Bioethics
Global survey finds 44% of cardiologists report a hostile work environment. Higher rates were found among women (68%) vs. men (37%).
20 May, 2021 | 08:35h | UTCGlobal Prevalence and Impact of Hostility, Discrimination, and Harassment in the Cardiology Workplace – Journal of the American College of Cardiology (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Editorial: Hostile Work Environment: A Case of the Emperor’s New Clothes
Commentary: Hostility Is Common in Cardiology: Can a New ACC/AHA Statement Help? – TCTMD
Commentary on Twitter
Global Prevalence and Impact of Hostility, Discrimination, and Harassment in the Cardiology Workplace – PubMed. A global problem for cardiology….What would you do… if it was career damaging to say nothing…and career damaging to speak up? https://t.co/uutfsMXOsx
— A/Prof Sonya Burgess (@drsonyaburgess) May 15, 2021
Perspective | Covid-19: What should we do about B.1.617.2? A classic case of decision making under uncertainty.
19 May, 2021 | 08:48h | UTC
Opinion | Vaccinating children before poor morally wrong, Oxford scientist says.
19 May, 2021 | 08:44h | UTCVaccinating children before poor morally wrong, Oxford scientist says – BBC
Related: WHO: Wealthy nations urged to delay youth Covid vaccines, donate to solidarity scheme AND Editorial: Vaccinating children against SARS-CoV-2 – “Hard to justify right now for most children in most countries”. AND Opinion | American Kids Can Wait – “The U.S. should delay shots for children until global vaccine-manufacturing capacity significantly expands and the crisis in India subsides”.
Former CDC director: Direct Covid-19 vaccines to where they’re needed most.
19 May, 2021 | 08:42h | UTCFormer CDC director: Direct Covid-19 vaccines to where they’re needed most – CNN
Commentary on Twitter
Vaccine inequity is a serious problem ethically and epidemiologically. Read my latest at @CNN on why we must direct Covid vaccines to where they’re needed the most. https://t.co/2CD5xzI00h
— Dr. Tom Frieden (@DrTomFrieden) May 17, 2021
WHO: Wealthy nations urged to delay youth Covid vaccines, donate to solidarity scheme
17 May, 2021 | 08:40h | UTCCommentaries: Vaccinate vulnerable global poor before children in rich countries, WHO says – The Guardian AND Covid: Delay child vaccinations and share jabs with Covax, says WHO – BBC
Unnecessary care? 1 in 3 patients with advanced dementia and atrial fibrillation still given anticoagulants.
17 May, 2021 | 08:13h | UTCOriginal study: Anticoagulant Use for Atrial Fibrillation Among Persons With Advanced Dementia at the End of Life – JAMA Internal Medicine (free for a limited period)
Editorial: Anticoagulation at the End of Life: Time for a Rational Framework (free for a limited period)
Opinion | Reconceptualizing how to support surrogates making medical decisions for critically ill patients.
17 May, 2021 | 08:08h | UTCReconceptualizing How to Support Surrogates Making Medical Decisions for Critically Ill Patients – JAMA (free for a limited period)
Perspective | The Covid-19 Infodemic — Applying the Epidemiologic Model to Counter Misinformation.
14 May, 2021 | 08:44h | UTCCommentary: Treating the COVID-19 ‘infodemic’ as an epidemic – University of Pennsylvania
Editorial: Vaccinating children against SARS-CoV-2 – “Hard to justify right now for most children in most countries”.
14 May, 2021 | 08:39h | UTCVaccinating children against SARS-CoV-2 – The BMJ
Related: Pfizer COVID-19 shot expanded to US children as young as 12.
Opinion | Let’s banish the term ‘patient’ from the health care lexicon.
