Australian Committee for Public Education holds successful online meeting on pandemic crisis
wsws.org | 2020-04-06
The Socialist Equality Party's (US) candidate for vice president, Norissa Santa Cruz, brought greetings to the meeting which was attended by more than 70 people.
www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/04/06/meet…

Working toward a COVID-19 vaccine
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-06
The push to create a vaccine that prevents people from contracting SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, continues. Dr. Stacey Rizza, a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases specialist, says developing a vaccine takes research, money and time. "Everyone wants to have a vaccine ready right now," says Dr. Rizza. "Researchers around the globe and at Mayo …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/working-toward-a-covid-19-vaccine/

Mayo Clinic research finds spina bifida surgery before birth restores brain structure
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-06
ROCHESTER, Minn.

Mayo Clinic Research in the news around the world
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-06
In this unconventional time, we are going to offer an unconventional article, really a collection of the previous week's news stories related to Mayo Clinic Research. Our plan – to share a brief excerpt and link to stories written by journalists around the world. Most will likely be about COVID-19, some may report findings that change …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-research-in-the-news-around-the-world/

COVID-19: The tale of 1 virus and 2 testing methods
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-06
When a new virus emerges that infects and sickens humans, the wheels of innovation start turning quickly in the world of health care and biomedical research. Teams versed in different aspects of laboratory medicine work together to better understand the virus and develop tests to identify those who are infected or have been exposed to …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/covid-19-the-tale-of-1-virus-and-2-testing-methods/

Cuba's Promising Approach to Cancer
Cesar Chelala | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-06
In 1991, I headed a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) mission of Latin American physicians to evaluate a national Cuban project involving the use of interferon to treat inoperable lung cancer. At the time, there was a rumor that Fidel Castro had lung cancer and had a particular interest in the research about it. Castro…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/06/cubas-promising-approach-to-cancer/

COVID-19 expert answers questions on how the virus makes people sick and more
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-06
Experts continue to learn more about SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and how it behaves. Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and director of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group, is answering questions about how the virus makes people sick, how it compares to influenza, and how the COVID-19 pandemic response is affecting the …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/covid-19-expert-answers-questions-on-how-the-virus-makes-people-sick-and-more/

COVID-19 expert explains what soap does to SARS-CoV-2 virus
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org | 2020-04-06
Health experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continue to drive home the message that excellent hand-washing is the most effective way to prevent illnesses, such as COVID-19. Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and director of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group, explains what soap does to SARS-CoV-2, and other viruses …
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/covid-19-expert-explains-what-soap-does-to-sars-cov-2-virus/

Pandemics, History, Science, Public Health, COVID-19 & Lessons For Today With Dr. Ruther
Labor Video Project | indybay.org | 2020-04-06
WorkWeek interviews Dr. George Rutherford who is a professor at UCSF and is a world expert on pandemics.
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/06/18832126.php

EARTH DAY 50: Virtual Kick-Off Event for Earth Week 2020
March for Science, Earth Day Initiative, etc | indybay.org | 2020-04-06
Online event…
indybay.org/newsitems/2020/04/04/18832104.php

Was the Fed Just Nationalized?
Ellen Brown | counterpunch.org | 2020-04-06
Mainstream politicians have long insisted that Medicare for All, a universal basic income, student debt relief and a slew of other much-needed public programs are off the table because the federal government cannot afford them. But that was before Wall Street and the stock market were driven onto life-support by a virus. Congress has now…
counterpunch.org/2020/04/06/was-the-fed-just-nationalized/

The University of California Strike Enters Its 4th Month
UC Santa Cruz Wildcat Strikers | thenation.com | 2020-04-06
Amid the Covid-19 outbreak, graduate student workers' living conditions are now their working conditions–and more than ever, we need them to be safe.
thenation.com/article/society/the-university-of-california-strike-enters-its-fourth-month/

Wisconsin's In-Person Voting Threatens Health and Democracy
John Nichols | thenation.com | 2020-04-06
Wisconsin's In-Person Voting Threatens Health and Democracy…
thenation.com/article/politics/wisconsin-covid-primary-election/

