(2022-01-23). Study reveals which alcoholic drink is best at preventing Covid. rt.com 
Researchers have established a connection between alcohol consumption and Covid-related risks | A team of Chinese scientists has analyzed the association between consumption of various alcoholic beverages and Covid-related risks, bringing some exciting news for wine lovers and disappointment for beer fans. | The researchers, from Shenzhen Kangning Hospital and Southwest Hospital, reviewed 473,957 subjects with an average age of 69 from the UK Biobank database, including 16,559 Covid-positive individuals. They divided them into groups by drinking status (non-drinker, former drinker, and current drinker) and by…
(2022-01-23). Study reveals which alcoholic drink is best at preventing Covid. rt.com Researchers have established a connection between alcohol consumption and Covid-related risks | A team of Chinese scientists has analyzed the association between consumption of various alcoholic beverages and Covid-related risks, bringing some exciting news for wine lovers and disappointment for beer fans. | The researchers, from Shenzhen Kangning Hospital and Southwest Hospital, reviewed 473,957 subjects with an average age of 69 from the UK Biobank database, including 16,559 Covid-positive individuals. They divided them into groups by drinking status (non-drinker, former drinker, and current drinker) and by…
(2022-01-23). Schoolchildren told cloth masks no longer good enough. rt.com 
Los Angeles students will be forced to wear high-grade face coverings 'at all times' while in school | The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has implemented even stricter mask rules for schoolchildren, now requiring students to wear a surgical or other high-grade face covering instead of a cloth mask. | The district Spokesperson Shannon Haber tol…
(2022-01-23). Schoolchildren told cloth masks no longer good enough. rt.com Los Angeles students will be forced to wear high-grade face coverings 'at all times' while in school | The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has implemented even stricter mask rules for schoolchildren, now requiring students to wear a surgical or other high-grade face covering instead of a cloth mask. | The district Spokesperson Shannon Haber tol…
(2022-01-23). Prime minister cancels wedding due to Omicron curbs. rt.com 
'Such is life,' New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern said as she announced the decision | New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern has called off her wedding as the island nation is set to introduce the highest 'red light' restrictions in order to stem the spread of the super-mutant Omicron variant of Covid-19. | With the country about to tighten anti-coronavirus measures from 11.59pm on Sunday, its prime minister announced she had canceled her upcoming wedding celebration. | Ardern and her partner Clarke Gayford, who have a daughter together, were planning to officially tie the knot later in summer. New Zealand is in the south…
(2022-01-23). Vaccine Protests Hit Brussels as Coronavirus Numbers Peak in Belgium. sputniknews.com Despite registering 70,000 new coronavirus cases in a single day last week, Belgium has eased pandemic restrictions slightly.
(2022-01-23). Prime minister cancels wedding due to Omicron curbs. rt.com 'Such is life,' New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern said as she announced the decision | New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern has called off her wedding as the island nation is set to introduce the highest 'red light' restrictions in order to stem the spread of the super-mutant Omicron variant of Covid-19. | With the country about to tighten anti-coronavirus measures from 11.59pm on Sunday, its prime minister announced she had canceled her upcoming wedding celebration. | Ardern and her partner Clarke Gayford, who have a daughter together, were planning to officially tie the knot later in summer. New Zealand is in the south…
(2022-01-23). Thousands Protest Against Coronavirus Restrictions in Germany's Hamburg – Reports. sputniknews.com BERLIN (Sputnik) – Several thousand people have participated in protests against coronavirus restrictions in Hamburg, German media report.
(2022-01-23). Pfizer CEO paints 'ideal' future of Covid vaccination. rt.com 
Albert Bourla hopes the idea of annual vaccinations will be far easier to sell to the public | The CEO of Pfizer has tried to appease vaccine skeptics with an idea of Covid-19 booster shots only once a year — instead of every few months — all while attacking the most vocal anti-vaxxers as "criminals" who "profit from circulating misinformation." | In a series of interviews with Israeli TV channels, Albert Bourla
(2022-01-23). Pfizer CEO paints 'ideal' future of Covid vaccination. rt.com Albert Bourla hopes the idea of annual vaccinations will be far easier to sell to the public | The CEO of Pfizer has tried to appease vaccine skeptics with an idea of Covid-19 booster shots only once a year — instead of every few months — all while attacking the most vocal anti-vaxxers as "criminals" who "profit from circulating misinformation." | In a series of interviews with Israeli TV channels, Albert Bourla
(2022-01-23). 1,000s of unvaccinated NHS staff may be fired later than expected. rt.com 
Prime Minister Boris Johnson allegedly fears a coup if he goes too far with his Covid-19 policies | The UK government's threat to fire unvaccinated National Health Service (NHS) staff is likely to be delayed amid fears of a Conservative Party revolt against Prime Minister Boris Johnson, according to The Telegraph. | The NHS vaccine mandate will probably be "kicked down the road" and delayed by six months, though not scrapped altogether, an unnamed government source
(2022-01-23). Over 2.96 bln COVID-19 vaccine doses administered on Chinese mainland. ecns.cn Over 2.96 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered on the Chinese mainland as of Saturday, data from the National Health Commission showed Sunday.
