(2022-01-01). [Comment] Offline: The origin story—towards a final resolution? thelancet.com WHO has been a particular casualty in the dispute about the origins of SARS-CoV-2. Former US President Donald Trump's verbal attacks and his decision to defund the agency drew blood in Geneva—and the wounds are still visible. The allegation that WHO shared responsibility for the pandemic by adopting a policy of appeasement towards China has proven impossible to refute. As a member-state organisation, WHO's staff are constitutionally bound to heed the instructions of the governments they serve. Only former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland had the courage to defy countries when she was WHO Direc…
(2022-01-01). How Will Unipolarists Respond to Putin's Red Line? An Expert Round Table Discussion. covertactionmagazine.com With tensions rising to fever pitches in Ukraine, and in the wake of Putin's announced red lines regarding a mad …
(2022-01-01). [Editorial] The state of science and society in 2022. thelancet.com As 2022 begins, and the third year of the pandemic continues to put pressure on both the scientific community and the public, it is worth considering the state of science and society. The main headline from Wellcome's Global Monitor 2020: Covid-19 survey was that global public trust in science and scientists grew during the pandemic. The largest of its kind, the survey covered 119‚Äà000 people in 113 countries, and seems to suggest that, after a year of heightened exposure to scientists, and with the first COVID-19 vaccines hailed as a scientific triumph, the value of science might not have erod…
(2022-01-01). Vaccine Passports Are Here to Stay. Why Worry? zcomm.org The key to reanimating public life may also be the linchpin of a global surveillance network…
(2022-01-01). [Correspondence] Caution required with use of ritonavir-boosted PF-07321332 in COVID-19 management. thelancet.com We read with interest the news that the UK Government has announced deals to procure the oral antivirals for SARS-CoV-2, molnupiravir (Lagevrio, Merck [Branchburg, NJ, USA]) and ritonavir in combination with PF-07321332 (Paxlovid, Pfizer [New York, NY, USA]).1 Although we welcome further partnership between the government and pharmaceutical industry in the provision of effective agents to manage the COVID-19 pandemic, we urge caution with the widescale use of ritonavir, given its propensity for causing clinically significant drug—drug interactions with commonly prescribed and over-the-counter medications.
(2022-01-01). [Correspondence] COVID-19 ARDS: getting ventilation right — Authors' reply. thelancet.com We thank Xosé Pérez-Fernández and colleagues for their thoughtful Correspondence regarding our study of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in COVID-19.1 We agree that our study does not provide evidence that forms of non-invasive ventilation (NIV), such as high-flow nasal cannula and mask or helmet ventilation, might be deleterious compared with other strategies. Our observational study was not designed to make causal inferences regarding the potential superiority of ECMO or any pre-ECMO support strategy.
(2022-01-01). [Correspondence] COVID-19 ARDS: getting ventilation right. thelancet.com We read with special interest the Article by Ryan Barbaro and colleagues,1 describing the evolving outcomes of patients with COVID-19 who required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) during 2020. We were sad to corroborate the same increased mortality we had observed in our own patients. However, we wish to clarify two key aspects that we hope will supplement the conclusions of this important Article.
(2021-12-31). As Covid Deaths Hit 800k, Sanders Says Medicare for All Needed to End 'Vulgarity' of US Health System. scheerpost.com 
A long Covid-19 testing line at Rivergreen Park in Everett, Massachusetts on December 28, 2021. (Photo: David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | By Julia Conley / Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday said that nearly two years after the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the public health crisis that shows no sign of coming to a swift end has brought into stark relief "the vulgarity" of the U.S. healthcare system, suggesting the political establishm…
(2021-12-31). 2021, un año de economía pandémica. globalizacion.ca El 2021, al igual que el 2020, ha sido un año marcado por la pandemia de coronavirus Sars-Cov-2 que restringió las posibilidades económicas a la mayoría de las naciones del mundo y que también incrementó las diferencias entre los países…
(2021-12-31). Kovid-Globulin: Russia Launches Promising Hyperimmune Plasma Therapy Against Covid. libya360.wordpress.com Marinella Mondaini "Kovid-Globulin" — that's the name of the world's first preparation of specific anti-Covid immunoglobulin, produced by Russia's all-Russian technology plasma therapy that possesses the ability to overcome Coronavirus. "The trials have been successfully completed," it was proudly stated. After several clinical trials attesting to its effectiveness, safety and ability to neutralize Coronavirus, the…
(2021-12-31). Another Nail in the U.S. Empire's Coffin… Biden Signs $770 Billion War Budget. strategic-culture.org Three decades after the Cold War officially ended, the U.S. is setting a new record high for annual expenditure on its armed forces. | As this year ends, U.S. President Joe Biden signed into law military spending of $770 billion. That's just for the next year alone. The scale of wastefulness and bloated corruption is eye-watering. It eclipses what the United States is willing to invest for overhauling its badly neglected civilian infrastructure and for combating the coronavirus pandemic that has killed far more people in the U.S. than in any other nation. | If there is one thing that portends a historic collapse…
(2021-12-31). 2021, un año de economía pandémica. globalizacion.ca El 2021, al igual que el 2020, ha sido un año marcado por la pandemia de coronavirus Sars-Cov-2 que restringió las posibilidades económicas a la mayoría de las naciones del mundo y que también incrementó las diferencias entre los países…
(2021-12-31). UK health workers denounce government refusal to combat Omicron threat to National Health Service. wsws.org The only move made in response has been to announce plans to set up coronavirus "surge hubs", mostly in hospital car parks, to meet up to the challenge of a fresh wave of Omicron admissions.