Cosmic Awakening: Russian Telescope Tapes Flash From Once 'Silent' Black Star in Heart of Milky Way
sputniknews.com | 2020-04-06
The new Russian-German observatory "Spektr-RG" has been filming the galaxy and beyond since December 2019, and was tasked with coming up with an exceptionally high-resolution x-ray image of the universe.
sputniknews.com/science/202004061078852539-cosmic-awakening-russian-telescope-tapes-flash-from-once-silent-black-star-in-heart-of-milky-way/

Scientists Discover Never Before Seen Binary White Dwarf Stars Producing Gravitational Waves
sputniknews.com | 2020-04-06
Stars with a small mass, like the Sun, become white dwarfs when they reach the end of their lifecycle. After burning off all their fuel, they leave a dense core that cools over a billion years. Scientists believe that binary white dwarfs should produce energy in the form of ripples in the fabric of spacetime, also know as gravitational waves.
sputniknews.com/science/202004061078851602-scientists-discover-never-before-seen-binary-white-dwarf-producing-gravitational-waves/

Cold War Nuclear Tests Reveal Age of World's Largest Fish for First Time Ever
sputniknews.com | 2020-04-06
Biologists previously struggled to determine the age of whale sharks as they lack otoliths, bony structures, traditionally used to obtain information about the age of fishes.
sputniknews.com/science/202004061078852721-whale-sharks-age-atomic/

Pipelines Are Still Being Built as the Rest of the Economy Shuts Down
Staff | truthout.org | 2020-04-05
Governors of at least 37 U.S. states and the District of Columbia have issued strict orders for residents providing "non-life-sustaining" services to remain inside. All but five states have at least some form of shelter-in-place policies underway, such that millions of workers deemed "non-essential," like teachers, therapists and community organizers, are clocking hours on Instagram and Zoom from living roo…
truthout.org/articles/pipelines-are-still-being-built-as-the-rest-of-the-economy-shuts-down/

A shocking video exposes the devastating impact of the coronavirus crisis in Bangladesh
Chris Jarvis | thecanary.co | 2020-04-05
On the face of it, Bangladesh appears not to have been hit hard by the new coronavirus (Covid-19). Official statistics show that | ‡¶Ü‡¶&AElig…
thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2020/04/05/a-shocking-video-exposes-the-devastating-impact-of-the-coronavirus-crisis-in-bangladesh/

[Correspondence] Education and research are essential for lasting peace in Yemen
Fathiah Zakham, Olli Vapalahti, Hilal A Lashual | thelancet.com | 2020-04-04
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.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30162-8/fulltext?rss=yes

The recession has begun – will this be a depression?
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2020-04-04
San José, CA – On Friday, April 3, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that businesses cut more than 700,000 jobs last month. This report was based on surveys from the first half of March, before the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic hit. This ended the longest streak of job gains – almost nine and a half years – and almost certainly marked the beginning of a recession. | The official word on when recessions start, and end, comes from the National Bureau of Economic Research or NBER. The NBER uses four factors: employment, personal income, business sales and industrial production. While the monthly reports…
www.fightbacknews.org/2020/4/4/recession…

[Research Paper] Clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients undergoing surgeries during the incubation period of COVID-19 infection
Shaoqing Lei, Fang Jiang, Wating Su, Chang Chen, Jingli Chen, Wei Mei, Li-Ying Zhan, Yifan Jia, Liangqing Zhang, Danyong Liu, Zhong-Yuan Xia, Zhengyuan Xia | thelancet.com | 2020-04-04
In this retrospective cohort study of 34 operative patients with confirmed COVID-19, 15 (44 ∑1%) patients needed ICU care, and the mortality rate was 20 ∑5%.
thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(20)30075-4/fulltext?rss=yes

[World Report] 2020 Canada Gairdner Award winners announced
Talha Burki | thelancet.com | 2020-04-04
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.
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30789-3/fulltext?rss=yes

Was the Fed Just Nationalized?
Ellen Brown | dissidentvoice.org | 2020-04-04
Did Congress just nationalize the Fed? No. But the door to that result has been cracked open. Mainstream politicians have long insisted that Medicare for all, a universal basic income, student debt relief and a slew of other much-needed public programs are off the table because the federal government cannot afford them. But that was …
dissidentvoice.org/2020/04/was-the-fed-just-nationalized/