(2022-01-23). 1,000s of unvaccinated NHS staff may be fired later than expected. rt.com Prime Minister Boris Johnson allegedly fears a coup if he goes too far with his Covid-19 policies | The UK government's threat to fire unvaccinated National Health Service (NHS) staff is likely to be delayed amid fears of a Conservative Party revolt against Prime Minister Boris Johnson, according to The Telegraph. | The NHS vaccine mandate will probably be "kicked down the road" and delayed by six months, though not scrapped altogether, an unnamed government source
(2022-01-23). Dos estados brasileños posponen para abril desfile de samba. telesurtv.net Asimismo reiteraron los responsables que la decisión fue tomada ante la pandemia de la Covid-19 en Brasil.
(2022-01-23). More signs of economic weakness showing up. fightbacknews.org San José, CA – On Thursday, January 20, the U.S. Department of Labor reported that the number of new claims for unemployment insurance rose for the second week in row, to more than 280,000 for the week of January 10-15. This is up almost 40% from the beginning of January. While much of this may be caused by the spike in COVID-19, there have been other signs of economic weakness that started to show up in December. | Signs of economic weakness and growing concerns about rising interest rates also slammed the stock market last week. For the second week in a row, stocks fell. The U.S. central bank, the Federal Reser…
(2022-01-23). Chinese mainland records 19 new local COVID-19 cases. ecns.cn The Chinese mainland recorded 19 locally transmitted COVID-19 infections on Saturday, the National Health Commission said Sunday.
(2022-01-23). Beijing district conducts mass nucleic acid testing. ecns.cn Fengtai, one of 16 districts of Beijing Municipality, on Sunday started district-wide nucleic acid testing as local COVID-19 cases have been reported recently, local authorities said.
(2022-01-23). Chinese mainland records 23 new local COVID-19 cases. ecns.cn The Chinese mainland recorded 23 locally transmitted COVID-19 infections on Friday, the National Health Commission said Saturday.
(2022-01-23). Protestan en Francia contra el pase de vacunación anticovid. telesurtv.net Hubo marchas contra la obligatoriedad de portar el pase de vacunación y otras medidas adoptadas para frenar la Covid-19.
(2022-01-23). Avanzan en Cuba ensayos del candidato vacunal anticovid Mambisa. telesurtv.net El fármaco anticovid Mambisa es el primero para uso nasal en iniciar estudios clínicos en humanos en el mundo.
(2022-01-23). Billionaires Invested In Animal Agony, Climate Extreme Causation & Human Disease. indybay.org More and more are getting out of cattle ranching as vegan product | sales skyrocket and animal flesh becomes more and more expensive. | Some are still invested in the animal suffering, human disease, | deforestation and climate extremes caused by raising animals for…
(2022-01-23). Billionaires Invested In Animal Agony, Climate Extreme Causation & Human Disease. indybay.org More and more are getting out of cattle ranching as vegan product | sales skyrocket and animal flesh becomes more and more expensive. | Some are still invested in the animal suffering, human disease, | deforestation and climate extremes caused by raising animals for…
(2022-01-22). [Correspondence] Intersectionality and developing evidence-based policy. thelancet.com It is reassuring to see that ministers in the UK are formally acknowledging how people from minority ethnic (ie, defined here as all ethnicities other than White British) backgrounds have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. However, crucial gaps exist in the collection, analysis, and translation of data to assess the effects of multiple intersecting factors on individuals and communities. The Science and Technology Committee and Health and Social Care Committee report, Coronavirus: lessons learned to date,1 dedicates thirteen paragraphs to how ethnicity ties into disparities and makes five recommendatio…
(2022-01-22). Ethiopia receives additional 2.2 mln doses of Chinese-donated COVID-19 vaccines. ecns.cn The Chinese government on Thursday donated an additional 2.2 million doses of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines to Ethiopia, giving a boost to the East African nation's vaccination efforts.