(2021-12-31). Mexico Authorizes Emergency use of Cuban Vaccine Abdala—the First Latin American Vaccine. orinocotribune.com On Wednesday, December 29, Mexico's Federal Commission for Protection against Sanitary Risks (COFEPRIS) authorized for emergency use the Abdala COVID-19 vaccine developed by Cuba. | The authorization for emergency use of the Abdala vaccine was "ruled appropriate," as reported in a statement quoted by the AFP news agency. | With this decision, COFEPRIS has approved 10 drugs against COVID-19 for use in the country. These also in…
(2021-12-31). Video: The Vaccine is More Dangerous than COVID-19: Dr. Peter McCullough. globalresearch.ca
(2021-12-31). Texas team applauded for giving what big pharma refuses: A patent-free vaccine to the world. nationofchange.org "We're not trying to make money. We just want to see people get vaccinated."
(2021-12-31). Fact Check: 60 Percent Of Republicans Are Unvaccinated, 17 Percent Of Democrats Refuse To Take Jabs. moguldom.com The unvaccinated U.S. population is disproportionately made up of those who identify as Republican or Republican-leaning — six in 10, or 60 percent — according to polling data from the October 2021 KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation) COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor. By comparison, about four in 10 of the U.S. total adult population make up the unvaccinated population …
(2021-12-31). China Sends Bolivia 3 Million COVID-19 Vaccines. mronline.org 
Bolivia has received three million Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines from China, the largest delivery of vaccines to arrive in Bolivia from the Asian superpower.
(2021-12-31). Bombshell Document Dump on Pfizer Vaccine Data. globalresearch.ca What is contained in Pfizer's confidential report is detailed evidence on the impacts of the "vaccine" on mortality and morbidity. This data which emanates from the Horse's Mouth can be used to confront as well formulate legal procedures against Big Pharma, the governments, the WHO and the media.
(2021-12-31). We Dance Into The New Year Banging Our Hammers And Swinging Our Sickles. popularresistance.org Bittersweet is the passage of this year. There have been some immense victories and some catastrophic defeats, the most terrible being the failure of the Global North countries to adopt a democratic attitude towards confronting the COVID-19 pandemic and creating equitable access to key resources, from life-saving medical equipment to vaccines. Tragically, by the end of this pandemic, we will have learnt the Greek alphabet from the variants named after its letters (Delta, Omicron), which continue to emerge. | Cuba leads the world with the highest vaccination rates, using its indigenous vaccines to protect its popu…
(2021-12-31). Before your Child is Injected, Watch Dr. Robert Malone's statement on Child COVID Vaccinations. globalresearch.ca First published on December 15, 2021 | Before your child is injected, watch Dr. Robert Malone's statement on child COVID vaccinations. | Before you vaccinate your child, which is irreversible and potentially permanently damaging, find out why 15,000 physicians and medical scientists …
(2021-12-31). Anti-vaxxers: The albatross wrapped around America's neck. nationofchange.org 95% of living Americans will be fully vaccinated. America will then see the Covid-19 virus not disappear completely, but become relatively harmless, very much like the flu.