'We Will Not Sit Back and Let Transit Workers Be Treated Like Cannon Fodder'
John Nichols | thenation.com | 2020-04-04
'We Will Not Sit Back and Let Transit Workers Be Treated Like Cannon Fodder'…
thenation.com/article/activism/public-transportation-worker-covid/

Covid-19 unites Democrats & Republicans: Most voters want primaries postponed
rt.com | 2020-04-04
With the US recording the highest number of coronavirus cases, American voters say they would feel uncomfortable going to the polls for the primaries, regardless of their political preferences, a survey has revealed. | More than two-thirds of registered voters believe that the decision to postpone the primaries over Covid-19, which has been made by more than a dozen US states, was the right thing to do, according to a survey by Pew Research Center. This stance was shared by 71 percent of those who support the Democrats, and 64 percent of those on the Republican side. | Visiting a polling station to cast their…
rt.com/usa/484991-primaries-postponed-coronavirus-poll/

Iran Develops Its Own AI Software to Swiftly Detect COVID-19
The Iranian | iranian.com | 2020-04-04
Head of Coronavirus Management Center in Tehran Alireza Zali said that Iranian researchers have launched a new system based on artificial intelligence which can diagnose infection to COVID-19 virus in patients without access to a specialized physician. "The system is used in regions where there is no (specialized) doctor or radiologist and it gives precise …
iranian.com/2020/04/04/iran-using-artificial-intelligence-to-diagnose-coronavirus-infection/

Seven-figure support kickstarts COVID-19 Response Fund
imperial.ac.uk | 2020-04-03
More than £600,000 of new gifts and £1 million from the donor-backed President's Excellence Fund are allowing Imperial to speed up COVID-19 research.
imperial.ac.uk/news/196634/seven-figure-support-kickstarts-covid-19-response-fund

Coronavirus misinformation and vaccine research among key priorities for public
imperial.ac.uk | 2020-04-03
Information overload and conflicting guidance are among the biggest concerns for the public during the current coronavirus outbreak, surveys reveal.
imperial.ac.uk/news/196696/coronavirus-misinformation-vaccine-research-among-priorities

Health specialists 'frustrated' as shortage of materials is a barrier to ramping up coronavirus testing
The Canary | thecanary.co | 2020-04-03
Biomedical scientists and NHS laboratory staff have expressed "frustration" at a shortage of resources which is preventing them from carrying out more coronavirus (COVID-19) tests. | On 2 April, health secretary Matt Hancock committed to raising testing numbers to 100,000 a day by the end of April. But health specialists said they were currently "testing to the limit of our materials", adding that they were ready to increase capacity, but only if given a "reliable supply" of equipment to do so. A spokesperson for the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) said: The UK has numerous high-quality accredited laborator…
thecanary.co/discovery/news-discovery/2020/04/03/health-specialists-frustrated-as-shortage-of-materials-is-a-barrier-to-ramping-up-coronavirus-testing/

Iranian student volunteers disinfect passing cars against COVID-19 in Shiraz (Photos)
Mehr News | iranian.com | 2020-04-03
To combat the spread of the novel coronavirus, the students in Shiraz, Fars province Province, have formed small groups disinfecting passing cars.
iranian.com/2020/04/02/student-volunteers-disinfect-passing-cars-against-covid-19-in-shiraz/

"There Aren't Enough Tests": As Pandemic Intensifies, Global South Prepares for the Worst
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-02
After devastating China, Europe and the United States, the coronavirus pandemic is now intensifying across the Global South. The United Nations warns the pandemic is poised to destroy fragile economies in poor nations, decimating food security, education and human rights. We speak with Yanis Ben Amor, assistant professor of global health and microbiological sciences at Columbia University and executive director of the Center for Sustainable Development at the Earth Institute.
www.democracynow.org/2020/4/2/yanis_ben_…