14 May, 2021 | 08:19h | UTCLet’s banish the term ‘patient’ from the health care lexicon – STAT
Report | COVID-19: Make it the Last Pandemic
13 May, 2021 | 06:09h | UTCCOVID-19: Make it the Last Pandemic – Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response
Commentaries: Report of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response: making COVID-19 the last pandemic – The Lancet AND WHO ‘needs more powers’ says independent panel co-chair Helen Clark – Devex AND COVID-19 Was ‘A Preventable Disaster,’ WHO-Ordered Report Says – NPR AND How the world failed to curb COVID – Nature AND Panel suggests WHO should have more power to stop pandemics – Associated Press AND ‘A toxic cocktail:’ Panel delivers harsh verdict on the world’s failure to prepare for pandemic – Science AND Covid: Serious failures in WHO and global response, report finds – BBC AND Covid pandemic should serve as ‘Chernobyl moment’ for global health reform, international experts say – STAT
Commentary on Twitter
For the past 8 months, @TheIndPanel has been examining the state of #pandemic preparedness and responses to #COVID19. In a new report, they describe 13 key events that shaped its course, and outline recommendations to make this the #LastPandemic. Read https://t.co/KrcBTFEZ3J. pic.twitter.com/exH80QZ9Xl
— The Lancet (@TheLancet) May 12, 2021
Opinion | American Kids Can Wait – “The U.S. should delay shots for children until global vaccine-manufacturing capacity significantly expands and the crisis in India subsides”.
13 May, 2021 | 06:04h | UTCAmerican Kids Can Wait – The Atlantic
Commentary on Twitter
Now in the Atlantic, @TracyBethHoeg @MonicaGandhi9 and I argue that we ought to vaccinate OLDER people around the globe before we vaccinate children in high income nations. It is in OUR best interest to do sohttps://t.co/B0O8xj4fo1
— Vinay Prasad MD MPH (@VPrasadMDMPH) May 12, 2021
Pfizer COVID-19 shot expanded to US children as young as 12.
12 May, 2021 | 08:53h | UTCPfizer COVID-19 shot expanded to US children as young as 12 – Associated Press
Counterpoint: Covid vaccines for children should not get emergency use authorization – The BMJ Opinion
Commentaries: Covid-19: FDA authorises Pfizer vaccine for children 12-15 – The BMJ AND Expert reaction to U.S. FDA authorising Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in adolescents – Science Media Centre
Analysis: Covid-19: How will a waiver on vaccine patents affect global supply?
11 May, 2021 | 09:17h | UTCCovid-19: How will a waiver on vaccine patents affect global supply? – The BMJ
Related Podcast: Coronapod: Waiving vaccine patents and coronavirus genome data disputes – Nature
Editorial | “Peeling off musculoskeletal labels: sticks and stones may break my bones, but diagnostic labels can hamstring me forever”
11 May, 2021 | 08:59h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter
Grateful to share our new @BJSM_BMJ editorial @KarimKhan_IMHA @DrLouiseTulloh
Peeling off musculoskeletal labels: sticks and stones may break my bones, but diagnostic labels can hamstring me forever
📄🔓 https://t.co/5LAEUNK6d2#PreventingOverdiagnosis #TooMuchMedicine pic.twitter.com/ZD0CyxmGHp
— Daniel Friedman (@ddfriedman) May 6, 2021
Drugs tested in low- and middle-income countries are often not available for use in these countries even after a few years.
10 May, 2021 | 00:54h | UTC
Commentary on Twitter
Sharing benefits and burdens of clinical research? Or not…
Of 70 countries enrolling pts. for new-drug trials, 7% got market access to the drugs they helped test <1 year after FDA approval, 31% did so at 5 years. Lowest access in Africa & Middle East🤨https://t.co/p2uCP43hOG pic.twitter.com/cqsucO1kxP
— Søren M Bentzen (@SorenBentzen) May 6, 2021
Opinion | Covid-19: Sputnik vaccine rockets, thanks to Lancet boost
7 May, 2021 | 08:31h | UTCCovid-19: Sputnik vaccine rockets, thanks to Lancet boost – The BMJ
Commentary on Twitter
Journals risk being used in place of regulators when they publish studies of novel vaccines that have not yet been authorised by a major regulator @DoctorChrisVT unpicks the story of the Sputnik V vaccine https://t.co/lYf7l0lXcy
— The BMJ (@bmj_latest) May 6, 2021
Perspective | The weird science of the placebo effect keeps getting more interesting
7 May, 2021 | 08:17h | UTCThe weird science of the placebo effect keeps getting more interesting – Vox
In shock move, US backs waiving patents on COVID vaccines. “The development from the Biden administration draws cheers from public health researchers and ire from drugmakers.”