(2022-01-22). NFL star Rodgers hits out at Biden amid vaccine row. rt.com 
Aaron Rodgers has slammed Joe Biden after the US President was critical of the quarterback's vaccine stance | Rodgers, whose Packers team are the bookies' favorites to win next month's Super Bowl, was the recipient of widespread criticism late last year after admitting that he was unvaccinated against Covid-19 despite telling reporters some months prior that he was "immunized" against the virus. | This led to a fine issued by the NFL – but also to Rodgers being seen by some as something on an anti-vaxx pariah, especially after he revealed that he had treated a Covid infection with a host of alternative remedie…
(2022-01-22). Withholding vaccine safety data 'morally indefensible,' medical journal says. rt.com 
The British Medical Journal criticized Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers for 'reaping vast profits' without proper independent scrutiny | The British Medical Journal (BMJ) has urged public health regulators and pharma majors to immediately release all raw data from Covid-19 vaccine trials for independent scrutiny, arguing that "complete data transparency" was 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, researchers and the public, despite the globa…
(2022-01-22). [Perspectives] Jamal Rifi: family doctor building bridges in the community. thelancet.com During Australia's COVID-19 lockdown in 2021, family doctor Jamal Rifi came up with an unusual plan to encourage the remainder of his urban community of Sydney, NSW, Australia, to come forward for COVID-19 vaccination. "I realised we needed to build on our community advocacy work by using an inflatable vaccination facility that could be transported easily into the heart of urban communities that had become COVID-19 hotspots, such as my own suburb of Belmore in southwest Sydney", Rifi explains. More recently, he has used the vaccination facility to help kick-start a COVID-19 booster programme, and from Jan 10, 202…
(2022-01-22). Washington Post Says Life Was Bleak for Workers on Eve of Pandemic. cepr.net 
Yes, that was the clear meaning of a front page article telling readers how bad things are for workers today. The piece told us: "In interviews with more than a dozen workers, many said that despite considerable pay raises — as much as 33 percent, in some cases — they were still struggling to cover …
(2022-01-22). [Perspectives] Shutdown and after. thelancet.com On March 9, 2020, neoliberalism hit the buffers. Put simply, the idea that small states and unbridled markets delivered the best societies was tested to destruction, dramatically so. As the COVID-19 pandemic surged, the stock market went into free fall. The bond market followed. The world's financial system was on a rollercoaster: US Treasury bonds were "lurching up and down in stomach-churning chasms", to quote Adam Tooze. While global attention focused on the numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths and governments in the UK and the USA dithered over their response to this pandemic, the world's bankers and finance…
(2022-01-22). [Comment] Offline: COVID-19 as culture war. thelancet.com When Dr Anthony Fauci challenged Senator Rand Paul last week during US congressional hearings, he exposed how politicians have exploited the COVID-19 pandemic for their own personal advantage. Fauci showed screenshots of Senator Paul's website, which included the message "Fire Dr Fauci". He pointed out that Paul was inviting people to send donations to firefauci.org. He explained how Paul's exaggerations were creating the conditions for violent attacks on himself and his family. In December, 2021, a man was arrested on his way to Washington, DC, with an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle in his car.
(2022-01-22). Champagne sales popped in 2021. rt.com 
French Champagne houses toast record sales and exports | France's Comite Champagne trade association, which represents over 16,000 winegrowers and 320 champagne houses, on Wednesday It says France exported a historic high of 180 million bottles of champagne in 2021, which is a 38% increase compared to 2020. Total shipments jumped 32% to 322 million bottles, despite the lingering effects of Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns, which resulted in the closure…
(2022-01-22). As deaths from Omicron surge across Canada, opposition mounts to in-person learning. wsws.org The growth of anger and opposition is being driven by the ruling elite's utter indifference to a dramatic acceleration of hospitalizations and deaths. On Friday, Canada's Public Health Agency reported the fourth-highest daily death tally since the pandemic began.
(2022-01-22). Internet data traffic surges due to COVID-19 pandemic. ecns.cn Data traffic at the Frankfurt-based global DE-CIX Internet Exchanges surged in 2021, reflecting the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on societies and economies.
