WHO to convene ethical review of experimental treatment for Ebola

<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-right: 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Early next week, WHO will convene a panel of medical ethicists to explore the use of experimental treatment in the ongoing Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Currently there is no registered medicine or vaccine against the virus, but there are several experimental options under development.</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-right: 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The recent treatment of two health workers from Samaritan’s Purse with experimental medicine has raised questions about whether medicine that has never been tested and shown to be safe in people should be used in the outbreak and, given the extremely limited amount of medicine available, if it is used, who should receive it.</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-right: 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“We are in an unusual situation in this outbreak. We have a disease with a high fatality rate without any proven treatment or vaccine,” says Dr Marie-Paule Kieny, Assistant Director-General at the World Health Organization. "We need to ask the medical ethicists to give us guidance on what the responsible thing to do is.”</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-right: 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The gold standard for assessing new medicine involves a series of trials in humans, starting small to make sure the medicine is safe to use. Then, the studies are expanded to more people to see how effective it is, and how best to use it.</span></div> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-right: 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The guiding principle with use of any new medicine is ‘do no harm’. Safety is always the main concern.</span></div> <h4 class="section_head2" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px 20px 6px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Media contact:</h4> <div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-right: 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Gregory Hartl<br />WHO Department of Communications<br />Telephone: +41 22 791 44 58<br />Mobile: +41 79 203 67 15<br />E-mail: <a href="mailto:hartlg@who.int" rel="nofollow" style="border: 0px; color: #723475; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">hartlg@who.int</a></span></div>

Doctor Who Ebola Ebola Virus Disease hot news New York Daily News news review WHO WHO to convene ethical review of experimental treatment for Ebola

Early next week, WHO will convene a panel of medical ethicists to explore the use of experimental treatment in the ongoing Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Currently there is no registered medicine or vaccine against the virus, but there are several e…

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Stewart speaks of sadness following fatal collision

<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-21KtQ9-QF2U/U-fKIbF2AMI/AAAAAAAAAEI/B_yickdCZak/s1600/595467header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Stewart speaks of sadness following fatal collision" border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-21KtQ9-QF2U/U-fKIbF2AMI/AAAAAAAAAEI/B_yickdCZak/s1600/595467header.jpg" title="Stewart speaks of sadness following fatal collision" width="320" /></a>Tony Stewart has spoken of his sadness after being involved in a collision that took the life of fellow driver Kevin Ward Jr. on Saturday.<br /> <br /> According to authorities and eye-witness accounts, the three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion hit and killed Ward Jr. who had walked towards Stewart's car after the two had an altercation during a race at Canandaigua Motorsports Park.<br /> <br /> The Ontario County (N.Y.) Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a news release that Ward Jr. had been declared dead 45 minutes after the incident upon arrival at Thompson Hospital.<br /> <br /> Some reports suggested that Stewart would still take part in Sunday's Cheez-It 355 Sprint Cup Series event in Watkins Glen, New York, but Stewart-Haas Racing vice president of competition Greg Zipadelli confirmed the 43-year-old's withdrawal earlier in the day.<br /> <br /> And Stewart has now released his own brief statement.<br /> <br /> "There aren't words to describe the sadness I feel about the accident that took the life of Kevin Ward Jr.," it read.<br /> <br /> "It's a very emotional time for all involved, and it is the reason I've decided not to participate in today's race at Watkins Glen.<br /> <br /> "My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and everyon affected by this tragedy."<br /> <br /> In relation to Saturday's tragedy, Sheriff Philip C. Povero had earlier told reporters: "Right now, this is an on-track crash investigation.<br /> <br /> "There are no criminal charges pending at this time. We are not making any inferences of any criminal conduct at all.<br /> <br /> "He [Stewart] was visibly shaken by this incident and promised his continuing cooperation of this investigation."

Kevin Ward Motorsports NASCAR New York Daily News Sprint Cup Tony Stewart Stewart speaks of sadness following fatal collision

Tony Stewart has spoken of his sadness after being involved in a collision that took the life of fellow driver Kevin Ward Jr. on Saturday. According to authorities and eye-witness accounts, the three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion hit and kil…

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'USA Today' is #1 in national circulation

Sometimes referred to as the nation's newspaper, <i>USA Today</i> has been <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/10/31/aam-newspaper-circulation/3323743/">ranked #1</a> in national circulation:<br /><blockquote>The agency that tallies newspaper circulation figures used by advertisers has changed its methodology to account for the increasingly diverse array of digital distribution channels, making USA TODAY once again the national leader in total circulation.</blockquote>Rounding out the top five:<br /><br />• <i>The Wall Street Journal</i>'s five-day average circulation fell to 2.27 million from 2.29 million a year ago. The paper, which surpassed USA TODAY as the nation's top newspaper in circulation in 2009, prints a general weekend edition but no Sunday paper.<br /><br />• <i>The New York Times</i>' five-day average circulation rose to 1.89 million from 1.61 million a year ago. Its Sunday edition had 2.39 million readers, up from 2.1 million a year ago.<br /><br />• <i>The Los Angeles Times</i>' five-day average circulation climbed to 671,797 from 641,370 a year ago. The Sunday edition reported 963,751 in circulation, up from 962,194.<br /><br />• <i>New York Daily News</i>' five-day average circulation fell to 467,110 from 535,875 a year ago. Its Sunday edition fell to 587,063 from 655,647.

Los Angeles Times New York Daily News New York Times newspaper circulation USA Today Wall Street Journal 'USA Today' is #1 in national circulation

Sometimes referred to as the nation's newspaper, USA Today has been ranked #1 in national circulation:The agency that tallies newspaper circulation figures used by advertisers has changed its methodology to account for the increasingly diverse array …

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