(2021-12-18). Australian governments ramp up "reopening drive" amid record COVID-19 infections. wsws.org As Labor and Coalition governments alike scrap public health measures, to satisfy the demands of the corporate elite, there are signs of mounting public concern and hostility.
(2021-12-18). EU summit threatens Russia. wsws.org The escalating coronavirus pandemic and threats against Russia were the focus of the EU summit that met on Thursday in Brussels.
(2021-12-18). The Sociopolitical and Economic Impact of the Pandemic. journal-neo.org 
Two years of the coronavirus pandemic have seriously changed the world around us economically and politically. The pandemic demonstrated that any mass epidemic is as much a generic challenge to society as war, a change in geological epochs, or economic stages. At this challenging time for everybody, all power structures and public institutions have faced …
(2021-12-18). [Department of Error] Department of Error. thelancet.com Munro APS, Janani L, Cornelius V, et al. Safety and immunogenicity of seven COVID-19 vaccines as a third dose (booster) following two doses of ChAdOx1 nCov-19 or BNT162b2 in the UK (COV-BOOST): a blinded, multicentre, randomised, controlled, phase 2 trial. Lancet 2021; 398: 2258—76—In this Article, Prof Teresa Lambe should have been included in the author list, and her affiliations should have been Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK and NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK.
(2021-12-18). [Comment] COV-BOOST: evidence to support rapid booster deployment. thelancet.com With accruing evidence that the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines wanes over time,1—4 and the recent emergence of the omicron (B.1.1.529) variant,5 some countries are rapidly deploying vaccine boosters.6 In the UK, the COVID-19 vaccination campaign launched in December, 2020, and began with prioritised population groups, including people most likely to be at higher risk for severe outcomes or those providing health services or care for these individuals. With emerging evidence from Israel and the UK of vaccine waning, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) in September, 2021, recommende…
(2021-12-18). Committee for Public Education (Australia) holds successful online meeting on the COVID crisis. wsws.org The event, titled "COVID-19 spreads through Australian schools: Lives before profit! Stop the pandemic!" featured a report from Evan Blake, a member of the US SEP and a leading WSWS writer.
(2021-12-18). Australian budget update flies in face of pandemic disaster. wsws.org The government's mid-year review directly reflects the demands of the corporate elite for a full reopening of the economy, in the interest of profit, regardless of the human cost.
(2021-12-18). Attacks on Brazilian scientists grow amid COVID-19 pandemic. wsws.org The Brazilian and international working class must oppose attacks on scientists whose work has helped educate the public and expose the criminal politics of the world's ruling elite during the greatest global health crisis in a century.
(2021-12-18). Democrats allow child tax credit to lapse as Omicron surges. wsws.org The elimination of the last social support measures implemented during the pandemic threaten destitution to working class families facing dislocation as a new, deadly wave of the virus gathers force.
(2021-12-18). [Correspondence] Mental and physical exhaustion of health-care practitioners. thelancet.com Health-care workers are experiencing mental and physical exhaustion after coping with 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many dedicated staff members are retiring from the field and leaving their jobs. This occurrence is now widespread. A recent study by The Physicians Foundation found that doctors were heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic: 61% reported often experiencing feelings of burnout; 57% had experienced inappropriate feelings of anger, tearfulness, or anxiety; 46% had isolated themselves from others; and more than 55% know of a physician who has either considered, attempted, or died by suicide.
(2021-12-18). Pandemic inequalities and the mental health crisis. greenleft.org.au The harrowing global effects of COVID-19 have been accompanied by a crisis in mental health, with levels of psychological distress and demand for mental health services growing exponentially. Tom Eccles reports that young people are especially at risk.
(2021-12-18). Scientists warn Canada's health care system could collapse within weeks as Omicron infections explode in Ontario and Quebec. wsws.org Amid dire warnings of a surging toll of mass infection and death over the coming weeks and months, Canada's official pandemic death toll surpassed the horrendous figure of 30,000 Thursday.