6 May, 2021 | 09:10h | UTCIn shock move, US backs waiving patents on COVID vaccines – Nature
See also: U.S. will back proposal to waive intellectual property rights and boost Covid-19 vaccine production – STAT AND Statement from the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Winnie Byanyima on the decision by the United States of America to support the TRIPS waiver for COVID-19 vaccines – UNAIDS AND WHO Director-General commends United States decision to support temporary waiver on intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines – World Health Organization
Commentary on Twitter
These extraordinary times and circumstances of call for extraordinary measures.
The US supports the waiver of IP protections on COVID-19 vaccines to help end the pandemic and we’ll actively participate in @WTO negotiations to make that happen. pic.twitter.com/96ERlboZS8
— Ambassador Katherine Tai (@AmbassadorTai) May 5, 2021
Perspective | How many COVID deaths are acceptable in a post-pandemic world? “Even after mass vaccinations, some hospitalizations and deaths from the coronavirus are inevitable — but opinions differ on how many is too many for a return to relative normality.”
6 May, 2021 | 08:59h | UTCHow many COVID deaths are acceptable in a post-pandemic world? – Nature
Highly Recommended (video): The Culture Of Medicine Kills Doctors And Patients (w/Dr. Robert Pearl)
3 May, 2021 | 05:32h | UTCThe Culture Of Medicine Kills Doctors And Patients (w/Dr. Robert Pearl) – ZDoggMD
Debate: Should masks be worn outdoors?
30 Apr, 2021 | 08:21h | UTCShould masks be worn outdoors? – The BMJ
Commentaries: Experts debate on wearing masks outdoors – News Medical AND Do masks need to be worn outdoors? – Advanced Science News
Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
Who do so many of us go off about outdoor masking?
Because if governments can show its people that it's taking #COVID19 seriously by focusing on outdoor masking while ignoring the living and working conditions driving so many infections, we'll get nowhere.#endpandemictheatre
— Stefan Baral (@sdbaral) April 29, 2021
Opinion | The world could be doing much more to help India: Countries can’t go it alone in tackling Covid-19
30 Apr, 2021 | 08:16h | UTCThe world could be doing much more to help India – Vox
See also: WHO provides update on India’s surging epidemic second wave and variant B.1.617 – Science Speaks: Global ID News AND People Are Talking About A ‘Double Mutant’ Variant In India. What Does That Mean? – NPR AND WHO says India COVID crisis could ‘happen anywhere’ – MedicalXpress AND India’s COVID-19 Crisis Is Spiraling Out of Control. It Didn’t Have to Be This Way – TIME
Opinion | SARS-CoV-2 elimination, not mitigation, creates best outcomes for health, the economy, and civil liberties
30 Apr, 2021 | 08:12h | UTC
Counterpoint: Commentary on Twitter (thread – click for more)
Fantasy commentary letter in Lancet (not a peer reviewed study)!
It's an unreasonable proposition for most countries like the UK to achieve elimination + constraints of reality negates claimed economic and liberty benefits if attempted…
— Devan Sinha (@DevanSinha) April 29, 2021
Ethics Commission Position Statement: Admission criteria and management of critical care patients in a pandemic context – “Age cannot be used as the sole criterion for admission nor denial of access to ICU settings”
29 Apr, 2021 | 08:36h | UTC