thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-23--I'm A Nurse Who Cares For Gender Surgery Patients. Here's Why I Love It So Much.

Photo Courtesy of Holly Lorka Work selfie
I’m an intensive care unit nurse in Austin. I work with the number one gender confirmation surgical team in the world, in a tiny hospital, in the middle of Texas. I get to tell my dad and strangers at parties, “I help make dicks and vaginas,” and that’s really fun, because my dad gets embarrassed easily. But what I should say is, “I help make people whole,” because that’s actually what my job is.
When my groggy patients open their eyes for the first time after surgery, I say, “Congratulations! Want to see?” I gently pull back the covers to reveal their new and appropriate parts and they well up with tears and then I well up with tears and we celebrate with morphine, because gender confirmation surgery hurts. As they nod back off I pat their hand and walk away, thinking, Goodnight, little bunny.
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When people ask me why I became a nurse, I have to tell them, “I don’t really know.” My college was paid for by an academic scholarship, and I thought I might use it to become an artist, or a writer, or an archeologist. My parents, who desperately wanted me to have a stable job with an actual income, put me on the phone with my aunt, who was a nurse. She told me all about job security, only working three days a week, and getting to wear pyjamas to work. I loved science and biology and pyjamas and thought, why not?
After I graduated I was very lucky and got hired into a cardiovascular ICU, where we took care of patients after their open-heart surgery. This was a trial by fire, and I went home after my shifts for the first two years to cry and drink a lot. People were code-bluing left and right, I had to yell “CLEAR” almost every shift (yes, we do that in real life), and I gave countless units of blood. It was hard, but it was also exciting and challenging, and I dug it. I liked it so much, in fact, that I got a tattoo of an anatomical heart on my arm.
Fifteen years into my career as a CVICU nurse, I moved to Austin and took a job at this very small hospital. Three years ago, I found out the gender confirmation team was coming to where I worked. The team wanted a small place with the right culture to ensure the proper treatment of their patients, because trans folks are often discriminated against even by medical professionals, even though gender dysphoria is a valid medical diagnosis.
The team did a check of our facility, realised we were all pretty decent humans who understood that being transgender is an actual thing, and decided to set up shop. My boss called me into her office to tell me and broke out into a big smile when she said, “They’ll need to be recovered in the ICU.”
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My boss knows some things about me.
I, myself, am genderqueer. I was born into the wrong body, or more likely without the proper hormones, and ended up with a vagina where my penis was supposed to be. I was a child of the ’70’s, though, so there was no discussion of tragedies like this. I thought I was a monster, I thought I’d have to kill myself ― the usual things.
I felt trapped in a body that I didn’t recognise, and that feeling just got worse with puberty. There was nothing I could do, nowhere I could go to escape, except into my dreams, in which I was the most handsome fuckboy that ever lived.
Luckily, I was blessed with an innate sense of optimism AND really dirty dreams. So, instead of killing myself, I distracted myself with intricate blowjob fantasies and learned to cope, or at least not let my despair consume me, and I made it to the present with a great acceptance and love for who I am. Now, I know I could transition, but I have grown used to who I am and choose instead to live in the middle and have great hair and confuse lots of folks at airport security.
I don’t want to make light of this situation. I am still overcome with waves of great longing for the body I didn’t get, the identity I don’t have. It never goes away. It’s just that I have found a place to put it.
For many people, this is not possible. They cannot abide the overwhelming grief and shame of living as the wrong person; it’s terribly lonely to have people know you as an incomplete or incorrect version of yourself. With the technology we now have ― that this unique surgical team has brought to this small hospital and that I can be a part of ― we can offer people the relief that most take for granted: the chance to be their authentic selves.
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She Writes Press Holly's memoir, out in October.
So, do you see how all of this is overwhelmingly serendipitous and important to me? I’m helping these people, and in the process, healing the version of myself that thought it had to die all those years ago. I’m using my pain and struggles to relate to my patients and let them know that they’re safe, that they’ll be well taken care of, and that they are seen. I feel so lucky that I get to be the one they wake up to, and I do my best to make it a celebration each time.
Gender confirmation surgery, otherwise known as bottom surgery, is generally the last step in a person’s transition. It’s the grand finale on their very long road. So we have a good time when we can, in between the pain meds and attempting to get out of bed for the first time and the walking in the halls with new body parts. All the while I am almost constantly examining their new dicks or vaginas to make sure everything is going well. I’m a dick expert now, folks! But I’m never getting one tattooed on my arm.
In the time of Covid-19, things are quite different. Because of lower bed availability, the number of surgeries we can do is strictly limited, so those who have been on a year-long wait list are now pushed back even further. I hate this for them.
On top of this, if they are lucky enough to make it onto our schedule and have the date stick and the operation completed, no family members are allowed in as support. Take a moment to consider that ― how frightening that must be, especially if there are complications. I do my best to step up and to be the point guard for the parents, wives and husbands, but my job is busy already. Now I need a secretary to help with all the extra communication. Newsflash: Nurses don’t get secretaries.
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We are all doing our best, but this is just a little extra important to me. This isn’t a knee replacement or a cellulitis patient ― these are MY people.
Now I punch into work, get report, and do genital checks with the off-going nurses, just to make sure everything looks right. If it’s a new dick, I get to do the hard work of checking circulation every hour in between asking the patient if they want me to measure it (always met with an excited YES) and coming up with a ridiculous name for it. I love naming dicks, and I’m good at it. Just ask the patients with the dicks named Bilbo Baggins, Louis Batton, or my favourite: 7&7, given right after I measured it. I am very professional.
Vaginas are easier to make surgically and need less time and attention, so I don’t get to name many of them. They tend to bleed, however, and we have to put these patients in mesh panties with a pad; you’ve never seen someone so excited to wear a pad.
My job is absurd and amazing, but it can be very difficult if there is a complication. Hands down the hardest part is watching someone who has just had the biggest and most important surgery of their life suffer a serious complication. It seems really unfair that such a thing could happen after someone waits their entire life to that point to be corrected, and it breaks my heart. Even more than the code blues used to.
But when things go well, as they usually do, it’s the best feeling to discharge these patients ― to release them out into the world as their true selves with their new and improved parts.
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When it’s time for them to go home, I’m always so happy to help them get dressed. Not because I’ve been staring at their genitals for days, but because it suddenly turns them into not just patients, but people who exist in their lives away from me. People who have struggled and have been brave enough to face a seemingly insurmountable problem and do something big to fix it.
I’m humbled by these people and their courage to become whole, and I get excited to see what they put on their new bodies. The guys inevitably pull out shiny gym shorts. My God, what is it with the shiny gym shorts?
The women, however, pull out all sorts of pretty things: summer dresses, cute slippers, and ALWAYS some great sunglasses ― which I let them wear in the hospital without giving them shit ― because they are newly on parade, and they’ve earned it. They’ve earned all of it.
Holly Lorka is a writer, storyteller, ICU nurse, and retired standup comedian. Her memoir, Handsome, will be released in October. This article first appeared on HuffPost Personal.
Have a compelling personal story you want to tell? Find out what we’re looking for here, and pitch us on ukpersonal@huffpost.com


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-23--Twitter Penalises Donald Trump Tweet For 'Making Misleading Health Claims'

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Twitter has placed a disclaimer on a recent post from Donald Trump, saying the tweet violated the company’s “civic and election integrity” rules and made “misleading health claims”.
The US president had claimed mail drop boxes which will be used by some voters to place their ballots during the US election in November “are not Covid sanitised” and are “a big fraud!”.
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In the same tweet, he said: “So now the Democrats are using Mail Drop Boxes, which are a voter security disaster. Among other things, they make it possible for a person to vote multiple times. Also, who controls them, are they placed in Republican or Democrat areas?”
In a tweet, Twitter said: “We placed a public interest notice on this Tweet for violating our Civic Integrity Policy for making misleading health claims that could potentially dissuade people from participation in voting.”
We placed a public interest notice on this Tweet for violating our Civic Integrity Policy for making misleading health claims that could potentially dissuade people from participation in voting. https://t.co/MA6E7mBpkm — Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) August 23, 2020
And in a disclaimer that greeted people before they could read the presdient’s tweet, they added: “Twitter has determined that it may be in the public’s interest for the tweet to remain accessible.”
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Democrats across the country are promoting drop boxes as a convenient and reliable option for voters who do not want to entrust their ballots to the US Postal Service (USPS).
Republican officials in other states have prevented their use.
Democrats are concerned the integrity of the USPS is being undermined by the president as for months Trump has tweeted about how the system will be used to rig the election despite there being no evidence that this will be the case.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-23--Trump Accuses FDA Of 'Deep State' Conspiracy Against Him Over COVID-19 Vaccine Testing

