This document 'The health hazards of depleted uranium munitions' document 2001 has quite a detailed analysis of Uranium toxicity.
Basically seems to support evidence Alpha radiation fromDepleted Uranium and compounds lodged long term in tissues like lungs --- and even short term non-lethal doses,
Just 10% of Britons think ministers have the right policies
on the NHS --- though public support for the service’s
founding principles remains strong, according
to new polling.
The proportion of voters across the UK who believe that
ministers are tackling the NHS’s many problems in the
right way is lowest in England, at 8% – a record low,
The Guardian reported.
It is higher in both Scotland (28%) and Wales (19%). However,
across the UK as a whole just one in 10 people thinks the
government is taking the right approach to the NHS.
The notable lack of public confidence in ministers’ handling of
the health service emerged in a survey that pollsters Ipsos
undertook for the Health Foundation thinktank.
“That public confidence in the government’s handling of the
NHS has reached a new low should ring alarm bells in
No 10,” said Tim Gardner, a senior policy fellow at
the Health Foundation.
In a series of gloomy conclusions that reveal dwindling
confidence in and growing public concern about the
NHS, Ipsos also found that:
Only 33% think the NHS is providing a good service, a lot
fewer than the 43% who said it was when the survey
was last done in May 2022.
62% fear that the standard of NHS care will get worse over
the next year – a big jump from the 39% who said that last
year. 74% expect the already serious pressure placed
on NHS staff --- will intensify.
However, the research also shows that 90% think the NHS
should remain free at the point of delivery, 89% back it
being a comprehensive service, that is available to
everyone and 84% believe it should be mainly
funded through taxation.
Some right-of-centre thinktanks and commentators, as well as
the former Health Secretary Sajid Javid, have recently called
for a rethink of how the NHS is funded and organised.
However, Ipsos found that 82% of voters think the NHS needs
more money in order to function better. That view is shared
across all age groups, the four home nations and among
both Labour (94%) and Conservative (63%) voters.
“There is no evidence voters want a radical change to the
NHS model; they just want the current one to work better,”said Gardner.
NHS bosses and experts are worried that satisfaction with the
NHS is falling, especially as a result of long waiting times to
see a GP, get an ambulance, receive A&E care, or mental
health treatment, or undergo an operation.
Research published last year by the King’s Fund and Nuffield
Trust thinktanks found that public satisfaction with the
health service had fallen to its lowest level since 1997.
Their finding of significant dissatisfaction with the time taken
to get an appointment with a GP is borne out by Ipsos’s new
research, which found that 44% think it takes to long to see
a family doctor and 43% believe that it is too hard to book
an appointment.
“This polling shows the NHS is being let down by government
inaction, which is contributing to reduced public confidence,
while support for the founding principles of the NHS remains
strong,” said Matthew Taylor, the chief executive of the NHS
Confederation, which represents care providers in England,
Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Department of Health and Social Care said, “We are
committed to ensuring that the NHS is here for people
to give them the healthcare they need.... when they
need it. That is why we are building a sustainable
NHS, with patients at its centre – backed by up
to £14.1bln for health and social care over the
next two years, on top of record funding."
“Our urgent and emergency care recovery plan, seeks to
deliver the prime minister (Rishi Sunak)’s priority, to cut
waiting lists, whilst reducing pressure on hospitals, by
scaling up community teams, expanding virtual wards,
and getting 800 new ambulances on the road – on top
of £750mln to speed up hospital discharge and free
up beds this winter,” it added.
___________________________________
Unprecedented UK Nursing Union
and Ambulance crews ---- strike
February 7th, 8:59am
(PressTV)
Tens of thousands of nurses from the Royal College of Nursing
Union and ambulance crews have gone on an unprecedented
strike, calling on the NHS for increased pay as well as better
work conditions.
They had warned during the previous strike that the next one would be their biggest yet --- and they have kept their promise.
Tens of thousands of nurses from the Royal College of
Nursing union and ambulance crews are on strike,
this time, together.
The chanting on the picket lines is not just about inflation
busting pay rises but about the depressing state of the
National Health Service as well.
An ICU nurse, who has worked for the NHS for 10 years,
explains why she thinks the system is in crisis:
''The Total underfunding, a lack of foresight, I think,
politically, and nurses really just being taken for
granted --- for too long.''
--- Striking ICU Nurse, 10 years with NHS
NHS healthcare staff in UK quit at record 400 a week
New research reveals that a record number of over
400 healthcare staff in the UK have left the NHS to
restore their work-life balance, over the past year.
And that has meant tens of thousands of trained nurses
either leaving the profession or working for the private
sector in recent years.
The strikers are calling for the National Health Service to be
kept alive, a system which is now on life support, and many
in the medical profession believe that the deeper the crisis
gets, the stronger the likelihood that privatization will be
foisted upon them.
From hero to zero, and claps don’t pay the bills: some of the
chants by nurses across the country, on strike again in a
dispute with the government over pay and patient safety.
In the UK, the wave of industrial action across the country
is only gaining momentum in the wake of the government’s
controversial new anti-union legislation.
That's because while the NHS is at breaking point, private
healthcare is flourishing, creating worries about a two tier
system, one for the rich, who can pay their way, and
another one, a subpar NHS, for everyone else.
''I hope that it isn't the case that we're moving towards a
privatized system. I think it would be disastrous for all
of us, if that was the case.''
''I think hopefully with these strikes, the public support that
we've gained, the government will listen and see that that
is an option. People don't want to lose the NHS.''
--- NHS Striker
Though public support for the strikers is evidently very
strong, however, it remains to be seen which side the
British government will take.
__________________________________________
Survey: European Countries
Face Continued Medicine
Shortages
January 31st 1:57pm (FNA)
European countries are still experiencing a high incidence
of medicine shortages, with a deteriorating burdensome
impact on patients, according to a recent survey.
The Pharmaceutical Group of the European Union (PGEU)
conducted a survey with pharmacies in 29 countries,
including EU members, Turkey, Norway, and North
Macedonia, Anadolu news agency reported.
The survey results showed that the medicine shortages
in most European countries worsened substantially
compared to last year.
More than 600 drugs are scarce... in a quarter of these
countries, while 20% reported 200-300 drug shortages,
it said.
Three-quarters of the countries reported that the
shortages were worse this winter, compared to
a year ago.
The survey also showed... that the most difficult drugs to
be obtained in pharmacies across Europe are especially,
amoxicillin group antibiotics used in the treatment of respiratory tract infections, cough syrups used in treating pediatric diseases, paracetamol in syrup form, and some blood pressure drugs.
The reason for the drug problem is a decline
in supply --- despite a surging demand.
Seasonal infections, especially influenza and respiratory
syncytial virus (RSV), started early and progressed
stronger than normal, in European countries
this year.
Experts say weaker immune systems are related to
COVID-19 lockdowns as people were not exposed
to some viruses during this period.
Pharmaceutical manufacturers are also unprepared for the
high demand in the face of increasing infections, with the energy crisis in Europe and the rising raw material prices, affecting production.
__________________________________________
The doctor explained... the most useful snack
for elderly people
January 21st, 11:30pm
(Izvestia.ru)
Dietitian Mikhail Ginzburg said on January 20th,
that a fermented milk drink, with muesli and
apple, or a vegetable salad combined with
grain bread, is the best snack for
the elderly.
"The most healthy snack for the elderly, is one that
contains sour-milk drinks and cereals, such as
muesli. Also, in this snack, it is very good to
eat an apple. There may be vegetables,
some kind of vegetable salad, or
vegetable slicing. Coarse bread,
grain bread, bread with bran,"
the doctor said, in an
interview with
Moskva 24.
According to the nutritionist, this meal contains everything that the body needs ---- dietary fibre, probiotics, vitamins & complex carbohydrates.
As Ginzburg noted, nutrition enriched with all the necessary elements protects the body from the deterioration of age-
related diseases.
Earlier, on January 13th, dietitian Elena Solomatina said that
turkey is the most useful product for the nervous system of
the elderly. According to her, the meat of this bird is rich in
B vitamins, the lack of which often affects older people,
which can cause them to have an unsteady gait,
or dizziness.
___________________________________________
Fentanyl deaths of children
under 14 surging – Report
by Pavel López Lazo
January 19th, 4:08pm
(Prensa Latina)
The United States has reported an accelerated increase
in deaths of children under 14 --- due To fentanyl
poisoning, according to a new report from
Families Against Fentanyl (FAF), a
nonprofit spreading awareness
about the deadly opioid.
Between 2019 and 2021, synthetic opioid fatalities led by
fentanyl poisonings among U.S. children under 14 years
old increased faster than among any other U.S. age
group, according to an FAF analysis of Centres
for Disease Control and Prevention data.
Infant fentanyl deaths increased twice as fast between 2019
and 2021. Fentanyl deaths among toddlers between the
ages of 1 and 4 more than tripled, and deaths among
children between the ages of 5 and 14 nearly
quadrupled, according to FAF.
In many cases, the drug is ingested without the person’s
knowledge. People are taking pills — such as at parties
— not knowing the pills are counterfeit and heavily
laced with fentanyl.
Two milligrams of fentanyl, which is the size of a mosquito,
is enough to kill an adult. The CDC said more than 100,000
people died of a drug overdose in 2021, and more than
65,000 of those deaths, were linked to fentanyl.
Americans 25 to 44 accounted for 53.2% of the total
number of fentanyl deaths in the U.S. in 2021.
Fentanyl spread across the United States in recent years
and is the latest wave of a drug crisis started with
addictive painkillers and followed by heroin.
The Drug Enforcement Administration warned that Fentanyl
is the deadliest narcotic nationwide and according to
federal agents 379 million potentially deadly doses
were intercepted in 2022.
The clinical psychologist --- spoke on the importance of sleep --- for health
January 18th, 8:20pm
(Izvestia.ru)
Olesya Tolstukhina, a clinical psychologist at the Doctor Next
Medical technology company, said in a conversation with
Izvestia on January 18th, that regular full — fledged
sleep is an extremely important element of mental
and physical health.
"During sleep, many processes in the nervous system
are stabilized, as well as physical stabilization and
regeneration in internal organs. When the sleep
regime fails, the psyche suffers first of all, a
prolonged lack of normal sleep can
indicate the beginning of
psychotic states,"
she said.
According to Tolstukhina, the longer a person is without
sleep, the more severe the consequences: the body's
key life support systems fail.
"Severe changes in brain tissue critically reduce
immunity, the body is depleted to the point of
death," the expert warned.
She noted that with complaints of disturbed sleep, you
should contact a neurologist or psychiatrist to find out
the causes of sleep problems, as they may be
psychological or organic.
Earlier in the day in Moscow, a 16-year-old teenager died
from a rare form of insomnia, which refers to incurable
hereditary diseases.
Candidate of Medical Sciences, neurologist-somnologist
Elena Tsareva told Izvestia on January 18th about how
to recognize the symptoms of the rarest form of
insomnia — fatal family insomnia, which
caused the death of a teenager.
According to her, the key signs that insomnia has a deadly
form are the complete inability of a person to fall asleep
and the lack of response to sleeping pills due to the
fact that the disease changes the structure of
the brain.
____________________________________________
Residents of Europe advised
to prepare for ''bad news''
January 7th, 1:36am
(Lenta.ru)
Residents of Europe should prepare for bad news, due
to the threat of spreading the omicron subvariant -
the kraken strain. This advice was given by
Politico columnist, Carlo Martuscelli.
According to him, the XBB strain.1.5 is spreading
rapidly, most likely because it has certain great
advantages over the currently dominant
omicron strains.
The journalist referred to an article by the European
Centre for Disease Prevention and Control --- which
notes that this sub-variant was first discovered on
October 22nd, 2022, in the US. At the same time,
XBB.1.5 became the "most transmissive
sub-variant".
"Data coming in from the US, suggests that the XBB
virus is spreading aggressively, with the number of
cases doubling every nine days," Martouchelli
added.
Earlier, New York Times columnist Apurva Mandavilli
announced the possibility - of spreading coronavirus
even after the death of the carrier of the infection.
According to the author, COVID-19 persists in the
corpses of infected people and spreads further,
"like in horror films about zombies."
[Rhondda Records suggests that the ''bad news'', is that the US is trying
to scare us all out of our minds!]
___________________________________
US Guards Use Pepper Spray, Stun Guns --- to Subdue Prisoners
in Mental Health Crisis
January 3rd, 1:49pm (FNA)
Prison guards in the US state of Pennsylvania use
aggressive and distressing tactics to subdue
prisoners with mental health illness, who
may not be able to comply with orders,
an investigation found.
According to a joint probe by WITF and NPR that
looked at 456 incidents from 25 county jails in
Pennsylvania, nearly 1 in 3 "use of force"
incidents.. involved a person who was
having a mental health crisis or who
had a known mental illness during
the last quarter of 2021.
In many cases, guards used weapons like stun guns
and pepper spray... to control and subdue such
prisoners despite the fact that their severe
psychiatric conditions meant they may
have been unable to follow orders —
or even understand what was
going on.
Most uses of force in prisons don't lead to death, but
the practices employed by prison guards every day
in county jails can put prisoners and staff at risk
of injury.
“There are always going to be use-of-force incidents
at the prison," Dauphin County Spokesman Brett
Hambright told NPR.
And Craig Haney, a psychology professor, says some
of those mentally ill inmates are being traumatized.
