Category Archives: Pandemic

Covid-19 Economic Realities Sinking in as Denialism Wanes, Desperation Rises

Putting some ugly Covid-19 facts together.

While EU Leaders Squabble, The Elephant in the Room Remains Unnoticed

Why the EU Covid-19 rescue program is destined to be a sick joke.

Hysteria Ensues as Trump Administration Orders Hospitals to Send COVID-19 Data to HHS, not the CDC

When HHS decided to take COVID-19 data collection away from CDC, that might have been a smart move.

Mask Mandates and Other Lockdown Policies Reduced the Spread of Covid-19 in the US

If the US had on 1 April 2020 universally mandated that employees of public-facing businesses use masks, there could have been nearly 40% fewer deaths by the start of June.

The European Union’s Fateful Choices for Recovery – An Italian Perspective

To fight COVID-19, the European Union must recognize that spending restraints have to go.

COVID-19 Mistakes to Avoid: Don’t Mix Up Prophylaxis and Cure

Big Pharma is promoting untested proprietary vaccines and therapies and giving short shrift to repurposing cheaper generic alternatives.

Trump Admin Retracts Rule that Would Have Cancelled Visas for Foreign College Students Who Only Study Online

Trump backs down on plan too toss out foreign students who are forced to study on-line, as many universities circumscribe in-person classes,

Coronavirus Shows the Dangers of Letting Market Forces Govern Health and Social Care

The coronavirus crisis showcases the folly of letting the market determine health and social care: high time for governments to listen,

COVID-19 Mistakes to Avoid: Don’t Conflate Contact Tracing with Contact Tracing By App

Big Tech and Big Pharma each has a dog in the COVID-19 fight and wish to replace what has worked before and is working now with technofixes.

Save the Tiger, Shift to other Big Cats: Illegal Wildlife Trafficking and the Rise in Zoonotic Diseases

Second UN Office on Drugs and Crime World Wildife Crime Report connects illegal wildlife trade to increase in zoonotic diseases.

Next Showdown in Congress: Protecting Workers vs. Protecting Employers in the Pandemic

Next showdown in Congress over CoVID-19 relief legislation: protecting workers or shielding employers from lawsuits.

Financialization: Tackling the Other Virus

The COVID-19 pandemic provides an opportunity to tackle another virus that has spread throughout the world since the 1970s: financialization.

Wolf Richter: The Great American Shale Oil & Gas Massacre: Bankruptcies, Defaulted Debts, Worthless Shares, Collapsed Prices of Oil & Gas

The day of reckoning has arrived in oil and gas. A record number of companies have filed for bankruptcy. with the epicenter in Texas.

Covid-19 Bankruptcies Bleeding Out Jobs, Economic Capacity

Covid-19 bankrupties show how the disease is draining the economy.