All posts by nedhamson

Activist, writer, researcher, addicted to sharing information and facts.

FDA chief walks back comments on effectiveness of coronavirus plasma treatment

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The FDA’s decision to issue emergency use for the treatment came a day after President Donald Trump accused the agency of delaying enrollment in clinical trials for Covid-19 vaccines or therapeutics.

How Feds and States Make It Impossible for Tribal Epidemiologists to Do Their Jobs – Mother Jones

It’s not just a matter of making life harder for Native epidemiologists: They argue that the federal government has a Constitutional obligation to collect and share this data. That’s because in acquiring Indigenous lands, US leaders inked hundreds of treaties promising to provide basic services, including health care, to tribes. These treaties led to the creation of the federal IHS, which along with the CDC funds tribal centers that provide free health services. Yet report after report shows Congress failing to support Native health. In 2015, the National Congress of American Indians estimated that the IHS receives less than 60 percent of the money it needs to support its basic services. This year, the agency’s own workgroup found its $6 billion budget would have to be increased eightfold to bring Native health care into parity with the rest of the country’s. (The CARES Act gave the IHS an extra $1 billion.)

Chronic neglect has left Indian Country with an almost total lack of pandemic response infrastructure, says Oglala Lakota doctor Donald Warne, director of the University of North Dakota’s Indigenous Health program. “Most of it needs to be built from the ground up.” Tribal epidemiology centers, Warne says, would be a good place to start.

 

Source: How Feds and States Make It Impossible for Tribal Epidemiologists to Do Their Jobs – Mother Jones

University of Alabama reports more than 500 COVID-19 cases since classes resumed | TheHill

The University of Alabama has reported 531 coronavirus cases on campus since starting classes on Aug. 19, according to the university system’s COVID-19 dashboard.

The data on the dashboard reflects on-campus testing results and self-reported private lab results. It does not include the entry testing the school conducted before classes started.

According to a local ABC affiliate, University of Alabama President Stuart Bell called the rise in COVID-19 “unacceptable” since the school has guidelines in place to avoid gatherings such as parties.

 

Source: University of Alabama reports more than 500 COVID-19 cases since classes resumed | TheHill

RNC 2020 fact-check: Trump’s Covid-19 lie, refuted in one chart – Vox

The reality is that, under President Trump’s leadership, the United States has one of the highest rates of coronavirus in the world — far higher than our peer nations. Indeed, Trump’s entire argument can be refuted in a single chart. This one:

A chart comparing coronavirus cases in the US to those in other developed nations.

Source: RNC 2020 fact-check: Trump’s Covid-19 lie, refuted in one chart – Vox

COVID-19 Roundup: Cases spike at several universities; students punished for not following rules

Auburn University reported 207 new positive cases of COVID-19 from last week, including 202 students and five employees. Those numbers are a fivefold increase from the 41 positives cases reported during the previous week. The university has had 545 total positive cases since March.

Students packed bars in downtown Auburn over the weekend, AL.com reported. And officials now are investigating reports of students not wearing masks or practicing social distancing in the bars. The state of Alabama has a mask mandate in place until the end of the month.

The University of Alabama system on Monday published a dashboard showing cases at its various campuses. The dashboard reported 531 cumulative cases at the main campus in Tuscaloosa, where officials had previously declined to release the data.

And the city on Monday closed bars and suspended bar service at restaurants for two weeks, AL.com reported, to try to slow the spread of the virus.

“They have made tough decisions, and I appreciate Mayor Walt Maddox and the University of Alabama leadership for tackling a serious problem as quickly as possible,” Kay Ivey, the state’s Republican governor, said in a statement.

 

Source: COVID-19 Roundup: Cases spike at several universities; students punished for not following rules

Russian-backed organisations amplifying QAnon conspiracy theories, researchers say

Russian government-backed organisations are amplifying conspiracy theories promoted by QAnon, raising concerns of interference in the November US election, academics who study QAnon said.

The movement, launched in 2017 with anonymous web postings amplified by YouTube videos, is popular among supporters of US president Donald Trump. It claims that Trump is working to bring down an international child sex-trafficking ring run by satanic global elites, including Hollywood celebrities and the “deep state”.

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Russian government-backed organisations are amplifying conspiracy theories promoted by QAnon, raising concerns of interference in the November US election, academics who study QAnon said.

The movement, launched in 2017 with anonymous web postings amplified by YouTube videos, is popular among supporters of US president Donald Trump. It claims that Trump is working to bring down an international child sex-trafficking ring run by satanic global elites, including Hollywood celebrities and the “deep state”.

Researchers at Graphika, Stanford University and elsewhere, said there were no signs Russia was involved in the early days of the movement, but added that, as QAnon took on new topics, social media accounts controlled by a key Kremlin ally joined in.

Earlier, Russian government-backed media have stepped up coverage of QAnon, which began with a false proclamation Hillary Clinton would be arrested for an undetermined reason and now includes theories about child trafficking by Hollywood elites, the coronavirus and more.

“Though Russia is only one foreign actor capable of targeting US political audiences through the QAnon community, its history of operations appear to be the most ideologically aligned with the overarching QAnon theory. Russia also appears to have made the most effort to gain credibility within the community thus far”, the report said.