Nurses to anti-lockdown activists: My life's on the line. Go home

Yetta Timothy says it was heartbreaking to watch people rallying outside Pennsylvania's capitol building earlier this month to try to pressure the governor to lift a shelter-in-place order meant to stem the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus. But the registered nursing assistant from Harrisburg, the state capital, stood there anyway, urging the protesters to go home. "I was heartbroken standing there watching and hearing all those cars honking and then holding up their signs," said Timothy, who held a poster during the protest that read: "My life is on the line. Go home!" "It's not that we're going to be shut down forever, people; it's just that we need to be shut down for just a little longer until this [pandemic] passes. Allow it to pass." More: US doctors go online to reveal 'bold, loud' coronavirus truths What and who is behind the US anti-lockdown protests? US medical workers stand up to anti-lockdown protesters About 2,000 people joined the rally to reopen Pennsylvania on April 20, local media reported. It was one of several protests organised across the United States to urge state leaders to lift shelter-in-place directives and get people back to work. Eric Feigl-Ding ✔ @DrEricDing Nurses now fighting back against anti-lockdown in Harrisburg, PA. I love all the nurses standing up for public health across the country. #COVID19 View image on Twitter 960 3:19 AM - Apr 21, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy 308 people are talking about this While these rallies are often sparsely attended, many people have raised concerns about how coronavirus-related restrictions are affecting them financially, and some are struggling to pay their rent or mortgages, buy groceries and otherwise support their families. About 26.5 million US citizens filed for unemployment in the five weeks to April 18 and White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett warned on Sunday that the national unemployment rate could eventually hit 16 percent. Some US states, such as Georgia, have started to allow certain businesses to reopen in an attempt to jumpstart their economies. But political leaders, public health experts and front-line healthcare workers like Timothy have urged people to be patient and remain at home to prevent COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, from spreading. "It's not time to reopen the state of Pennsylvania. It's not time," said Timothy, who works at a nursing home. "I know there's other states that have already reopened and I feel like that's just a disaster waiting to happen." Economic concerns US President Donald Trump in mid-April unveiled his "Opening Up America Again" plan to stimulate the economy. Before they can reopen, states are advised to meet certain criteria, such as robust coronavirus testing capacity and a downward arc of COVID-19 cases. The US government also approved a plan to send stimulus cheques to qualifying citizens to help people make ends meet during the pandemic. But while the one-time payment of up to $1,200 is welcome, it is not enough to meet most people's needs. Matthew Bellis, a member of the group ReOpen PA (Pennsylvania), which organised the rally in Harrisburg, said people were struggling under the shelter-in-place orders. "The government needs to understand that we as individuals are being responsible, we are trying to take measures to be safe, but we can't hamper the economy any more because the economy is directly tied to not only people's livelihoods, but their life," Bellis told local KDKA-Radio host Wendy Bell on April 16. "We're not treated as free citizens. We're treated as subordinates, subjects and we're not going to allow that any more." That message has popped up at rallies across several US states. US anti-lockdown protests People gather near the North Carolina Legislative Building to protest against the current stay-at-home orders issued by Governor Roy Cooper amid the current coronavirus outbreak in Raleigh, North Carolina [Gerry Broome/AP Photo] On April 15, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear held a news conference while protesters rallied outside the capitol building in Frankfort demanding that he reopen local businesses. "Gov Beshear I can protect myself thank you," read a sign. "Our rights don't end where your fear begins!" read another. But Beshear told reporters that reopening the state immediately "would absolutely kill people". "My job isn't to make the popular decision, but the right decision and the decision that saves people's lives," he said. Many of the movements to reopen US states also quickly veer into right-wing and often conspiratorial talking points. The ReOpen Ohio Facebook group's discussion board, for example, features a series of posts that question the number of COVID-19 cases in the country, criticise "the Left" and US media outlets and compare public health officials to fascists. 'We haven't reached the ground' While the protests have drawn thousands, most Americans appear to be abiding by stay-at-home orders and many fear they may be lifted too soon. Seventy-one percent of US citizens are worried about lifting shelter-in-place restrictions too quickly, compared with 29 percent who are more worried about doing it too slowly, according to a Yahoo News/YouGov poll released on April 20. Only seven percent of people - one in 14 Americans - said communities should reopen immediately, the same poll found. Healthcare workers denver Healthcare workers stand in the street in a counterprotest against hundreds of people who gathered at the State Capitol to demand the stay-at-home order be lifted in Denver, Colorado [Alyson McClaran/Reuters] Health workers like Timothy are increasingly coming out - though following social distancing guidelines and wearing PPE - to protest against the anti-lockdown demonstrators. At least a dozen healthcare workers wearing masks stood across from anti-lockdown protesters in North Carolina on Tuesday, according to US media. They held signs that read: "Stay at home for me" and "I can't believe I have to show up here too." Similar actions have taken place in Virginia and