“Some mentally ill prisoners are so traumatized by the
abuse that they never recover, some are driven to
suicide, and others are deterred from bringing
attention to their mental health problems
because reporting these issues often
results in harsher treatment,"
Cruz said.
Correctional authorities, however, claim the use of
physical force is an important option to prevent
violence between inmates, or violence
against guards themselves.
Records kept by correctional officers at the 25
Pennsylvania county jails, however, show that
just 10% of "use of force" incidents were in
response to a prisoner assaulting
someone else.
Records also show one in five uses of force —
88 incidents — involved a prisoner who was
either attempting suicide, hurting them
selves or threatening self-harm.
Pamela Rollings-Mazza, who provides medical and
behavioural services at about 35 county jails in
Pennsylvania, says her team frequently sees
people come to jail -- who are "not reality-
based" due to psychiatric illness, and
can't understand or comply with
basic orders.
In one of such “use of force” incidents in a jail in
Harrisburg county in Pennsylvania, a prisoner
with mental health proble...., Ishmail
Thompson, was killed after a guard
covered his head with a hood and
put him in a restraint chair,
strapping down his arms
and legs.
Some 20 minutes later, an officer noticed something
wrong with Thompson's breathing. He was rushed
to the hospital, but 5 days later, Thompson died.
The district attorney.. declined to
bring charges against the officer.
According to experts, prison is not an appropriate
setting for treating serious mental illness.
Currently there are thousands of local jails across
the US, and they depend on the local and state
governments... that set correctional policies,
and that fund — or fail to fund — the mental
health services that could keep vulnerable
people out of jail in the first place.
_____________________________________
UK Chancellor Admits NHS
Is on Brink of Collapse
After 12 Years of
Tory Rule
November 13th, 4:44pm (FNA)
UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt on Sunday admitted
the NHS is on the brink of collapse, after
12 years of Tory rule.
The Chancellor warned... “we’re all going to be paying
a bit more tax”, as he unveils his Autumn Statement
Budget on Thursday, The Daily Mirror reported.
Reports suggest he will cut the £150,000 threshold for
45p tax to £125,000 to generate £1.3billion a year,
and cut energy bills support from £60bln in the
current six months, to just £20bln... in the
six months afterwards.
But health leaders have demanded extra funds
for the NHS --- amid record waiting times.
He was told by Sky News presenter Sophy Ridge that
“Frankly this doesn't look like a health service that
can find efficiency savings - this looks like a
health service that is on the brink
of collapse”.
The top Tory, a former Health Secretary and ex-
chairman of the Commons Health Select
Committee, replied, “There are massive
pressures in the NHS."
"Obviously --- it’s something I know very well, from
previous jobs I’ve done, and I think that doctors,
nurses, on the frontline, are, frankly, under
unbearable pressure --- so I do recognise
the picture you say" he said --- adding,
"It’s also true there is a lot of money
going into the NHS.”
NHS England figures showed a record 43,792 people
waited longer than 12 hours in October, from a decision to admit, to actually being
admitted on to a ward.
These ‘trolley waits’ were up a staggering 34%
from 32,776 in September - the highest since
records began in 2010.
Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves said, “Public
services are already on their knees - seven
million people are waiting for an NHS
operation or support.”
It came as Hunt admitted he will be a “Scrooge”
in his Autumn Statement on Thursday with
no "rabbits out of the hat”.
He refused to deny it would mark a “return
to austerity”, replying --- there will be
“difficult decisions” and “we will
be asking everyone for
sacrifices”.
He warned he won’t be offering “motherhood and
apple pie” or "cakeism" - an accusation he laid
at Boris Johnson’s door.
The Chancellor... is eyeing up £33bln a year of
spending cuts and £21bln a year of tax rises
by 2027 in a bid to balance the books.
Echoing George Osborne’s austerity rhetoric, he
tried to claim the nation’s finances were like a
family budget - despite the £2.4trillion
national debt.
“We are going to see everyone paying more tax,
we are going to see spending cuts”, he told
the BBC.
Speaking to Sky he added, “Families have to make
sure that in the end, they can pay their bills. They
don't just max out on their credit card without
having any way of repaying those debts. It's
just the same for countries - and we have
to do that."
“Because if we want to put more money into the NHS,
if we want to help people who are going to find it
very, very difficult this winter,..then we need to
have the resources to do that and that means
we have to take difficult decisions even at
moments like this,” he added.
The Chancellor will slash back the Energy Price
Guarantee - which limits average annual bills
to £2,500 - from April ---- after warning it is
costing the same as “an entire
second NHS”.
On Sunday, more details emerged of what that
will cost Brits, as it is limited to only the very
most vulnerable.
The scheme is costing about £60bln between
October and March, but the Sunday reports
it may cost only £20bln in the six months
afterwards.
Treasury officials have discussed the average
bill going up from £2,500 to between £2,850
and £3,100.
That could mean a £600 rise on current bills,
and a rise of nearly £2,000 a year since 2021.
Hunt said, “We don't want anyone, not to be able
to afford to heat their home over this winter or
indeed future winters."
"But in the long run, what you need is a plan that
means we don't need to have to give very, very
expensive support as taxpayers,” he added.
He added, “We need to recognise there's only so
much you can ask from people on the very
lowest incomes so that will be reflected
in the decisions that I take.”
But he rejected striking nurses' demands for a 17%
pay rise, which his Health Secretary blasted as
"neither reasonable nor affordable".
Hunt said, “I think we have to recognise a difficult
truth that if we gave everyone inflation-proof pay
rises, inflation would stay, we wouldn't bring
down inflation.”
Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves said “it’s a badge
of shame”.. that nurses are staging their first ever
nationwide strike in England, but also refused
to commit to a 17% pay rise.
She said "I’m not going to pluck numbers out of the
air" and "it’s up to the pay review bodies to work
with the unions", despite the fact the pay review
bodies have already reported back and it's up
to the government.
Reeves said, “I don't believe that austerity 2.0 after
the austerity that we've gone through for the last
12 years... is the right approach.”
She said she would close tax loopholes on “big
global multinationals” to bring in £7billion a year.
She also repeated Labour’s pledge to levy 45%
capital gains tax on private equity fund
managers, instead of the current 28%.
_________________________________________
Italy eliminates sanctions
against anti-vaccine
health personnel
by Ana Luisa Brown
October 28th, 3:38pm
(Prensa Latina)
The Italian Health Ministry announced today
that sanctions against doctors, nurses and
other health personnel, imposed for their
refusal to be vaccinated against
Covid-19 --- will no longer be in effect.
The new Italian Health Minister, Orazio Schillaci, made
the announcement on Friday and added that, data on
those infected and deceased as a result of the
disease will no longer be published on a daily
basis, as has been the case up to now.
According to the communiqué, the health authorities
consider it necessary to initiate a gradual return to
normality, although they call for responsible
behaviour, in compliance with the rules
still in force.
The suspension of employment for non-compliance with
the vaccination obligation is revoked ‘in view of the
expiration of the provisions in force on December
31st and the worrying shortage of medical
personnel’, the document states.
Schillaci also announced the creation of a
commission of inquiry ‘to clarify what
happened from the administrative
point of view’ --- regarding the
expenses incurred... by the
previous administration,
to face Covid-19.
And in Wales?
Hearing Discovery -- Reveals
Ear Architecture That Turns
Vibration into Sound
October 17th, 1:31pm (FNA)
In what’s described as a breakthrough decades in the
making, scientists at Oregon State Health & Science
University (OHSU) have revealed the inner ear
architecture that converts vibrations into
sound, in near-atomic detail.
The ability of the ear to turn vibrations into the
sensation of sound... is facilitated by an inner
structure, called the mechanosensory trans-
duction complex. Despite its critical role in
human hearing, the composition of this
structure & mechanisms that underly
its function... have remained poorly
understood.
“This is the last sensory system in which that
fundamental molecular machinery has
remained unknown,” said senior
author of the new study Eric
Gouaux.
“The molecular machinery that carries out this
absolutely amazing process has been
unresolved for decades.”
The team’s work involved the roundworm
Caenorhabditis elegans, a popular model
for scientists as the creature shares a
similar genome and many cellular
pathways with humans.
The scientists spent five years ---- studying more than
60 million worms through cryo-electron microscopy,
an emerging technique used to create 3D
reconstructions of proteins.
This enabled the scientists to piece together the
protein complex that turns vibrations into the
electrical impulses our brain recognizes as
sound. The highly detailed portrait of this
intricate biological architecture.. was a long time coming, according to fellow
OHSU hearing scientist, Peter
Barr-Gillespie, who wasn’t
directly involved in
the research.
“The auditory neuroscience field.. has been waiting for
these results, for decades, and now that they are right
here - we are ecstatic,” he said. “The results from this
paper immediately suggest new avenues of research,
and so will invigorate the field for years to come.”
Because hearing loss can came about through genetic
mutations that change the proteins making up the
mechanosensory transduction complex... an
ability to now visualize the protein complex
may present new ways to counter
the mutations.
“It immediately suggests mechanisms by which one
might be able to compensate for those deficits,”
said senior author Eric Gouaux. “If a mutation
gives rise to a defect in the transduction
channel that causes hearing loss, it’s
possible to design a molecule that
fits into that space and rescues
the defect. Or it may mean we
can strengthen interactions,
that have been weakened.”
Are Smartwatch Health Apps
to Detect Atrial Fibrillation
Smart Enough?
October 13th, 2:25pm (FNA)
Extended cardiac monitoring in patients and the use
of implantable cardiovascular electronic devices can
increase detection of atrial fibrillation (AF), but the
devices have limitations including short battery
life and lack of immediate feedback.
Can new smartphone tools that can record an
electrocardiogram (ECG) strip and make an
automated diagnosis overcome these
limitations and facilitate timely
diagnosis?
The largest study to date, in the Canadian Journal of
Cardiology, published by Elsevier, finds that the use
of these devices is challenging in patients with
abnormal ECGs. Better algorithms and
machine learning may help these tools
provide more accurate diagnoses,
investigators say.
"Earlier studies have validated the accuracy of the
Apple Watch for the diagnosis of AF in a limited
number of patients with similar clinical profiles,"
explained lead investigator Marc Strik, MD, PhD,
LIRYC institute, Bordeaux University Hospital,
Bordeaux, France. "We tested the accuracy
of the Apple Watch ECG app to detect AF
in patients with a variety of coexisting
ECG abnormalities."
The study included 734 consecutive hospitalized
patients. Each patient underwent a 12-lead ECG,
immediately followed by a 30-second Apple
Watch recording. The smartwatch's
automated single-lead ECG AF
detections were classified as
"no signs of atrial fibrillation,"
"atrial fibrillation," or
"inconclusive reading."
Smartwatch recordings were given to an
electrophysiologist who conducted a
blinded interpretation, assigning each
tracing a diagnosis of "AF," "absence
of AF," or "diagnosis unclear."
A second blinded electrophysiologist interpreted
100 randomly selected traces to determine the
extent to which the observers agreed.
In approximately one in every five patients --- the
smartwatch ECG failed to produce an automatic
diagnosis. The risk of having a false positive
automated AF detection was higher for
patients with premature atrial and
ventricular contractions (PACs/
PVCs), sinus node dysfunction,
and second- or third-degree
atrioventricular-block.
For patients in AF, the risk of having a false negative
tracing (missed AF) was higher for patients with
ventricular conduction abnormalities (inter-
ventricular conduction delay) or rhythms
controlled by an implanted pacemaker.
The cardiac electrophysiologists... had a high level of
agreement for differentiation between AF and non-AF.
The smartphone app correctly identified 78% of the
patients who were in AF and 81% who were not in
AF. The electrophysiologists identified 97% of the
patients who were in AF and 89% who were not.
Patients with PVCs were three times more likely to have
false positive AF diagnoses from the smartwatch ECG,
and the identification of patients with atrial
tachycardia (AT) and atrial flutter (AFL)
was very poor.
"These observations are not surprising, as smartwatch
automated detection algorithms are based solely on
cycle variability," Dr. Strik noted, explaining that
PVCs cause short and long cycles, which
increase cycle variability.
"Ideally, an algorithm would better discriminate
between PVCs and AF. Any algorithm limited to
the analysis of cycle variability will have poor
accuracy in detecting AT/AFL. Machine
learning approaches may increase
the smartwatch AF detection
accuracy in these patients."
In an accompanying editorial, Andrés F. Miranda-
Arboleda, MD, and Adrian Baranchuk, MD,
Division of Cardiology at Kingston Health
Science Centre, Kingston, ON, Canada,
observed that this is the first "real-
world" study focusing on the use
of the Apple Watch as a
diagnostic tool for AF.
"It is of remarkable importance because it allowed us
to learn the performance of the Apple Watch in the
diagnosis of AF is significantly affected by the
presence of underlying ECG abnormalities.
In a certain manner, the smartwatch
algorithms for the detection of AF in
patients with cardiovascular
conditions are not yet smart
enough. But they may soon
be," Dr. Miranda-Arboleda
and Dr. Baranchuk said.
"With the growing use of smartwatches in medicine,
it is important to know which medical conditions
and ECG abnormalities could impact and alter
the detection of AF by the smartwatch... in
order to optimize the care of our patients,"
Dr Strik said. "Smartwatch detection of
AF has great potential, but it is more
challenging.... in patients with
pre-existing cardiac disease."