(2021-12-18). [Editorial] COVID-19: where do we go from here? thelancet.com The end of 2021 brings a sense of uncertainty. Parts of the world are approaching a transition or a new phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. The window for pursuing the elimination of SARS-CoV-2 has closed. Moving towards a so-called post-pandemic world will be far more complicated than scenarios such as "Zero COVID". The challenge now is to determine the level of COVID-19 that is acceptable for individual nations in a fundamentally interconnected world. In the first Lancet Editorial of 2021, we noted: "Countries might justifiably start to look inward to repair the damage after COVID-19.
(2021-12-18). Mental health workers speak out about pandemic challenges. greenleft.org.au Mental health workers Dr Nikola Leka and Sarah Ellyard spoke to Green Left about the mental health crisis exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2021-12-18). As COVID-19 cases skyrocket in New York City, schools, offices remain open. wsws.org The rapid growth in infections this week have not deterred the Democratic mayor and governor of New York from keeping schools, government offices and other public institutions open.
(2021-12-18). Michigan educators call for immediate end to in-person schooling as COVID-19 infections surge. wsws.org At an urgent meeting of the Michigan Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee Friday afternoon, educators passed a resolution calling for the immediate end to in-person to stop the transmission of the virus and protect lives.
(2021-12-18). [World Report] WHO and World Bank urge spending for UHC. thelancet.com Governments have been urged to strengthen public spending on health as COVID-19 stalls progress towards universal health coverage. John Zarocostas reports from Geneva.
(2021-12-18). [World Report] 2021: a year in review. thelancet.com COVID-19, climate, conflict, and good news for malaria. Farhat Yaqub looks back at the major stories in health and medicine in 2021.
(2021-12-18). Public health sacrificed for business as usual. greenleft.org.au The COVID-19 catastrophe presents a challenge of planetary proportions. You would expect it would elicit a response drawing on all our skills, compassion and collective resources. But, as Andrew Smart, argues, we are seeing the opposite.
(2021-12-18). [Correspondence] The global oral health workforce — Authors' reply. thelancet.com In response to our Comment,1 Gargi Sarode and Sachin Sarode point out the crucial role of human resources for oral health as well as the predominance of the private practitioner model to deliver oral health care. Frank Lobbezoo and Ghizlane Aarab suggest strengthening dental—medical integration as an additional strategy to address oral diseases. These are notable aspects to consider in the context of a future WHO global oral health strategy and country-level reforms of health-care systems towards universal oral health coverage.
(2021-12-18). [Comment] Offline: The origin story—division deepens. thelancet.com After more than a year of contentious debate about the origins of SARS-CoV-2, David Relman and colleagues, including Alina Chan and Michael Worobey, published a letter in Science on May 14, 2021, arguing that a more forensic examination was needed. They noted that an inquiry commissioned by WHO had concluded that a lab leak was "extremely unlikely". But they criticised WHO for not taking this possibility more seriously. They called for a more transparent, objective, and independent investigation.
(2021-12-17). Super immunity against coronavirus wanes with time, suggests new research. peoplesdispatch.org Fighting off COVID-19 is centered around gathering immunity, whether from vaccines or previous bouts of infections. When people get both, that is, previous infection as well as vaccine shots, then naturally immunity gets bolstered. This amplified immunity is known as super immunity or hybrid immunity. | Even this double immunity may not be so effective in protecting against COVID-19, new research has reportedly found. According to it, immunity against COVID-19 withers away with time even in people who have received the double immunity. This research was conducted before the emergence of the Omicron variant and wa…
(2021-12-17). Volkswagen to cut around 900 temporary jobs in Germany. wsws.org Volkswagen is cutting the positions of around 900 temporary workers in the midst of the current coronavirus wave. VW General Works Council Chairwoman Daniela Cavallo and VW brand board member Ralf Brandstà§tter announced this just four weeks before Christmas in an online workforce meeting.
(2021-12-17). Black Lives Matter: The Power Of Activism & Citizen Journalism. telesurenglish.net The year 2021 is drawing to a close, leaving untouched American structural racism, a legacy of the slave age that capitalism preserves to ensure the reproduction of social inequalities, which have been exacerbated by a pandemic that continues to hit workers in various ways. | RELATED: | In Minnesota, for example, the rate of coronavirus infection in citizens of African descent has remained between 25 and 30 percent…
(2021-12-17). COVID-19: Los países de bajos ingresos han administrado la mitad de dosis totales que las dosis de refuerzo administradas en las naciones ricas. cubadebate.cu Un año desde que se administraron las primeras vacunas COVID-19, muchas partes del mundo permanecen peligrosamente desprotegidas. La propagación de la variante Omicron del coronavirus ha significado que muchos países están intensificando sus campañas de refuerzo. El aumento ha sido tan rápido que el análisis de Sky News ha encontrado que el número de dosis de refuerzo administradas por persona en los países ricos es el doble del número total de todas las dosis de la vacuna COVID administradas en los países de bajos ingresos.