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President Donald Trump accused the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in a wildly paranoid tweet of a “deep state” conspiracy against him over COVID-19 vaccine testing.
Trump tweeted that the FDA was specifically out to hurt him — “obviously,” he tweeted — by delaying progress on a COVID-19 vaccine and treatment until after the presidential election.
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Critics, meanwhile, accused Trump of preparing to push an unproven vaccine to win his reelection despite the health risk to Americans.
Trump appeared to accuse the FDA in his tweet of interfering with drug company recruitment of subjects for testing vaccines and therapeutic medicines in the fight against the disease caused by the coronavirus.
Research labs are responsible for finding volunteer test subjects and conducting testing but must follow health guidelines enforced by the FDA to protect people’s lives.
FDA staff people meet with researchers and inspect clinical trial study sites to “protect the rights of patients and verify the quality and integrity of the data,” according to an FDA statement.
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The deep state, or whoever, over at the FDA is making it very difficult for drug companies to get people in order to test the vaccines and therapeutics. Obviously, they are hoping to delay the answer until after November 3rd. Must focus on speed, and saving lives! @SteveFDA — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 22, 2020
Trump tagged FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn in his tweet. Hahn, whom Trump named to his post last December, vowed last month in an NBC interview that the FDA “will not cut corners” to rush a risky vaccine. “We’re going to call the balls and strikes on this,” he said.
Hahn repeated that vow to doctors in a video briefing to the American Medical Association earlier this month, adding: “All of our decisions will continue to be based on good science and the same careful deliberative processes we have always used when reviewing medical products.”
Peter Marks, head of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said earlier this month in a call with officials and pharmaceutical representatives that he would resign if the Trump administration approves a vaccine before it’s proven to be safe and effective, Reuters reported.
“You have to decide where your red line is, and that’s my red line,” he told Reuters. “I would feel obligated [to quit] because in doing so, I would indicate to the American public that there’s something wrong.” Marks said he has not yet been under any political pressure to speed approval of an unproven vaccine.
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The FDA has not yet commented on Trump’s Saturday tweet attack.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Saturday called Trump’s wild “deep state” accusation “very scary” and a “very dangerous” statement. “Even for him it went beyond the pale in terms of how he would jeopardize the health and well-being of the American people,” she said at a Washington news briefing.
“The FDA has a responsibility to approve drugs, judging on their safety and their efficacy — not by a declaration from the White House about speed and politicizing the FDA,” Pelosi told reporters.
Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, also slammed Trump’s accusation as dangerous. “The American public needs to have absolutely no doubt FDA is basing its decisions on science — not the president’s conspiracy theories,” she said in a statement to HuffPost.
Trump previously said that a COVID-19 vaccine could be ready by election day, contradicting reputable health experts. Two U.S. companies are already in phase three clinical trials for vaccines, the final stage of testing, but final results will take months.
One of the companies, Moderna, must first finish enrolling participants — possibly by the end of September, CNN reported. Volunteers are then given their first shots. They must wait 28 days before receiving a second round of shots, then wait two weeks longer to determine if the vaccine is effective.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-23--Neighbours Describe ‘Loud Bang’ As Man Dies In Bradford House Roof Collapse

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Neighbours of a man who died when a chimney collapsed on to the roof of his house have said they heard a “loud bang” and screaming in the early hours of the morning.
A 47-year-old man suffered fatal injuries when debris from the roof fell into the bedroom of his home on Knight’s Fold, in the Great Horton area of Bradford, at about 5.06am on Sunday.
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His 28-year-old partner has been taken to hospital, where she is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries, West Yorkshire Police said.
A family from the next-door house, including three children, were taken from their property unharmed.
Paul Wright, 30, of nearby Southfield Lane, said he heard the woman screaming, after being woken up by the noise of the roof collapsing.
He said: “At about half past four this morning I heard a big, loud bang, like an explosion.
“I came out with my partner to see what had gone on and noticed one of the neighbour’s roofs had collapsed and then noticed all the emergency services come.
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“It’s a big tragedy to all the neighbours, what’s gone on, it’s just a big shock to everybody.
“They were lovely people, quiet, kept themselves to themselves. I’d only seen them a few times when they were walking their dogs but to me they just seemed nice, pleasant people and it’s just a big shock what’s happened.”
Wright added: “It took them the best part of an hour, over an hour, to get her out the house, which is understandable with all the roof that’s collapsed.
“They had to take the full window out to carry her out.”
Neighbour Simon Gott, 22, said the woman rang his mother, Jacqueline, shortly after the incident.
He said: “She rang my mum 10 minutes after it happened but my mum was asleep, so she must have been scared.”
Iqbal Zahir, who also lives on Southfield Lane, which joins on to Knight’s Fold, said: “It was about half past four in the morning and I heard a big bang. I opened the window and looked around but I couldn’t see anything.
“It’s really sad. It was the chimney, they need repairing, these are old houses.”
Awais Asghar, who works in a nearby corner shop, said: “A chimney collapsed straight on to their roof and straight through and unfortunately the man passed away. He was a regular customer of mine. They were a nice couple.”
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It is believed the couple lived in a single storey property on the short cul-de-sac, near busy Great Horton Road, and the chimney fell from an adjoining two-storey home and through their roof.
Building control surveyors were at the house on Sunday and workers from a building and maintenance company were boarding up windows and doors of the property.
Debris could be seen on the roof of the single-storey building and there was a large hole in the roof of the house next door.
Detective Inspector Claudine Binns, of Bradford District CID, said: “This has clearly been a tragic incident in which a man has lost his life and a woman has received some serious injuries.”
Yorkshire Ambulance Service confirmed that they had attended the scene and taken one patient to Leeds General Infirmary.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-23--Donald Trump Praised By Controversial Polish MEP After Bizarre 'We Want God' Tweet

Tarczyński has been heavily criticised for his anti-Muslim and anti-immigration views, both of which he makes no attempt to hide.
In March of this year he tweeted a video compilation of himself during various TV interviews during which he states that Poland has taken in no refugees and that “not even one Polish [person] has blown himself up because of his religion”.
Speaking to Channel 4 News, he says: “We can be called populists, nationalists and racists but I don’t care, I care about my family and my country.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-23--How To Talk To Your Kids About The Return to School

How To Talk To Your Kids About The Return to School
Parents are preparing to send their children back to school this September. For many students, this will be the first time they have been back in classes for many months. Here we speak to educational psychologist Dr Dan O'Hare about how to prepare your kids for this potentially daunting experience.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-23--Jamaican Minister To Make Formal Complaint About 'Outrageous' BBC Sketch

The outside of a BBC building in central London. mikeinlondon via Getty Images
A Jamaican minister is set to make a formal complaint over a BBC Three sketch from the show Famalam, which she has described as “outrageous and offensive”.
The clip has also been slammed by high commissioner of Jamaica to the United Kingdom Seth George Ramocan, who said it “serves to tarnish and insult the image of Brand Jamaica.”
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A preview of the segment titled Jamaican Countdown, a parody of the long-running game show Countdown, shows misogynistic language used towards the character selecting numbers and letters.
Part of the sketch also shows the silhouette of a man, referencing the stereotype of men of African-Caribbean descent having large penises. “When you hear the Countdown conundrum, its letters, numbers, hell of a cock, boom,” says the singer over a mock theme tune.
Shared on Twitter ahead of its full broadcast, the clip has prompted calls for the programme – which stars a cast of Black British actors – to be prevented from being aired with the sketch included.
Kamina Johnson Smith, Jamaica’s minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade, said on Saturday she would be raising the content of the video, with the BBC.
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In a tweet she wrote: “This is outrageous and offensive to the incredible country which I am proud to represent along with every Jamaican at home and within our diaspora... I will immediately be writing formally on this! #StopThisShow”
Ramocan told HuffPost UK: “It is unbelievable that the, BBC an institution with an international reputation for trustworthy broadcasting, could find itself in the gutter of promoting such harmful and destructive pornographic material that can only serve to damage the morals and values we seek to encourage in our young people.
“This broadcast which serves to tarnish and insult the image of Brand Jamaica must be immediately pulled from the BBC programme. I call on all well-thinking listeners and viewers to join us in this call.”
Nathaniel Peat, Global Jamaica Diaspora Council lead for the south UK and chairman of Jamaicans Inspired said: “The program is over sexualised, regressive, discriminatory, derogatory and has stereotypical racist tropes especially at a time when Black Lives matter has highlighted the need for a more balanced and better portrayal of black people in the media.
“It is deeply upsetting that the national broadcaster has chosen to promote this highly explicit content on a public forum such as twitter that has exposure to youth as young as 14, what type of image does this set in their minds when there already is a lack of positive black role models that are seen in the British media.”
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As the Global Jamaica Diaspora Counsel Rep for South UK @bbcthree the Jamaican community in the UK have expressed serious concerns at how offensive the content in this show is. This doesn’t reflect our culture well Nd many are upset. @Ofcom @kaminajsmith @mfaftja https://t.co/H3fVhwZnVT — Nathaniel L. Peat (@nathanielpeat) August 22, 2020
He added: “As a community we are deeply upset and concerned with the choice of programming at this incredibly sensitive time, when the community is still hurt from the Windrush scandal, stop and search, disproportionately within prison, racism in the police.
“After World War Two, Britain was a country short of workers and needed to rebuild its incredibly weakened economy, Jamaicans and other Caribbean’s helped to build back the UK.
“They were hard working, law abiding, decent and black people of excellence. This program does the Caribbean community a disservice and has no class or dignity.
“I have always held the BBC in high regard for a certain level of entertainment and I can’t see how this fits the brand, if this is a sad attempt at increasing more diverse programming it has got it completely wrong. It is simply opening up wounds that have still not healed.”
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London, UK - 5th April 2014: The outside of a BBC building in central London. The British Broadcasting Corporation also know as the BBC is a public service broadcasting in England mikeinlondon via Getty Images
Peat also highlighted a previous episode of the programme, shown in 2019, which which was set on a slave ship as it completed the middle passage and featured the slogan ‘slave lives matter’ in reference to the Black Lives Matter movement.
He said: “Having the middle passage as a setting for a ‘skit’ will never be an appropriate setting for comedy.
“Famalam trivialised and sanitised the murder and subjugation of Black African people. In the same scene, this material derided and mocked the Black Lives Matter movement... with “Slaves Lives Matter” and one slave responding “Slave Masters Lives Matter too”.
Nathaniel Peat Horasis Global Meeting
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Thousands of other people have taken to social media to share their concerns about the clip ahead of the programme’s official release, with Labour MP Marsha de Cordova describing “the use of offensive stereotypes” as “unacceptable”.
The use of offensive stereotypes is unacceptable and not funny @bbcthree Whoever thought this was a good idea shame on you. https://t.co/UIl8gENSRP — I Can’t Breathe...Marsha de Cordova MP (@MarshadeCordova) August 22, 2020
Ah wah de rah????
What the hell did I just watch? I refuse to believe Jamaican people wrote this sketch, because it is unbelievably racist. https://t.co/BvYsdYsnMs — Nadine Batchelor-Hunt | נדין ציפורה (@nadinebh_) August 22, 2020
Remove this show please immediately it is deeply offensive and is not a true representation of our Jamaican culture. @Ofcom it’s offensive to us. https://t.co/eg3yLbcrGF — Jamaicans Inspired ® (JamIn) (@uk_Jamin) August 22, 2020
A spokesperson for the BBC said: “Famalam is an award nominated sketch comedy series starring some of the UK’s best black comedy talent, which explores aspects of contemporary life from a black perspective.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-23--The Potential Nightmare Facing The UK If No-Deal Brexit And Second Coronavirus Wave Collide

