Health

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Sheri Fink at the NYT reports that Center for Disease Control scientific modeler Matthew Biggerstaff estimated in a conference call that the coronavirus pandemic could last for many months or as long as a year and could infect half to two-thirds of the population of the United States. Between 200,000 […]

Archaeology

In Ancient Greek Thought, Plagues Follow on Bad Leadership

Juan Cole

By Joel Christensen | – In the fifth century B.C., the playwright Sophocles begins “Oedipus Tyrannos” with the title character struggling to identify the cause of a plague striking his city, Thebes. (Spoiler alert: It’s his own bad leadership.) As someone who writes about early Greek poetry, I spend a lot of time thinking about […]

Epidemics

Accusing US of “Medical Terrorism,” Iran Demands Trump Lift Economic Blockade amid Coronavirus

Common Dreams

By Jake Johnson, staff writer | – (Commondreams.org) – Facing a humanitarian crisis with at least 9,000 coronavirus cases nationwide and a death toll of more than 350 people, Iranian officials on Wednesday demanded that the U.S. lift crippling … sanctions that Tehran says have hindered the government’s ability to respond effectively to the outbreak. […]

Epidemics

Netanyahu devastates Israeli Tourism with universal Quarantine to Avoid highlighting Trump Covid-19 Failures

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Trump administration has become well known for caring much more about how the coronavirus outbreak might make Trump look than about actually avoiding the pandemic. The Chinese quick quarantines last fall should have given the administration time to prepare, but its practical steps in mid-March of 2020 are still […]

Epidemics

Rapid Spread of Virus Further Tests Iranians’ Faith in Government

Human Rights Watch

Successful Measures to Contain Coronavirus Require Public Trust

Epidemics

Will DC’s Neoliberal Model of Drug Costing Finally Kill Us All? Why is there even a debate on whether any Coronavirus Vaccine Should be Free?

John Buell

Southwest Harbor, Maine (Special to Informed Comment) – Why is there even a question as to whether any Cov19 vaccine or diagnostic test kit should be free? Vaccines and diagnostic tests are essential components of any public health program, not merely conveniences to an isolated individual. When symptomatic patients are tested for a disease, indispensable […]

Donald Trump

Why Mike Pence is the Worst Choice to Lead a Coronavirus Response

Jill Richardson

( Otherwords.org ) -The former Indiana governor presided over the state’s worst ever HIV outbreak. His ignorance made it worse. A year after Trump took office, Saturday Night Live did a sketch called “What Even Matters Anymore?” Game show host Jessica Chastain read a list of outrageous things Trump has done and asked, “Does it […]

Epidemics

How many Iranians will die of Coronavirus because of Trump’s Economic Blockade on that Country?

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Babak Dehghanpisheh at Reuters reports that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced on Thursday that the coronavirus Covid-19 has spread to nearly all of the 31 provinces of the huge country (Iran is as big geographically as Spain, France and Germany combined, and its population rivals that of Germany at 81 […]

Epidemics

Heckuva Job, Pencie! A US ruled for and by the Rich leaves Workers at Risk for Coronavirus

John Buell

Southwest Harbor, Maine (Special to Informed Comment) – Is the United States prepared to deal with a public health emergency? At this point such an emergency seems likely, but, even if it were not, the consequence of inaction are catastrophic and must be planned for. Preparation for a national health emergency depends on two variables, […]