(2021-12-17). Video: Has Justin Trudeau Been Duly Vaccinated? Registered Nurse Expresses Doubt on Authenticity of Trudeau's Vaccine Jab. globalresearch.ca First published …
(2021-12-17). UN warns of vaccine hoarding by rich countries, again. peoplesworld.org 
(2021-12-17). COVID-19 infections in France explode to over 60,000 per day. wsws.org As the vaccine-resistant Omicron variant spreads across Europe, daily new cases in France are exploding, rising from 5,940 cases to over 60,000 in just one month.
(2021-12-17). Headlines for December 17, 2021. democracynow.org Biden Warns of "Winter of Severe Illness and Death" for Unvaccinated Americans, CDC Recommends Moderna and Pfizer Vaccines Over Johnson & Johnson, Citing Rare Blood Clots, Thousands of ICE Prisoners Denied Access to COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters, FDA Relaxes Restrictions on Access to Abortion Pills , Federal Judge Throws Out Opioid Settlement That Shielded Sackler Family from Lawsuits, Lucía Hiriart, Widow of Chilean Dictator Pinochet, Dies on Eve of Presidential Election, At Least Seven Die as Super Typhoon Rai Slams Philippines with 160 MPH Winds, Workers at Candle Factory Destroyed by Tornado Sue Company over "Fla…
(2021-12-17). The Pentagon's Dilemma: The Covid Vaccine Impairs the Performance of U.S. Fighting Forces. globalresearch.ca "Physician and Army Lieutenant Colonel Theresa Long is a rare, courageous truth-teller willing to probably jeopardize a military career for the greater good. To try and steer the Department of Defense to policies that protect military personnel from dangerous and …
(2021-12-17). Military Members Seek New Injunction Against COVID Vaccine Mandates. globalresearch.ca U.S. military members involved in a The move came after a judge last month
(2021-12-17). Jordan: Reforms Critical to Resilient Recovery and Sustainable Growth. moderndiplomacy.eu Accelerated global recovery, improved vaccine rollout, and a full reopening of the domestic economy are the main drivers of a projected growth rate of 2.2% for this year in Jordan, according to the World Bank. However, rising COVID cases in some parts of the world, the slow pace of recovery of international tourism, and the …
(2021-12-17). Boosters vital to mitigate impact of Omicron, but may lose some effectiveness. imperial.ac.uk Levels of neutralizing antibody to prevent Omicron infection reduced and vaccine efficacy against severe disease predicted to drop says new report.
(2021-12-17). Modelling suggests rapid spread of Omicron in England but same severity as Delta. imperial.ac.uk Omicron largely evades immunity from past infection or two vaccine doses according to Imperial's latest report.
(2021-12-17). Corona Outbreak: Texas Prison Study Shows Zero Benefit for Vaccinated. globalresearch.ca This study can hardly be more official. The researchers were not critics of vaccination either. | They studied a Corona outbreak
(2021-12-17). Omicron case identified in New Zealand. wsws.org The Labour Party-led government claims that it is "very well-prepared" to keep Omicron out of New Zealand, when in reality it has ditched its elimination strategy and is allowing the Delta variant to spread nationwide.
