(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). [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.
(2020-04-04). [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). [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). [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). [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). [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). [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). [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). [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). [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). [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] 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). [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] 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.
(2020-04-02). 'Criminal blockade': Cuba outraged as delivery of Covid-19 aid from Alibaba chief aborted 'at the last minute' due to US sanctions. rt.com 
Cuba has slammed the US' "criminal blockade" of the country after the embargo stood in the way of the delivery of Covid-19 test kits and ventilators donated by Chinese e-commerce tycoon Jack Ma. | "The criminal blockade of the imperial government violates the human rights of the Cuban people," President Miguel Diaz-Canel tweeted on Wednesday. |
(2020-04-02). 'No humanism or democracy': Russian Foreign Ministry slams West, US for wanting to 'exploit' Covid-19 crisis in Venezuela. rt.com 
Certain political groups in the West will not hesitate to use the difficulties brought on by the coronavirus pandemic to carry out their long-lasting plans to topple the Venezuelan government, Russia's Foreign Ministry has said. | "Unfortunately, we are seeing how certain countries — we should say, not the countries as a whole, but certain political forces there — are still being driven… by the desire to exploit the difficult situation in the world, the grave epidemiological situation in Venezuela to achieve their political goals," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told reporters on Thu…
(2020-04-02). A Russian firewall for Venezuela against U.S. sanctions. mronline.org 
The optics of the Russian oil leviathan Rosneft's decision to sell its subsidiary Rosneft Trading SA and sell all its assets in Venezuela after the US Treasury sanctioned its trading arm two weeks ago as part of Washington's regime change project to oust president Nicolás Maduro, may not look good to the uninformed outside observer.
(2020-04-02). Half of humanity being asked to isolate themselves at home to fight the spread of Covid-19. rt.com 
Half of the world's population is being told to stay home in an effort to slow down the coronavirus pandemic, according to a staggering new tally, as the virus continues to hit countries worldwide and crumbles their economies. | More than 3.9 billion people across the globe have been ordered or asked to remain at home except in emergencies and to obtain essential supplies. | AFP's database estimates that curfews and/or confinements have been ordered in more than 90 countries or territories in order to battle the spread of the coronavirus. Thailand's announcement of a curfew — which goes into effect on Fr…
(2020-04-02). Covid-19 deaths in Belgium top 1,000 as worldwide cases approach one million. rt.com 
Belgium's death toll from the Covid-19 virus has topped 1,000, officials have confirmed, with 183 new deaths in the last 24 hours. | As of April 2, Belgium, which has a population of 11.4 million, has recorded more than 15,300 cases of the coronavirus infection. | Health officials in the country said earlier this week that a 12-year-old girl infected with Covid-19 had died of the illness, noting that such a young fatality is a "very rare occurrence." | Belgium is one of many countries in Europe on an almost total lockdown to battle the coronavirus crisis. Belgians are only allowed to leave their homes to buy e…
(2020-04-02). Puerto Rico confronts COVID-19 alongside natural disasters and predatory debt. peoplesworld.org 
When goods supplier Luis Rivera leaves his home in Puerto Rico each morning to make his rounds of sales and deliveries to food markets throughout the island, he double-checks that he is carrying the documents that identify him as an essential worker. "If police stop my car on the road, and I don't have proof …
(2020-04-02). Spain: Catalonia Wants Cuban Health Workers to Fight COVID-19. telesurenglish.net Catalonia's Health Minister Alba Verges asked Spain's Health Minister Salvador Illa that Cuban medical teams can join the fight against COVID-19 in her autonomous territory. | RELATED: | She also requested a rapid recognition of Cuban doctors' professional degrees so that they can work in Catalonia, as they are already doing in Andorra or Italy. | If accepted, the recognition of professional credentials would benefit all Cuban doctors re…
(2020-04-02). China and Cuba's medical internationalism is a shining example of global solidarity. mronline.org China sends medical equipment abroad, Cuba sends doctors and cutting-edge drugs, but the U.S. fails to provide its people, doctors and nurses with basic tools and protection.
(2020-04-02). Andorra's Diplomat Rejects US Limitations on Cuban Medical Aid. telesurenglish.net Foreign Minister of Andorra Maria Ubach denounced U.S. pressure to prevent Cuba's medical collaboration with the small European country of Andorra. Cuban doctors are providing assistance to those facing the COVID-19 in Andorra. | RELATED: | "I am aware of the position of the United States, but we are a sovereign country and we can choose the partners with whom to have a collaboration", Ubach declared to local news media. Wi…
(2020-04-02). Amid growing anger over criminal response to COVID-19 crisis, Washington threatens war. wsws.org Trump issued threats against Iran and Venezuela yesterday, both weaponizing the pandemic and desperately seeking to divert mounting social tensions in the US itself.