(2022-01-22). Capitalists Only 'Trust The Science' When It Suits Their Agenda. popularresistance.org During the Trump presidency, slogans like "Facts Matter" and "#BelieveTheScience" abounded. The idea was that, unlike the outright denial espoused by Republicans, Democrats recognize basic scientific truths about the world, such as the existence of climate change and the dangers of Covid-19. Because they "take science seriously," it's implied, Democrats will propose and enact more scientifically-informed policies. It's been a year since Joe Biden took office on the promise that his respect for science would manifest in more rational policy solutions. So, now is a good time to ask: how's that going? | "Follow the…
(2022-01-22). Capitalists Only 'Trust The Science' When It Suits Their Agenda. popularresistance.org During the Trump presidency, slogans like "Facts Matter" and "#BelieveTheScience" abounded. The idea was that, unlike the outright denial espoused by Republicans, Democrats recognize basic scientific truths about the world, such as the existence of climate change and the dangers of Covid-19. Because they "take science seriously," it's implied, Democrats will propose and enact more scientifically-informed policies. It's been a year since Joe Biden took office on the promise that his respect for science would manifest in more rational policy solutions. So, now is a good time to ask: how's that going? | "Follow the…
(2022-01-22). Night Was Young? No 10 Party Reportedly Continued Until 1 AM on Eve of Prince Philip's Funeral. sputniknews.com The "partygate" scandal, in which Prime Minister Boris Johnson is embroiled, shows no sign of slowing in the UK as time is ticking for the release of senior civil servant Sue Gray's report on the alleged No 10 social gatherings held between 2020 and 2021 amid strict COVID rules.
(2022-01-22). ONU identifica cinco grandes crisis globales a enfrentar en 2022. telesurtv.net El titular de la ONU reflexionó sobre la desigualdad en el acceso a las vacunas contra la Covid-19.
(2022-01-22). Uruguay registra récord de 13.007 contagios por Covid-19. telesurtv.net Las autoridades sanitarias del país suramericano insistieron en el uso de las medidas de prevención como el uso de mascarilla y la higiene de manos.
(2022-01-22). Dos estados brasileños posponen para abril desfile de samba. telesurtv.net Asimismo reiteraron los responsables que la decisión fue tomada ante la pandemia de la Covid-19 en Brasil.
(2022-01-22). Escalating COVID-19 cases and deaths as Omicron enters Fiji. wsws.org The current wave has coincided with the reckless decision by the government to open the country's borders to international travel on December 1.
(2022-01-22). Cuba reporta 3 401 nuevos casos de COVID-19 y cinco fallecidos. cubadebate.cu Al cierre de este viernes 21 de enero, Cuba reportó 3 401 nuevos casos de COVID-19 y cinco fallecidos. Durante la jornada fueron dadas 3 740 altas y son 16 969 los casos activos, informó este sábado el Minsap en su parte diario.
(2022-01-22). [Correspondence] Long COVID and self-management. thelancet.com People with COVID-19 often have symptoms in the long term (ie, long COVID), including fatigue, breathlessness, and neurocognitive difficulties.1 The disease mechanisms causing long COVID are unknown, and there are no evidence-based treatment options. Clinical guidelines focus on symptom management, and various treatment options are being evaluated.1 The scarcity of advice has often left people with long COVID feeling isolated and frustrated in their search for therapies.
(2022-01-22). Bay Area Transit Workers Organize. zcomm.org The rank-and-file organizers and newly engaged members are now looking ahead to flexing their muscle in Covid safety fights and contract campaigns in 2022…
(2022-01-22). Chinese mainland records 23 new local COVID-19 cases. ecns.cn The Chinese mainland recorded 23 locally transmitted COVID-19 infections on Friday, the National Health Commission said Saturday.
(2022-01-22). Uruguay registra récord de 13.007 contagios por Covid-19. telesurtv.net Las autoridades sanitarias del país suramericano insistieron en el uso de las medidas de prevención como el uso de mascarilla y la higiene de manos.
(2022-01-22). Brasil continúa como segundo país con más decesos por Covid-19. telesurtv.net De acuerdo con las autoridades brasileñas, los estados más afectados son Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais y Paraná.
(2022-01-22). Western Australian government keeps border shut, fearing mass opposition to COVID disaster. wsws.org The decision indicates the rising working-class opposition and deepening political crisis being produced by the "live with the virus" offensive by Australia's governments, both Labor and Liberal-National.
(2022-01-22). [Correspondence] The COVID-19 response in Hong Kong. thelancet.com Richard Horton1 and the Editors2 have repeatedly called for closer collaborations in global health. China has been taking decisive, albeit difficult, measures to prevent and manage outbreaks in diverse settings, from city epicentres to rural clusters. Although these policies might be draconian, they resulted in community solidarity and success; with one prerequisite to both solidarity and success being transparency embraced by both the government and the health profession.
(2022-01-22). North Carolina COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations skyrocket amid reckless school reopenings. wsws.org At least twenty schools in the state have already been forced to close due to staff shortages this month as case numbers reach all-time highs.
(2022-01-22). Two hundred autoworkers out due to COVID-19 at Ford's Louisville Assembly Plant. wsws.org Kentucky, with a population of 4.5 million, recently reached the grim milestone of over one million total cases, and 12,687 have died. On Friday, 15,864 new cases and 28 deaths were recorded in the state.