British women ‘more depressed
than men’overcost-of-living
crisis: Poll
October 7th, 2:30pm
(PressTV)
Women in the UK are more worried than men about
paying bills and household expenses and are more
depressed than men when faced with financial
crises, according to the findings of a survey.
The survey was conducted by YouGov, a charity and
representative of British psychologists in the UK
between September 6 and 7.
The results of the survey showed that 61% of women
compared to 47% of men are more worried about
paying their bills compared to last year.
Also, 3 out of 10 women said that financial worries
make them feel depressed. This rate is 26% in men.
The results of the research show that women are more
worried about meeting household expenses in the
coming year, including paying energy bills (77%
of women and 65% of men).
Julia Faulconbridge, official psychologist and a member
of the clinical psychology department of the British
Psychological Society (BPS) said: “We know
women often shoulder more of the childcare
and home responsibilities and are more
likely to be in low-paid and insecure
work, increasing their chances of
being hit by rising prices, and
subsequently experiencing
greater anxiety, stress
and worry.”
“There is a clear causal link between living in poverty
and mental health difficulties,” she said. “We know
that the stress of raising a family in poverty can
have a huge impact on parents’ mental health
and that poverty is one of the major risk
factors for the development of mental
and physical health problems
in children.”
“This is magnified in a single-parent household, which
is why we urgently need the Government to confirm
they will support those who need it most by
uprating benefits in line with inflation.”
The BPS is joining a range of organizations and
politicians calling on the government to
increase benefits in line with inflation.
The UK government has not ruled out actual
reductions in benefits, as reports suggest
payments could increase in line with
average income increases.
The decision is expected to be made in
November .....and implemented in April.
____________________________________________
Physiotherapist spoke
about the 'dangers' of
heavily roasted coffee
for digestion...
September 30th, 4:21pm,
(Lenta.ru)
Doctor Philip Glubokov: strongly roasted
coffee depresses digestion.
Heavily roasted coffee can depress digestion, warned
the physiotherapist Philip Glubokov in an interview
with the"Fifth Channel".
Glubokov referred to the opinion of scientists, about the
different effects of roasting coffee on digestion. "There
is evidence that coffee of different degrees of roasting
has different effects on digestion. For example,
strongly roasted coffee, can slightly depress
digestion, make it slower, while coffee with
a lighter roast will, on the contrary, speed
up digestion," the physiotherapist said
about the harm of the drink.
Therefore, Glubokov continued, it is not necessary to
combine strong coffee with full meals — it is better
to use it in between meals.
Earlier, the doctor Monica Wassermann warned
about the dangers of coffee. According to her,
drinking coffee can increase the risk of
blood clots.
________________________________________
Endocrinologist named lard
and pumpkin products --- to
support the immune system
September 21st, 2022, 11:03pm
(Izvestia.ru)
Lard, pumpkin, sunflower seeds and kefir will help
strengthen the immune system, said Elena
Evdokimova, an endocrinologist and a
member of the Russian Association
of Endocrinologists and the
European Association for
the Study of Diabetes.
Writes " Gazeta.Ru",
September 21st.
According to the doctor, fat, thanks to a large amount
of arachidonic acid, helps prevent viral diseases and
strengthens the immune system. Kefir fungi, which
are contained in kefir, help to normalize the
microflora, and vitamin D, which is also
contained in it, is a source of protein
that is easily absorbed in the body.
"Another product with non-obvious benefits is pumpkin.
It contains a huge amount of carotenoids and trace
elements, which greatly strengthen the immune
system. Many dishes made from pumpkin are
useful: juice, mashed potatoes, cream soup,
as well as baked pumpkin,"
says Evdokimova.
Also, peeled sunflower seeds have a beneficial effect
on the immune system. Seeds contain a lot of fat-
soluble vitamins A, D and E, as well as a large
number of minerals ---- that have
immunomodulatory effects.
On the same day, hepatologist Alexandra Yakovleva
also spoke about the benefits of using fat.
According to the doctor, the fats present in fat
contribute to the formation of a protective
film on the surface of the lungs.
_________________________________________
China creates mask with sensors
--- capable of detecting viruses
by Aleynes Palacios Hurtado
September 21st, 11:07am
(Prensa Latina)
Chinese scientists have developed a face mask that
has sensors, uses a rechargeable lithium battery
and can detect different types of viruses,
including SARS-CoV-2, which causes
Covid-19, CGTN reported
on Wednesday.
The face mask was developed by professionals at
Shanghai’s Tongji University --- and the built-in
system allows the wearer know if he or she
is exposed to pathogens ...such as the
common flu, H5N1 & H1N1 influenza.
The device sends alert signals wirelessly to cell
phones and works best in enclosed spaces
with poor ventilation, such as elevators.
To test its effectiveness, its creators sprayed virus-
laden liquid on it, simulating scenarios with
people talking and coughing.
As part of its strategy to fight Covid-19, China
maintains the mandatory use of face masks, to access any public place and most people
keep it on, even if they walk in the street in the open air.
Since October 10th, 2021 and until the end of October,
2022, the government put into effect new adjustments
to the sanitary mechanism, also coinciding with the
week of holidays for its National Day and the
celebration of the 20th Communist
Party Congress.
The changes imply that all provinces require the population to present negative results of a RT-PCR test taken 48 hours before
boarding any means of public
transportation, that is, a bus, train, plane or ferry.
__________________________________
Pfizer Isn’t Sharing....COVID
Vaccines with Researchers
for Next-Gen Studies
September 8th, 12:37pm (FNA)
Researchers studying next-generation vaccines to fight
an evolving Covid-19 threat, are running into problems
getting existing vaccines to use in their research.
Because Pfizer and Moderna hold the patents for the
current vaccines, researchers would likely have to
get the companies’ permission to use them for
research into products like nasal or pan-
coronavirus vaccines.
Right now, Pfizer isn’t sharing its vaccines for research
purposes, a spokesperson confirmed to STAT.
Moderna, didn’t comment when we asked.
Some university researchers argue the posture slows
global progress toward more effective vaccines in
the future, especially since the United States has
already wasted tens of millions of doses of the
Covid-19 vaccines.
Yale University virologist and immunologist Akiko
Iwasaki has designed a study of nasal vaccines
against Covid-19, which - she argues - could
provide better protection against infection
and transmission than shots alone.
The ideal study would be conducted on subjects that
have already had a primary vaccine series, to
simulate real-world scenarios. She inquired
with Pfizer about obtaining some vaccine
to use in her study of nasal vaccines,
but has not received any.
“In order for us to develop a better vaccine -- we need
a comparator. For that reason, everyone who’s doing
research in this area is in the same boat, we don’t
have access to do a comparison,” Iwasaki said.
California Institute of Technology professor Pamela
Bjorkman said her lab has had similar troubles
obtaining existing Covid-19 vaccines, that
would otherwise be discarded, in order
to research a vaccine candidate that
could provide protection against a
variety of Covid-19 variants.
“Whatever policy prevents using such vials, does a
great disservice to global efforts to develop new
and improved vaccines,” Bjorkman said.
When asked whether Pfizer has provided any vaccines
for research purposes, spokesperson Sharon Castillo
said, “We are not accepting or reviewing
applications for possible clinical
research that studies the
Covid-19 vaccine.”
COVID godfather prepares to
start a new career chapter
September 1st, 3:08pm
https://en.news-front.info/
Coronavirus fine-tuning takes place
in US biolaboratories --- in Ukraine.
President Biden’s top medical adviser Dr Anthony Fauci,
dubbed Dr Evil, has announced he is stepping down
next December to “continue the next chapter” of
his career: “I am announcing today, that I am
stepping down.. as director of the National
Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases
(NIAID) and head of the NIAID immuno-
regulation laboratory and as chief
medical adviser to President Joe Biden.''
The departure of Fauci, one of the protagonists of the recent world-wide “pandemic”
is no small event.
One of America’s most prominent political
commentators, Tucker Carlson, told Fox
News that “for the last two years, Fauci
recommended treatments & preventive
measures against COVID that did
not work.''
''He admitted to the New York Times, that he lied about
collective immunity in order to sell more vaccines…
which really weren’t even vaccines and have
hurt tens of thousands of people.''
The report of the placebo vaccines turned out to be just
one of the information bombs. Global Research says:
“It’s been almost a year since the FDA (U.S. Food and
Drug Administration) gave full approval to Pfizer’s
COVID mRNA injection… Many will be surprised
to learn that this particular vaccine in FDA-
approved form never actually existed and
never will. The widely touted --- ''FDA''
approval by the Biden administration
was just a sleight of hand. It was a
bureaucratic sham.”
The U.S. government ran a drug campaign, deceiving
citizens into giving them vaccinations --- that the
authorities assured them were FDA-approved.
In fact, everyone in America has been
administered and continues to be
administered, another version of
the vaccine with what is known
as an “Emergency Use
Authorisation” (EUA).
The FDA-approved Comirnaty vaccine has
never been available to Americans.
Fauci lied not only about vaccines, but also about
quarantine, about self-isolation, about masks:
“You have to wear masks when you cycle,
you get too much life-enhancing oxygen.
What you really need, is more carbon
dioxide.” This Dr Evil spelled it out
publicly. And, privately, he was
saying that:- “the usual mask
you buy at the drugstore is
actually ineffective in
protecting against
the virus”.
When Fauci testified under oath before
Congress, he concealed that he had
helped create the coronavirus:
Senator RAND PAUL: ''Dr. Fauci, knowing that it is a
crime to lie to Congress, do you want to withdraw
your May 11 statement where you claimed that
the NIH [National Institutes of Health], never
funded the Wuhan enhancement research?''
FAUCHI: ''Senator Paul, I have never lied to Congress and
I am not retracting that statement. That document
you referred to is qualified by staff at all levels
as ineffective…''
RAND PAUL: ''You take an animal virus and enhance its
ability to be transmitted to humans. Are you saying
that’s not enhancing the function?''
The Intercept... spoke to virologist, Vincent Racaniello,
professor of microbiology & immunology at Columbia
University. “There is no doubt,” said Ricaniello, “that
the weight loss in the mice in the study is a gain of
function. Tony Fauci is wrong to say it is not.”
Fauci was yowling and wiggling his way
through the conversation to interpret
the term “gain of function,” and
The Intercept reports:
''Scientists working under an NIH grant, to the
Environmental Health Alliance to study bat
corona viruses (2014) --- combined
genetic material from the parent
coronavirus -- known as WIV1,
with other viruses.''
They produced more potent viruses
--- and Fauci supervised the work.
This kind of work was banned in the US, so the
experiments were conducted abroad. And not
just in Wuhan, but in us biolaboratories in Ukraine. Tucker Carlson writes that:
''At some point, someone… will ask the question,
why are all these bio-laboratories of ours, in
Ukraine, located everywhere? Ukraine
does not seem to be a hotbed of
pharmaceutical research.''
In a letter to the House Oversight Committee, NIH
spokesman Lawrence Tabak wrote that a “limited
experiment” was conducted in Wuhan to test
whether -- “spike proteins from natural bat
coronaviruses circulating in China could
bind to the human ACE2 receptor, in a
mouse model”. The finalisation of the
virus took place --- in Ukrainian
biolaboratories.
In early 2020, Christian Andersen, a virologist at the
Scripps Institute in La Jolla, California, wrote to
Fauci about the COVID-19 virus as follows:
“Some functions (potentially) look
engineered.” And Nobel laureate
in medicine, biochemist and
virologist David Baltimore
said he had found:
“incontrovertible
evidence of the
artificial origin
of the virus”.
It can be considered established, that the coronavirus
has been artificially bred. Why is a separate question.
As for a vaccine against the American-created virus,
in 2020 Fauci proclaimed that the solution to COVID
would be remdesivir, a drug produced by the
pharmaceutical giant. Gilead.
“The time has come” --- declared Dr Evil.
He only did not say what the time is for.
The Biden administration, government health agencies
and Pfizer have launched a massive PR campaign to
overcome “indecision on vaccines”. The media
joined in this campaign. Fake FDA-approved
status was used to put pressure on private
companies to get their employees
vaccinated. And millions of
Americans were forced to
vaccinate because they
could not afford to be
unemployed.
And after a while it was discovered that the mRNA
drug didn’t work, that it was dangerous for young
men and wasn’t a vaccine, in its classic
definition, at all.
So the Biden administration first sanctioned the
creation of the virus -- and then, together with
Big Tech and Pfizer, tricked Americans into
taking “FDA approved” vaccines against
COVID --- that did not exist.
by Agniya Krengel, FSC
Pictured - UK air pollution
The toxicologist ---told about
millions of deaths annually
because of polluted air
August 21st, 7:30pm
(Lenta.ru)
Professor, Academician of the Russian Academy
of Natural Sciences, Corresponding Member of
the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences,
toxicologist Mikhail Kutushov, in an
interview with Ura.ru --- said that
every year -- about seven million
people die, due to polluted air.
He explained that death occurs
due to the diseases caused by
the environmental situation.
"Many people suffer from health problems....
especially if they live near large industrial
facilities, or near busy highways.
Approximately seven million
people a year, die from
polluted air.''
''It is believed that a third of strokes, and
other heart diseases -- and lung cancer,
are caused by a polluted environment.
Diseases begin with asthma, and
bronchitis," the specialist said.
He noted that, since human lungs work together
with the heart, diseases begin to worsen in the
event of air pollution. According to him, the
main disease that can occur in humans is
cancer. In addition, cases of asthma or
chronic bronchitis are common, the
toxicologist added.