[Research Paper] Survey of major trauma centre preparedness for mass casualty incidents in Australia, Canada, England and New Zealand
Belinda J. Gabbe, William Veitch, Kate Curtis, Kate Martin, David Gomez, Ian Civil, Chris Moran, Warwick J. Teague, Andrew J.A. Holland, Fiona Lecky, Mark Fitzgerald, Avery Nathens, Anthony Joseph | thelancet.com | 2020-04-02
The disaster preparedness of MTCs was high for communication, safety and security but there was clear need for improvement in other areas including surge capacity, human resources and post-disaster recovery.
thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(20)30066-3/fulltext?rss=yes

As U.S. Reels from COVID-19, Trump Backs Gilead's Exclusive Patent on Treatment & Suspends EPA Rules
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-04-02
As the United States leads the world in coronavirus cases, the nation's healthcare system is already stretched to capacity and protective gear in short supply. President Trump and his health advisors say more than 100,000 Americans could die from the coronavirus in the next two weeks. Meanwhile, millions of people have lost their jobs, and a record 6.6 million unemployment claims were filed this week, on top of last week's 3.3 million claims. For more on the economic impacts of the coronavirus, and how Trump has responded to the pandemic by rewarding pharmaceutical corporations like Gilead Sciences and indefinite…
www.democracynow.org/2020/4/2/robert_wei…

'People Should Not Be Forced to Put Their Lives on the Line to Vote'
John Nichols | thenation.com | 2020-04-02
'People Should Not Be Forced to Put Their Lives on the Line to Vote'…
thenation.com/article/politics/wisconsin-democratic-primary/

Traces of ancient rainforest in Antarctica point to a warmer prehistoric world
imperial.ac.uk | 2020-04-01
Researchers have found evidence of rainforests near the South Pole 90 million years ago, suggesting the climate was exceptionally warm at the time.
imperial.ac.uk/news/196516/traces-ancient-rainforest-antarctica-point-warmer

Imperial students provide over 350 free meals to NHS staff
imperial.ac.uk | 2020-04-01
Imperial students Suraj Joshi and Jagruti Gohil are bringing together local restaurants and delivery drivers to give free meals to NHS staff.
imperial.ac.uk/news/196613/imperial-students-provide-over-350-free

COVID-19 response: Imperial offers STEMM expertise to parents and teachers
imperial.ac.uk | 2020-04-01
In response to the rise in home-schooling due to COVID-19, Imperial is offering free, online material based on the UK school curriculum.
imperial.ac.uk/news/196559/covid-19-response-imperial-offers-stemm-expertise

The Italian war-like measures to fight coronavirus spreading: Re-open closed hospitals now
Alessandro Miani, Ernesto Burgio, Prisco Piscitelli, Renato Lauro, Annamaria Colao | thelancet.com | 2020-03-27
As recently highlighted by The Lancet, the Covid-19 outbreak started in Northern Italy has shocked Europe, while it has been questioned if China benefits from an authoritarian advantage in disease response [1,2]. In Italy, after the shutdown of the educational system (schools and Universities will remain closed at least for one month) and the collapse of the touristic sector (90% of travels and reservations cancelled), the Government officially locked down residents of all the region of Milan (Lombardia) and other 11 provinces.
thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(20)30064-X/fulltext?rss=yes

"Total System Failure": Congress Pushes $2 Trillion Pandemic Bill. Will Dems Allow "Corporate Coup"?
Staff | democracynow.org | 2020-03-27
We continue our look at the massive $2 trillion coronavirus relief package

[Research Paper] A phase 1b randomized study of the safety and immunological responses to vaccination with H4:IC31, H56:IC31, and BCG revaccination in Mycobacterium tuberculosis-uninfected adolescents in Cape Town, South Africa
Linda-Gail Bekker, One Dintwe, Andrew Fiore-Gartland, Keren Middelkoop, Julia Hutter, Anthony Williams, April K. Randhawa, Morten Ruhwald, Ingrid Kromann, Peter L. Andersen, Carlos A. DiazGranados, Kathryn T. Rutkowski, Dereck Tait, Maurine D. Miner, Erica Andersen-Nissen, Stephen C. De Rosa, Kelly E. Seaton, Georgia D. Tomaras, M. Juliana McElrath, Ann Ginsberg, James G. Kublin, HVTN 602 | thelancet.com | 2020-03-18
BCG revaccination administered as a single dose ID and both H4: IC31 and H56: IC31 administered as 2 doses IM had acceptable safety profiles in healthy, QFT-negative, previously BCG-vaccinated adolescents. Characterization of the assays and the immunogenicity of these vaccines may help to identify valuable markers of protection for upcoming immune correlates analyses of C-040-404 and future TB vaccine efficacy trials.
thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(20)30057-2/fulltext?rss=yes

