tag > Health
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Denmark Passes Law Enabling Forced Coronavirus Vaccinations (the local)
Denmark's parliament on Thursday night unanimously passed an emergency coronavirus law which gives health authorities powers to force testing, treatment and quarantine with the backing of the police. The far-reaching new law will remain in force until March 2021, when it will expire under a sunset clause. Jens Elo Rytter, law professor at Copenhagen University, said the measures were unlike anything passed in the last 75 years "It is certainly the most extreme since the Second World War," Initially, the government wanted to the law to give the police the right to enter private homes without a court order if there is a suspicion of coronavirus infection. But this was dropped after opposition from parties in the parliament.
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Employee At BIS' Basel Headquarters Infected With Coronavirus, Nine Others Exposed (FT)
The Bank for International Settlements has said a member of staff working at its headquarters in Basel, Switzerland, has tested positive for Covid-19. This afternoon the organisation reported that the individual had received medical treatment and was currently recovering at home. A further nine staff members who had been working in close proximity to the infected employees had been told to to work from home temporarily.
Italian army chief tested positive for coronavirus
Italian Chief of Army Staff Salvatore Farina has tested positive for the coronavirus and will remain quarantined in his home, with a replacement taking on his official duties. Farina announced he is self-isolating after not feeling well and then testing positive for the disease. He will be replaced in his role as chief of staff by General Federico Bonato, reported foreign media on Sunday.
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Mecca has shut down for the first time in history (indiapost) (alt)
St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican City in Italy is deserted. The Pope, supreme Pontiff has cancelled all meetings and engagements in Vatican City. The world is cut off with Rome. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has temporarily banned Umrah pilgrims from all over the world. A day earlier, the Kingdom also restricted its citizens and residents from visiting Makkah. The Holy Kaaba is a deserted place.
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Low-Cost Breathing Ventilators - by @lowtechmagazine
Open Source COVID19 Medical Supplies: The high price of machine ventilators forces many hospitals in the poorest regions of the world to rely on a simple solution known as an Ambu Bag that requires constant manual pressure in order to get oxygen to the lungs.The Umbulizer is a mechanically powered version of the Ambu Bag.
Italian hospital saves Covid-19 patients lives by 3D printing valves for reanimation devices
An Italian hospital ran out of ICU valves. A local biz brought a 3D printer to the hospital, redesigned & produced the valves in a few hours. “At the time of writing, 10 patients are accompanied in breathing by a machine that uses a 3D printed valve.” Apparently the hospitals ICU valve supplier was not happy about this & refused to supply blueprints. (via)
#Comment: This is a nice example that the notion of intellectual property (IP) law is outdated & dangerous. Break all IP needed to save lives should be the directive.
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Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for Coronavirus
- Beijing is promoting traditional medicine as a 'Chinese solution' to coronavirus (CNN)
- TCM proven effective in treating coronavirus (New China)
- Experts highlight traditional Chinese medicine in fight against novel coronavirus (New China)
- Traditional Chinese Medicine included in the WHO's global diagnostic compendium (Nature, 2019)
- Demand for Chinese herbs, acupuncture spikes amid coronavirus outbreak (nypost)
- At the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, Western medicine meets traditional Chinese remedies (theglobeandmail)
- China using traditional Chinese medicine on coronavirus patients (straitstimes)
- Ancient Chinese medicine unlocks new possibilities for cancer treatment (yale)
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Defender 2020 is "frozen" Corona slows down NATO exercise in Europe (alt, alt)
Because of the corona virus pandemic, the large-scale maneuver "Defender Europe 2020" is apparently on the verge: After the "de facto suspension" of US military forces, the Bundeswehr canceled its participation in a joint military exercise on Friday. Instead of 20,000 US soldiers, only those 5,500 Americans who are already in Europe are now to take part. That was communicated by the US headquarters in Wiesbaden. The exercise was "frozen", no more troops and materials were moved to Europe.
Defender of Europe 2020: a Dangerous Provocation on Russia’s Border - by Ellen Taylor (counterpunch)
The largest military exercises in Europe in over 25 years. A massive US build-up in countries bordering Russia.
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Coronavirus COVID-19: “Made in China” or “Made in America”? by Prof Michel Chossudovsky
200 American military personnel participating in the CISM Military World Games (Wuhan China, Okt.2019)
"Let’s be clear: The coronavirus pandemic is not the “cause” of this unfolding economic and social crisis. It is the “pretext” for the implementation of a carefully designed “operation” (supported by media disinformation) which destabilizes national economies, impoverishes large sectors of the World population and literally undermines the lives of millions of people. What we are dealing with is “An Act of War”."
More recent articles on the subject by Chossudovsky.