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Power shortages, violence and troops on the streets and even military airdrops to provide food to the Channel Islands have all been detailed in a “reasonable worst-case scenario” document examining what could happen if a no-deal Brexit and second coronavirus wave coincide this winter.
The Cabinet Office paper, leaked to The Sun newspaper, also warns the Navy may be needed to stop British fishermen clashing with illegal European fishing boat incursions.
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It says parts of the UK may face power and petrol shortages if thousands of lorries are stranded in Dover while shortages of medicines caused by port blockages could lead to animal diseases spreading through the countryside.
The classified document, dated July 2020, further warns that if trade restrictions triggered by a no-deal Brexit are combined with floods, flu and another coronavirus wave, then hospitals may be overwhelmed, PA Media reports.
Town halls could go bust and troops may have to be drafted on to the streets if the economic toll causes public disorder, shortages and price hikes, according to the leaked dossier.
Cabinet Office drawn up horror show warning on what the country could face this winter. And it’s been leaked to @thesun. As Brexit talks slip into acrimony, and covid second wave fears rise.. here is what is on the warning dashboard: https://t.co/fpiRE44VsZ pic.twitter.com/1cQfRijFJ3 — Harry Cole (@MrHarryCole) August 23, 2020
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A government spokeswoman said the document “reflects a responsible government ensuring we are ready for all eventualities”.
UK and EU negotiators warned there has been little progress during the latest round of post-Brexit trade deal talks last week and time is running out to broker a deal before the transition period comes to a close at the end of the year.
Scientists are fearful that the winter months could bring about a second wave of coronavirus in the UK.
Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said: “We got Brexit done with a great deal in January and we are working flat out to make sure the United Kingdom is ready for the changes and huge opportunities at the end of the year as we regain our political and economic independence for the first time in almost fifty years.
“Part of this work includes routine contingency planning for various scenarios that we do not think will happen, but we must be ready for come what may. Whether we trade with the EU on terms similar to Canada or to Australia, a brighter future awaits as we forge our own path.”
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A government spokeswoman added: “At the end of the year we will be outside the single market and the customs union, whatever the outcome of negotiations, and intensive planning is under way to help ensure that businesses and citizens are ready to take advantage of the opportunities and changes that will bring.
“This includes launching a comprehensive communications campaign to make sure everyone knows what they need to do to prepare.
“As a responsible government we continue to make extensive preparations for a wide range of scenarios, including the reasonable worst case.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-23--Jedward Brand The Corrs Guitarist Jim 'Idiotic' For Support Of Anti-Face Mask Protest In Twitter Row

Jedward have blasted The Corrs member Jim Corr, after the guitarist backed anti-face mask protesters in Dublin over the weekend.
The twins, who found fame on The X Factor in 2009, called Jim out on Twitter after he shared a short video of the protest and praised the “great turnout”.
Jedward and Jim Corr Shutterstock/ITV
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Making a pun on The Corrs’ 2000 hit, Jedward – real names John and Edward Grimes – wrote: “G’wan leave the whole country ‘breathless’ from Covid because of your idiotic behaviour.”
Jim, who founded The Corrs in 1990 with his three sisters Andrea, Sharon and Caroline, hit back, writing: “Shut up you fools and grow a brain between you.”
G’wan leave the whole country “breathless” from Covid because of your idiotic behaviour @Jimcorrsays 🖕🏼 pic.twitter.com/AptBunlTeY — JEDWARD (@planetjedward) August 22, 2020
Jedward continued their wordplay on past Corrs singles, responding: “Why don’t you just go and ‘Runaway’ and FYI your sisters never needed you please leave the band.”
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Drawing a comparison with a 1980s pop duo, Jim replied again, writing: “Ireland’s Millie Vanillie have spoken and I shall hand in my notice forthwith.”
He added: “But lads, I just want to say…” before sharing a link to the Corrs’ song I Never Loved You Anyway.
Jedward then wrote: “Twitter fights are so pathetic! We don’t have time! We’re right you’re wrong.
“Wear your mask and wash your hands to whoever needs to hear this.”
Why don’t you just go and “Runaway” and FYI your sisters never needed you please leave the band 👍🏻 — JEDWARD (@planetjedward) August 22, 2020
Ireland’s Millie Vanillie have spoken and I shall hand in my notice forthwith.
But lads, I just want to say...https://t.co/lgmjdAKusW
😘 https://t.co/Buolb10OXa — Jim Corr (@Jimcorrsays) August 22, 2020
Twitter fights are so pathetic! We don’t have time! We’re right you’re wrong. Wear your mask and wash your hands to whoever needs to hear this 👍🏻 — JEDWARD (@planetjedward) August 22, 2020
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Addressing their own followers, Jedward tweeted: “Everyone has the right to protest but it’s not peaceful or making change when the consequences are more deaths! That’s not democracy it’s murder!
“When your core message is wrong you have no legs to stand on! There’s only one right in this fight against Covid, so don’t even try to question it!
“Change your attitude and get with the times,” they added.
Everyone has the right to protest but it’s not peaceful or making change when the consequences are more deaths! that’s not democracy it’s murder! — JEDWARD (@planetjedward) August 22, 2020
When your core message is wrong you have no legs to stand on!There’s only one Right in this fight against Covid so don’t even try to question it! Change your attitude and get with the times 👍🏻 — JEDWARD (@planetjedward) August 22, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-24--PM Opposes Calls To Ditch Rule Britannia At Last Night Of The Proms, No.10 Signals

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Boris Johnson and his culture secretary Oliver Dowden have warned the BBC against any moves to drop Rule Britannia from the Last Night of the Proms.
The broadcaster is reportedly considering ditching the flag-waving anthem from the end-of-summer classical music concert, amid concerns that the song’s refrain “Britons never, never, never shall be slaves” is racist.
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But the prime minister’s spokesperson said while scheduling was a matter for the BBC and the Proms organisers, he was clear in his view that “substance” was more important than “symbols” on such issues.
And Dowden went even further, revealing he had raised concerns with the BBC and declaring that “confident forward-looking nations don’t erase their history, they add to it”.
The PM’s spokesperson pointed to the PM’s previous remarks on the toppling of statues of slave owners and colonialists earlier this summer, when Johnson said it was wrong to “censor our past” and claimed protests had been “hijacked by extremists”.
The Sunday Times revealed that the BBC is looking at axeing both Rule Britannia and Land of Hope and Glory from this year’s Proms finale in three weeks’ time.
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Conductor Dalia Stasevska is said to believe this year’s ceremony without an audience is “the perfect moment to bring change”, while academics, musicians and campaigners have said the “racist propaganda” of both songs should be ended.
Dowden tweeted that both songs were “highlights” of the event and he shared the concerns expressed by some about the planned change.
Rule Britannia and Land of Hope and Glory are highlights of the Last Night of the Proms
Share concerns of many about their potential removal and have raised this with @BBC
Confident forward-looking nations don’t erase their history, they add to it — Oliver Dowden (@OliverDowden) August 24, 2020
Asked directly about the row, the PM’s spokesperson said: “The specific decision on this case is a matter for the organisers of the Proms and the BBC.
“But the PM has set out his views on like issues previously and has been clear while he understands the strong emotion involved in these discussions, we need to tackle the substance of problems, not the symbols.
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“The PM’s words on like issues previously stand.”
Asked whether he was referring to statues, the spokesperson said: “Yes. You have his words on similar issues previously.”
Revelers wave Union Flags at the Last Night of the Proms ASSOCIATED PRESS
Speaking on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Kehinde Andrews, a black studies professor at Birmingham City University, said it was time the anthems were ditched.
“I don’t think it’s about banning the songs – it’s about saying what songs are appropriate,” he said.
″‘Britons never, never, never shall be slaves’ – that’s racist propaganda at a time when Britain was the leading slave trading nation in the world.”
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Musicians Chi-chi Nwanoku, who founded the first BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) majority orchestra in Europe, and Wasfi Kani, founder of Grange Park Opera in Surrey, have also expressed their opposition to the language in the songs.
When No.10 has been pressed previously on whether the PM would apologise for his own controversial comments on ethnic minorities – such as referring to Black Africans as having “watermelon smiles” – his official spokesperson has said such remarks were “addressed during the election campaign”.
The BBC said in a statement: “We are still finalising arrangements for the Last Night Of Rhe Proms so that we are able to respond to the latest advice in regards to Covid-19 and deliver the best offering possible for audiences.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-24--England And Scotland At Odds Over Face Masks In Schools