(2021-12-31). Central America Celebrates New Year's Eve With Few Restrictions. telesurenglish.net Central America will dismiss the year 2021 without major COVID-19 restrictions, although health authorities have asked the population to maintain biosecurity measures and avoid crowds. | RELATED: | COVID-19 vaccination is advancing in the region, with Costa Rica and Panama leading the way, with 90 percent and 81 percent of the population with the complete scheme, respectively. | Without large mass events and with some capacity restrictions, Costa…
(2021-12-31). Global Migration Indicators Report Summarizes 2020 For Migrants Across The World. popularresistance.org The Global Migration Indicators report by the International Organization for Migration is here, with an update on how COVID-19 affected migration around the world. The report says more than 2,300 migrants died while trying to get into Europe or within Europe in 2020. While the pandemic restricted mobility and reduced international migration, still, there were two hundred and eighty-one million international migrants in the middle of 2020. That is close to four per cent of the world's population.
(2021-12-31). COVID and Viruses 101 (Part two: My experience w/COVID testing). anchor.fm In this episode I am speaking about my recent experience when I went to get a Covid test, and how it showed me all of the contradictions and issues facing us in regards to the pandemic today. The US Empire must fall my friends, this government has no concern for our safety!
(2021-12-31). COVID-19 Deaths Continue to Decline in Venezuela. orinocotribune.com 
This Wednesday, December 29, was the 654th day of the pandemic in Venezuela, with a considerable drop in the number of deaths in the last 24 hours. In that span of time Venezuela reported 203 new COVID-19 infections—200 by community transmission and three imported, in addition to two deaths. This was reported by the Minister of Communication and Information, Freddy àëáñez, via Twitter. | With this update, Venezuela has 444,186 confirmed cases and 5,331 deaths overall during almost two years of pandemic. Of this total, 5,657 are active cases, 4,657 are being treated in the public health system, and 1,00…
(2021-12-31). CUPE's sabotage of the New Brunswick public sector strike—the political lessons. wsws.org The New Brunswick public sector workers' strike exemplifies the political issues and organizational challenges all workers face in opposing the capitalist ruling elite's demands for austerity and its homicidal drive to keep schools and non-essential business open amid the pandemic.
(2021-12-31). Turkish government rejects public health measures as Omicron rages. wsws.org As the Omicron variant spreads rapidly throughout Turkey, President Erdogan's government is refusing to take any public health measures against the pandemic.
(2021-12-31). An open letter to all workers: The pandemic must be ended and lives saved in 2022! wsws.org As we approach the end of the year, workers in the UK and throughout the world must decide to act collectively and finally put an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2022 must not be another nightmarish year of mass infections, illness and death!
(2021-12-31). Corporate Patents & Rising Anti-Science Rhetoric Will Prolong Pandemic. zcomm.org Interview on a variety of topics…
(2021-12-31). Australian unions promote slashing of COVID-19 health measures. wsws.org The unions are stepping up their efforts to stifle resistance and opposition among workers as the pandemic spirals out of control.
(2021-12-31). Stop the reopening of New York City schools! Mobilize the working class to save lives, not profits! wsws.org If the pandemic is ever to be brought under control, the policies taken must be motivated by an entirely different set of social interests than the profit motive, which has blocked all measures to contain the virus.
(2021-12-31). 2021 in Review: The Only Way Out is Through. scheerpost.com 
We saw workers animated by a fresh sense of confidence, defiance, and being just plain fed up. Photos, clockwise from upper left: Jim West/jimwestphoto.com, Luis Feliz Leon, Northwest Carpenters, Teamsters United, SEIU 1199NW, Jim West/jimwestphoto.com, Monk Drapeaux-Stewart, UAW Local 838, CWA District 1 | By Alexandra Bradbury / 2021 reminds me of a riddle: What's worse than finding a worm in your apple? Finding half a worm in your apple. What's scarier than a year of pandemic? A second year of pandemic. | We're…
(2021-12-31). Bombshell: CDC No Longer Recognizes the PCR Test As a Valid Method for Detecting "Confirmed Covid-19 Cases"? globalresearch.ca Smoking Gun: The CDC Says that the PCR Test is Invalid. Does not differentiate between Covid-19 and Seasonal Influenza. Does not detect or identify SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. If the PCR test is invalid the 260 Million "Confirmed Covid-19 Cases" collected Worldwide are meaningless. There is no Pandemic.