(2020-04-02). Dominican Hospital's (mis)treatment of (disabled) homeless people. indybay.org As an advocate for (disabled) homeless people who blogs about this advocacy (thus I'm an independent journalist), I've come across numerous incidents of discrimination by Dignity Health's Dominican Hospital against (disabled) homeless people. I obtained a media statement about how Dignity Health's Dominican Hospital will (equally) serve homeless COVID-19 victims. Please report non-compliance to me.
(2020-04-02). 'People Should Not Be Forced to Put Their Lives on the Line to Vote'. thenation.com 'People Should Not Be Forced to Put Their Lives on the Line to Vote'
(2020-04-02). West Trying to Take Advantage of Venezuela's Coronavirus Woes to Topple Gov't – Moscow. sputniknews.com On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that an interim government should be established in Venezuela, accepted by both Caracas and the opposition, to serve until the next presidential and legislative elections.
(2020-04-02). In San Francisco, You Wait Out the Pandemic at Home. If You Don't Have One, Bed Down in a Hotel. sputniknews.com Just like the rest of California, San Francisco is under a stay-at-home order as the government is trying to reduce the rate of transmission of the novel coronavirus. The pandemic has put the city's homeless population — one of the largest in the country — at risk, so the local authorities are scrambling for solutions to have them sheltered.
(2020-04-01). Cuba, Venezuela, Iran: U.S. imperialism wants to let them die. peoplesworld.org 
Carlos Fernández de Cossío, head of the U.S. desk at Cuba's Foreign Ministry, recently accused the U.S. government of "terrible moral decadence." He was reacting to U.S. threats against nations confronting the COVID-19 pandemic and assisted by Cuba. He was also criticizing poor pre-epidemic preparations in the United States. His critique strayed from Cuba's usual …
(2020-04-01). Cruise ships ordered by US Coast Guard to remain at sea & prepare to treat coronavirus-stricken passengers themselves. rt.com 
The US Coast Guard has warned cruise ships stuck at sea that they could be "sequestered" indefinitely during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, and must be equipped to take care of ill passengers on board until permitted to dock. | The new directive released on March 29 was signed by Coast Guard Rear Admiral Eric Jones, whose district includes Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Puerto Rico. The measure applies to all ships — not just cruise liners — carrying more than 50 people. | Under the new rules, cruise ships are required to give daily reports on their coronavirus caseload, and vessels registered…
(2020-04-01). 'Working round the clock' to aid Venezuelan refugees and migrants during COVID-19 pandemic: UN agencies. news.un.org Two United Nations agencies came together Tuesday to urge the international community not to overlook the on-going plight of millions of refugees and migrants from Venezuela, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread around the world.
(2020-04-01). Mexico: Migrant Population Vulnerable to the COVID-19. telesurenglish.net Social organizations and human rights defenders in Mexico denounced the lack of hygiene and optimal sanitary conditions in migrant shelters in the country during Coronavirus' outbreak. | RELATED: | Alejandra Macías Delgadillo, director of the organization Asylum Access Mexico, asked state institutions for a report on the preventive measures in these facilities to avoid the spread of COVID-19 among migrants. She…
(2020-04-01). Pompeo's 'transition' plan tells Venezuela to suffer into submission. thegrayzone.com Declaring that "Nicolas Maduro will never again govern Venezuela," Mike Pompeo unveils a so-called "transition" plan that tells Venezuelans to…
(2020-04-01). Coronavirus Aid for Regime Change: Washington's 13 Point Plan for Venezuela. mintpressnews.com The State Department
(2020-04-01). Duque to Only Accept Donation From Venezuela Through PAHO. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's President, Nicolas Maduro, announced the donation of medical equipment to Colombia, to stop COVID-19 from spreading in the South American nation and regionally. The declarations were part of Maduro's meeting with the Council of State, held at the Miraflores Palace. | RELATED: Colombia: Despite Nicolas Maduro's efforts to move aside political differences, Colombian President Ivan Duque declined the donation. Duque does…
(2020-04-01). Venezuela Rejects US Attempts to Send Navy Ships Near Its Coast. telesurenglish.net Donald Trump announced this Wednesday afternoon that he would launch anti-drug operations in the Venezuelan Caribbean and other seas in the western hemisphere in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, as part of the National Security plan. | RELATED: | Trump's announcement occurred at the White House daily press conference on COVID-19, which has left much of the country's population confined to their homes. According to estimat…
(2020-04-01). Protecting the Caribbean's most vulnerable people in the face of COVID-19: A UN Resident Coordinator blog. news.un.org The United Nations is working closely with governments in the Caribbean to protect the region's most vulnerable people from the impact of the deadly coronavirus, COVID-19. For this latest in our occasional series, Didier Trebucq, United Nations Resident Coordinator to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, explains what action they are taking in that region.