American Nazi Party marchers in 1937
According to the paper die Welt, Trump is trying to poach German scientists working on an experimental vaccine against a global health threat. Such a vaccine would be “only for the United States,” a source close to the German government told Die Welt, though Berlin would reportedly is looking to make offers of its own to biotech firm CureVac, based in the German state of Thuringia.
Who is the second biggest shareholder of CureVac? The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, of course.
CDC Shuts Down US Military’s Deadly Diseases Lab Over Safety Concerns (2019)
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has ordered temporary closure of a research facility at Fort Detrick in Maryland due to safety concerns. The lab handles some of the most dangerous pathogens and toxins in the world. The decision comes after an inspection in June found that the research lab failed to run sufficient systems that should decontaminate wastewater from the facility. The CDC suspended all research, including projects of the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID).
US Intel Agencies Played Unsettling Role in Classified and “9/11-like” Coronavirus Response Plan (Mintpress)
As coronavirus panic grips the world, concern over government overreach is growing given the involvement of US intelligence agencies in classified meetings for planning the U.S.’ coronavirus response.
Inside Jared Kushner’s coronavirus research: a wide net on a giant Facebook group (politico)
The president’s son-in-law and senior adviser takes a leading role in a variety of Trump challenges, this time responding to the escalating coronavirus outbreak. “In his role as a senior adviser to the president, Jared Kushner is, of course involved in the coronavirus response, but he is not in charge of coronavirus research," a White House official said.
Mike Pompeo slams ICC plan to probe U.S. officials for war crimes (washingtontimes)
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday slammed the International Criminal Court as an “unaccountable political institution masquerading as a legal body,” after the organization said its may soon open cases against American troops for alleged war crimes in Afghanistan. The Hague-based ICC announced that it would allow prosecutors to open an investigation targeting not only current and former U.S. military, CIA and diplomatic personnel, but also the Taliban, and Afghan government forces for war crimes and crimes against humanity during the nearly two-decade long conflict.
Americans preparing for the pandemic... (via)
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Smartphones are covered with 10 times the amount of bacteria found on a toilet seat (2012)
Cellphones carry 10 times more bacteria than most toilet seats. "When's the last time you cleaned your cellphone?"asked Charles Gerba, a microbiologist at the University of Arizona. While toilets tend to get cleaned frequently, because people associate the bathroom with germs, cellphones and other commonly handled objects - like remote controls - are often left out of the cleaning routine. Cellphones pick up germs all the time, Gerba said. "I see people talk on their phone on toilets."
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The AI system directs doctors to those areas of the patient’s lungs that require special attention by circling them in different colours. Photo: Handout The AI system on the Tianhe-1 computer can go through hundreds of images generated by computed tomography (CT) and gave a diagnosis in about 10 seconds, according to the National Supercomputer Centre in Tianjin, which hosts the machine. The accuracy of the analysis was higher than 80 per cent “and increasing steadily every day”. China has offered free use of the machine around the world, but US Centres for Disease Control says it does not recommend using scans to diagnose Covid-19.
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Scoop: State-owned think tank floats China-led WHO alternative (axios)
In China, state-sponsored think tanks can double as diplomatic back channels, allowing leaders a low-risk means to float new ideas and explore how they might be perceived. Carice Witte, the founder and executive director of SIGNAL, told Axios the idea of a Beijing-led WHO alternative is "very interesting in the context of China's aim to reshape global governance, including setting up parallel institutions.
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Chinese foreign ministry spokesman tweets claim US military brought coronavirus to Wuhan
Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian wrote on Twitter: “This is so astonishing that it changed many things I used to believe in.” Photo: AP Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian took to Twitter on Friday to double down on an unproven claim that the US military brought the new coronavirus
to the central city of Wuhan, where the outbreak began.
Zhao urged his more than 287,000 followers in two tweets on Friday morning to widely share an allegation from a Canada-based conspiracy website that the coronavirus originated in the US rather than the Wuhan seafood market that is thought to be its source.
“This is so astonishing that it changed many things I used to believe in,” he wrote on his official account.
The posts which Zhao Lijian referenced in his tweet: Did The Virus Originate in the US? and Further Evidence that the Virus Originated in the US - both by Larry Romanoff / Global Research.
Appeal to UN by former iranian president Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sent a letter to the United Nations promoting a conspiracy theory that COVID-19 is a biological weapon created in a laboratory. In the letter, he claimed COVID-19 is “a new weapon for establishing and/or maintaining [the] political and economic upper hand in the global arena.” He went on to say the flulike illness, which has infected tens of thousands, was “produced in laboratories” by the “warfare stock houses of biologic war belonging to world hegemonic powers.”
