide confirmed in the last 24 hours, the opening of the hospital could not have been more timely — and, acc…

RT (2020-04-21). MSM sneer at grave of Covid-19 victim because he criticized Ohio lockdown measures. rt.com A man who tragically died after contracting the coronavirus has posthumously found himself at the center of a mainstream media sneer campaign because he questioned the restrictive lockdown measures in his native Ohio. | Despite thousands of people dying from the illness across the world every day, a range of news outlets have taken it upon themselves to exhaustively report on the case of John W. McDaniel — inspiring a vicious Twitter excoriation in their wake — because he voiced his opposition to the clampdown on personal freedoms that authorities have introduced in a bid to tackle the disease. | Thi…

Global Research News (2020-04-21). Selected Articles: COVID-19: Closing Down the Economy Is Not the Solution. globalresearch.ca By While the lockdown is presented to public opinion as the sole means to resolving a global public health crisis, its devastating economic …

Tom Coburg (2020-04-21). Fake 'nurses' propaganda tweets distract from further government coronavirus shambles. thecanary.co Over 100 fake twitter accounts of 'nurses', offering support to the Cabinet's coronavirus (Covid-19) strategy, have apparently appeared, then suddenly disappeared. There has been speculation on Twitter as to their origin.This distraction comes at a time when details of government cock-ups regarding the outbreak appear almost daily.Fake accounts: A claim has emerged that someone, either an employee with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), or via a contracted "marketing agency", created 128 fake NHS twitter accounts. It's alleged that postings on those accounts came from one person and "4 assign…

Lea Pfeffer (2020-04-21). Baykeeper's Healthy Bay Challenge. indybay.org You can participate anywhere and anytime until May 31, 2020!

teleSUR (2020-04-21). Chile: Social Leaders Demand Real Emergency Aid For COVID-19. telesurenglish.net Political party leaders, mayors, deputies and other social representatives sent an open letter to Chile's President Sebastian Piñera, demanding real help for the people in the face of the economic and health crisis caused by COVID-19. | RELATED: | With more than 170 signatures, the letter requests a Basic Emergency Income, which guarantees economic sustainability for the millions of families affected by the crisis.

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-04-21). Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Critical care units prepare for COVID-19. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org An intensive care unit (ICU) is a special unit in a hospital where patients who are very ill can be under constant supervision by their health care team. The COVID-19 pandemic has stressed ICU and critical care units in hot spots where the virus had spread widely. On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Daniel Brown, …

graham (2020-04-21). The Mental Health Crisis Created By Ongoing UK Welfare Reforms. truepublica.org.uk By Mo Stewart — Independent Disability Studies Researcher: Last November the Preventable Harm Project conducted over the past ten years came to its conclusion with the publication of the final report. Published by the Centre for Welfare Reform, Influences and Consequences exposed "the human consequences of the adoption of neoliberal politics, together with American social …

WSWS (2020-04-21). Australian government joins Washington's anti-China campaign over pandemic. wsws.org The Australian government, backed by the Labor opposition, is positioning itself as the Trump administration's attack dog, repeating its unsubstantiated claims against China and the World Health Organisation.

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-04-21). Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast: Managing stress and anxiety during COVID-19 pandemic. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org The COVID-19 pandemic has forced changes to daily life, and disrupted normal routines at work, at school, and at home. Physical isolation can negatively affect mental health, and constant news coverage can bring fear and anxiety about the disease. How can you best cope in these uncertain times? On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-04-21). COVID-19: What to do if you develop symptoms while away from home. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org In many areas of the U.S. and around the world, people are being told to stay home and avoid travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, travel restrictions may not apply to employees of critical industries, such as trucking, public health professionals, financial services, and food supply. So what should someone do if they develop …

teleSUR (2020-04-21). Colombia: Duque Announces Isolation Extension Until May. telesurenglish.net Colombian President Ivan Duque announced Monday a quarantine extension until May 11. The president stated that there are other preventive measures facing the ongoing COVID-19 health emergency. | RELATED: | "We have decided to extend the mandatory preventive isolation initially until May 11, giving room to other sectors that can participate with responsibility," said Duque in a communication. The president previo…