Kutushov stressed that the greatest danger for
residents --- is represented by enterprises
located within the city limits, that work
with toxic substances.
He said that it is necessary to move such enterprises
out of the city, green the city, and people should
drink more water, as well as eat more
vegetables and fruits.
Formerly, Shanghai, Moscow and Tehran, have
been named as the cities with the highest
level of nitrogen dioxide air pollution in
the world. This is the conclusion
reached, by the US non-profit
organization, Health Effects
Institute - and the research
institute for Health Metrics
and Evaluation.
FOOTNOTE:
86% of UK Towns and Cities
Fail Air Pollution Tests -Gibbons Group
Possible control of type 2
diabetesby rhodiola root
say scientists
by Elsy Fors Garzon
August 17th, 00:11am
(Prensa Latina)
The extract from the roots of the Rhodiola rosea plant,
known as rhodiola, could be effective in helping to
control type 2 diabetes, a scientific source
reported today.
Experts from the University of California at Irvine,
United States, found that “it reduced fasting
blood sugar levels, improved response to
insulin injections, modulated the
composition of bacteria in the
gastrointestinal tract and
decreased... several bio-
markers of inflammation”.
The team used a genetically engineered mouse
model that develops obesity, insulin resistance,
and hyperglycemia, similar to advanced
human type 2 diabetes.
Such a laboratory procedure – specifies the journal
Scientific Reports – had the objective of verifying
if rhodiola could improve glucose homeostasis.
The extract from the roots of this plant acts through
changes in the microbiome that lead to an increase
in the integrity of the intestinal barrier and a lower
translocation of inflammatory molecules to the
blood circulation.
“The integrity of the intestinal barrier, influences body
weight and the response to insulin, and could improve
the responses of liver and muscle tissues to insulin
produced by the pancreas,” the specialists
point out.
Known as rhodiola, this herb grows in the colder,
more mountainous regions of Europe and Asia.
The golden root, as it is also called in the Scandinavian
culture and Siberian peoples --- is used to increase
resistance at work and improve altitude sickness.
A clinical trial showed that taking 400 milligrams of
Rodhiola rosea extract daily for 12 weeks improved
symptoms of anxiety, exhaustion, and irritability.
Its properties are related to two of its active
ingredients, rosavin and salidroside.
Chinese scientists have found a
new way to reduce the risk of
heart and vascular diseases
August 8th, 7:59pm
(trud.ru)
For the prevention and treatment of such diseases,
it is necessary to reduce the level of lipids in the
blood serum and liver.
Chinese scientists have found that inhibiting the ASGR1
receptor in the liver can reduce serum and liver lipids,
thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
This was reported on Monday, August 8th, by the
Xinhua news agency, with a link to an article
published in the journal Nature.
As the authors explain, the ASGR1 receptor is
expressed - exclusively - in the liver. Little is
known about how it affects the metabolism
of cholesterol, the accumulation of which
can lead to an increased risk of
heart disease.
At the same time, reducing the level of lipids is
necessary for the prevention and treatment
of these diseases.
A research team from Wuhan University in China found
that inhibition of ASGR1 promotes the elimination of
cholesterol – with bile and faeces, which reduces
the level of lipids in the serum and liver.
Based on the results of the study, biologists have
developed a neutralizing anti-ASGR1 antibody
that can effectively reduce lipid levels, by
increasing cholesterol excretion.
___________________________________
Russian Defense Ministry
considers the possibility
of US involvement in
the spread of COVID
August 4th, 2:50pm
https://en.news-front.info/
The Ministry of Defense of Russia suggests that the United States was involved in the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and its spread in the world.
The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the world,
suggests the deliberate role of US organizations in
its emergence. This -- was announced at a briefing
on August 4th, by Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov,
Chief of the Radiation, Chemical and Biological
Defense Forces of the RF Armed Forces.
“We are considering the possibility that the United
States Agency for International Development
(USAID) is involved in the emergence of the
new coronavirus,” Kirillov said.
The general recalled the words of the leading expert of
the authoritative medical journal, The Lancet, Jeffrey
Sachs, who said in May 2022, that the COVID-19 virus --- was artificially created.
Sachs specified that there is a high probability: that US achievements in the field of biotechnology, were used in its creation.
"There is enough evidence, that this should be
investigated, but it is not being investigated,
neither in the United States - nor anywhere
else. I think they(US officials - Gazeta.En)
don't really want to look too much, under
the carpet," Sachs emphasized.
The "Achilles heel" of almost
all types of cancer, including
drug-resistant ones,
has been found
by Olga Muraya
July 31st, 2:05pm
(Vesta.ru)
New genetic data is helping to better understand the
causes of different types of cancer in humans.
This, in turn, will help to develop new methods
of cancer treatment.
Medical researchers from several leading institutes
in the United States have found that at least 70%
of cancer types and 8% of all individual tumors
activate a single gene that is normally
"turned off" in most body tissues.
It turns out that scientists have
discovered a universal cancer switch?
So far, the study is improving our understanding of how
different types of cancer develop. But the team that
made this discovery has already begun working
with chemists and biologists to figure out how
to target this gene with possible
new treatments.
What did the scientists find? It turned out that many
cancers show abnormal expression of the FOXR2
gene. This gene is normally expressed
("switched on") only in the testes —
the male sex glands.
In a further study involving mice that artificially
activated the FOXR2 gene, it turned out that
the expression of the gene increases the
growth rate of brain tumors.
The team suspects that FOXR2 may be part of
a broader scheme in which normally inactive
testicular genes --- are switched on in
cancer patients.
The authors are already working with other
laboratories to develop cancer treatments
that target FOXR2.
The study was published in the July
8th, 2022 issue of Cancer Research.
At the same time, scientists from Spain have
revealed the mechanism by which some
cancer patients do not respond well
to treatment.
A condition known as multi-drug resistance (MDR)
can seriously reduce the number of available
cancer treatment options. However, exactly
what factors contribute to the development
of MDR and how it can be controlled...
remains unclear.
The team started by looking at genes that may play
arole in causing cancer resistance to drugs. To do
this, the researchers used CRISPR gene editing
technology in mouse stem cells. A gene
known as FBXW7 quickly caught
their attention.
The researchers found that mutations in the FBXW7
gene endow cells with resistance to most existing
drugs, with lower levels of FBXW7 expression
associated with a poorer response
to chemotherapy.
But importantly, the team also found
a way to use this feature for good.
The researchers found that a drug called tigecycline
activates a process known as the integrated stress
response (ISR). This process helps to" clean" cells
of toxic proteins that are produced due to a
mutation in the FBXW7 gene.
Subsequent tests with other drugs that activate
the ISR... also showed some effectiveness.
The work of the Spanish scientists, was
published in EMBO Molecular Medicine.
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_________________________________
NHS England... Short of
Tens of Thousands of Staff in 'Greatest Workforce Crisis
in Its History'
July 25th, 9:30am (FNA)
NHS England is short of tens of thousands of doctors,
nurses & midwives with the persistent understaffing
creating a "serious risk to staff and patient safety",
MPs said in a damning report.
Health and social care services in England face “the
greatest workforce crisis in their history” and the
government has no credible strategy to make the
situation better, according to the cross-party
Health and Social Care Committee,
ITV reported.
Fresh research by the Nuffield Trust shows the NHS in
England is short of 12,000 hospital doctors and more
than 50,000 nurses and midwives, revealed in a new
report from the committee.
It said maternity services are “under unsustainable
pressure”, while the number of full-time equivalent
GPs also fell by more than 700 over three years,
to March 2022.
Projections suggest an extra 475,000 jobs will be
needed in health and an extra 490,000 jobs in
social care... by the early part of the
next decade.
The report said staff are under pressure and the NHS
loses millions of full-time equivalent days to staff
sickness caused by anxiety, stress
and depression.
“The result is that many in an exhausted workforce,
are considering leaving - and if they do pressure will
increase still further on their colleagues,” the study
said, adding that some simple things are not in
lace, such as access to hot food and drink on
shifts and flexible working.
MPs said the government has shown a "marked
reluctance to act decisively", adding, “The
workforce plan promised in the spring has
not yet been published and will be a
‘framework’ with no numbers, which
we are told could potentially follow
in yet another report --- later
this year.”
MPs said that while some progress has been made
towards a target of recruiting 50,000 nurses, the
government is set to miss its target to recruit
6,000 more GPs, as promised in the
Conservative Party manifesto.
“The persistent understaffing of the NHS now poses a
serious risk to staff and patient safety both for routine
and emergency care. It also costs more as patients
present later with more serious illness," it added.
“But most depressing for many on the frontline is the
absence of any credible strategy to address it,”
it said.
MPs said the government’s “refusal” to make
workforce planning data public “means that
the basic question which every health and
care worker is asking: 'are we training
enough staff to meet patient need?'
will remain unanswered”.
The report also criticises NHS pension arrangements
which are leading to senior doctors reducing their
working hours, owing to facing hefty tax bills.
More needs to be done on social care worker
pay to stop people leaving, it added.
A separate report by the committee’s panel of
independent experts rates the government’s
progress overall to meet key commitments
it has made on workforce as “inadequate”.
Health and Social Care Committee Chairman and Tory
MP Jeremy Hunt said, “We now face the greatest
workforce crisis in history in the NHS and in
social care with still no idea of the number
of additional doctors, nurses and other
professionals we actually need."
“NHS professionals know there is no silver bullet to
solve this problem but we should at least be giving
them comfort that a plan is in place. This must be
a top priority for the new prime minister,” he added.
He told Times Radio that before Brexit, both parties
believed that if there was a staffing problem, they
will “fill it with immigration”.
The report said almost every part of the NHS was
suffering staff shortages. On maternity, it said
552 midwives left in the last year showing a
“clear problem with midwifery retention”.
MPs criticised the government and NHS England for
failing to set out when safe staffing in maternity
would be reached, a failure that “demonstrates
a lack of responsibility” and “is absolutely
unacceptable”.
Danny Mortimer, chief executive of NHS Employers,
which is part of the NHS Confederation, said the
report “once again highlights the extent of the
workforce crisis now facing both the NHS and
social care”. He said “it is time for a reality
reset on the NHS”.
He added health leaders are “beyond worried that the
government has shown a sustained reluctance to act
decisively on NHS and social care staffing and echo
the Committee’s concerns that the lack of long-term
planning and investment risks the government’s
plans to tackle the waiting list backlog and
poses a serious risk to both staff and
patient safety”.
Patricia Marquis, the Royal College of Nursing’s
director for England, added, “On pay, the
committee was very clear saying it is
unacceptable that some NHS nurses
are struggling to feed their families,
pay their rent, and travel to work."
“Their recommendation that nursing staff should be
given a pay rise that takes account of the cost of
living crisis should make government rethink the
latest pay deal that follows a decade of, in real
terms, pay cuts --- that will force even more to
leave the profession,” she said.
Unison General Secretary Christina McAnea said,
“The government’s had years to improve the
workforce situation, but has done little."
“Only last week ministers could have acted to stop
the exodus of porters, healthcare assistants and
other NHS staff with an above-inflation wage
rise. But chose not to,” she added.
Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting
accused the government of having “utterly
failed” to address the crisis.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson
said, “We are growing the health and social care
workforce, with over 4,000 more doctors, and
9,600 more nurses compared to last year,
and over 1,400 more doctors in general
practice, compared to March 2019."
“As we continue to deliver on our commitment to
recruit 50,000 more nurses by 2024, we are also
running a £95 million recruitment drive for
maternity services and providing £500
million to develop our valued social
care workforce, including through
training opportunities and new
career pathways," the spokes
person added.
“We have commissioned NHS England to develop a
long term workforce plan to recruit and support
NHS staff while they deliver high quality, safe
care to patients and help to bust the COVID
backlogs,” the spokesperson said.
Rhondda Records adds:
and in Wales? Would you bet your life
everything's just fine and dandy???
_______________________
Up to 70% of recovered patients
--- experience post-COVID conditions, expert says
July 22nd, 4:56am (TASS)
Up to 70% of recovered coronavirus patients
experience post-COVID conditions, the
Russian Health Ministry’s Chief
Freelance Neurologist Nikolay
Shamalov, told reporters.
"The professional medical community, has been
discussing the so-called post-COVID syndrome
recently. In fact, 30 to 70% of recovered
coronavirus patients experience these
conditions. The figure ranges because
experts use various research methods
but in any case, it is about a large
number of patients.''
''When it comes to the post-COVID syndrome, cognitive
functions are affected in the first place, which concern
qualities such as memory, attention and speech, as
well as motor and cognitive skills. Besides, people
often suffer from headaches, sleep disorders and
asthenia," Shamalov pointed out.
According to the expert, the older the patient, the
higher the risk of the post-COVID syndrome
because the coronavirus... often
exacerbates already existing
health issues.
"When patients notice symptoms of the post-COVID
syndrome, they should consult a neurologist,"
Shamalov added.
WHO Demands
Return of..
Covid Masks
July 14th, 12:09pm
(al Manar)
With cases of Covid-19 trending upward globally,
World Health Organization Director General Dr
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, called on
Tuesday for authorities to bring back
masking, ventilation, and
social distancing.
Speaking during a weekly briefing, Tedros stated
that “the virus is running freely, and countries
are not effectively managing the disease.”
With the WHO concluding last week that the
virus remains a ‘Public Health Emergency
of International Concern’, Tedros
asserted that the pandemic is “nowhere near over.”