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Secondary school students in Scotland may soon be asked to wear face coverings – but England has no plans to follow suit.
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Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon said the government was consulting teachers and councils on whether pupils should wear masks in corridors and communal areas where there is a higher risk of Covid-19 transmission.
It comes after a number of schools have been hit with coronavirus cases following the reopening of Scottish classrooms from August 11, although Sturgeon has said these infections are mainly being picked up in the community away from education.
But despite English schools reopening from next week, Downing Street said Boris Johnson had no plans to explore similar guidance, once again putting the two UK countries at odds over their coronavirus responses.
“There are no plans to review the guidance on face coverings in school,” a No.10 spokesperson told reporters, in response to Sturgeon’s announcement.
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They added: “Our guidance does not recommend face coverings as pupils and staff will mix in consistent groups and we acknowledge that face coverings could obstruct communication between teachers and pupils.”
On a visit to a school on Monday, England’s education secretary Gavin Williamson told the media that he would not be following Scotland’s lead.
“We’re not in a position where we are suggesting that because we think there is a system of controls, that are in place in all schools, for children to be able to return safely and for staff to be able to return safely.”
A teacher wearing a face mask teaches Year 6 pupils in a classroom with other pupils participating by video conference at the College Francais Bilingue De Londres French-English bilingual school in north London on June 2, 2020 DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS via Getty Images
Sturgeon said new guidance on face coverings in schools was in its “final stages” and that Scottish education secretary John Swinney was consulting on its introduction.
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She said: “We’re consulting on this specific measure because, firstly, mixing between different groups is more likely in corridors and communal areas – increasing the potential for transmission.
“Secondly, crowding and close contact in these areas is more likely and voices could be raised, resulting in greater potential for creating aerosol transmission.
“Finally, there’s also less scope for ventilation in these areas.”
The first minister said that decisions would be made in the coming days on whether the guidance should be extended to school transport.
There are currently no plans for mandating coverings in class in Scotland, she said.
It came after UK schools minister Nick Gibb on Monday morning said masks were “not necessary” for staff and pupils when schools in England reopen.
Gibb said as long as schools put in place the hygiene measures outlined in government guidance in early July, face coverings will not be required to stop the spread of coronavirus.
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He was backed by child health professor Calum Semple, who sits on the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), who said the evidence for wearing masks in school was “fairly weak”.
Semple said there was more of a risk from parents meeting at the school gates, or going for a coffee after dropping their children off, and urged them to follow social distancing rules.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-24--Trevor From EastEnders Is In The New Batman Trailer And Soap Fans Can't Get Over It

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There’s been a lot to talk about from the first trailer for The Batman.
That’s because the trailer also features an appearance from classic 00s soap villain Trevor Morgan, aka actor Alex Ferns.
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Alex Ferns and Kasey Ainsworth as Trevor and Little Mo in EastEnders BBC
Eagle-eyed soap fans were stunned when they spotted the Scottish star as Gotham Police Commissioner Pete Savage in the first-look clip, which debuted over the weekend.
WTF! Trevor from Eastenders is in The Batman pic.twitter.com/RkQMvHS7Ow — Greg Evans (@gregzeene) August 23, 2020
Holy sardines batman! Trevor from Eastenders in the new Batman Movie?! pic.twitter.com/W8eBUQ4dW1 — It's Harry Crossan (@HRWCrossan) August 23, 2020
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So it looks as though THE BATMAN will face off against his deadliest adversary yet...
...TREVOR FROM EASTENDERS.
(My advice? Hit him with an iron.) pic.twitter.com/sgbh3FRgK7 — Ed Bear Sellek (@OhCaptainBear) August 23, 2020
Did anyone else get “Trevor from Eastenders in ‘The Batman’” in their 2020 bingo? pic.twitter.com/qFkoQxZcAp — Jamie East (@jamieeast) August 23, 2020
Oh shit! The new Batman has Trevor from EastEnders in it 🤯 - good luck Batman pic.twitter.com/ovxG0MMwJ9 — Jackie Daytona (@Modhabobo) August 23, 2020
Alex’s EastEnders character was involved in one of the soap’s most high-profile storylines of the early 2000s, which depicted Trevor’s abuse of wife Maureen ‘Little Mo’ Slater.
One of the most harrowing scenes in the plot saw Mo strike her abuser with an iron in Pauline Fowler’s kitchen, after he subjected her to yet another violent attack.
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Trevor was killed off in 2002 when his plot to murder Mo in a house fire went wrong.
Since leaving the soap, Alex has starred in TV dramas including Making Waves, Luther, Vera, 24: Live Another Day and River City, as well as appearing on Celebrity Coach Trip.
In 2019, he also played Andrei Glukhov in HBO series Chernobyl.
If you, or someone you know, is in immediate danger, call 999 and ask for the police. If you are not in immediate danger, you can contact:


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-24--What Parents Need To Know About Face Coverings For Kids

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Face covers are mandatory for adults in all kinds of public settings in the UK – but what’s the deal with children? Should they, or shouldn’t they, be wearing them?
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The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) advises that children under the age of 11 do not need to wear face coverings – although whether they do or not is ultimately up to parents.
Children under the age of three shouldn’t be wearing them at all, says Public Health England (PHE), as they could pose a health and safety risk.
Those aged 11 and over should be wearing them where it’s mandatory to do so – for example, on public transport, in shops and at visitor attractions.
Despite secondary school pupils being old enough to have to wear face covers in these settings, it’s likely they won’t be made to wear them at school in England unless they are in an area that’s under lockdown, in which case wearing face covers will be mandatory in communal spaces.
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In Scotland, the picture is slightly different. Education secretary John Swinney told BBC Good Morning Scotland that secondary school students aged 12 and over will need to wear face coverings in corridors, communal areas and on school buses from next week, but not in classrooms. Meanwhile children aged five and over will need to wear face covers on school transport.
Wales has announced a review of the country’s stance on masks.
Tomwang112 via Getty Images
Education minister Nick Gibb previously said face covers are “not necessary” for staff and pupils when schools in England reopen next month. As long as schools put in place hygiene measures outlined in government guidance, face coverings will not be required to stop the spread of coronavirus, he said.
Child health professor Calum Semple, who sits on the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), added the evidence for wearing masks in school was “fairly weak” and said there’s more of a risk from parents meeting at the school gates or going for coffee after dropping their kids off.
But the government has done a U-turn on its advice surrounding face covers in schools based on a change in guidance from the World Health Organisation (WHO) when it comes to kids wearing masks.
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In the recently issued guidance, WHO advised children and adolescents aged 12 years or older to follow the same mask guidelines as adults, which means wearing them when they cannot guarantee at least a 1m distance from others and there is widespread transmission in the area.
Children who are in general good health can wear a non-medical or fabric mask as a form of source control, meaning it keeps the virus from being transmitted to others if they are infected and don’t show any symptoms. The adult who is providing the mask should ensure the fabric mask is the correct size and sufficiently covers the nose, mouth and chin of the child, WHO said.
Children should clean their hands for at least 20 seconds if using an alcohol-based hand rub, or at least 40 seconds if using soap and water, before putting on a mask.
They should also be taught how to wear the mask properly, including not touching the front of the mask and not pulling it under the chin or into their mouth, and should store the mask in a bag or container, WHO said.
For children aged between six and 11 years of age, it said a “risk-based approach” should be applied to the decision to use a mask – and said explicitly that children under five shouldn’t wear them.
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Children aged six and over might be encouraged to wear a mask if there’s a local outbreak, for instance, but it’s also worth bearing in mind they might struggle to use it safely, or it might impact their learning or psychosocial development.
For immunocompromised children or for paediatric patients with cystic fibrosis or cancer, the use of a medical (not a cloth) mask is usually recommended, it said, but should be assessed in consultation with the child’s medical provider.
The use of masks for children of any age with developmental disorders, disabilities or other specific health conditions should not be mandatory, said WHO, which is in line with UK guidance.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-24--2020 Is The Year Britain Woke Up To The Politics Of Data