Colorado. Maureen Casey, a registered nurse who works at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Pennsylvania, said she understood people's frustrations and economic anxieties at this difficult time. But she said that opening communities up before it is safe would be detrimental to everyone. "To say that, 'I'm willing to risk my health, I want to go back to work,' great. But you're not risking your own health, you're risking other people's health," she told Al Jazeera. US anti-lockdown protests A demonstrator tries to block the sign of counter-protester Dr Erich Bruhn during a protest against lockdown measures put into place because of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Richmond, Virginia [Leah Millis/Reuters] Casey said she believed many of the protesters demanding states reopen immediately did not understand just how infectious and dangerous COVID-19 is - or perhaps did not have family members or loved ones who have fallen ill with the virus. "If there were a way to have some of these people come in … and hold the iPad for the patient while they say goodbye to their loved ones because they're about to be intubated, I think then they would understand," she said. "Opening everything up would be like saying, 'Oh this parachute has slowed my descent enough, I think I can take it off now,' before you've actually reached the ground," Casey added. "We haven't reached the ground yet." SOURCE: AL JAZEERA NEWS Coronavirus pandemic United States US & Canada Health Business & Economy Advertisement NEWS/ASIA PACIFIC S Korea reports no new domestic coronavirus cases: Live updates Local infections in South Korea fall to zero for first time since its coronavirus outbreak began two months ago. 30 Apr 2020 01:51 GMT The US economy has taken its hardest hit since the height of the Great Recession, with its GDP contracting 4.8 percent in the first quarter of the year. The chief of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus defended the body's record in its response to the new coronavirus, saying it has acted "quickly and decisively" since the beginning. Worldwide, the number of confirmed infections stood at 3.1 million, with more than 224,600 deaths and 957,000 recoveries. US health expert Anthony Fauci welcomed the news that experimental antiviral drug remdesivir helped improve outcomes for COVID-19 patients during a clinical trial by Gilead Sciences Inc. Here are the latest updates: Thursday, April 30 01:41 GMT - South Korea reports no new domestic coronavirus cases Health authorities in South Korea say they recorded no new domestic cases of coronavirus infections at the end of Wednesday, a first for the country since its outbreak began more than two months ago. However, there are four new imported cases, says the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The figure takes the national tally to 10,765. The death toll is up by one to 247. COVID-19: More than one million infected in US (2:27) 01:01 GMT - European lockdowns could avert 11,300 air pollution deaths Improved air quality in Europe due to lockdowns to combat the coronavirus pandemic is delivering health benefits equivalent to avoiding 11,300 premature deaths, according to research published on Thursday. Researchers extrapolated the likely affect on diseases caused or made worse by air pollution, which has fallen dramatically as hundreds of millions of people have stayed at home over the past month. "You could compare it to everyone in Europe stopping smoking for a month," says Lauri Myllyvirta, lead analyst at the Helsinki-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, which conducted the study. "Our analysis highlights the tremendous benefits for public health and quality of life that could be achieved by rapidly reducing fossil fuels in a sustained and sustainable way." 00:33 GMT - Cities face 100 million 'new poor' in post-pandemic world About 100 million people living in cities worldwide will likely fall into poverty due to the coronavirus pandemic, experts say, calling for mapping tools to identify vulnerable communities and investment focusing on slum areas. "Within cities, we need to focus on those who need help the most, the poor and the vulnerable have been very seriously affected," says Sameh Wahba, global director for the World Bank's urban, disaster risk management, resilience and land global practice. "Our estimate is that there will be possibly upward of a 100 million so-called 'new poor' on account of loses of jobs and livelihoods and income," Wahba tells a webinar with members of the media. Without data, government food and financial aid is not reaching slum areas where about one billion people live worldwide, adds activist Sheela Patel. COVID-19: A moment of silence for fallen front-line workers in UK (2:44) 00:26 GMT - UK to test 100,000 people to check coronavirus spread The United Kingdom's health ministry says it plans to test a randomly chosen group of 100,000 people for the new coronavirus as part of its efforts to understand infection rates better before loosening restrictions on the public. The tests to see if people are currently infected with the respiratory disease is led by London's Imperial College and polling company Ipsos MORI. The chosen people will be sent self-testing kits to see if they are infected. Britain's government is due to review next week whether to relax a nationwide lockdown brought in on March 23 to slow the spread of the coronavirus, which has so far killed more than 26,000 people in Britain. Hello and welcome to Al Jazeera's continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. I'm Zaheena Rasheed in Male, Maldives. You can find all the key developments from yesterday, April 29, here. SOURCE: AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES Coronavirus pandemic Asia Pacific China United Kingdom Europe NEWS/UNITED STATES 'A drug can block coronavirus': Gilead's remdesivir raises hopes Top US scientist Anthony Fauci says the drug reduced the time it took for some patients to recover by 31 percent. 