During the week of July 4th-10th, 2022, over 5.7 million
new cases of Covid-19 were reported, a 6% increase
compared to the previous week. Deaths, however,
have remained relatively flat... throughout this
summer, with just over 9,800 reported in the
week leading up to July 4th, five times
fewer than the same week last year.
Tedros called on national authorities to step up their
efforts in “communicating risk” to the public, and
called for a return of “public health social
measures like masking, distancing
and ventilation.”
Mask mandates and social distancing requirements
were largely abandoned earlier this year, although
some countries – among them China and South
Korea – still require face masks in most
public settings.
Source: Agencies (edited by
Al-Manar English Website)
______________________________
WHO Chief Gebreyesus reported
a 30% increase in the number
of coronavirus infections in
the world in two weeks
by Sofia Goncarova
July 6th, 8:18pm
(Komsomolskaya Pravda)
TO SHARE
Director-General of the World Health Organization
(WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced
an increase in the number of cases of
coronavirus infection in the world.
According to him, over the past two weeks,
this figure has increased by 30%.
"Over the past two weeks, the number of reported
cases of COVID-19 in the world has increased by
almost 30%," he announced during a speech at
a briefing.
The head of the organization also said that in
European countries and the US, coronavirus
variants BA.4 and BA are spreading in waves.
In addition, experts have identified
a new subspecies, BA.2. 75, in India.
Recall that experts believe that vaccination will help
protect the body from infection with covid. The day
before, the Russian Ministry of Health registered
the Salnavak nasal coronavirus vaccine
developed by Generium. The drug will be available as a nasal spray.
This is a combined vector vaccine
consisting of two components
based on adenovirus vectors.
KP.RU: https://www.kp.ru/
_________________________
COVID-19 Leaked From US Bio-lab,
Claims Lancet's Commission Head;
'Not A Natural Spillover'
by Zaini Majeed
July 2nd (The Republic)
The novel SARS-CoV-2 that caused the COVID-19
worldwide was an accidental release “out of
US laboratory biotechnology”, the chief of
the COVID-19 commission at prestigious
medical journal, The Lancet, Jeffrey
Sachs, said at a conference hosted
by the think tank GATE, in Spain.
The chair of The Lancet stressed that while “we don’t
know for sure” ...that the leak of the virus certainly
happened, or it may have been any other scenario
at the US bioweapons research lab, but "there is
enough evidence" and it “should be looked into.”
Sachs had also... earlier... published a paper in the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences with Columbia University professor of molecular pharmacology and therapeutics, Neil Harrison,
ascertaining that SARS-CoV-2 that caused
the - mounting - death toll of the global
population, had in fact, leaked from
a bio laboratory.
He demanded "transparency" from US
federal agencies and universities.
__________________________
Monkeypox --- cannot be
considered a pandemic,
expert says
June 25th, 3:48am (TASS)
Monkeypox cannot be considered a pandemic
due to the small number of cases, this virus
is not highly contagious, infectious disease
doctor Yevgeny Timakov told TASS. Earlier,
the World Health Network called for
monkeypox to be declared
a pandemic.
"This disease, in no way, can be considered
a pandemic. Only a few get sick, it is not
highly contagious. The virus may have
changed in some way, but it does not
pose a danger on a global scale,"
the expert explained.
Timakov recalled that the virus is transmitted only
through close contact with the infected. "If from
an animal, when it (monkeypox - TASS) is
transmitted to a person, it (the virus -
TASS) is more dangerous. From a
person to a person, it is less
dangerous, as it loses its
pathogens," he added.
The expert also noted, that increased monitoring
of persons entering the Russian Federation from
countries where cases of infection have
already been recorded, is justified
and correct.
Monkeypox is a rare viral disease, usually transmitted
to humans by wild animals such as rodents and
primates. The symptoms include fever,
headache, muscle and back pains,
swollen lymph nodes, chills and
fatigue. It may also involve a
skin rash.
According to the WHO, usually the lethality coefficient
during monkeypox outbreaks ranges from 1% to 10%
...with the majority of fatalities in the younger
age groups.
Drug overdose epidemic
wreaks havoc in the US
by Pavel López Lazo
June 24th, 3:29pm
(Prensa Latina)
A drug overdose epidemic kills two people an hour
in the US, The New York Times reported on Friday.
The report stated that many more people are
currently dying in the US of drug overdoses
than at any other time, Jeneen Interlandi,
member of the US newspaper’s editorial
board, stressed.
The North American country´s drug overdose death
rose afresh to record-breaking levels, by exceeding
100,000 cases per year for the first time in 2021,
and as of mid-2022, it appears to be increasing
even much higher (latest figures come out to
about 300 people per week or over 2 people
per hour).
Interlandi pointed out that it is tempting to see
such a crisis as the inevitable byproduct of an
unprecedented moment. The astonishing
malpractice of the drug industry, the rise
of economic inequality and the Covid-19
pandemic conspire to ramp up the drug
overdose death rate.
The analyst said that drug addiction itself is
as enduring a part of human experience as
cancer, diabetes or Alzheimer’s.
In fact, it is at least as common as any of them.
And the fact we do not treat it early and
carefully is not an accident. It’s a
choice, she pointed out.
___________________________________
What goes around?
‘Playing with fire’:COVID-19 cases in
US 30 times higher than reported
June 3rd, 7:56am (PressTV)
The United States finds itself in the throes of the
fourth wave of coronavirus, according to the
official case count, albeit experts say the
actual current rate could be 30 times
higher than reported.
About 94,000 people in the world’s worst-hit
country are contracting the virus every day,
and hospitalizations have also surged this
month, but officials insist --- the rate is lower than in previous waves.
A new survey of the surge in New York, cited in a
Guardian report, on Thursday, suggests that the
virus cases could be undercounted by a factor
of 30.
“It would appear that official case counts are under-
estimating the true burden of infection, by about
30-fold, which is a huge surprise,” Denis Nash,
an author of the study and a professor of
epidemiology at the City University of
New York School of Public Health, is
quoted as saying in the report.
According to the study, which has not been peer-
reviewed or published, at least 1 in 5 people in
New York.. had COVID-19 between April 23rd
and May 8th, constituting about 22 percent
of the city's population.
This means that more than 1.5 million people in the
city have been infected with coronavirus, in just
two weeks, which is more than the official
figure, the study finds.
While it is focused on New York, the findings may be
true throughout the rest of the country, Nash said,
adding that undercounting could be even
worse elsewhere.
“It’s very worrisome. To me, it means that our ability
to really understand and get ahead of the virus is
undermined,” Nash said.
This week marks the eighth consecutive week of
a surge in COVID-19 cases in the United States.
In recent weeks, confirmed daily US cases have
been rising again, powered by a rising tide of
Omicron sub-variants currently circulating
in the country.
US hits another grim milestone
with 900,000 COVID-19 deaths
The milestone comes more than 13 months into
a vaccination drive that has been confounded
by misinformation, political and legal strife,
and vaccine hesitancy in segments of the population.
It also marks the seventh consecutive week that child
COVID-19 cases have been increasing in the country,
according to the American Academy of Pediatrics
(AAP) and the Children's Hospital Association.
More than 112,000 child COVID-19 cases were
reported in the United States during the past
week, a doubling of case counts from the
four weeks before that.
The daily COVID-19 death count is also increasing.
More than 500 COVID-19 deaths were reported
nationwide on Wednesday, sending shock-
waves across the country.
Amid a rise in infections, a growing list of school
districts and universities... are now moving to
bring back mask requirements.
“This idea that we need to return to normal and that’s
the most important thing, rather than just actually
using mitigation measures to save lives – it’s not
that hard, and if it were normalized, we could do
it,” Lara Jirmanus, a family physician and
clinical instructor at Harvard Medical
School, is cited in the report.
“To just decide that it’s perfectly fine for everyone to
be infected three to four times a year in the future
with a new virus, whose effects we don’t fully
understand, is a huge, huge gamble,” she
continued. “We just don’t know what
Covid could lead to in the future…
We’re playing with fire.”
Reports citing medical experts say the most
dominant form of COVID-19... currently
spreading in the US, appears to spread
faster than earlier variants and
is believed to be a mutation
genetically linked.. to both
Omicron & Delta versions
of COVID-19.
____________________________
Four US biolabs operate in Nigeria,
where monkeypox came from
— Defense Ministry
May 27th, 5:47pm (TASS)
At least four US-controlled biological laboratories
operate in Nigeria, where monkeypox came from,
the Russian Nuclear, Chemical and Biological
Protection troops head, Igor Kirillov,
stated on Friday.
He pointed out that, according to the World Health
Organization, the monkeypox pathogen strain was
imported from Nigeria, where the US deployed its
biological infrastructure.
"According to the available information, at least four
US-controlled biolaboratories operate in Nigeria,"
Kirillov said.
According to Kirillov, in this regard, it is necessary
to point out a "strange coincidence that requires
additional inspection by specialists."
"According to European and US media, materials
of the 2021 Munich Security Conference (that is
amid the COVID-19 pandemic), mentioned the
practice of a monkeypox countering
scenario," the NCB troops
commander said.
___________________________
Confirmed Monkeypox Cases
Hit US, Europe, Australia,
Canada
May 20th, 11:01am (FNA)
Cases of Monkeypox are being investigated in
European countries, as well as the US,
Canada and Australia, according to
health authorities and local
media reports.
A case of monkeypox has been confirmed in
Melbourne, while a probable case in Sydney
remains under investigation, the Australian
ABC News reported on Friday.
Canada has confirmed its first two cases of
monkeypox, both in the province of Quebec,
the country's Public Health Agency said in
a statement issued on Thursday.
On Wednesday, the US Massachusetts Department
of Public Health said it had confirmed a single
case of monkeypox virus infection in a man
who had recently traveled to Canada.
Several European countries have also reported their
first confirmed monkeypox cases, including the UK,
Sweden, Italy, Spain and Portugal.
The outbreak spread in Europe after cases
were initially reported in the UK.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)
confirmed that an individual.. has been
diagnosed with monkeypox in England
who has traveled from Nigeria, where
they are believed to have contracted
the infection, before travelling to
the UK.
Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease that occurs
primarily in tropical rainforest areas of Central
and West Africa and is occasionally exported
to other regions, according to the World
Health Organization (WHO).
The WHO said monkeypox is usually a self-limited
disease with the symptoms lasting from 2 to 4
weeks, but severe cases can occur.
PressTV adds:
Monkeypox causes fever, body aches,
enlarged lymph nodes and eventually
"pox," or painful, fluid-filled blisters
on the face, the hands, and feet,
according to medical experts.
Most people recover from the illness (which is
endemic in parts of central and western
Africa and usually the result of close
contact with infected animals)
within a few weeks, but it can be fatal.
One of its versions is deemed deadly and kills
up to 10% of those people infected,but the
version spreading presently in the UK, is
said to be milder with a 1% fatality rate.
_____________________________________
John Ioannidis: 'Public Health
Officials Need To Declare
The End Of The Pandemic'
by Tyler Durden
Authored by Ross Pomeroy
via RealClear Science,
April 2nd, 12pm (ZeroHedge)
John Ioannidis, a Professor of Medicine, of
Epidemiology and Population Health and
by courtesy, of Statistics & Biomedical
Data Science at Stanford University,
lauded for championing evidence-
based medicine, has been harshly
criticized over the past two years.
Like many highly-credentialed health experts,
Ioannidis made some predictions during the
pandemic that eventually proved incorrect.
During a once-in-a-century pandemic replete
with unknowns, that is to be expected. But
perhaps.. the greatest reason he has come
under fire is for questioning the orthodoxy
of strict lockdowns, divisive vaccine
mandates, and other restrictive
measures to manage the
pandemic.
Ioannidis is sure to court more controversy with
a new commentary published to the European
Journal of Clinicial Investigation, in which he
argues that it's time to declare the end of
the COVID-19 pandemic.
"This does not mean... that the problem is
inappropriately minimized or forgotten,
but that our communities move on
with life," he writes.
"Pandemic preparedness should be carefully
thought and pre-organized, but should not
disrupt life."
While Ioannidis recognizes that there are
no quantitative definitions for the end of
a pandemic like COVID-19, he contends
that the amount of immunity now
present worldwide exceeds the
threshold needed to declare
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that
causes COVID-19, endemic
– constantly present but
not a public health
emergency.
"By the end of 2021, probably 73-81% of the
global population had been vaccinated, infected or both," he says. Pockets of
low immunity, such as in places that
pursued zero-COVID policies and/or
with limited access to effective
vaccines, may persist, causing
regional outbreaks but we will
likely never see COVID-19
again trigger a global
emergency.
Declaring the pandemic phase of COVID-19
to be concluded means understanding and
accepting a new "normal".
"A decrease of COVID-19 deaths back to typical
seasonal influenza levels may not necessarily
happen in 2022 or even beyond," Ioannidis
cautions. "With an increasingly aging
global population, "normal" may still
correspond to higher death counts..
This should not be mistaken as a
continued pandemic phase."
Easing out of the pandemicm, requires a
widespread mental shift, as well. This
means focusing more on indicators
such as hospital intensive care
admissions to guide policy,
rather than just infections.
"If the perception of risk focuses on the number
of documented cases, the spurious perception
of emergency situations may be difficult to
quell," Ioannidis writes.
Exiting the pandemic, also means reducing
fearmongering coverage of COVID-19 in the
popular media, the propagation of which,
undoubtedly contributed to the public's
warped perception of COVID's risks
throughout the pandemic.
