I offer this letter from a British student to illustrate the fact that the British handling of covid 19 is just as chaotic as that of the US: To The Independent I am a third-year physiology student at Manchester Metropolitan University. Like all students, we were encouraged to return to university for the start of …
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Washington has initiated its largest spending binge in history. In the process, you might assume that the unparalleled spread of the disease would have led to a little rethinking when it came to all the trillions of dollars Congress has given the Pentagon in these years that have in …
Continue reading ‘Covid-19 Means Good Times for the Pentagon’ »
Seeing the same doctor doesn’t just give the comfort of a familiar face – it might save your life. An analysis reveals that 18 of 22 studies from nine nations with varying health systems found that people who saw the same doctor over time had lower death rates (BMJ Open, doi.org/crmj). The studies used different …
Continue reading ‘People who keep seeing the same doctor have lower death rates’ »
The way dementia patients in care homes have been treated during this pandemic “should make us sick with shame and pity”. Afflicted by an illness that attacks their memory and sense of self, they draw special comfort from the presence of loved ones. Yet in the name of infection control, the Government has seen to …
We’re frequently exhorted to get off our sofas and get active, but it seems such public health campaigns are not having enough impact. A pan-European study has found that since 2002 people have tended only to become more sedentary. In 2002, just over 49% of Europeans displayed “sedentary behaviours” – meaning they spent more than …
“Thousands of demonstrators – many of them carrying placards proclaiming Covid-19 to be a “hoax” or a “scam” – recently gathered in Trafalgar Square in London to protest against lockdown restrictions. Among the speakers was Piers Corbyn, the older brother of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who was fined £10,000 for his part in organising …
Not exactly on the forefront of our minds at the moment, but we may be closer to defeating Covid 19’s less deadly cousin – the common cold. A vaccine that protects against one of the most common cold viruses could be available as soon as 2024, after it has proved safe and effective in clinical trials. …
One in three children around the world have enough lead in their blood to endanger their long-term health, scientists have found. The Unicef-published report, based on blood tests performed on hundreds of thousands of children worldwide, estimates that around 800 million under-19s have at least five micrograms of lead in their blood per decilitre – …
Dawn A still, warm, and breathless tropical night, Before the birds awake and fishes stir. There is no breeze or whisper from the palms, Only a gunmetal gloom and swish of waves Gently shifting seaweed on the sand. I lie on a hammock counting intervals Between the flashing lights of marker buoys, …
Continue reading ‘An Epicurean Poem ( about peace of mind)’ »
Big Pharma giant Gilead last year dropped a sweet $31 million on its new CEO Daniel O’Day, along with marching orders to find a new path to greater profits. O’Day didn’t have to look far. The pandemic has given Gilead a new application — reducing Covid-19 recovery time — for its already developed antiviral drug …
“The Trump administration is reportedly considering blocking US citizens and permanent residents from re-entering the US if an official “reasonably” believes they could have Covid-19. Once upon a time, an American passport let you cross borders with ease – now it makes you persona non grata around the world. Not only are most Americans banned …
A total of 50.8 million people around the world were recorded as internally displaced in 2019, forced from their homes by conflict and disaster. This is the highest number ever, and 10 million more than in 2018. The figures come from the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) in Norway. The most displacements were recorded in …
Continue reading ‘The chaos and displacement started before the virus appeared’ »
Prostate cancer breakthrough A total of 57,192 new prostate cancer cases were diagnosed in the UK in 2018, making it the most commonly diagnosed form of the disease. A simple blood test could be used to identify prostate cancer patients who are less likely to respond to certain drugs, or at risk of relapse, paving …
So much for hopes of international cooperation in the fight against Covid-19. The US has just bought up “virtually all stocks” of the drug Remdesivir – leaving the rest of the world with none “for the next three months”. The drug, made under patent by the US pharma giant Gilead, is one of just two …
For an example of just how heartless and profit-obsessed health insurers are, take a look at what is playing out in Connecticut, where Cigna is based. Low income people with diabetes in Connecticut and other states are having a hard time paying for the insulin that they must have to stay alive–even though they have …
