(2020-04-04). [World Report] Developing antibody tests for SARS-CoV-2. thelancet.com Laboratories and diagnostic companies are racing to produce antibody tests, a key part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Anna Petherick reports.
(2020-04-04). [Comment] Offline: COVID-19—what countries must do now. thelancet.com How should countries plan for the approaching health crisis caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)? In the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, himself struck down with infection, has written to every household warning that, "we know things will get worse before they get better". The UK Government is right to prepare the public for the coming human catastrophe. All governments have a responsibility to do the same. But this advice does not go far enough. Here are five critical actions that need to be considered immediately.
(2020-04-04). [Comment] The COVID-19 pandemic in the USA: what might we expect? thelancet.com As of March 19, 2020, 191‚Äà127 cases of, including 7807 deaths attributed to, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been reported worldwide.1 The incidence of reported cases in China has dramatically reduced to tens per day as a result of strict social distancing measures; however, the pandemic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is now generating sustained transmission in many countries including the USA. In The Lancet, Isaac Ghinai, Tristan D McPherson, and colleagues2 report details of the first known human-to-human transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in the USA, which was…
(2020-04-04). [Editorial] COVID-19 will not leave behind refugees and migrants. thelancet.com Never has the "leave no one behind" pledge felt more urgent. As nations around the world implement measures to control the spread of SARS-CoV-2, including lockdowns and restrictions on individuals' movements, they must heed their global commitments. When member states adopted the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, they promised to ensure no one will be left behind. Chief among the world's most vulnerable people are refugees and migrants. The COVID-19 crisis puts these groups at enormous risk.
(2020-04-04). [Comment] A planetary health perspective on COVID-19: a call for papers. thelancet.com It is natural during the unfolding coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic to focus on emergency response planning, including containment, treatment procedures, and vaccine development, and nobody would doubt the need for these measures. However, an emergency can also open a window of opportunity for reflection and learning. We live in increasingly global, interdependent, and environmentally constrained societies and the COVID-19 pandemic exemplifies these aspects of our world. We would therefore be wise to take a broad integrated perspective on this disease, the impacts of which are already spilling over in…
(2020-04-04). [Editorial] Redefining vulnerability in the era of COVID-19. thelancet.com What does it mean to be vulnerable? Vulnerable groups of people are those that are disproportionally exposed to risk, but who is included in these groups can change dynamically. A person not considered vulnerable at the outset of a pandemic can become vulnerable depending on the policy response. The risks of sudden loss of income or access to social support have consequences that are difficult to estimate and constitute a challenge in identifying all those who might become vulnerable. Certainly, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, vulnerable groups are not only elderly people, those with ill health and comorbidities, or…
(2020-04-04). [Correspondence] Mass drug administration: time to consider drug pollution? thelancet.com Mass drug administration is the strategy recommended by WHO to control or eliminate many neglected tropical diseases that cause devastating consequences worldwide. This strategic approach, which has produced unquestionable benefits, consists of treating every person, infected or not, living in a defined geographical area at approximately the same time.1 In 2017, more than 1 ∑7 billion treatments (mainly albendazole, mebendazole, ivermectin, azithromycin, and praziquantel) were delivered to 1 ∑04 billion individuals.
(2020-04-04). [World Report] 2020 Canada Gairdner Award winners announced. thelancet.com On March 31, the Gairdner Foundation announced the winners of its annual prizes in biomedical science and global health. Talha Burki spoke with the laureates.
(2020-04-04). [Perspectives] Face transplants as surgical acts and psychosocial processes. thelancet.com In 2017 the face of Katie Stubblefield made headlines. Not the face she was born with or the face that emerged after 22 reconstructive surgeries. This was another face altogether: a transplant that Stubblefield would receive from Adrea Schneider. There have been 46 recorded face transplants in history. Katie's was the 40th—only the third to have taken place at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, which also undertook the first face transplant in the USA, on Connie Culp, in 2008. According to the Cleveland Clinic, it took 11 surgeons and staff from 15 specialties more than 31 hours to transplant Stubblefield's new…
(2020-04-04). [Editorial] Open versus endovascular repair of aortic aneurysms. thelancet.com When the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) released draft guidelines on the diagnosis and management of abdominal aortic aneurysms in May, 2018, it caused outcry. By recommending that endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) of unruptured aneurysms should not be offered—even in patients for whom open surgical repair was contraindicated—critics said that many patients would be denied life-saving treatment and that the guidelines were unworkable.