On average, Americans believed in early 2021
that 8% of deaths had occurred, in people
under the age of 24. The real percentage
as of today, is 0.3%. Moreover, a third of
the population has consistently
believed that COVID leads to
hospitalization in over half
of infections. During the
most recent Omicron
wave, the proportion
was 3% or lower.
Declaring an end to the pandemic phase of
COVID-19 has benefits, Ioannidis says. For
example.. it could allow public health
organizations... to refocus their time
and money, on more pressing global
health issues like poor nutrition and
hunger, which collectively claim the
lives of 9 million people each year,
including 3.1 million children.
For comparison, at least 6.2 million people have
died from COVID-19 over the past two years,
the vast majority over age 65. Accepting
endemicity and reducing societal
restrictions & disruptions would
also permit economies to
stabilize more rapidly
..alleviating hardship,
easing inflation and
reducing global
inequality.
Lastly, moving on from the pandemic could
ease some of the political divisions that
have fractured societies across
the globe.
Good hydrationmay reduce
long-term risks for heart
failure – Study
by Pavel López Lazo
March 30th, 4:28pm (Prensa Latina)
UK scientists strongly recommended
staying well-hydrated to reduce the risk of developing heart failure, a
specialized source reported
on Wednesday.
''Similar to reducing salt intakes, drinking enough
water and staying hydrated, are ways to support
our hearts, and can help reduce long-term risks
of heart disease,'' the European heart Journal
magazine said.
The team assessed how hydrated the
participants were by analyzing serum
sodium levels which increases when
fluid levels decrease. This can be a
useful marker for identifying
individuals at risk of
heart failure.
The research also helped pinpoint older adults
at higher risk of developing both heart failure
and left ventricular hypertrophy.
“Serum sodium and fluid intake can easily be
assessed in clinical exams and help doctors
identify patients... who may benefit from
learning about ways to stay hydrated,”
the experts said.
_______________________________
Distribution of pathogenic materials from Ukraine will lead to pandemic-like situation
March 24th, 10:11am (TASS)
Sending pathogenic biomaterials from Ukraine to Europe ...could lead to a situation comparable to the COVID-19 pandemic the chief of Russia's radiation, chemical and biological protection force, Igor Kirillov, said on Thursday.
"The current situation... with the distribution
of pathogenic biomaterials from Ukraine to
European countries, could result in death
and create a hotbed of epidemiological
instability, the scale of which would be comparable to the COVID-19 pandemic," Kirillov said.
Obesity may impact on mental and emotional
health
by Pavel López Lazo
March 17th, 4:43pm (Prensa Latina)
A study revealed that excess weight is closely
related to people´s mental and emotional
health, who can suffer from depression,
insecurity and low self-esteem, a
specialized media reported
on Thursday.
Other psycho-social damage linked to obesity
include problems getting a job, falling asleep,
poor sex life, social isolation,
and discrimination.
Infosalus.com website pointed out that personal
looks, shape and weight are all-important
elements in the 21st century.
Excessive weight and feeling bad creates more
anxiety, we generate cortisol levels, so this
sustained situation causes low moods,
causing an overweight person to be
worse off, with greater emotional
lability which can appear with
an uncontrollable burst
of crying.
Sometimes depressed people tend to have a
huge binge, take refuge in food; so this will
cost much more when dating or socializing.
Obesity not only affects psychologically, but
also socially, emotionally, and personally,
experts said.
Vitamin D3 helps strengthen
defenses against Covid-19
– Study
by Pavel López Lazo
February 24th, 7:41pm (Prensa Latina)
Vitamin D3 could balance people's immune
system and help strengthen defenses
against viral infections including
Covid-19, the Swiss publication
Frontiers in Immunology
reported Thursday.
In a collaborative study by the Universities of
Surrey & Brighton, researchers investigated
the impact of vitamin D supplements – D2
and D3 – taken daily over a 12-week
period on the activity of genes in
people’s blood.
Those involved in the research, contrary to
widespread opinion, found significant
differences between the two vitamin
D supplements, as they discovered
that vitamin D2... leaves a
questionable mark on
human health.
“Vitamin D3 appears to stimulate the type I
interferon signaling system in the body – a key part of the immune system that
provides a first line of defense...
against bacteria and viruses.''
Thus, a healthy vitamin D3 status may help
prevent viruses and bacteria from gaining
a foothold in the body,” said Professor
Colin Smith, lead-author of the study
from the University of Surrey.
“Our study suggests that it is important that
people take a vitamin D3 supplement, or
suitably fortified foods, especially in
the winter months.”
Although some foods are fortified with vitamin
D, like some breakfast cereals, yogurts, and
bread, few naturally contain the vitamin.
Vitamin D3 is produced naturally in the
skin from exposure to sunlight or
artificial ultraviolet UVB light,
while some plants and fungi
produce vitamin D2.
Many people have insufficient levels of vitamin
D3... because they live in locations where
sunlight is limited in the winter, like the
UK. The Covid-19 pandemic has also
limited people’s natural exposure to
the sun, due to people spending
more time in their homes.
__________________________________
Withholding vaccine safety
data‘morally indefensible,’
medical journal says
January 22nd,, 4:17pm (RT)
The British Medical Journal (BMJ), has urged public
health regulators & pharma majors to immediately
release all raw data from Covid-19 vaccine trials
for independent scrutiny --- arguing that
“complete data transparency” is a
matter of “public interest.”
Branding Big Pharma as “the least trusted industry,”
a recent op-ed by BMJ editors stated that it was
“morally indefensible” that this information
remains inaccessible to doctors, public,
and researchers -- despite the global rollout of vaccines and treatments.
In the scathing editorial, the writers – senior BMJ
editor Peter Doshi, former editor-in-chief Fiona
Godlee and her successor Kamran Abbasi –
accuse pharmaceutical companies... of
“reaping vast profits without adequate
independent scrutiny of their
scientific claims.”
At least 3 of the many companies making Covid-19
vaccines have past criminal and civil settlements
costing them billions of dollars. One pleaded
guilty to fraud. Other companies have no pre-Covid track record.
In particular, the editorial collective calls out Pfizer,
Moderna and AstraZeneca for not providing “timely
access” to “anonymized individual participant data” from their clinical trials.
This granular data is available to regulators like the
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which told
a judge last month to give it 75 years to publish all
data relating to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
But the BMJ said Pfizer – whose trial was “funded
by the company and designed, run, analyzed, and
authored by Pfizer employees” ------ has indicated
that it will not entertain data requests until May
2025, a full two years after the primary study
is completed.
This lack of access to data is “consistent across
vaccine manufacturers,” the editors write,
noting that the industry is not “legally
required” to honour requests from
independent researchers.
Further, they point out that regulatory bodies like
Health Canada and the European Medicines
Agency, do not even “receive or analyze”
trial data, whereas the UK’s Medicines
and Healthcare Products Regulatory
Agency does not “proactively
release” such info.
“The purpose of regulators is not to dance to
the tune of rich global corporations... and
enrich them further; it is to protect the
health of their populations,”
they concluded.
__________________________
Ireland:To Fully Lift
COVID-19 Restrictions
January 21st, 11:50pm (teleSUR)
Irish Prime Minister, Micheal Martin, announced
that COVID-19 restrictions that have been in
place for almost two years, are now lifted.
Micheal Martin, Irish Prime Minister disclosed that
the governments decided that almost all COVID-19
restrictions placed for about two years, are lifted.
Ireland is placed among the countries with the highest
rate of COVID-19 infections in Europe, and now also,
the continent's highest uptake of booster vaccines,
which made possible the number of seriously ill
people remained below the previous peak.
"We have weathered the Omicron storm," the minister
stated, on Friday's televised address --- in which he
noted, booster vaccines had "utterly transformed"
the country's situation. "I have stood here and
spoken to you on some very dark days. But
today is a good day," he added.
Ireland was one of the most cautious countries
in Europe about the risks of COVID-19, having
some of the longest-running restrictions on
travel and hospitality. According to public
health officials' advice, the government
decided: that bars and restaurants will
no longer need to close at 8pm, a rule
held late last year when the Omicron
wave struck, or to ask customers
for proof of vaccination.
The full capacity has been restored for the indoor
and outdoor events --- paving the way for full
crowds, for next month’s Six Nations rugby
championship. Martin highlighted that the
measure which decreed.... the need of
wearing masks in public places will
remain at least until the end
of February.
The Irish hospitality sector, which has been hit by one of Europe’s toughest lockdown
regimes, has welcomed the decision.
[and in Wales?]
__________________________
Bye Bye, Mask and Covid Pass:
Boris Johnson --- Announces End of Plan B Restrictions
in England
January 19th, 1:43pm (Sputnik)
UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, announced
on Wednesday the end of the so-called Plan B
implemented in England since December, to
prevent the spreading of the Omicron
variant of the SARS-CoV-2.
Addressing Parliament, Johnson said.. that the
working from home guidance, the requirement
to wear face masks, and the use of COVID
passports, in some settings, will be
dropped, next week.
"This government got the toughest decisions right,"
the prime minister told lawmakers, adding that the
government "will trust the judgment of the British
people" ...when it comes to social distancing
measures and face mask covering... to
prevent the spreading of the virus.
The so-called Plan B was originally rolled out in
December to combat the spread of the highly
transmissible variant.
Reacting to the announcement, the leader of
the Labour Party, Keir Starmer, called it an
attempt to distract the public’s opinion on
the crisis the prime minister is facing...
following revelations, that he and his
staff in Downing Street held parties
during the COVID-19 lockdown.
[Rhondda Records adds - and in Wales?]
_____________________________
Booster programs... will
prolong COVID pandemic,
not end it,WHOchief warns
January 17th, (various media)
Blanket vaccine booster programs are likely to
prolong the COVID-19 pandemic, as inequity
in access to jabs, could lead to more
mutated variants that drag out the
crisis, the head of the World
Health Organization
(WHO) warns.
[The UK and others in the West... simply don't care, Rhondda Records adds]
__________________________________
Cannabis could prevent
Covid --- study claims
January 12th, 2:57pm (RT)
The next breakthrough in stopping Covid-19, may
come not from Big Pharma, but from the humble
pot plant. Researchers in Oregon in the US,
discovered that two compounds found in the devil’s lettuce can stop the virus in its tracks.
Rather than attempting to smoke their way
to immunity, a team of scientists at Oregon
University isolated two compounds from
hemp -- cannabigerolic acid (CBGA) and
cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) -- and found
they bind to the coronavirus’ spike
protein and stop it from binding to the outer membrane of human cells.
This latter binding process, is normally how the
virus enters the human lungs and other organs.
The two compounds are precursors to CBG and
CBD, which are widely legal, and available to
consumers. The CBG and CBD cannabis oils
and extracts are commonly used to treat
anxiety, sleep disorders, epilepsy, and a wide range of other ailments.
CBGA and CBDA “are not controlled substances like
THC... the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana and
have a good safety profile in humans,” said Richard
van Breemen, a researcher with Oregon State’s
Global Hemp Innovation Centre. Van Breemen
added that these compounds “can be taken
orally,” and “have the potential to prevent
as well as treat infection” by
the coronavirus.
Van Breemen and his team published their research in
the Journal of Nature Products on Tuesday. However,
they have a long way to go before doctors begin
writing hemp oil prescriptions en masse. While
the study found CBGA and CBDA effective
against both the Alpha & Beta variants
of the coronavirus, it was carried out on human cells in a laboratory rather than actual human test subjects.
Still, the scientist sees these hemp compounds
eventually being used alongside vaccines... to
make “a much more challenging environment”
for Covid-19. One of the main criticisms of the
current crop of vaccines is that they use the
original spike protein of the virus as an
antigen, meaning that when variants
emerge... with new spike protein
mutations, they are more likely
to evade the protection offered by a vaccine.
“These variants are well known for evading antibodies
against early lineage [Covid-19].... which is obviously
concerning given that current vaccination strategies
rely on early lineage spike proteins as an antigen,”
said van Breemen. “Our data show CBDA & CBGA
are effective against the two variants we looked at, and we hope that trend will extend to other
existing and future variants.”
_________________________________
UK government gives NHS
to private companies
to ''help''with Covid
January 10th 10:52am (PressTV)
The National Health Service (NHS), the publicly funded
healthcare system in the UK, is seeking ''help'' from private health companies to deliver critical treat-
ments... such as cancer surgery.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid has ordered England's
NHS to strike a ''3-month'' agreement with private
health companies --- to allow patients to get
specific treatments, as the NHS hospitals
are ''overwhelmed'' with COVID-19.
David Sloman, NHS England chief operating officer
and COVID incident director, said on Monday the
deal “places independent health providers on
standby to provide further help should
hospitals face unsustainable levels of
hospitalizations or staff absences.”
The agreement includes Practice Plus Group, Spire
Healthcare, Circle Health Group, and several other
leading private companies, according to the NHS.
Circle CEO Paolo Pieri said the company has been
helping the NHS, since the first COVID wave in
March 2020, performing urgent treatments
for over 400,000 NHS patients.
According to the Spire Healthcare, under the agreed
deal the company “will grant NHSE access to 100%
of its facilities and teams on a local, regional or
national basis, in the event of a surge of
COVID-19 patients in NHS hospitals
in England.”
The Spire said the deal ''expires'' on March 31st, 2022.