(2021-12-17). Indonesia's Economy Grew in 2021 Despite COVID-19, Will Accelerate in 2022. moderndiplomacy.eu The Indonesian economy continued to recover in 2021 despite moderating due to the COVID-19 Delta variant wave mid-year. The economy is estimated to have expanded 3.7 percent this year and is forecast to accelerate to 5.2 percent in 2022, the World Bank said on Thursday. The projection assumes that Indonesia will avoid another severe COVID-19 …
(2021-12-17). Faith Leaders Call on Biden to End Economic Sanctions. globalresearch.ca Leaders of 18 American faith and faith-based humanitarian organizations appealed to President Joe Biden this week to eliminate general U.S. economic sanctions against nations that are dealing with the ravages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as with the …
(2021-12-17). Can Quitters be Winners? Lessons from the Great Resignation. cepr.net The Washington Post had an interesting piece that looked at the lives of several people who quit low-paying jobs in a restaurant in Arkansas since the pandemic began. There are three interesting points that come out of this story. The first is the headline item (actually, subhead) that although the quitters' mental health improved, their …
(2021-12-17). NYC opens first safe consumption sites. workers.org 
With fatal and nonfatal drug overdoses dramatically rising during the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. needs a new strategy for countering this menace. In a number of cities, steps are underway to counteract this horrible loss of life. One is the foundation of safe consumption sites — places where addicted people . . . |
(2021-12-17). Want to Know How to Beat COVID? Look at China. libya360.wordpress.com Scott Scheffer Guangzhou International Health Station, a complex built for accommodating international travelers, in southern China's Guangdong province. The world is now nearing the end of the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The United States has the highest death toll in the world — 823,390 as of Dec. 16. With all the scientific resources…
(2021-12-17). Latin America Must Unite To Fight US Interference: Llorenti. telesurenglish.net In an interview to TeleSUR on Thursday, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America-Peoples' Trade Agreement (ALBA-TCP) Secretary Sacha Llorenti pointed out that Latin American integration is essential to fight regional issues amid the COVID-19 pandemic. | RELATED: | "Only united, we will be able to fight recession, which has increased the capitalist system's social inequalities and the impact of the U…
(2021-12-17). Only a COVID-19 elimination strategy can protect educators, students, and their families from the Omicron tsunami! wsws.org The nearly two years of the pandemic have conclusively demonstrated that a science-based strategy that prioritizes saving workers' lives over corporate profits and investor wealth will only be imposed through the independent intervention of the working class.
(2021-12-17). The pandemic response in Martinique and Guadeloupe: the looming shadow of colonialism. peoplesdispatch.org 
Since November 15 this year, a coalition of unions and professional associations in Guadeloupe, a group of islands that is one of the "French overseas departments", have been partaking in a strike action. This action, led by the health personnel of the Pointe-à -Pitre University Hospital and firefighters, was extended on November 22 to the neighboring island of Martinique at the call of 17 unions and people's organizations. | In response to the protests, the prefect of Guadeloupe introduced a curfew on November 19 and mobilized around 200 police officers to ensure it is respected. In spite of the curfew, proteste…
(2021-12-17). Deathbed Use of Ivermectin to Save Lives Faces Major Obstacles. globalresearch.ca Seriously ill patients facing death from late stage COVID infection increasingly face hospital protocols that have a terrible record of saving lives. In fact, nearly all such patients die. This explains why over 1,000 Americans are dying every day from …
(2021-12-17). Global WAR-NING! Geoengineering Is Wrecking Our Planet and Humanity. globalresearch.ca World leaders are meeting in Glasgow at COP-26. All eyes are now on "the imminent dangers of CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions". The "climate emergency" is a timely instrument of propaganda used to distract people from questioning "the real crisis", namely the Covid-19 "plandemic".
(2021-12-17). Biden's Bounty on Your Life: Hospitals' Incentive Payments for COVID-19. globalresearch.ca Upon admission to a once-trusted hospital, American patients with COVID-19 become virtual prisoners, subjected to a
(2021-12-17). Covid Testing Rackets and Flying Again. dissidentvoice.org The young boy of seven or so was kissing a toy doll affixed with an alarmed face. The doll, no doubt of full Chinese make, was fully tarted up, lips glossy, eyes wide, a blonde with curls. "Stop making out with her," cried his mother, sitting in the seat beside him with concern. "It's creepy." …
(2021-12-17). 'Virus hunters' race against time in East China. ecns.cn Medical workers at Zhenhai District Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, have been devoted to the fight against COVID-19 since the first local case of a new surge was reported on Dec. 5, 2021.
(2021-12-17). Anthony Fauci Suppressed Effective Treatments against COVID-19 to Benefit Big Pharma. globalresearch.ca White House Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci This prevented Big Pharma from being challenged …