(2021-12-31). Favorite jazz and pop music of 2021. wsws.org The global COVID-19 pandemic continues to devastate every aspect of social and cultural life. Artists and technical workers in the music industry face conditions unlike anything seen in generations, if ever.
(2021-12-31). Workers respond to Socialist Equality Party open letter calling for movement to end the pandemic. wsws.org Educators, pharmacy techs, nursing home and manufacturing workers responded with interest and enthusiasm to Thursday's statement from the Socialist Equality Party, "An open letter to the working class: The pandemic must be ended and lives saved in 2022!"
(2021-12-31). Modi ignores Court request to postpone elections as Omicron surges in India. wsws.org The Modi government's response to the pandemic over nearly two years has shown that the Indian ruling elites prioritize corporate profits over human life.
(2021-12-31). Flight Attendant Union Criticizes CDC For Decision 'Pushed By Corporate America'. popularresistance.org Flight Attendant union president and labor leader Sara Nelson is criticizing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for changing its guidance on quarantining for COVID-19 after business leaders asked the agency to cut its recommendations by half, potentially at the cost of public health. | Nelson, the president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA International, accused the CDC in a statement of making its decision to benefit businesses that may be experiencing staffing issues, rather than stemming the spread of the virus. | "We said we wanted to hear from medical professionals on the best gu…
(2021-12-31). Neoliberalism, fascism, or socialist breakthroughs? cpusa.org 
The Trump administration's fascistic response to the 2020 #BlackLivesMatter uprising, the U.S. government's deadly, incompetent response to COVID, and the sudden withdrawal from Afghanistan reflect a long-term structural crisis in U.S. imperialism and democratic legitimacy. Over the past two decades, that crisis has been marked by general economic decline, the failures of endless war, …
(2021-12-31). Leaked Files Expose Syria Psyops Veteran Astroturfing BreadTube Star to Counter Covid Restriction Critics. orinocotribune.com 
By Kit Klarenberg and Max Blumenthal — Dec 21, 2021 |
(2021-12-31). Maryland State Board of Education passes proposal to loosen mask regulations in schools as state sees record infections. wsws.org The statewide mandate was lifted even as Maryland's COVID-19 reporting system was knocked offline due to a cyberattack and the state was reporting its first Omicron cases.
(2021-12-31). UK Employment Tribunal rules against worker who refused to return to work over COVID safety concerns. wsws.org The corporate media are using the tribunal ruling, hinging on the question of what constitutes a philosophical belief, to assert that workers have no legal right against being forced to labour in unsafe conditions.
(2021-12-31). Succumbing to artists' protest, Belgium suspends restrictions on cultural activity. peoplesdispatch.org The artist community and workers in the cultural sector have claimed that the Belgian government's COVID-19 regulations targeting the cultural sector were not advised by experts…
(2021-12-31). White House lies about child hospitalizations amid Omicron surge. wsws.org Even as COVID-19 cases surge across the country and child hospitalizations and deaths hit one record after another, the entire US political establishment is pressing forward with the imminent reopening of schools.
(2021-12-31). Video: "Imagine All The People": The Covid-19 Omicron Christmas and New Year Lockdown. globalresearch.ca We are told by our governments that It's Christmas under Lockdown. To protect you and your loved ones against the so-called deadly Covid Omicron Variant. The announcement was made on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.
(2021-12-31). Biden's COVID Pivot Is Pure Politics. strategic-culture.org By Tom LUONGO | If you thought the worst screenplay you'd have to endure this winter was anything written by a Wachowski sister, boy howdy are you wrong. | A couple of weeks ago I told you that And it's coming this spring. | The problem for Bidenwood is Omicron spreads quickly…
(2021-12-31). No Family Gatherings: The Omicron Fraud Used to Justify the "Christmas and New Year Covid Lockdown" globalresearch.ca First published on December 19, 2021 | Update | In recent developments, several Western governments have implemented curfews and restrictions which prevent family and friends from celebrating New Year. | Nonsensical political statements abound. They invariably point to the "deadly Covid-19 Omicron Variant", …
(2021-12-31). Typhoon Rai death toll rises to 397 in the Philippines. wsws.org The typhoon, which has confronted hundreds of thousands with the risk of starvation and disease, has exacerbated already existing social tensions in impoverished regions of the Philippines.
(2021-12-31). 15 Things Biodiversity Protectors Are Watching Out for in 2022. truthout.org 
It's no secret that the diversity of life around us is plummeting fast. In 2020 alone, scientists declared