The new plan comes in the wake of the highest level of
hospital staff absence in England, since the vaccine
rollout began.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has expressed
sorrow over the “terrible toll” of more than 150,000
deaths inflicted by the coronavirus in the UK.
The UK’s death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic
has reached more than 150,100, making it the
world's seventh worst official pandemic toll.
PM Boris Johnson confirmed the number and
expressed sorrow over the fatalities last
weekend. He said the coronavirus has
“taken a ‘terrible toll’ on the country.
Housing Secretary Michael Gove was at pains to assert that there is mounting pressure on
British hospitals... and the country is ''not
yet'' in a position to live with
the pandemic.
_______________________________________
UK care sector declares ‘red’ alert amid Covid staffing shortage
January 5th, 1:42pm (RT)
Over 11,000 care home workers are currently unable
to work, amid the spread of the Omicron strain, with
staffing shortages leaving the UK sector struggling
to cope and infections delaying hospital discharges.
Government data shows that, across England, 9.4% of
care home staff are temporarily off work, with around
3% self-isolating due to Covid. Although the figures
could be higher, having been undercounted... due
to the festive period and bank holiday weekend.
The situation has forced more than 90 care operators
to declare a “red” alert, meaning that they don’t have
the staff to meet patient demands. This has been
exacerbated by a shortage of PCR tests,
delaying workers from getting test
results and forcing them to
isolate at home longer
than needed.
Barchester, one of the UK’s largest care home
operators, running 250 establishments, has
warned: that it is facing Covid outbreaks in 105 of its homes. Under government
guidelines, care homes with active
outbreaks cannot accept hospital
discharges, creating a backlog
and preventing the struggling
NHS from clearing beds.
Staffing shortages have forced care agencies to offer
up to £80 ($108.31) an hour for temporary staff – four
times the normal cost – as well as resulting in homes
poaching staff from other providers at the last minute.
“The spread of Omicron across the country will bring
more care homes into outbreaks, put huge pressure
on the already compromised staff group, and mean
those who need care, do not get it,” said Vic
Rayner, the chief executive of the National Care Forum.
To address the situation, one care operator in
Yorkshire, Mike Padgham, called on the UK
government to establish a “volunteer
army”... of retired nurses, doctors,
and carers who could potentially
fill shifts at short notice.
Despite the situation in care homes, the chief
executive of Barchester, Pete Calveley, says
that the virus is not causing serious illness
and death among the majority of residents
....with most only showing “minor or
cold-like symptoms.”
____________________________
Growing evidence that
Vitamin K improves
heart health
by Pavel López Lazo
January 2nd, 5:27pm (Prensa Latina)
New Edith Cowan University (ECU) research
has found that people who eat a vitamin K-
rich food... have up to a 34% lower risk of
atherosclerosis-related cardiovascular
disease, the US magazine
SciTechDaily reported.
Researchers examined data from over 50,000
people taking part in the Danish Diet, Cancer,
and Health study, over a 23-year period.
They investigated whether people who ate
more foods containing vitamin K, had a
lower risk of cardiovascular disease
related to atherosclerosis (plaque
build-up in the arteries).
There are two types of vitamin K found in foods
we eat: vitamin K1 comes mainly from green
leafy veggies and vegetable oils, while
vitamin K2 is found in meat, eggs,
and fermented foods, such
as cheese.
The study found.... that people with the highest
intakes of the vitamin K1.. were 21% less likely
to be hospitalized with cardiovascular disease
closely related to atherosclerosis.
For vitamin K2, the risk of being
hospitalized was 14% lower.
University of Western Australia researcher Dr. Jamie
Bellinge, the first author on the study, said the role
of vitamin K in cardiovascular health, and
particularly in vascular calcification,
is an area of research... offering
promising hope for the future.
“Current dietary guidelines for the consumption of
vitamin K are generally only based on the amount
of vitamin K1 a person should consume, to
ensure that their blood can coagulate,”
explained ECU researcher and
senior author on the study,
Dr. Nicola Bondonno.
However, there is growing evidence that intakes of
vitamin K - above current guidelines - can afford
further protection against the development of
other diseases, such as atherosclerosis.
“Although more research is needed to fully
understand the process, we believe that
vitamin K works by protecting against
the calcium build-up in the major
arteries of the body leading to
vascular calcification.”
“Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause
of death in Australia... and there’s still a limited
understanding of the importance of different
vitamins found in food and their effect on
heart attacks, strokes, and peripheral
artery disease,” Dr. Bellinge said.
_______________________________________
Chinese Think Tank: US Most LikelyOrigin of COVID-19
December 25th, 1:50pm (FNA)
The US is most likely the country where the
coronavirus originated and it is most
responsible for the fast global
spread of the deadly viral
pathogen, according to
a research report.
The report titled... ‘US Responsible for Global Spread
of COVID-19’ was jointly released by the Intelligence
& Alliance Think Tank and the Taihe Institute in
China ,on Friday.
China's official Xinhua news agency, published the report’s findings, saying data from multiple
sources had shown that the US was to blame for the coronavirus out-break as its political manipulation of the disease had made the global anti-pandemic efforts, difficult
and challenging.
“Evidence indicating COVID-19 originated from
the United States has kept cropping up,” the
report said.
“For example, the timeline of the outbreak in the
United States has been continuously backdated,
the role of the US military is implicated in the
origin and spread of COVID-19, and early
cases, in many countries, are linked to
the United States,” it added.
Calling the United States "the main force of global
COVID-19 spread", the report said... the country
missed the best time to contain the pandemic
at an early stage... and its open-door policy as well as its irresponsible repatriation of immigrants... had exacerbated the global spread of the virus.
Xinhua also said that the US troops stationed
overseas have repeatedly violated epidemic
prevention protocols and accelerated
the transmission.
The country's failure to control COVID-19 in
international events, has led to "super-
spreading" of the virus and its
unilateral sanctions have led
to a humanitarian crisis,
according to
the report.
Stressing that the US political manipulation has made
the global fight against the pandemic more difficult,
the report said the country shirked responsibility
for pandemic prevention, which undermined
international anti-pandemic efforts.
“The United States has been obsessed with political
self-interest and evaded due responsibility,” Xinhua
cited the report as saying, adding that political
polarization harmed both America and the
world at large.
Underlining that the US should abandon its obsession
with political self-interest, and reflect on epidemic
prevention and control, the report called on the
country to stop politicizing the coronavirus
and undermining international anti-
pandemic cooperation.... and
actively share its vaccines
with the world.
It also urged the US, to conduct origins tracing
research in a scientific manner and facilitate
global economic recovery, so that the
COVID-19 pandemic will be
eventually defeated.
The theory that the contagion had leaked from a
Chinese lab was originally hyped up by, among
others... the administration of former US
President Donald Trump, as part of his
hawkish anti-China policies.
Since infecting its first victims in the central Chinese
city of Wuhan, in late 2019, the pandemic has
spread to nearly every country across the
globe, causing more than 278 million
infections and nearly 5.4 million
deaths worldwide.
Last week, Trump said the US should make China pay
for the COVID disaster, demanding that the US tariffs
on Chinese goods be increased “very substantially”
as reparation payments for the chaos unleashed by the virus.
China has repeatedly called on the US to give a full
clarification on its bio-military activities at home
and abroad, a matter of concern shared by
Russia and others.
___________________________________
Doctor who flagged Omicron
advises against harsh
restrictions
December 14th, 1:23pm (RT)
There is ''no need'' to impose tougher restrictions over
the Omicron variant as the cases are “predominantly
mild”, the head of South Africa Medical Association
Dr. Angelique Coetzee, has said.
The South African GP was the first medic who raised
concern about the new Covid-19 variant four weeks
ago. Answering questions of the UK Parliament’s
Science & Technologies committee on Tuesday,
Dr Coetzee said... that “we don’t have all the
answers” and that “we need to see how
this virus progresses”.
However, the current picture shows that Omicron is a
“mild disease”, & less dangerous than Delta variant,
thought it might be more transmissible, she added.
Dr Coetzee said that the existing data, though
limited, shows that the symptoms in Omicron
patients, even in those who are hospitalized,
are milder, they get better quicker & there
have been no cases of long COVID in
these patients.
Therefore, she noted that, before imposing travel bans
and other tough restrictions, it would make sense for
governments to take measures internally: to get
more people vaccinated, make sure that they
are wearing masks, avoid crowded places,
and keep social distance.
Saying that South Africa is “still on the same level of
restrictions”, she underlined that “we don't see
the need for stricter restrictions."
“The virus is everywhere. Maybe, in a way, we
need to learn how to live with this,” she said.
Earlier, in an article for Daily Mail, Dr. Coetzee was
even more straightforward.. in her criticism of
what she called “knee-jerk reactions”, to the
news of discovery of the new COVID variant.
The UK was one of the first countries to
impose bans on travel from South
Africa in the aftermath of the
announcement.
“Indeed, I am disappointed by such knee-jerk
reactions. They bear no relation to what we
are seeing in surgeries in South Africa,
where people rarely even discuss
Omicron.
As one Twitter user commented:
'Covid's become a UK neurosis’”,
she wrote.
Study names major
risks for vapers
December 1st, 2:36pm (RT)
Men who vape or use e-cigarettes are more than twice
as likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction than those
who have never used the popular nicotine-based
smoking alternatives, a new study has found.
The study, which analyzed self-reported data from
almost 14,000 US men aged between 20 and 65,
found that regular e-cigarette users were
around 2.2 times more likely to
experience impotence than
non-smokers.
The findings were published in the American
Journal of Preventive Medicine on Wednesday.
The risk was found to be 2.4 times greater in a smaller
sample of men younger than 65 – with normal body
mass indexes and no history of heart disease –
when compared to non-vapers. The study did
not include data on whether the respondents
were taking medications that can raise the
risk of erectile dysfunction.... such as
antidepressants or heart medication.
Researchers noted the “abundant evidence” already
linking smoking and nicotine to sexual dysfunction
and theorized that the particularly high level of
nicotine in vaping liquid reduces blood flow
to the penis and interferes with the normal
functions of blood vessels, though they
didn’t definitively prove the link.
Nonetheless, the study’s authors – from New York
University and Johns Hopkins University – noted
that vaping enthusiasts needed to be warned
about the potential impact on their
sexual health.
Citing research based on rodent models, the
researchers also noted that another
“plausible” link was exposure to
e-cigarette “refill liquids.. with or
without nicotine.” These contain
chemicals that may reduce
testosterone levels in the
human body and impair
normal erectile function.
“Overall, e-cigarettes are likely less harmful than
smoking cigarettes to the degree that they
substitute cigarette smoking,” the study’s
lead author, Omar El Shahawy, told Insider.
He added that men who view vaping as a
healthier alternative should try to “limit”
the habit as it is “simply not risk free.”
The study comes as England gears up to become
the first country to prescribe e-cigarettes as a
method to help smokers kick the habit. In
October, the UK’s Medicines and Health-
care products Regulatory Agency issued
updated guidance.. that would allow the
products to be offered through the NHS.
But El Shahawy warned that the relationship
between vaping and impotence needs to be
“fully investigated” in further studies. The
study did not detail whether the risk of
erectile dysfunction was comparable
to that posed by smoking.
________________________________
Report: Tens of Thousands Missed Cancer Referrals in UK ''Due to COVID-19''
December 1st, 11:43am (FNA)
The NHS may be missing more than 9 million
referrals, while patients face - a “postcode
lottery” for cancer treatment and routine
operations, a parliament watchdog
has warned.
Millions of patients... have either avoided, or been
unable to obtain healthcare during the pandemic
leaving the NHS with a potential unknown back-
log of operations, which could push the
national waiting list to 12 million by
2025, The Independent reported.
A report from the government’s National Audit Office,
on Wednesday, also warned that patients across
England are facing a postcode lottery in terms
of waits - with some hospital waiting lists far
larger than others following the pandemic.
The findings come ahead the government’s plan to
tackle the NHS’ treatment and surgery backlog,
which is expected to be published this week.
In November the NHS recorded its highest
ever waiting list, at 5.8 million.
According to the NAO’s analysis NHS services in
Birmingham and Solihull have racked up the
longest waiting lists - with 51 percent of
patients waiting more than 18 weeks,
compared to 20 percent in Surrey.
Birmingham and Solihull also had the worst for
cancer waiting times according to the data,
with 57 percent waiting more than three
months compared to Surrey, Kent
and Cornwall.
The NAO said variations may reflect, differences in
areas, such as poverty levels and rates of routine
operations, prior to March 2020, as well as the
direct impact of the pandemic.
The findings come after NHS data in November,
revealed the number of patients waiting more
than two years for treatment following a
referral, rose to a record 12,491.
The report also estimated there were between 240,000
and 740,000 “missing” urgent GP referrals for
patients with suspected cancer between
March 2020 and September 2021 and
up to 60,000 patients, missing first
treatments, in the same period.
The NAO warned, “The NHS was doing more work
year-on-year, before the-pandemic, but the
demand for its services was increasing...
even faster. To keep pace, it would have
needed either more beds and more staff
or a different way of working, or most
likely, a combination of all three.”
When COVID-19 first hit England, the NHS rapidly
agreed a deal with 27 private sector hospitals to
carry out routine operations.... amid fears
hospitals would be overwhelmed.
Under this national contract, during 2020-21, the NHS
will have paid £2.1 billion to private sector providers
in return for 3.3 million completed treatments, according to the NAO’s report.