(2020-04-04). [Department of Error] Department of Error. thelancet.com Mease PJ, Rahman P, Gottlieb AB, et al. Guselkumab in biologic-naive patients with active psoriatic arthritis (DISCOVER-2): a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial. Lancet 2020; 395: 1126—36—In this Article, the following sentence from the Participants section has been corrected as follows: "Patients were permitted, but not required, to continue stable use of selected standard treatments, including NSAIDs or other analgesics up to the regional marketed dose approved; oral corticosteroids (‚â§10 mg/day of prednisone or equivalent dose); or non-biologic DMARDs (limi…
(2020-04-04). [Correspondence] Chagas disease: still a neglected emergency? thelancet.com 10 years after highlighting the health consequences for millions of people infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, a 2019 report from the Pan American Health Organization concluded that there has been little progress in the prevention and treatment of Chagas disease, a problem that now extends beyond Latin America.1…
(2020-04-04). [Correspondence] Obsolete medical law in Japan harms doctors' health. thelancet.com Japan has achieved one of the most successful health-care systems in the world.1 Under the nation's insurance scheme, Japanese citizens have taken for granted that anyone can choose any health-care facility and receive the most advanced medical care across the nation. However, little attention has been paid to the fact that such a health system is supported by dedicated and self-sacrificing medical professionals. Such overloaded expectation is especially high in rural areas where the number of doctors remains low.
(2020-04-04). [Correspondence] Education and research are essential for lasting peace in Yemen. thelancet.com Yemen, known to many as the land of Sheba, and Manhattan of the desert, is now referred to only as one of the poorest countries on Earth. The name Yemen has become synonymous with cholera, famine, death, instability, and war. The war continues to erase the lives, history, and the future of Yemenis, and meaningful aid and peace have yet to reach Yemen.
(2020-04-04). [Correspondence] Authoritarianism and the threat of infectious diseases. thelancet.com Punitive social policy, encompassing the dismantling of the welfare state with the expansion of the penal state and its associated institutions, as nicely stated by Elias Nosrati and Michael Marmot in their Perspective,1 might indeed be considered an upstream social determinant of health. Nosrati and Marmot's analysis relates to the findings described by Navarro and colleagues,2 linking political ideology with policies aimed at reducing social inequalities such as welfare state and labour market policies.
(2020-04-03). Trump doubles down on 'hopes' that Russia & Saudi Arabia will agree on oil production cut after Kremlin denies talks. rt.com 
Upping the ante on his expectations but not ready to offer concessions, US President Donald Trump said it "would be great" if Saudi Arabia and Russia reached a deal on cutting oil production "soon" to stabilize the global market. | "It would be great for Russia, it would be great for Saudi Arabia… hopefully they announce something soon," Trump told reporters at the White House. "I hope they can make a deal, they both want to make a deal." | Reiterating that he expects an oil output cut of 15 million barrels per day, Trump said he spoke personally with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Pri…
(2020-04-03). OPEC+ set to hold urgent meeting to stabilize oil market. rt.com 
The members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and major oil producers are set to hold their first meeting after the collapse of the previous deal, non-OPEC member Azerbaijan has announced. | During the talks, which are set to be held on Monday via video conference, the participants will discuss the situation in the oil market and the new declaration of cooperation, Azerbaijan's Ministry of Energy said in a statement on Friday. It added that the meeting will be held on the invitation of the de facto leader of the oil alliance, Saudi Arabia, which called for an urgent meeting "to tr…
(2020-04-03). More refugees attempt Channel crossing as covid-19 reaches Calais camps. thecanary.co 
At least 52 refugees, including five children, risked their lives to cross the Channel on 2 April.They were intercepted by Border Force travelling across the Dover straits in four inflatable boats, the Home Office confirmed late on Thursday.It comes as two cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in the Calais refugee community and another in a refugee camp in Dunkirk.Border Force officers bring to shore men thought to be migrants in Dover (Gareth Fuller/PA)Despite pictures taken in Dover appearing to show Border Force officials not wearing protective gear, the Home Office reiterated that all operational staff have…
(2020-04-03). 'Missing in action': Trump savages Schumer in scathing letter after criticism of Covid-19 response. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump penned a blistering letter slamming Senator Chuck Schumer (D-New York) as "missing in action" during the Covid-19 pandemic, firing back after the lawmaker attacked the federal response to the crisis. | "Thank you for your Democrat public relations letter and incorrect sound bites, which are wrong in every way," the missive begins, responding to the Senate minority leader's
(2020-04-03). Spanish parking lot converted into huge makeshift morgue as Covid-19 deaths surge (VIDEO). rt.com 