29 Apr 2020 19:37 GMT An ampule of the drug remdesivir is pictured during a news conference at the University Hospital Eppendorf in Hamburg, Germany [File: Ulrich Perrey/Pool/Reuters] An ampule of the drug remdesivir is pictured during a news conference at the University Hospital Eppendorf in Hamburg, Germany [File: Ulrich Perrey/Pool/Reuters] An experimental drug has proved effective against the new coronavirus in a major study, shortening the time it takes for patients to recover by four days on average, United States government and company officials announced Wednesday. Gilead Sciences' remdesivir is the first treatment to pass such a strict test against the virus, which has killed more than 224,000 people since it emerged late last year in China. Having a treatment could have a profound effect on the global pandemic, especially because health officials say any vaccine is likely a year or more away. More: Trump orders US meat factories to stay open despite virus cases Poll: Most in US will avoid public events until vaccine available US struggles to reopen as coronavirus cases hit 1 million mark The study, run by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), tested remdesivir versus usual care in 1,063 hospitalised coronavirus patients around the world. At the White House, Dr Anthony Fauci, the director of the NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the drug reduced the time it takes patients to recover by 31 percent - 11 days on average versus 15 days for those just given usual care. He also said there was a trend towards fewer deaths among those on remdesivir, and that full results would soon be published in a medical journal. "What it has proven is that a drug can block this virus," Fauci said. "This will be the standard of care," he added. "The data shows that remdesivir has a clear-cut, significant, positive effect in diminishing the time to recovery." A statement from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says that the agency has been talking with California-based Gilead "regarding making remdesivir available to patients as quickly as possible, as appropriate." The FDA plans to announce an emergency-use authorisation for remdesivir, according to The New York Times. The authorisation for the investigational coronavirus treatment could come as soon as Wednesday, the Times reported, citing a senior administration official. Remdesivir is among many treatments being tested against the coronavirus, but was the farthest along in study. The drug is given intravenously and is designed to interfere with the virus's ability to copy its genetic material. In animal tests against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), diseases caused by similar coronaviruses, the drug helped prevent infection and reduced the severity of symptoms when given early enough in the course of illness. But it is not yet approved anywhere in the world for any use. vaccine coronavirus A researcher working in a lab at the Duke-NUS Medical School, which is developing a way to track genetic changes that speed testing of vaccines against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Singapore [File: Joseph Campbell/Reuters] The NIH study quickly enrolled its original goal of 440 patients and then was expanded to give more answers to questions such as which subgroups may or may not benefit, and to explore other factors that may affect success, such as how early in the course of illness the drug was given. The study's main goal was also altered. Originally, it was aimed at determining the percentage of patients having various outcomes such as needing a breathing machine, fully recovered or dying 15 days after starting treatment. The new main goal is determining the time to recovery, such as no longer needing oxygen or hospitalisation. "We are excited and optimistic," said one expert, Vanderbilt University's Dr Mark Denison. His lab first tested remdesivir's efficacy against other coronaviruses in 2013 and has done much research on the drug since, but was not involved in the NIH study. "It's active against every coronavirus that we've ever tested," he said. "It was very hard for the virus to develop resistance to remdesivir. That means the drug would likely be effective over longer-term use." Other studies A less encouraging picture came from partial results from a separate study published on Wednesday in the British medical journal The Lancet. The study tested remdesivir in severely ill patients in China. Treatment did not speed recovery in that study, which was stopped after only 237 of a planned 453 patients were enrolled. Researchers gave 158 people the drug and 79 others got usual care. Separately on Wednesday, Gilead announced partial results from its own ongoing study of the drug in severely ill, hospitalised COVID-19 patients. The company said patients treated for five days "achieved similar improvement" in health as others treated for 10 days. However, that result is hard to interpret because there is no comparison group of people getting usual care, so it's impossible to know how much patients would have improved on their own. The company also said no new safety problems emerged in that study, and that it would publish results in a medical journal soon. Gilead is also testing remdesivir in a separate study of moderately ill coronavirus patients. No results have yet been announced from that study, which does have a comparison group getting usual care. Aside from these studies, Gilead also has given remdesivir to more than 1,700 patients on a case-by-case emergency basis. In other treatment-related news this week, two studies gave updates on anti-inflammatory drugs that aim to tamp down the severe inflammation that often develops in later stages of severe COVID-19 and often proves fatal. A French hospital consortium reported success with using Acetemra, a Roche drug sold for rheumatoid arthritis and some other conditions, in a study of 129 coronavirus patients where 65 got the drug and the rest, usual care. No details were released; doctors said they were preparing to publish results. A similar drug, Kevzara, did not work as well at low doses in a study of severely ill coronavirus patients, its makers Sanofi and Regeneron said. They are, however, continuing to test it at higher doses in critically ill patients. SOURCE: AP NEWS AGENCY