Between March 2019 and February 2020,
independent providers carried out 8%
of routine operations for the NHS.
Following the pandemic... the NAO said there was a “sharp” reduction in operations carried out by
private sector hospitals in the initial stages of
the pandemic but that this increased to pre-
pandemic levels from June 2021.
It is not clear how many operations and treatments
were expected to be carried out by private
providers under the £2.1 billion contract,
and NHS England has never officially
released this information.
However, in November last year, the Health Service
Journal reported just one third of capacity paid
for by the NHS in private hospitals was used
following the first pandemic wave.
Eve Byrne, head of campaigns and public affairs, at Macmillan Cancer Support, said, “This report
confirms what we hear --- day in, day out, from
people living with cancer.... Chronic staffing
shortages are already having a devastating
impact on cancer patients, and we have
major concerns that is only set to
worsen without urgent action."
She said the government’s plan to tackle
the operations backlog must be backed
up by steps.... to ensure enough
nursing staff.
“Without these critical pieces of the puzzle, we
risk increasing numbers of people facing later
diagnoses, poorer care and potentially worse
chances of survival. This has to change,”
she added.
As part of its recommendations the NAO has said
the government, NHS England and education
body Health Education England, should
develop a detailed plan to address
shortages in the workforce over
the next 12 months to 3 years.
The recommendation comes just after the government
rejected an amendment to the Health and Care Bill by
MP Jeremy Hunt which would have required the
Secretary of State for Health and Care to
publish independent assessments of
NHS workforce gaps, every 2 years.
Dr Tim Mitchell, vice president of the Royal College
of Surgeons of England said, “The NHS faces huge
challenges as staff continue to treat COVID-19
patients, while trying to reduce the vast
waiting list for planned care.
He called for the government’s upcoming plan to
include guidance --- on how it would set up
“surgical hubs” and separate planned
surgery from emergency care... to allow for operations to continue safely during the pandemic.
The royal college vice president added, “Also we urge
the government to amend the Health and Care Bill, to
ensure there are independently verified assessments
of workforce numbers. It will take investment both in surgical hubs and staff to bring waiting times down to acceptable levels.”
An NHS spokesperson said, “Treating more than half
a million patients in hospital for COVID... as well as
delivering a world-leading vaccination programme,
has inevitably had an impact on some routine and
non-urgent care, yet, since the pandemic began,
the NHS has performed millions of routine
procedures, and over 450,000 people
have started treatment for cancer."
“NHS staff are now pulling out all the stops to recover
elective activity levels, making good use of additional
resources to open new surgical hubs and diagnostic
centres, develop innovative ways of working and
perform more operations, tests, checks and
scans, so anyone who is concerned about
their health should come forward so the
NHS can help you,” the spokes-
person added.
(Rhondda Records adds: and in Wales?)
__________________________
Long-term efficacy of Russian
Sputnik V jab revealed
November 24th, 6:32pm (RT)
The Russian-made Sputnik V Covid vaccine
has demonstrated high long-term efficacy,
according to data collected in San Marino.
The jab remains around 80% effective
against the disease 6 to 8 months
after being administered.
The data was revealed on Wednesday by the
Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), the
sovereign wealth fund which bankrolled
the vaccine’s development.
Evaluation of the vaccine’s performance is based
on analysis of real-world experience obtained in
the Republic of San Marino. About 70% of the
microstate’s 34,000-strong population have
received the Russian-made vaccine.
“The data is based on the number of Covid infections
in San Marino, in November 2021. Efficacy was
calculated based on data obtained from over
18,600 individuals fully vaccinated with
Sputnik V not less than five months
before November,” the RDIF said
in a statement.
The analysis shows that the vaccine remained some
“80% effective against coronavirus infection from
6 to 8 months, after administering the second
dose.” Hospitalization rates among those
Sammarinese who got vaccinated with
Sputnik V have been extremely low,
with “only 0.75 per 1,000 people”
ending up in hospital, over the
span of the mass vaccination
campaign, from February to November 2021.
“This rate is more than two times lower than that
of any other vaccine used in the country,” the
RDIF noted.
“Efficacy of Sputnik V in 6-8 months, is much higher
than the officially published efficacy of mRNA vaccines,”the fund added.
Multiple studies have raised the alarm: about the
waning efficacy of mRNA vaccines - with the US
Pfizer jab in particular, faring rather poorly over
a long period of time. According to a study,
bankrolled by Pfizer itself - and published
in the leading medical journal the Lancet
-- the jab demonstrated 88% efficacy in
the first month, after full vaccination,
dropping to only 47% after 5 months.
The study was based on analyzing a large amount
of data, harvested during vaccination campaigns
in the US.
A competing mRNA vaccine, the Covid-19 shot by
Moderna, another US company, has apparently
shown significantly better long-term efficacy
than Pfizer’s shot. According to the firm’s
own claims, the jab remains some 93%
effective... six months after full
vaccination, compared to the
shot’s initial efficacy of 94%.
These estimates have been corroborated by
research from the US Centres for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC).
The research showed the Pfizer jab’s efficacy
falling from 91% to 77% over the 120-day
period after vaccination, compared to
Moderna’s shot -- demonstrating a
decline from 93% to 92% during
the same period.
An analysis of effectiveness of the mRNA shots over
a longer period of time, however, has produced
worrying results. According to a study, based
on data from of nearly 800,000 US veterans
and published in the Science journal early
this month, both Pfizer and Moderna jabs
demonstrated ''a major decline'' in efficacy, over a 7-month period.
While effectiveness against the disease was
some 89% for Moderna and 87% for Pfizer
in March, it dropped to 58% and 43%
respectively, by September.
___________________________________
Assisted death... only for vaccinated,
euthanasia association says
November 24th, 9:21am (RT)
Anyone wishing to be euthanized now, has to first
present proof of vaccination, or recovery from
Covid, as per the new guidelines issued by
Germany's euthanasia association.
A statement put out by the Hamburg-based group on
Friday reads... “assisted suicide and the preliminary
examination of a patient’s ability to make decisions
freely implies physical closeness between people.
However, that is precisely the precondition for the spread of Covid.”
In February 2020, Germany's top court overturned
a ban on providing euthanasia as unconstitutional.
A number of German regions have put in place strict
curbs, banning the unvaccinated from most public
places. Across the country, only recovered or
inoculated people can enter restaurants,
museums, and similar venues, while
those even with a negative Covid
test cannot. Amid the surge in
cases, the German states of
Saxony and Bavaria have
both cancelled.... all
Christmas markets.
German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, told her fellow
party members on Monday that the current wave
of Covid in Germany, was worse than any
previous one, and called for stricter
measures to contain it.
The country’s health minister, Jens Spahn, went
even further, claiming that “by the end of this
winter, everyone in Germany will either be
vaccinated, recovered, or dead.”
Those statements came as the seven-day infection
rate per 100,000 people broke a new grim record
on Wednesday, reaching the 404.5 mark.... as
reported by Germany’s disease control and
prevention authority, the Robert Koch
Institute.
______________________________________
Covid jab compensation
claims soar in Australia
November 17th, 3:15pm (RT)
Australia’s government could be forced to spend tens
of millions in payouts - after receiving over 10,000
compensation claims from people who suffered
side effects and a loss of income, due to
Covid-19 vaccines.
Under a no-fault indemnity scheme, eligible claimants
can apply for compensation amounts... of between
AU$5,000 (US$3,646) to AU$20,000 (US$14,585)
to cover medical costs and lost wages, as a
result of being hospitalized, after getting
the shot. The scheme’s online portal
is scheduled to be launched
next month.
Official figures suggest, however, that over 10,000 people
have already indicated their intention to make a claim,
since registration opened on the health department’s
website in September. If each claim was approved,
the government could face a bill of at least
AU$50 million (US$36.46 million).
There were around 78,880 adverse events to Covid-related
vaccination in Australia as of November 7th, according to
the Therapeutic Goods Administration, which regulates
national health products. The majority of side effects
were minor, including headaches, nausea, and
arm soreness.
Only people who experienced a moderate to significant
adverse reaction that resulted in a hospital stay of at
least one night are eligible for coverage under the
government’s scheme. Those seeking $20,000
or less have to provide proof their claims are
vaccine-related – although there has been
no information, as yet, on exactly what
evidence would be acceptable.
“Adverse events, even though they happen to a tiny
proportion of people, for the people it does impact
it’s really quite devastating,” Clare Eves, head of
medical negligence at injury compensation firm
Shine Lawyers, told the Sydney Morning Herald.
Among the adverse reactions covered... are the blood
clotting disorder “thrombosis with thrombocytopenia
syndrome (TTS)” linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine
and... the “myocarditis and pericarditis” heart
conditions associated with the Pfizer vaccine.
Other reportedly accepted side effects are Guillain-Barré
syndrome, a rare neurological condition, and immune
thrombocytopenia (excessive bleeding due to low
platelet levels).
Claims for over $20,000, including those for vaccine-
related deaths, will be assessed by an independent
legal panel of legal experts and compensation
paid on its recommendations. Nine people
have reportedly died after an adverse
reaction to one of the 3 vaccines
in the country.
Eves told the Morning Herald that her firm was
representing a number of litigants over the
vaccine side effects, including several
who are not eligible for the scheme.
_______________________________
Ambulance Logjams Leave
Patients Dying With 12,000
Annually Suffering 'Severe
Harm', Says NHS Report
November 15th, 3:30pm (Sputnik)
Although the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) is
known to have struggled for a long time to meet
'recommended ambulance response times' for
patients who have suffered a stroke or severe
burns – classified as Category 2 – in recent
months some patients have been forced to
wait for nearly an hour, after calling 999.
Increasingly long times to hand patients arriving in
ambulances, over to the Accident & Emergency
department (A&E) are resulting in more people
either dying or suffering a permanent setback
to their health, according to a damning report
by the UK NHS ambulance service.
Long periods of waiting before patients can be admitted
to hospitals --- because of bed shortages caused by
COVID-19, delays in discharging patients and
record demand for care, could be affecting
up to 160,000 patients annually, said the
report, cited by the daily newspaper,
the Guardian.
Clarifying that a typical handover, takes much longer
than the projected 15 minutes, an estimated 12,000
of the aforementioned patients, suffer “severe
harm”, stated the document, drawn up by the
Association of Ambulance Chief Executives
(AACE) and based on official NHS figures.
The conclusions were drawn after all handover delays
of more than an hour, spanning 10 ambulance trusts
on January 4th - and the ensuing harm – had been
analysed.
The data was used to estimate... how many patients
annually suffer a deterioration in their health, or a
condition necessitating more invasive treatment
such as surgery, as a direct result of
waiting times.
“When very sick patients arrive at hospital and then have
to wait an excessive time for handover to emergency
department clinicians to receive an assessment and
definitive care, it is entirely predictable and almost
inevitable that some level of harm will arise. This
may take the form of a deteriorating medical or
physical condition, or distress and anxiety,
potentially affecting the outcome for
patients and definitely creating a
poor patient experience,” states the document.
Those patients who finally get admitted to hospital after
languishing in the back of an ambulance or waiting in
their home after dialing 999, are increasingly not
saved - because paramedics are overwhelmed
at A&E departments.
Although stopping short of saying how many patients
die annually because of ambulance logjams, the
report is cited as adding:
“We know that some patients have, sadly, died while
waiting outside ED [emergency departments], or
shortly after eventual admission to ED, after
a wait. Others have died while waiting for an ambulance response in
the community.”
The AACE report also estimated that because of the
pressure that hospitals are under, about 190,000
handovers a month – around half the total – take longer than they should.
Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth was cited
by the outlet as deploring the scale of harm being
done to patients thanks to “years of Tory NHS
neglect”. In the wake of the report, a
Department of Health and Social
Care spokesman was cited
as saying:
“We are committed to supporting ambulance crews who
work tirelessly, responding to emergencies every day.
NHS England and Improvement, has given ambulance
trusts an extra £55 million to boost staff numbers for
winter, helping them to bolster capacity in control
rooms and on the frontline.”
The UK Department of Health and Social Care, also stated
it had pledged support to the NHS to meet unprecedented
challenges amid the coronavirus pandemic. It cited
record investments this year, including an extra
£5.4 billion over the next six months to support
the COVID-19 response, and £36 billion for
“health and care over the next 3 years”.
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Latest scientific discovery may
lead to a cure for Alzheimer’s
November 15th, 11:11am (RT)
A team of scientists from the UK and Germany has
managed to reverse memory loss in mice... and
says the treatment could, potentially, lead to a
breakthrough in fighting Alzheimer’s disease.
Researchers used the “humanized” therapeutic
antibody called TAP01_04, and the vaccine
called TAPAS.
According to a study published in Molecular Psychiatry,
both drugs triggered “a striking reduction” in the
formation of harmful deposits of protein, that
prevent communication between neurons
of the human brain.
Previous drugs for Alzheimer’s have a similar
mechanism, but have shown little success
and have sometimes produced negative
side effects.
One of the study’s authors, Mark Carr, a professor
from the Institute of Structural and Chemical
Biology at the University of Leicester, said,
“While the science is currently still at an
early stage, if these results were to be
replicated in human clinical trials,
then it could be transformative.”
The researchers are now looking for a commercial partner to run the anti- body, and the vaccine, through clinical trials on humans.
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UK: NHS Waiting List at Record High as 5.8mln Still Waiting for Treatment
November 11th, 2:14pm (FNA)
More than 5.8 million patients were waiting for routine