An indoor parking lot in Barcelona has been converted into a makeshift extension of the morgue, as the city struggles to cope with the death toll from the novel coronavirus. | Memora funeral home will be the largest field morgue in Spain, with the capacity for almost 2,000 coffins. | Fernando Sanchez, the director of communications for the facility in Barcelona, said on Thursday, "We have the possibility to increase the capacity here and in other big funeral homes we have around the city, so the capacity will be very, very high." | In comparison, two new morgues set up in Madrid combined only have the capac…
(2020-04-03). Avenger Planet: Is the COVID-19 Pandemic Mother Nature's Response to Human Transgression? counterpunch.org 
As the coronavirus sweeps across the planet, leaving death and mayhem in its wake, many theories are being expounded to explain its ferocity. One, widely circulated within right-wing conspiracy circles, is that it originated as a biological weapon developed at a secret Chinese military lab in the city of Wuhan that somehow (perhaps intentionally?) escaped
(2020-04-03). New grim record: US becomes 1st country to report 1,000+ Covid-19 deaths in single day as global infections top 1 million. rt.com 
The United States has reached yet another dark milestone in the coronavirus pandemic, counting over 1,000 fatalities in the span of 24 hours and shattering the global record for daily deaths as worldwide cases soar past 1 million. | Surpassing both its own one-day record — broken every day this week — as well as that of Italy and Spain, the previous world leaders in daily fatalities, the US reported 1,169 new deaths on Thursday evening, according to Johns Hopkins University. |
(2020-04-03). 'Not even a little bit!' Trump sees no witch-hunt in US Navy firing Covid-19 whistleblower captain. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump rejected claims that a recently sacked Navy captain was unfairly persecuted for blowing the whistle on an inadequate response to a Covid-19 outbreak on the USS Theodore Roosevelt, calling for evacuation. | Asked whether the aircraft carrier commander, Captain Brett Cozier, was being "punished" for sending a letter directly to senior officials urging them to save the lives of his crewmen, the president was dismissive. | "No, I don't agree with that at all. We're going to wait for a little while… but I don't agree with that at all," Trump told reporters at a White House briefing on Th…
(2020-04-03). The Tories are probably hoping we're too distracted to notice the investigation into EU election spending. thecanary.co 
The Conservative Party is probably hoping that we're all too distracted by the coronavirus (covid-19) pandemic to notice the party is under investigation over their campaign spending during the European Parliament elections.The Electoral Commission said five parties are being examined after submitting spending reports which were missing information that would give voters a "complete picture of their campaign spending".It added that parties are required by law to provide complete lists of all campaign payments and supporting invoices or receipts for payments of more than £200.It confirmed two investigations…
(2020-04-03). Russian declaration aimed at stopping sanctions amid coronavirus crisis REJECTED at UN General Assembly. rt.com 
The US, UK, and EU, as well as Ukraine and Georgia, rejected a Russian draft declaration calling for unilateral sanctions to be lifted to fight Covid-19. | Moscow's permanent mission to the UN issued a statement on Thursday questioning why Ukraine, Georgia, the UK, US, and EU had shot down its proposal, arguing that these nations "refused to cast aside politicized approaches and interests," and that their decision could negatively affect "a great number of people" — especially in developing nations currently under sanctions. | The rejected motion called for broad international cooperation on combating the…
(2020-04-03). Amazon executives conspired to smear fired worker who led protest over Covid-19 safety conditions. rt.com 
Amazon's top lawyer crafted a strategy to scapegoat the man who organized a protest at a New York warehouse, calling the African-American ex-employee 'not smart, or articulate.' President Obama's ex-spokesman helped carry it out. | Chris Smalls was fired on Monday, after he led up to 50 of his colleagues at a Staten Island warehouse to walk out in protest over what they described as unsafe working conditions at the mammoth facility, including the lack of protective gear for the workers. A number of political and media figures, including Democrat presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), condemned…
(2020-04-03). Spain surpasses Italy in confirmed Covid-19 cases, with 7,000+ people reported ill on Friday. rt.com 
Spain now has more confirmed cases of Covid-19 than Italy, with the number of infections soaring to over 117,000 on Friday — an increase of around 7,000 from the previous day. | The death toll from the virus in Spain also surged to 10,935 in the last 24 hours, according to the country's health ministry. | While the numbers are grim, the ministry said it also marked the first fall in the daily death toll since March 26. | With almost 14,000 fatalities, Italy is still the country with the highest number of deaths, but it now appears Spain could reach similar figures within days. | Spain's government impose…
(2020-04-03). Brazil Supreme Court asks to suspend Bolsonaro for 180 days. mronline.org 
Marco Aurélio Mello, a Minister of Brazil's Supreme Court, sent the Attorney General's Office a request to suspend President Jair Bolsonaro from his post for 180 days for committing various actions that have put the country at risk in the face of the covid-19 health emergency, according to a Telesur report.