Nearly 280 thousand students saw their A-Levels downgraded after the introduction of the controversial award model Ofqual. Protesters say Ofqual privileges private schools and downgrades students of less privileged backgrounds. NurPhoto via Getty Images
Following the outbreak of coronavirus at the beginning of the year, our first glimpse into the power of data in the pandemic came in the form of the much maligned digital contact tracing app.
It openly championed large tech companies over epidemiologists in deciding what was best for people, and citizens, rightly, worried about what would happen to their most valuable and personal information.
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Would Covid data today become surveillance tomorrow? An important concern, especially after the Cambridge Analytica scandal, when research data being manipulated showcased the danger of unaccountable use of personal information.
After the app, a new data debate sparked, this time around the A levels results fiasco.
In grading the students, the Ofqual algorithm ended up discriminating against those coming from poorer backgrounds.
Was that avoidable? Yes. Algorithms perpetuate and amplify the status quo, maximise its inequalities and scale up existing bias.
This is what happened: by taking into consideration teachers’ assessments only for smaller groups, private school kids benefited.
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Similarly, by taking into account previous schools results, the algorithm ended up grading the school and the student as a number within it rather than an individual with aspirations, dreams and unique experiences through life.
Students reacted firmly, and rightly so. Fuck the algorithm quickly became the new slogan, in a new and dystopian version of the traditional demo with chants and flags. The government performed a u-turn and apologised.
So, what have we learnt from that lesson?
Several things – in my view, some good and some far less positive.
First of all, an algorithm cannot be blamed for anything. An algorithm is a set of instructions, where ingested data churns out a result based on what parameters is given.
No doubt the data it is fed is biased, and how could it not be? Data is simply a picture of the world as it is now, thus presenting the same characteristics, inequalities, racism, sexism and social immobility of the reality out there.
By feeding it data, the algorithm will simply replicate things as they are. It can be argued that the data can be amended and tricks deployed to make the data less biased. While this is certainly true, it won’t necessarily fix the problem. This is because bias can emerge for many other reasons – the size of the groups in the A levels case is one example of what is called discrimination by proxy.
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Another example could be postcodes. Keen employers could for example decide to remove gender or race when automating the HR processes and yet, a postcode may still lead to bias. Postcodes represent more than just a postal address – they may indicate social background and act as a proxy for race.
“Without accountability for algorithms in the public domain, we are facing the risk of locking people out of essential services and access to primary needs.”
But even if we were able to identify all the possible technological and mathematical fixes to bias, would we be able to trust algorithms? It’s up for debate. And that is because the use of automation and the choice of a technological artefact is a political choice.
Take facial recognition. There is an obvious, huge problem with bias as facial recognition software does not yet recognise Black women. But if we were able to achieve the perfect tool, would we still want to be watched, spied on and recognised wherever we go?
Surveillance will end up being wrapped around the most vulnerable, with the rich able to purchase their freedom.
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So, the first lesson we have learned is that any artefact is biased, data is not neutral and even the most perfect tool can be deployed in a biased way. This means that we must stop thinking that there is something sacred in data, or that algorithms would necessarily do it better than humans. Machines scale up what we humans are trying to eliminate, and that includes racism and social inequality.
The second lesson we have learned is that we have been able to fight the A levels debacle because we knew there was an algorithm behind it. However, the reality is that algorithms are increasingly replacing human decision making and we, the public, know so little about them.
Bank loans, insurance premiums, public sector repayments: increasingly, algorithms churn out results which can lead to a scaling of up inequality. A bank could give less credit to a woman because historic data shows women have less earning power, or to a Black person from a certain postcode because of that postcode being traditionally associated to higher crime.
But what if we don’t know that a loan denial or a lower position on a waiting list is the outcome of an automated decision with some obscure parameters set by a group of people?
Without accountability we are facing the risk of locking people out of essential services and access to those primary needs which enable people to progress in life: housing, health and education, exactly the areas that function as levers of equal opportunities.
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The third lesson we have learned is that all this is going on with little say from us. Predictions driving policy making, legal decisions made by computation, adverts informed by our online activities, voting suggestions and information ads served on the basis of patterns of behaviour – all this is the reality, the here and now. Not only are we being softwared out, democracy is too.
The time to react is now. We need clear rules, a licensing agency for algorithms making life impacting decisions, liability safe harbours for products meeting due diligence. We vitally need redress for individuals affected by unjust decisions made by algorithms.
The greatest lesson of the A levels fiasco must be that the time to act is now.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-24--Love Island USA Season 2 Is Coming To The UK, As ITV2 Confirms Air Date

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There’s no denying this summer has felt much emptier without a new series of Love Island in it, but the folks over at ITV2 have got the perfect gift for fans that’s come all the way from America.
It’s been confirmed that the upcoming second US series of the hit reality show is coming to the UK in just a few weeks.
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Love Island USA will begin airing on ITV’s sister channel next month, after the action kicks off in the States this week.
The cast of Love Island USA season two ITV
The first season of the US version aired on ITVBe last year in a late night slot, but the second will debut on 7 September at 9pm on ITV2.
While it had originally been planned for Love Island USA to return to its original home in Fiji, the upcoming series will relocate to a hotel in Las Vegas due to coronavirus travel restrictions.
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The singletons will be sequestered in a “bubble” at a stunning villa on top of Caesars Entertainment’s boutique hotel, The Cromwell.
Love Island USA host Arielle Vandenberg ITV
Host Arielle Vandenberg and narrator Matthew Hoffman will also be returning as the Islanders get to know one another and vie to win the $50,000 prize.
Speaking about the show’s arrival in the UK, ITV’s head of digital channels and acquisitions Paul Mortimer said: “Las Vegas may seem like an odd destination for the show but the canny producers have beaten Covid with a show that adheres to all production protocols and that could well be sensational.
“Certainly the ‘villa’ is impressive and the cast diverse and amazing.”
He added: “We believe Love Island fans will embrace this Sin City twist, my bet is the series will be another big hit.”
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Love Island USA is coming to the UK in September ITV
The cast of Islanders has already been unveiled in the US, and if you fancy a sneak peek at them all, hit play on the video below...


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-24--Lea Michele Gives Birth To Baby Boy With Husband Zandy Reich

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Lea Michele and her husband Zandy Reich have welcomed their first child.
The former Glee star announced her pregnancy in May, in an Instagram photo showing herself cradling her baby bump with the caption: “So grateful.”
A representative for Lea confirmed on Sunday night that she had given birth to a baby boy earlier in the day.
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People magazine has announced the couple named their son Ever Leo.
Lea and Zandy pictured at an event last year Kevin Mazur via Getty Images
Lea and Zandy tied the knot in 2019, a year after announcing their engagement. They first began dating in July 2017.
While Zandy is the president of clothing company AYR, Lea is best known for playing central character Rachel Berry in all six series of the musical teen drama Glee.
She’d previously appeared in Broadway productions of shows like Fiddler On The Roof and Spring Awakening, while her more recent credits include the Ryan Murphy slasher series Scream Queens and the digital wellness series Well Well Well with Lea Michele, which aired on the Ellen DeGeneres Network.
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In the last few months, Lea found herself at the centre of scrutiny after her conduct on the set of Glee was called into question by former co-star Samantha Ware.
When Lea posted in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, Samantha – who appeared in the sixth series of Glee – said she had made her life on the show “a living hell”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-24--Kellyanne Conway To Leave White House At The End Of The Month

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Kellyanne Conway, one of President Donald Trump’s longest-serving advisers and a stalwart defender of his administration, will leave the White House at the end of the month.
Conway, who serves as a senior adviser, said she made the decision in partnership with her husband to focus on their family. The Washington Post first reported the news on Sunday evening.
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“We disagree about plenty,” she said in a statement. “But we are united on what matters most: the kids.”
Conway’s husband, the conservative lawyer George Conway, is also taking a hiatus from his role at the Lincoln Project. George Conway is a vocal critic of the president and the Lincoln Project has been working to unseat Trump during the November election.
I'm Leaving the White House. Gratefully & Humbly.
Here is my statement:https://t.co/MpYxVfrY2N
God Bless You All. — Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) August 24, 2020
So I’m withdrawing from @ProjectLincoln to devote more time to family matters. And I’ll be taking a Twitter hiatus.
Needless to say, I continue to support the Lincoln Project and its mission. Passionately. — George Conway (@gtconway3d) August 24, 2020
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Kellyanne Conway was Trump’s third campaign manager and has served in the Trump administration since he first entered office in 2016. She has spent the intervening years in an ongoing media blitz, appearing on television to defend almost any controversial White House policy and remaining in the job despite the record rates of turnover inside the administration.
She has also withstood calls she be fired for repeatedly violating ethics laws. In 2019, the Office of Special Counsel called Conway a “repeat offender” of the Hatch Act, which prohibits public officials from using their roles for partisan purposes. The agency urged Conway be fired, saying her “actions erode the principal foundation of our democratic system — the rule of law.”
In her statement, she said Sunday her time in the White House had been “heady” and “humbling,” but she was leaving of her own accord.
“This is completely my choice and my voice,” she said, noting she was “deeply grateful” to the president. “In time, I will announce future plans. For now, and for my beloved children, it will be less drama, more mama.”
Conway is still slated to speak at the Republican National Convention, which begins this week, on Wednesday.
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The dynamic between the Conways had drawn intense scrutiny throughout Trump’s administration as George Conway issued increasingly blistering critiques of the president, saying at times Trump he was “narcissistic” and “unfit for office.”
The president has fired back, calling his aide’s husband a “stone-cold LOSER & husband from hell.”
George Conway, often referred to as Mr. Kellyanne Conway by those who know him, is VERY jealous of his wife’s success & angry that I, with her help, didn’t give him the job he so desperately wanted. I barely know him but just take a look, a stone cold LOSER & husband from hell! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 20, 2019
One of the Conways’ teenage daughters, Claudia, sparked a social media firestorm last month after sharing searing rebukes of the Trump administration on several platforms. On Sunday, Claudia Conway said social media had become “way too much” and she, too, would take a break from the medium.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-24--Strictly Come Dancing's Bruno Tonioli Reveals Big Advantage Of Stripped-Back Series

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It’s already been confirmed that Strictly will be returning to our screens in the autumn, albeit with a few adjustments, namely the fact that it will be a shorter run than usual, while there’s still a question mark over the studio audience.
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However, in a new interview with The Sun, Bruno said that while the show may be more stripped-back in 2020, that could be a good thing for the celebrities taking part.
“This year will favour the better dancers because the focus is entirely on them as there won’t be the same level of big production and 25 people dancing alongside them,” he said.
Bruno Tonioli Dave J Hogan via Getty Images
Bruno continued: “You can tart up a fake as much as you want but the centre stone has to catch the light and has to be the real thing.
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“If you have that quality it will be enhanced even more, so it will be even better for you.
“Plus, the run is much shorter so nobody can complain, ‘Oh, I’m not doing it because it’s long and such hard work. I’m exhausted’.”
This year’s Strictly will be the first without Bruno on the panel, as travel restrictions mean he will stay in the US, where he is also a judge on the American version of the show, Dancing With The Stars.
It was previously teased that Bruno would still be involved in Strictly, though, with the Italian star explaining: “I won’t be part of the main show giving scores as I’m not in the studio. That would be unfair and also it’s a bit naff, as I wouldn’t be able to see the overall picture of the dances. You have to be there to do that.
“So they are sending me a link featuring all the dances which I’ll watch and then give my tips and opinions that will be shown in the results show later on.
“I’ll leave the scores for the three other judges. They know what they’re doing.”
Bruno with fellow Strictly judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Shirley Ballas Ian West - PA Images via Getty Images
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The BBC also teased that Bruno would be “making his grand return to the show full time towards the end of the series”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-24--Face Masks 'Not Necessary' For Children And Staff When Schools Reopen, Says Minister