Tom Anderson (2020-04-21). A delivery rider accuses Deliveroo of not taking workers' health seriously. thecanary.co Over the last few weeks of the coronavirus (Covid-19) lockdown some of us have been working from home, or have been unable to do our usual jobs. | But many others have been working as usual, despite the risk of coronavirus infection. NHS workers and carers have been This exclusive Canary interview looks at how so…

graham (2020-04-21). The next COVID-19 scandal emerges — "there should be mass resignations" truepublica.org.uk By James Cusick: NHS laboratories are using a flawed test for coronavirus, according to a leaked Public Health England document seen by openDemocracy. Experts warn that the test fails to detect up to 25% of positive COVID-19 results. Although the current test is known to be inconsistent, NHS labs are nonetheless being advised to continue …

Davide Mastracci (2020-04-21). Blame the Covid-19 failure on your governments, not on China. indybay.org The anti-Chinese narrative is based on false statements and serves to distract people from the failure of neoliberalism. Build hospitals and make health care universal! Cut military spending in half! Testing, not imprisonment, abuse and neglect!

teleSUR (2020-04-21). Peruvian Official Demands Attention of Indigenous Communities. telesurenglish.net The Peruvian Ombudsman's Office in the Uyacali province recommended the government implement regional measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in indigenous communities. | RELATED: | Uyacali's public service head, Hugo Pari, requested attention and health guarantees for native communities, especially the shipibo-konibo group. This petition upsurges after two indigenous tested positive for COVID-19 in Coronel Portillo pro…

WSWS (2020-04-21). San Leandro, California police execute man suffering mental health crisis in front of dozens of people in packed Wal-Mart. wsws.org The killing of 33-year-old Steven Taylor on Saturday sparked outrage after a 57-second graphic video was posted and shared widely on social media.

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-04-21). Is COVID-19 the end of the handshake as we know it? newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many people to accept a "new normal" and change behaviors. One example has been the need to alter how we greet each other. As part of social distancing, health experts have recommended that people to avoid shaking hands, since hands tend to carry a lot of germs. Dr. Anthony Fauci, …

graham (2020-04-21). Global 'call to arms' to hunt down tax evaders as C19 craters gov't revenues. truepublica.org.uk As emergency coronavirus medical and social programs lay bare economic and social deficiencies around the world, experts are calling for a more forceful tax response to the crisis. They said the dramatic spike in jobless claims combined with the vast additional burden on health systems should be a tax call-to-arms for governments internationally. The pandemic has highlighted global reliance …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-04-21). COVID-19: Will social distancing be the new normal? A Mayo Clinic expert discusses what the future might look like. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org As some states look toward relaxing restrictions and social distancing measures, such as stay-at-home orders, new projections suggest social distancing may need to continue through 2022. Researchers predict that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, will return every winter, and that prolonged or intermittent social distancing strategies could limit the strain on health care systems. …

Telesur (2020-04-21). Bolsonaro Closes Brazil's Embassy and Consulates in Venezuela. globalresearch.ca Amid a health crisis that has made Brazil the country with the largest number of COVID-19 cases in Latin America, At least 38 people boarded in …

newsnetwork.mayoclinic (2020-04-21). What to do when anxiety affects your sleep. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org While anxiety around COVID-19 may be affecting your sleep, getting a good night's sleep is key to protecting your health. In these days where there is high anxiety around COVID-19, getting your sleep isn't easy. But a good night's sleep is a key factor in maintaining your health and protecting your immune system. "Sleep is …

WSWS (2020-04-21). Quebec nurses expose shortages that enabled COVID-19 to ravage long-term care facilities. wsws.org Nurses spoke out against the horrific conditions they and other health workers face in fighting the pandemic in long-term care facilities and insisted these are the product of decades of austerity.