(2020-04-03). Nationwide lockdown could cost Indian economy over $4 BILLION A DAY. rt.com 
The 21-day complete shutdown across India which was triggered by the rapid spread of the coronavirus outbreak will result in a gross domestic product (GDP) loss of almost $98 billion, according to Acuite Ratings & Research. | "While the countrywide shutdown is scheduled to be lifted from April 15, 2020, the risks of prolonged disruption in economic activities exist depending on the intensity of the outbreak," the credit rating agency said, adding that the ongoing disruption will have significant economic consequences across the world as well as in India. | Acuite Ratings has warned there is a risk of a contrac…
(2020-04-03). 'Stop coming to Beijing,' China advises foreign diplomats. rt.com 
China's Foreign Ministry is advising foreign diplomats to stop coming to Beijing. Spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters during a daily briefing that the ministry was aware of confirmed coronavirus cases among foreign diplomats in China, Reuters reported. | Beijing has indefinitely banned foreigners from entering the country to curb cases involving travelers from overseas. However, China has chartered planes to repatriate its nationals in countries with severe outbreaks. | The National Health Commission on Friday reported 31 new cases, compared with 35 a day earlier and down dramatically from the height of th…
(2020-04-03). Is the Pandemic Patriarchal? counterpunch.org 
Newsflash, The New York Times, March 31, 2020: As the coronavirus pandemic brings the world to a juddering halt and anxious citizens demand action, leaders across the globe are invoking executive powers and seizing virtually dictatorial authority with scant resistance. . . . As the new laws broaden state surveillance, allow governments to detain people indefinitely
(2020-04-03). 'So cute! What are they called?' Indian couple names newborn twins COVID and CORONA. rt.com 
Coronavirus fever has taken a strange turn in India, with a couple naming their newborn twins Corona and Covid — reportedly to remind them about the hard times they are enduring amid the epidemic. | As India is under a nationwide lockdown aimed at stopping the spread of coronavirus, a couple from the Indian city of Raipur found unusual inspiration from the situation. | They decided to name their boy Covid and their girl Corona. | The 27-year-old mother told PTI news agency that these will be their names for now, but that they might change them later. | "When the hospital staff also started calling the ba…
(2020-04-03). Germany's Merkel ends self-quarantine, returns to work at chancellery. rt.com 
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has ended her self-quarantine and returned to the chancellery on Friday after testing negative for coronavirus several times, according to her spokesman. | Merkel had been self-quarantining and working from home after receiving a vaccination on March 20 from a doctor who was later found to have coronavirus. | On Wednesday, Merkel said Germany will extend social distancing measures introduced last month to slow the spread of the coronavirus to April 19. The government will re-evaluate the situation after the Easter holiday, Reuters quoted her as saying.
(2020-04-03). Lockdown in Italy 'will probably continue' beyond May 1, civil protection chief says. rt.com 
Italy's national lockdown imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus will probably continue beyond the start of May, Angelo Borrelli, the head of the Civil Protection Agency, said on Friday. | The government extended the lockdown this week. Severe restrictions were imposed on movement and all services and firms not deemed essential to Italy's supply chain were shuttered until April 13. | Answering a question about whether the measures would need to remain in place many more weeks, Borrelli said in a radio interview with state broadcaster RAI: "Unfortunately they will." | "I don't believe this situation… wi…
(2020-04-03). No idea when coronavirus-positive Boris Johnson will come out of isolation, UK health minister says. rt.com 
It is unclear whether Prime Minister Boris Johnson will emerge from self-isolation today, UK Health Minister Matt Hancock has said. The British leader was due to end his quarantine on April 3, but he is still showing symptoms. | "I don't know about his own personal medical condition. What I do know is I've been working with him every single day through this crisis," Hancock said of Johnson on Friday. He added that he had "no idea" when the prime minister would leave isolation. | His lack of certainty supports earlier rumors that the PM would not be returning to his normal routine yet. | Asked on Thursday if he…
(2020-04-03). Coronavirus cases in Russia increase by 601, surpass 4,100. rt.com 
The number of coronavirus cases in Russia has increased by 601 over the past 24 hours, amounting to 4,149 in 78 regions. A total of 281 patients have recovered, 34 people have died, the coronavirus crisis center said on Friday. | "Four coronavirus patients have died over the past 24 hours. In total, 34 people have died," the center said. Fatalities have been recorded in Komi Region (2), Moscow (1) and Perm Region (1), TASS reports. | New coronavirus cases have been recorded in 32 regions over the past 24 hours, including Moscow (448), Moscow Region (34), Krasnodar Region (17), Penza Region (11), Leningrad Regi…
(2020-04-03). EU member states in talks over possible border closure extension — von der Leyen. rt.com 
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Friday that talks were under way among EU member states over whether or not to extend border closures beyond Easter in order to tackle the coronavirus crisis. | "We are in consultation with member states on how to proceed beyond Easter," she told radio station Europe 1. | Von der Leyen also reiterated that the next EU budget should take the form of a new "Marshall Plan" to drive Europe's recovery from the coronavirus outbreak. | She feels that Europe will emerge from the coronavirus crisis in a stronger state, Reuters quoted her as saying.