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Face masks are “not necessary” for staff and pupils when schools in England reopen next month, an education minister has said.
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Nick Gibb said as long as schools put in place the hygiene measures outlined in government guidance in early July, face coverings will not be required to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Face masks are currently compulsory on public transport and in shops and other settings.
But the schools minister was backed by child health professor Calum Semple, who sits on the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), who said the evidence for wearing masks in school was “fairly weak”.
Semple said there was more of a risk from parents meeting at the school gates, or going for a coffee after dropping their children off, and urged them to follow social distancing rules.
The pair spoke as Boris Johnson returned to work from his holiday in Scotland with a plea to parents to send their children back to the classroom when schools reopen in September, having been largely closed since March because of the pandemic.
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Asked whether children, teachers and staff should wear face masks on their return, Gibb told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We are always led by the scientific advice and what the current advice is - if the school puts in place the measures that are in the guidance we issued in early July, all the hygiene measures I talked about, then masks are not necessary for staff and pupils.”
Put to him that Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon was considering whether to change the guidance north of the border, Gibb said: “We always listen to whatever the current advice is from Public Health England, the chief medical officers, we have always adhered to that advice and it’s that advice that drives the content of the guidance that we give to schools.”
Semple meanwhile said the evidence for wearing masks in school was “fairly weak”, instead stressing the importance of “handwashing and good respiratory hygiene, using tissues and quite possibly sneezing into your elbow and armpit”.
He went on: “Masks are a good way of stopping the virus being transmitted but here’s where we differ a little bit in view from the WHO (World Health Organisation), because we think, based on quite good evidence now, that children transmit if anything less than adults and so we’re quite confident the children don’t need to wear face masks or visors while they are in the classroom, because other measures have been taken.”
He added: “We are not absolutely sure, we know that they carry roughly the same virus as adults do but because they are not coughing and snotting, because they are not unwell with the virus, on the whole they do not tend to transmit.”
Semple highlighted a Public Health England study which suggested “very few” school outbreaks can be attributed to children, stressing that staff members are usually at higher risk of transmitting the disease.
He said groups gathering at school gates could pose more of a risk of transmission than children in the classroom.
“That’s where the risks lie, it’s the parents at the school gates or the parents who go for a coffee with each other after dropping their kids at the school gates, that’s probably more of a risk than the children in the classroom, so they need to be maintaining their social distancing and not keeping their guard down.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-24--The Reopening Debate: Is It Safe To Send Kids Back To School?

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Is it safe to send my kids back to school? It’s a question parents up and down the country have been asking for the past few months. Come September, all children are expected to go back – both primary and secondary.
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It’s now widely agreed children have a much milder experience of the virus than adults – and the risk of school outbreaks appears relatively low, according to two studies from Public Health England (PHE).
The first study suggests kids in England made up just 1% of Covid-19 cases during the first wave of the pandemic, which prompted UK academics to say going back to school in September is a viable, low-risk option.
For the study, researchers compared disease trends in adults and children in England between January and May 2020, and also looked at Covid-19 test result data for this period. Between January 16 and May 3, 540,305 people, including 35,200 children under the age of 16, were tested for the virus.
Around one in four (24%) of those tested had the virus. Children accounted for 1,408 of the positive results – 1% of the total. This compares with around 19-35% of adults. The highest number of tests and positive results were among infants (particularly those under three months old) and one-year-olds. These figures are in line with those reported for children in other countries, researchers said. A second, newer study by the health body revealed there were 67 single cases and 30 outbreaks (defined as two or more linked cases) in schools across England in June when they reopened. Only 0.01% of open educational settings had an outbreak, PHE said. In light of the findings, England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said “the chances of children dying from Covid-19 are incredibly small”, and that missing lessons “damages children in the long run”, the BBC reported. Whitty also said “many more [children] were likely to be harmed by not going than harmed by going” to school.
izusek via Getty Images
What we know about children spreading the virus
Previous studies have shown 1-5% of diagnosed Covid-19 cases occur in children. However, cases among kids are thought to be largely asymptomatic, meaning they don’t show symptoms. This is a drawback of the first PHE study.
The data of cases in England is “heavily skewed”, said Professor Jonathan Ball, an expert in molecular virology at the University of Nottingham, by the fact that the only children tested were those presenting at a GP clinic with well-defined respiratory illness and fever – in other words, symptomatic kids.
“We know from other studies that children, particularly young children, show minimal symptoms of SARS2 infection and often have no symptoms at all,” he said. “Therefore, the fact that children weren’t often amongst confirmed cases of Covid-19 isn’t so surprising.” A claim is made in the study that the findings “provide further evidence against the role of children in infection and transmission of SARS-CoV-2”. But Prof Ball argues it doesn’t. “To imply children aren’t an important source of the infection isn’t really fully supported by the evidence here – the study doesn’t look at the infectiousness of children,” he said. For example, we don’t know whether asymptomatic kids were going home to their families and passing the virus around, or passing it among their peers, who were also then asymptomatic.
Sally Anscombe via Getty Images
Professor Paul Hunter, an expert in medicine at the University of East Anglia, agreed: “While it’s generally accepted children, even when infected, are unlikely to become ill with Covid-19 and very unlikely to die, this is not evidence against the role of children in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. I don’t think the authors of this study can use their data to draw such an apparently firm conclusion.” Another study suggests children with Covid-19 might be “silent spreaders” and play a larger role in the spread of the virus than previously thought. Research by Massachusetts General Hospital and Mass General Hospital for Children found kids of all ages infected with the virus had a significantly higher level of it in their airways than adults with Covid-19 in intensive care units. “I was surprised by the high levels of virus we found in children of all ages, especially in the first two days of infection,” said Lael Yonker, a doctor and lead author of the study. “I was not expecting the viral load to be so high. You think of a hospital, and of all of the precautions taken to treat severely ill adults, but the viral loads of these hospitalised patients are significantly lower than a ‘healthy child’ who is walking around with a high SARS-CoV-2 viral load.” So, should parents be worried? Here, we break down what we know about Covid-19 in kids of different age groups.
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Nursery school
Children tend to go to nursery between the ages of one and five years old. The first PHE study of Covid-19 cases among kids in England showed cases were highest in those aged one and under. There weren’t as many cases in two, three and four-year-olds in comparison.
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There are concerns such young children might be unknowingly spreading the virus, however. A separate study from a Chicago children’s hospital found children under five with “mild to moderate” Covid-19 have a higher viral load compared to older children and adults, “which may suggest greater transmission,” said lead author Taylor Heald-Sargent, a paediatric infectious diseases specialist.
“This has important public health implications, especially during discussions on the safety of reopening schools and daycare.”
COVID-19 in children: analysis of the first pandemic peak in England (BMJ) Age distribution of children with confirmed Covid-19 by sex in children during the first pandemic peak (February to May 2020) in England.
The findings, published in the journal JAMA Paediatrics, point to the possibility that younger children transmit the virus as much as other age groups.
Younger children’s ability to spread Covid-19 may have been under-recognised, researchers say. While the study doesn’t prove they spread Covid-19 as much as adults, “it is a possibility,” said Dr Heald-Sargent.
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There have been some outbreaks of the virus in nursery schools in the UK, however staff appear to have been more impacted than children, which might suggest young kids have some form of protective effect.
Primary school
In young children attending primary school (aged four to eleven), evidence so far points to a reduced risk of becoming sick with the virus and spreading it. PHE’s second study of school outbreaks in June found that out of more than one million children attending pre-school and primary school, only 70 children were affected.
A large study from South Korea suggests kids under 10-years-old spread the virus to others far less often than adults do. So, while they might be testing positive, they’re unlikely to transmit it to others. Another from Singapore concluded the risk of Covid-19 transmission among children in schools, especially pre-schools, is likely to be low.
A study from a small town in France also points to a lower risk in primary school age children, compared to secondary school pupils. Epidemiologist Arnaud Fontanet led an investigation after schools in Crépy-en-Valois became the centre of an outbreak earlier in the year.
In the secondary school, 38% of students had been infected, along with 43% of teachers and 59% of non-teaching staff. But the town’s six primary schools did not have the same experience. While three primary school age pupils caught Covid-19, not one of these infections had led to a secondary case, the Guardian reported, and only 9% of primary school pupils, 7% of teachers and 4% of non-teaching staff were infected.
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“These results showed us teenagers are just as contagious as adults. But in the younger age groups, it’s a different story. They do not seem to transmit it to the same extent,” Fontanet said. Secondary school The first PHE study found older children are more likely to test positive for Covid-19 than younger children, as shown in the graph below. This means secondary schools are more likely to be prone to outbreaks than primaries.
COVID-19 in children: analysis of the first pandemic peak in England Percentage of test positivity by age group in children (green bar) compared with adults (blue bars) tested for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 during the first pandemic peak (February to May 2020) in England.
Russell Viner, Sage member and president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, told The Times: “It’s increasingly clear that older children, teenagers probably, transmit as much as adults.”
Lead author of the PHE study on Covid-19 in children in England, Dr Shamez Ladhani, a paediatric infectious diseases specialist, says it’s not clear why young children have a low risk of infection compared to older children. One reason might be that compared to adults, children have fewer ACE2 receptors [an enzyme in the body that lets the virus into our cells] that the virus can attach to.
The way the immune system reacts to the virus is also likely to be different in children compared to adults, he adds.
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So, should schools reopen?
PHE says children are more likely to acquire coronavirus at home than in school – usually from a parent.
Its second study on schools reopening revealed there were more likely to be outbreaks in those areas that also had a high Covid-19 incidence, suggesting transmission in the community was driving the spread in schools.
This echoes a warning from Independent Sage, an alternative scientific advisory group, which said if local cases are already high, schools reopening will act as a “super spreading event”. It recommended prioritising reopening schools over pubs and casinos, ensuring that outbreaks in schools and communities are identified quickly and acted upon rapidly, and says schools need to be provided with detailed guidance so they know how best to minimise the spread of the virus.
Professor Adilia Warris, paediatric infectious diseases specialist at University of Exeter said the results of the first PHE study underscore that going back to school carries a “very low risk” for children. “While an increase in SARS-CoV2 infections might be seen, the current data provides strong arguments that those infections will in the vast majority of cases not lead to severe disease in pre-school and school-aged children.”
Dr Sanjay Patel, a consultant in paediatric infectious diseases and immunology at Southampton Children’s Hospital, said as the study wasn’t set up to investigate the rate of transmission between children, “we need to ensure robust infection control measures remain in place in schools – especially secondary schools – and that vigilance is maintained (through test and tracing) once they reopen.”
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ChiccoDodiFC via Getty Images
Patel agrees reopening schools in September should represent an “extremely low risk to any individual child”. But it’s important to recognise that, despite these low numbers, “children may play a role in the transmission process,” he added. So parents and teachers with underlying health conditions may need to take precautions in order to minimise their own risk over the coming months.
PHE’s study on schools reopening in June found staff members were more likely to be affected by the virus than students, though not more likely than the general population as a whole.
While children have been largely spared from the clinical effects of Covid-19, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) points out that almost every child in the country has experienced “collateral damage”. Millions have faced an unprecedented interruption in their education, and the burden of this has weighed most heavily on disadvantaged families, said RCPCH. The mental implications of keeping kids from schools should not be overlooked.
There is a health risk to sending children back to school – but so far, the evidence suggests this risk is low, as children are less likely to become ill with the virus. Whether they are ‘super spreaders’ is still largely unanswered, as they could be passing the virus between themselves but remaining asymptomatic (showing no symptoms) – and tests wouldn’t pick this up.
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It’s clear that schools and teachers need to be given as much support and guidance as possible to help them run safely in the months to come.
Dr Shamez Ladhani concluded: “SARS-CoV2 infections and outbreaks were uncommon in educational settings during the first month after the easing of national lockdown in England.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-24--The Batman Director Reveals Robert Pattinson's Suit Was Designed Specifically To Be Toilet-Friendly