(2020-04-01). US Blockade Prevents Medical Supplies From Reaching Cuba. telesurenglish.net Cuba was unable to receive a plane with medical supplies and aid from China on March 31 because of the U.S. blockade. The resources were sent by the Chinese entrepreneur and philanthropist Jack Ma. | RELATED: | According to the official Twitter profile of the Cuban President, Cuba announced that the donation of medical supplies from the Alibaba Foundation to the Island-Nation to combat the COVID19 has not been able…
(2020-04-01). Coronademic: Venezuela's drives obstructed. dissidentvoice.org The entire human world is fighting to defeat a demon today. It's coronademic — coronavirus pandemic. The fight demands a globally concerted, unified effort. Venezuela should not be left lurching in the pandemic-wilderness even if one of its original sins is resisting imperialism. But, the Bolivarian Republic is being obstructed in its fight against the …
(2020-04-01). Venezuela Denounces Aggression Against Coast Guard Ship. telesurenglish.net Venezuela's RELATED: | "Our ship ordered the Resolute to go to…
(2020-04-01). COVID-19 in Haiti: the Current Response and Challenges. counterpunch.org On March 19, Haitian president Jovenel MoàØse confirmed the first two cases of the novel coronavirus in Haiti. The number has since increased to eight. In response, the president has declared a state of emergency and ordered schools, factories, and religious entities to close; established a curfew; and closed the country's borders. The government announced
(2020-04-01). COVID-19 in Germany: Explaining a Low Death Rate. counterpunch.org On 31st March 2020, www.worldometers.info calculated the global death toll from Corona tallied 38,000. Among comparable European countries, Italy (population 60 million) had 11,600 Corona deaths, Spain (46,6 million) registered 7,700, France (67 million) 3,000, the UK (67 million) noted 1,400 deaths, the Netherlands (17 million) 740, the USA (330 million) 3,000, and Germany (83
(2020-04-01). First Case of COVID-19 in a Refugee Camp in Greece. telesurenglish.net A woman who recently gave birth in Greece has become the first refugee to have contracted the coronavirus in the country, Greece's Migration Ministry said Tuesday. | RELATED: | The unidentified woman lives at Ritsona, a refugee camp some 80 km (50 miles) north of Athens and, according to local media, she could be of African origin. | She had given birth last week in a hospital near the camp, which has a population of abo…
(2020-04-01). COVID-19: Czech Roma community steps up to face mask challenge. news.un.org When face masks stocks began running low in the Czech Republic, minority communities, including the country's Roma population, were quick to respond, rallying to make fresh supplies, with the aim of slowing the spread of COVID-19.
(2020-04-01). New Evidence Shows Trump—Who Says He Knew Covid-19 'Going to Be Horrible'—Allowed Exports of Crucial Supplies to Continue. commondreams.org While countries in Europe and Asia spent the first several weeks of the year preparing their healthcare systems and populations for the coronavirus outbreak, the Trump administration spent that same time sending dozens of medical shipments overseas. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/gettyimages-1215578016_1.jpg …
(2020-03-31). Meet the Americans Studying Medicine on the Cuban Government's Dime. mintpressnews.com 
The Cuban government has been paying Americans through a little known program to study medicine in order to return to the United States and serve underprivileged communities.
(2020-03-31). Coup plan B! US tells Guaido he may renounce his Venezuela 'presidency' claim — but they'll still support him. rt.com 
The US State Department magnanimously agreed that opposition politician Juan Guaido may not actually be president of Venezuela, but insisted he still has to be part of a transition government if Caracas wants sanctions relief. | Secretary of State Mike Pompeo put forth a "democratic transition framework" on Tuesday, under which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro would set up a power-sharing interim government with Guaido, that would arrange for elections in six months to a year. | According to Pompeo, the proposal "protects the interests and equities of all Venezuelan people who desperately seek a resolution…
(2020-03-31). Nicaragua and the COVID-19 pandemic. mronline.org 
While each country's experience facing the COVID-19 pandemic is different, some common fundamental factors can make the difference between widespread catastrophe and relative stability. Nicaragua has so far been among the most successful countries in Latin America in protecting its population from the virus while also maintaining normal economic life. As of March 28th, Nicaragua …
(2020-03-31). Brazil's ex-President Lula on Venezuela: Maduro is democratic, Guaidó should be in prison, US blockade kills civilians. thegrayzone.com In comments ignored by English-language media, Lula da Silva slammed the US coup attempt against Venezuela, calling Nicolás Maduro a…