(2020-04-03). Angola 3 Newsletter: DECARCERATE!!!! indybay.org We dedicate this newsletter to the men, women and children in detention centers, jails and prisons, where they are unable to social distance or sanitize–leaving them to anxiously wait for the virus to take hold in their facilities. Please encourage your local governments to take action before the virus hits.
(2020-04-03). The Covid-19 Crisis Is Exposing Trump's Criminality. thenation.com The Covid-19 Crisis Is Exposing Trump's Criminality…
(2020-04-03). COVID-19: from conflict to pandemic, migrants in Bosnia face a new challenge. news.un.org Migrants and refugees hosted at UN-run reception centres in Bosnia-Herzegovina, are learning to cope with the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2020-04-03). Germany marked an increase in violent attacks on refugees in 2019. wsws.org The Left Party has been instrumental, along with the country's other political parties, in creating a hostile climate and the corresponding explosion of violence against refugees and immigrants.
(2020-04-03). Julian Assange still held on remand as coronavirus spreads through UK prisons. wsws.org The WikiLeaks founder, held in Belmarsh prison and facing extradition to the US for exposing war crimes, has a chronic lung condition and has had his health destroyed by a decade of mistreatment by the British state…
(2020-04-03). Mounting protests in Canada's construction industry over lack of safety measures to counter COVID-19. wsws.org A petition launched by a construction worker in Ontario calling for the shutdown of the entire industry quickly secured over 50,000 signatures.
(2020-04-03). "He's Got Eight Numbers, Just Like Everybody Else" dissidentvoice.org On April 4, 2020, my friend Steve Kelly will begin a third year of imprisonment in Georgia's Glynn County jail. He turned 70 while in prison, and while he has served multiple prison sentences for protesting nuclear weapons, spending two years in a county jail is unusual even for him. Yet he adamantly urges supporters …
(2020-04-03). Silver Linings Amidst the Capitalist Coronavirus Crisis. counterpunch.org The COVID-19 crisis is confronting U.S.-Americans with yet more undeniable evidence of the complete craziness and cruelty of American capitalism and class rule more broadly. The demented viciousness of the possessing class's parasitic profits regime and many elite professionals' privileged status are being exposed in graphic ways. It is absurd that the nation's economic system
(2020-04-03). Pandemic and Bernie Sanders: "Still Ahead of His Time" zcomm.org Progressive Advocates Release Video Illustrating Senator Bernie Sanders' Career-Long Support for a System Able to Solve Healthcare Crises…
(2020-04-03). Tunisia Leads the Way: New Report Exposes Israel's False Democracy. counterpunch.org Tunisia is the Middle East's greatest success story, according to the findings of the V-Dem Annual Democracy Report 2019. One of the world's most regarded annual reports on democracy and good governance, the V-Dem Report is produced by the V-Dem (Varieties of Democracy) Institute at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. While Tunisians can be
(2020-04-03). Why is the World Socialist Web Site banned from the subreddit r/coronavirus? wsws.org The subreddit r/coronavirus has banned content from the World Socialist Web Site from being shared among its 1.8 million reader-members. We are demanding that the moderators explain why this decision has been made and immediately reverse this act of political censorship.
(2020-04-03). Coronavirus and Georgia's Kemp: How the GOP Stupidocracy will Kill us All. zcomm.org I don't think Kemp is stupid in the sense of lacking intelligence. I think he is stupid in the sense of letting things get in the way of his intelligence— whether they be ridiculous ideological commitments or slavish obedience to campaign donors or fear of angering Donald Trump…
(2020-04-03). Honduran doctor warns of "collapsed health care system" as coronavirus toll grows. wsws.org "Now we face this COVID-19 pandemic which demonstrates tragically that the armored tanks of the police and warships of the Navy are incapable of saving lives."