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Fans concerned about Robert Pattinson’s bladder can breathe a sigh of relief (and so can he, apparently), as it was revealed his new Batman suit was designed specifically so he can go to the toilet with ease.
The British actor is set to take on the role of the caped crusader in the new film The Batman, the trailer for which debuted over the weekend.
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During a Q&A about the film, director Matt Reeves spoke about the functionality of the new Batman’s suit, pointing out that they’d taken one important pointer from Christian Bale, who played the Dark Knight in Christopher Nolan’s trilogy.
Film director Matt Reeves Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
Stressing how important it was that the outfit be “practical”, Matt said at the DC FanDome: “One of the things that’s really important is being able to work with the actors. Rob [Pattinson] had a very important part in designing the suit in that he had to be able to wear it, he had to be able to fight in it.
“One of the things about this Batsuit is that it is very practical. The whole idea is that he’s made it himself. And so, we needed to be able to see how it would fit on him and all the ways he could move but also make it look like something that was still evolving.”
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When moderator Aisha Tyler questioned whether that meant the suit had pockets, Matt potentially ventured into TMI territory, revealing: “I will tell you this: One of the big things was that Rob actually talked to Christian Bale and [Christian] was like, ‘Just make sure you’re gonna be able to relieve yourself’.”
We’re going to choose to believe that means “while wearing the suit” rather than “in the suit itself”, but then again maybe we’d rather not know the specifics.
Robert Pattinson in the new The Batman trailer Warner Bros.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-24--Selling Sunset's Jason Oppenheim Speaks Out As Show Is Hit By 'Fake' Claims

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Selling Sunset star Jason Oppenheim has spoken out after the show was hit by “fakery” allegations.
Jason runs the The Oppenheim Group real estate agency in LA with his twin brother Brett, with the hit Netflix reality series following the professional and personal lives of the company’s employees.
Over the weekend the Mail On Sunday reported that many of the young women featured in Selling Sunset are not actually estate agents at all, but paid actors, also suggesting that a lot of what we see on screen is actually scripted.
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They spoke to a “Selling Sunset insider” who claimed that much of the show is actually “smoke and mirrors”, while another source questioned the selling abilities of those featured on screen.
The cast of Selling Sunset Netflix
However, Jason has spoken out to defend the cast, stating: “All of the women who work out of the Oppenheim Group are licensed and successful real estate agents.”
Jason also pointed out that the success of Selling Sunset has “created opportunities for the women beyond real estate, including collaborative brands, TV and press appearances”.
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Jason Oppenheim Rochelle Brodin via Getty Images
It was previously revealed that of the show’s original cast, only Chrishell Stause was the only one who didn’t work at the Oppenheim Group before Selling Sunset began, and was specifically instead cast by producers.
She did already have her real estate licence before she was cast, though.
Chrishell confirmed this on her Instagram Story, where she reshared a post from 2016, which showed she was working as a realtor.
Chrishell's Instagram Story Instagram
She wrote: “People keep trying to hate on the show, which means it’s a huge success! Lol! This post is still on my IG proving I have been licensed and working before being approached about #SellingSunset. Working all day showing clients properties in the heat & writing up my new listing to hit the market tomorrow! Busy!”
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She added: “I am so grateful to have been able to do acting AND real estate.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-24--Boris Johnson Urges Parents To Send Children Back To School

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Boris Johnson has made a personal plea to parents to send their children back to school in September.
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The prime minister said the risk of catching coronavirus in schools is “very small”, and that pupils face greater harm by continuing to stay at home.
On Sunday the chief medical officers and deputy chief medical officers of England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales issued a joint statement reassuring parents it was safe to send their children back to school.
They said “very few, if any” children and teenager would come to long-term harm from catching Covid-19 by attending school.
But shadow education secretary Kate Green criticised the government for being “asleep at the wheel” and having failed to provide the necessary details to schools to reopen.
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“The government has to make the conditions suitable and safe for staff, for students,” Green told ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Monday. “It’s been asleep at the wheel. It’s been not paying the attention that schools need, to the details of how they’re going to re-open.
“There hasn’t been information for school leaders, so that they can’t plan what they might have to do if there was a sudden spike in the local infection rate and the guidance that has come out I think has been – it’s been contradictory, it’s been confusing, it came very late, shortly before the summer holidays.
“So I think better support for schools would have made the lives of staff much, much easier and of course over the last couple of weeks… we wouldn’t have been in quite the position we’re in if the Government hadn’t had to waste time sorting out its exams fiasco.”
Teaching unions have also called for greater clarity on what to do if there is a spike in cases as well as to provide extra funding for school cleaning after it was discovered that heads were struggling to make premises Covid-secure.
In a statement released on Sunday evening, Johnson said: “I have previously spoken about the moral duty to reopen schools to all pupils safely, and I would like to thank the school staff who have spent the summer months making classrooms Covid-secure in preparation for a full return in September.
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“We have always been guided by our scientific and medical experts, and we now know far more about coronavirus than we did earlier this year.
“As the chief medical officer has said, the risk of contracting Covid-19 in school is very small and it is far more damaging for a child’s development and their health and wellbeing to be away from school any longer.
“This is why it’s vitally important that we get our children back into the classroom to learn and to be with their friends. Nothing will have a greater effect on the life chances of our children than returning to school.”
Johnson said earlier this month that getting all children back to school full-time in England in September is the “right thing for everybody”, insisting they are “safe” and “Covid secure”.
However, teachers, scientists, opposition politicians and the children’s commissioner for England Anne Longfield have previously called for improvements to testing before pupils return.
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Labour leader Keir Starmer said government incompetence and the “week of chaos” over exam results was putting the plans to get all children back to school at “serious risk”.
Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said: “Government advice needs to cover the possible self-isolation of bubbles and, in extremis, moving to rotas or to more limited opening.
“It needs to cover advice to heads about the protections needed for staff in high-risk categories if infection rates rise.”
Schools in Northern Ireland opened on Monday, while those in Scotland reopened earlier this month. English and Welsh schools are due to reopen their doors in September.
Analysis published on Sunday by Public Health England (PHE) showed there were 67 single confirmed cases, four “co-primary cases” (two or more linked cases diagnosed at the same time) and 30 coronavirus outbreaks in schools during June.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-24--Colin Farrell's Transformation In The Batman Trailer Is Nothing Short Of Unbelievable

