All posts by nedhamson

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

Scientists warn it may be years before students can return to school without masks, social distancing

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Scientists warn it could take years before students and teachers can return to in-person education safely without masks, social distancing and other coronavirus measures.

As Georgia Reopened, Officials Knew of Severe Shortage of PPE for Health Workers | Kaiser Health News (Georgia stepped into the void with eyes wide shut to safety)

Georgia on April 19 had 932,620 N95 respirator masks — one of the best protections for health workers against infection — and expected to burn through nearly 7 million within a month. It urgently needed to buy 1.4 million more, according to documents obtained by the Brown Institute for Media Innovation and shared with KHN. For gowns, officials expected to go through 16.1 million in 30 days, a staggering amount compared with the 21,810 the state had at the time.

“Making progress with PPE needs. Biggest challenge now is gowns and we are working it,” Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency Director Homer Bryson wrote on April 19 to two of Gov. Brian Kemp’s senior-most aides.

Even so, one day later, the first-term Republican governor announced he would begin to reopen the state’s economy, including gyms, restaurants, hair salons, theaters and a host of other businesses.

Between March 16 and Aug. 9, 48 COVID-19-related complaints regarding inadequate PPE in Georgia health care facilities were closed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the federal agency responsible for workplace safety. The PPE complaints accounted for the majority — roughly 6 in 10 — of Georgia’s COVID-19 complaints submitted to OSHA during the four-month period.

In April and May, “we received thousands of requests for N95 masks, but we couldn’t get our hands on the right materials to even make an N95 mask,” said Caroline Dunn, Atlanta Beats COVID-19’s communications coordinator.

Source: As Georgia Reopened, Officials Knew of Severe Shortage of PPE for Health Workers | Kaiser Health News

Blood Plasma Treatment for Covid-19 Now on Hold at F.D.A. – The New York Times

That study found a statistically significant benefit only when patients were treated within three days of admission and when the plasma contained a high concentration of antibodies.

Last month, one such trial in the Netherlands was stopped when researchers realized that patients given plasma showed no difference in mortality, length of hospital stay or disease severity compared with those given a placebo. Most of the patients had already developed their own antibodies by the time they entered the study, the researchers noted.

 

Mali officers propose civil transition — AFRICA DIPLOMATIC

After months of civil unrest, and absence of any meaningful response to the demands of the people, Mali military took the lead announcing their plan to nation on moving towards a civil and political transition. #Mali : vers une transition civile et politique. Les accords internationaux seront respectés y compris l’accord avec les rebelles Touaregs. […]

Mali officers propose civil transition — AFRICA DIPLOMATIC

Undermining The Process — In Saner Thought

There is lots of news these days about Trump and his minions undermining the election process for 2020….almost daily there seems to be a new accusation that the voting process is either being ruined or compromised. Unless you watch the news every hour then you will most likely miss many of these attempts…..and that is […]

Undermining The Process — In Saner Thought

Coronavirus vaccine should be mandatory in Australia: PM Morrison, Australia/NZ News & Top Stories – The Straits Times

After reaching a deal for the country to manufacture a “promising” vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, Morrison said getting the jab should be “as mandatory as you can possibly make it”.

“There are always exemptions for any vaccine on medical grounds, but that should be the only basis,” he told radio station 3AW in Melbourne.

 

Source: Coronavirus vaccine should be mandatory in Australia: PM Morrison, Australia/NZ News & Top Stories – The Straits Times

Trump campaign Russia contacts were ‘grave threat’, says Senate report – BBC News

The report concluded that the Kremlin “engaged in an aggressive, multifaceted effort to influence, or attempt to influence” the 2016 election, and that some Trump associates were keen on help from Russia.

It said the Trump campaign, with many affiliates who had no government experience, were easy targets for foreign influence.

The committee also highlighted the role of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, who was convicted of conspiracy and fraud charges during the Mueller inquiry.

Manafort’s contact with Russian oligarchs and intelligence affiliates – namely Konstantin Kilimnik- and his access to Mr Trump “created opportunities for Russian intelligence services to exert influence over, and acquire confidential information on, the Trump Campaign,” the committee alleges.

The committee also reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin was behind the WikiLeaks effort to hack Democratic Party officials and leak information to damage Hillary Clinton’s campaign.

The report confirmed Kremlin used Manafort and WikiLeaks to help Mr Trump win the 2016 election, and that WikiLeaks was aware it was assisting Russian intelligence.

 

Source: Trump campaign Russia contacts were ‘grave threat’, says Senate report – BBC News