[Correspondence] COVID-19: the need for continuous medical education and training
Li Li, Qianghong Xv, Jing Yan | thelancet.com | 2020-03-16
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) moved rapidly through China, and the virus had spread to more than 60 countries and infected nearly 90‚Äà000 patients by March 5, 2020. Based on data for 72‚Äà314 cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), 14% of people have severe disease, 5% have critical illness, and 2 ∑3% die.1 COVID-19 is not a conventional disease, and rapid changes in the provision of critical care have been needed to meet the needs of patients. Health emergencies such as the COVID-19 outbreak can be a huge challenge for critical-care ph…
thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(20)30125-9/fulltext?rss=yes

[Comment] Evolving therapies for rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis: balancing efficacy and toxicity
Ebrahim Variava, Neil Martinson, Firdaus Nabeemah | thelancet.com | 2020-03-16
Disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a leading global health problem associated with severe morbidity and a high risk of death, despite widespread availability of effective treatment for drug-sensitive tuberculosis. Although drug-resistant tuberculosis had been described for many years, alarming reports over the past decade suggested neither tuberculosis transmission nor virulence was compromised by the selection of tuberculosis drug resistance.1,2 These reports, describing the prognosis of patients with extremely drug-resistant tuberculosis, galvanised global research efforts into improving treatment,…
thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(20)30038-2/fulltext?rss=yes

[Research Paper] Results from the first English stool bank using faecal microbiota transplant as a medicinal product for the treatment of Clostridioides difficile infection
V.L. McCune, M.N. Quraishi, S. Manzoor, C.E. Moran, K. Banavathi, H. Steed, D.C.O Massey, G.R Trafford, T.H. Iqbal, P.M. Hawkey | thelancet.com | 2020-03-16
The methodology developed here enabled successful licencing of FMT by The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency as a medicinal product. This has widened the availability of FMT in the National Health Service via a stool bank and can be applied in other centres across the world to improve access to safe and quality assured treatments.
thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(20)30045-6/fulltext?rss=yes

[Comment] Targeting p19 in psoriatic arthritis: more than just another therapeutic approach?
Andreas Kerschbaumer, Daniel Aletaha | thelancet.com | 2020-03-13
Pharmacological management of chronic immune-mediated inflammatory conditions has experienced many advances in the past decade. Psoriatic arthritis has for a long time almost exclusively had therapeutic strategies that were originally developed for rheumatoid arthritis, on which most arthritis research has focused. The complexity of psoriatic arthritis, with its different disease manifestations besides the arthritis (enthesitis, dactylitis, involvement of the axial skeleton, and skin and nail disease), poses a challenge to comprehensive assessment of disease activity and to manifestation-oriented management of th…
thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30525-0/fulltext?rss=yes

[Research Paper] Association of characteristics of tampon use with menstrual toxic shock syndrome in France
Amaury Billon, Marie-Paule Gustin, Anne Tristan, Thomas Bénet, Julien Berthiller, Claude Alexandre Gustave, Philippe Vanhems, Gerard Lina | thelancet.com | 2020-03-10
Our study suggests that the risk of MTSS was associated with using tampons for more than 6 h, overnight tampon use during sleep, and neither read nor followed tampon insertion instructions in case of reading.
thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(20)30052-3/fulltext?rss=yes

[Comment] Patchy progress on the ICPD: are we asking the right questions?
Dorothy Shaw | thelancet.com | 2020-03-09
The International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) agenda, set in 1994 in Cairo and revisited 25 years later in Nairobi in 2019, included goals for equitable education of women, reduction of infant and child mortality, reduction of maternal mortality, and access to reproductive and sexual health services, including family planning, through its well known Programme of Action.1 The ICPD was ground-breaking in recognising the benefits that empowerment of women and girls would have for themselves, their families, and, ultimately, their countries.
thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(20)30080-2/fulltext?rss=yes