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The newly-released trailer for the upcoming film The Batman has sparked a lot of conversation online, not least because of Colin Farrell’s unbelievable transformation in it.
Over the weekend, the first footage from the upcoming superhero film made its debut, offering fans a first glimpse at Robert Pattinson in character as a rather emo-looking Bruce Wayne.
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What a lot of viewers missed on their first time watching though, was the fact that it also showed the new-look Oswald Cobblepot – better known as Batman villain The Penguin – played by a completely unrecognisable Colin Farrell.
Colin Farrell as seen in the new teaser for The Batman Warner Bros
The Irish actor was seen only a couple of times during the two-minute clip, but as the penny dropped and more people realised that it was him underneath all those prosthetics and makeup, fans could not believe the transformation he’d undergone for the role…
I can’t believe this is Colin Farrell as Penguin. He’s unrecognizable lol pic.twitter.com/sbedKZxJna — Social Damising (@jdamis) August 23, 2020
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Colin Farrell. I can't believe this movie exists. pic.twitter.com/cujAdl70Cc — derekwkim (@derekwkim) August 23, 2020
Can we talk about Colin Farrell's AMAZING makeup job? https://t.co/avhqFDux6q — Pitt Lefto (@JLongb0ne) August 23, 2020
still can’t believe that’s colin farrell. that’s in fucking sane. https://t.co/zmheEQ220g — eloura ♡ ‘ˢ ᵐᶦˡᵏ ᵃ ˡᵒᵗ (@thetaskoschei) August 23, 2020
I can’t wrap my head around this being Colin Farrell. Like, I still wanna believe this is someone else because HOW... pic.twitter.com/dHSpkIqSwm — Jarry Benkins (@klond00) August 23, 2020
Colin Farrell?!?! As in Colin Farrell?! WHERE?
Brilliant job by makeup/prosthetics crew. this is crazy. https://t.co/LPEAK114gG — 💀WHISKEY BONBON💀 (@_JackPBrown) August 23, 2020
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Also can we talk about Colin Farrell?!
Like prostethics has come leaps and bounds?? This fits Penguin so well 😟 pic.twitter.com/p4PPCx39Ix — SarahTheSloth (@SarahTheSloth1) August 23, 2020
Also if that really is Colin Farrell under all that makeup/prosthetics then I'm pretty sure we have a Best Makeup/Hairstyling frontrunner for next year's Oscars. — Zach Macias | BLM & wear a mask! (@zachmg) August 23, 2020
What 😨😧😦😮😯😯😲😱 that's Colin Farrell. Oh my Damn he really got into character. This is like a mystique level transformation #TheBatman https://t.co/oMgPDoztTa — Drtis72 (@moveslash72) August 24, 2020
I didn't realize this was Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin#TheBatman
💯 Best makeup award pic.twitter.com/KnSVYGItUH — Warrior of Nora Tribe (HZD) (@SapphoMedusa) August 24, 2020
Used to think Tom Cruise in Tropic Thunder or Christian Bale as Dick Cheney were as dramatic transformation we will ever get but wtf! This is Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot 😮 howwww!?!? What is this magic pic.twitter.com/tQadZRquxV — Ashar Ahmad (@Mistah_Cookie) August 23, 2020
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Embarrassed to admit that I mixed up Colin Farrell and Colin Firth for a solid 24 hours and was even more impressed by the Penguin prosthetics — 🍀 (@peaceloveluck7) August 23, 2020
However, some also pointed out that the transformed Colin Farrell did look a little familiar...
Casting Colin Farrell and spending thousands of dollars on prosthetics in order to make him look like Richard Kind, who also exists, is some of the most Hollywood shit I’ve ever seen. https://t.co/xNaEjv1Dfi — James B. Jones (@TheJamesBJones) August 23, 2020
why put colin farrell in expensive prosthetics when you could just cast richard kind pic.twitter.com/8DxYkL71MJ — everybody dogfood (@evrybodydogfood) August 23, 2020
I thought this was Richard Kind... Anyway, we rarely mention Colin Farrell when we talk about actors who transform themselves. This guy is always doing the most https://t.co/DrT0pGHXgs — King Valkyrie 👑 (@khethyprincess) August 23, 2020
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Richard Kind / Richard Mean pic.twitter.com/r0mdAimhNs — Erik Anderson (@awards_watch) August 23, 2020
It's been brought to my attention that this is Colin Farrell as the Penguin. And I think he made a brave choice to transform into Richard Kind for the role pic.twitter.com/96ItnYSw8g — Chris Zois (@cc_zois) August 23, 2020
Colin recently told SFX of the film: “I have been watching the Batman films with my kids, but this script is something that feels incredibly original. It leans into it but it doesn’t borrow; it’s born of the mythology of that character, Bruce Wayne, Batman and Gotham. But it feels like a treatment and a version that I hadn’t seen.”
The Batman will also see Zoe Kravitz taking on the role of Catwoman, while Paul Dano will be playing the film’s main villain, Edward Nashton aka The Riddler.
Production on the film is expected to resume in September, after the crew were forced to take six months off due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-24--Trump Gives Emergency Approval For Covid-19 Plasma Treatment

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President Donald Trump said that US regulators have given an emergency use authorisation for a coronavirus treatment involving blood plasma donated by people who have recovered from the disease.
“This is a powerful therapy that transfuses very, very strong antibodies from the blood of recovered patients to help treat patients battling a current infection,” Trump told reporters at a White House news briefing on Sunday. “We’re removing unnecessary barriers and delays, not by cutting corners, but by marshalling the full power of the federal government.”
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The authorisation allows for the distribution of Covid-19 convalescent plasma in the US and for health care providers to administer it as appropriate to treat patients hospitalised with suspected or confirmed Covid-19.
Stephen Hahn, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, said Sunday that he is “committed to releasing safe and potentially helpful treatments for Covid-19 as quickly as possible in order to save lives.”
“In the independent judgment of experts and expert scientists at the FDA ― who have reviewed the totality of data, not just the data from this expanded access program, but more than a dozen published studies, as well as the historical experience associated with this ― those scientists have concluded that Covid-19 convalescent plasma is safe, ensures promising efficacy, thereby meeting the criteria for emergency use authorisation,” Hahn said at the briefing.
Today, we issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for investigational convalescent plasma for the treatment of hospitalized COVID-19 patients as part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to fight #COVID19. https://t.co/sxWrblWsxr pic.twitter.com/DnTrJaDTX1 — U.S. FDA (@US_FDA) August 23, 2020
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The authorisation comes after the FDA put the convalescent plasma approval on hold in response to concerns from top federal health officials, including Dr Francis Collins and Dr Anthony Fauci, The New York Times reported last week.
Though blood plasma donated from recovered Covid-19 patients is considered safe, top scientists said the clinical trials have not yet proved whether it is effective enough for treating the disease caused by the virus. The FDA had planned to give emergency use authorisation for the treatment earlier this month but decided against it after health experts argued there was insufficient evidence.
“The trial that that’s going to be based on ― 70,000 patients ― wasn’t a very rigorously done trial. It was an open-label study where everyone got treated, so it’s hard to draw conclusions,” former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb told CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday.
“I believe plasma is probably beneficial. It’s probably weakly beneficial in the setting of this treatment,” he continued. “But I think some people wanted to see more rigorous data to ground that decision.”
.@realDonaldTrump has suggested new "breakthroughs" on the #COVID19 therapeutic front. @scottgottliebMD tells @margbrennan that it is likely related to an emergency use authorization to allow more commercial distribution for plasma for #COVID19 patients. pic.twitter.com/8xL5K6hDhz — Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) August 23, 2020
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Trump said the federal government provided $48m to fund a Mayo Clinic study that tested the efficacy of convalescent plasma for Covid-19 patients.
The study showed that the plasma reduced mortality by 35% among 100,000 participants receiving the treatment, according to Hahn and Alex Azar, secretary of health and human services.
“There was a 35% improvement in survival, which is a significant clinical benefit,” Hahn said of the study. “Now we’re waiting for more data — we’re going to continue to gather data — but this clearly meets the criteria that we’ve established for emergency use authorisation, and we’re very pleased with these results.”
Trump on Saturday accused FDA employees of intentionally delaying progress on a Covid-19 vaccine and treatment because they were out to hurt the president’s chances in the election, without offering any evidence to substantiate the claim.
The president’s conspiracy-laden tweet appeared to accuse the FDA of interfering with drug company recruitment of subjects for testing vaccines and therapeutic treatments in the fight against the virus.
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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Trump’s “deep state” accusation “very scary” and “beyond the pale in terms of how he would jeopardise the health and well-being of the American people.”
The FDA must approve drugs or vaccines based on their safety and effectiveness – NOT political pressure from the White House.
The President’s dangerous attempt to inject himself into the scientific decisions of @US_FDA jeopardizes the health & well-being of all Americans. https://t.co/Dt7CBVjX1D — Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) August 22, 2020
“The FDA has a responsibility to approve drugs, judging on their safety and their efficacy ― not by a declaration from the White House about speed and politicizing the FDA,” Pelosi said Saturday at a Washington news briefing.
Trump echoed some of his early sentiment when asked at Sunday’s briefing if the emergency use authorisation was political in nature.
“Well, I think that there might have been a holdup, but we broke the logjam over the last week,” Trump said. “To be honest, I think that there are people in the FDA and actually in your larger department that can see things being held up and wouldn’t mind so much, it’s my opinion, a very strong opinion, and that’s for political reasons.”
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The FDA said Sunday that the “known and potential benefits” of plasma treatment on coronavirus patients “outweigh the known and potential risks” and that there are “no adequate, approved and available alternative treatments.”
Hahn declined to answer questions Sunday about whether he was pressured into giving an emergency use authorisation for convalescent plasma treatment before it was ready.
The pandemic continues to ravage the US, with nearly 5.7 million coronavirus cases and 176,645 deaths as of Sunday afternoon, according to Johns Hopkins University.