Coronavirus conspiracy theories: US and Chinese politicians rush in where experts fear to tread (SCMP)
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman who promoted online theories about the origins of Covid-19 is the latest high-profile figure to make unverified claims. Beijing angered by US politicians who have characterised it as a ‘Chinese virus’ and Senator Tom Cotton’s suggestion it came from a lab in Wuhan
Diplomat David Stilwell delivers a ‘stern representation’ of the US government’s position to Cui Tiankai. Meeting in Washington follows Chinese foreign ministry spokesman’s insinuation that the US military brought the coronavirus to China
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Trend Forecaster Li Edelkoort: Coronavirus Offers Planet Chance For Restart
A security guard standing in an empty shopping mall in Beijing during the current coronavirus epidemic (Source: Kevin Frayer / Getty Images) The coronavirus outbreak, now declared a global pandemic, will eventually enable humanity to reset its values for the benefit of the planet, said top trend forecaster Li Edelkoort. In an interview with Dezeen, Edelkoort said that the coronavirus is now causing a “quarantine of consumption” that will usher in a “better system” for the environment and people. Her views are echoed by climate activists, who are saying that much of the response to the coronavirus has been quick, decisive and drastic, proving that world governments can and do have the capacity to bring about the necessary changes to fight the similarly urgent issue of the climate emergency.
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Empty Skies. The Corona Virus is "helping" humans reach climate change targets much faster...
Related: Norwegian Air Suspends 4,000 Flights, Cuts Half Its Employees
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ICNIRP Issues Revised RF Guidelines - First Update Since 1998 (microwavenews)
The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) has issued updated guidelines for exposures to RF/microwave radiation. “The guidelines have been developed after a thorough review of all relevant scientific literature, scientific workshops and an extensive public consultation process. They provide protection against all scientifically substantiated adverse health effects due to EMF exposure in the 100 kHz to 300 GHz range,” according to Eric van Rongen, the chairman of ICNIRP. “We know parts of the community are concerned about the safety of 5G and we hope the updated guidelines will help put people at ease,” he said. Van Rongen is with the Health Council of the Netherlands. The new guidelines are published in Health Physics and are open access. A copy is available here. They were last updated in 1998. The ICNIRP press release is here.
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China's robot industry boosted as demand emerges in fight against coronavirus (GT, 2020)
Intelligent robots in China have made a collective appearance amid the coronavirus epidemic with delivery, medical and disinfection purposes, contributing to prevention and control efforts. Experts say that though intelligent robot technology is still in an initial phase, the epidemic has offered a boost to the robot industry.
Chinese police wear smart helmets to check body temperature in crowds due to Coronavirus
Police in China can now screen out potential coronavirus carriers with the help of futuristic-looking smart helmets. Shenzhen-based Kuang-Chi Technology introduced police smart helmets that can quickly measure body temperature in crowds. The infrared cameras attached to the N901 helmets enable wearers to measure temperature from up to five meters away. They have facial recognition.
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Recent Germany-China News
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Will Gilead Sciences Make a Fortune Off Its Coronavirus Drug? (fool.com)
As the coronavirus outbreak continues to spread around the world, only a couple of companies have successfully brought treatments to clinical trials so far. One of them is Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD), whose former Ebola drug candidate, remdesivir, appears to be an effective way to treat COVID-19 symptoms.
Gates: "Although the percentage of the HIV burden [The number of affected people] that’s in developed countries is actually very small, at roughly 5%, the spending to help those patients is a significant portion of the total globally. Gilead Sciences, which has made a lot of money from HIV-related drugs, including Tenofovir, is our partner in using Tenofovir as a daily-dose prophylactic in the developing world. It had some good results, but the adherence on a daily prophylactic was very poor."
Gates-funded program will soon offer home-testing kits for new coronavirus (seattletimes)
Testing for the novel coronavirus in the Seattle area will get a huge boost in the coming weeks as a project funded by Bill Gates and his foundation begins offering home-testing kits that will allow people who fear they may be infected to swab their noses and send the samples back for analysis.
COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator (gatesfoundation.org)
That is why today, we are joining forces with Wellcome and Mastercard to beef up our response—backed by $125 million in both new funding and money already earmarked to tackle this epidemic. The money will be used to identify potential treatments for COVID-19, accelerate their development, and prepare for the manufacture of millions of doses for use worldwide. The expertise of pharmaceutical companies will be critical to this endeavor, named the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator.
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Are People With ADHD Better at Creative Tasks? (scientificamerican)
Three aspects of creative cognition are divergent thinking, conceptual expansion and overcoming knowledge constraints... Previous research has established that individuals with ADHD are exceptionally good at divergent thinking tasks, such as inventing creative new uses for everyday objects, and brainstorming new features for an innovative cell phone device. In a new study, college students with ADHD scored higher than non-ADHD peers on two tasks that tapped conceptual expansion and the ability to overcome knowledge constraints. Together with previous research, these new findings link ADHD to all three elements of the creative cognition trio...
