I would like to apologize for the length of this blog. It is important information concerning Covid-19. I prefer to call it the Wuhan Flu because traditionally, flu’s or viruses are named after their place of origin. Unfortunately, this like many other things have been subject to political correctness, for which I refuse to partake in.
I have been researching what the experts – the doctor’s and scientists have found in their research of Wuhan Flu and have found that the politicians who have been critical of those who are not following the science have in fact not been following the science themselves. Instead using the pandemic as a political weapon causing unnecessary panic and deaths. The following is the second of my reports on this topic. The first “When The Cure Is Worse Than The Disease” can be found in my blog.
The information contained within is a summary from a panel presentation on October 9, 2020 in Omaha, Nebraska, at the Hillsdale Free Market Forum. Dr. Bhattacharya’s remarks are also printed in “Imprimis” a publication of Hillsdale College. I wanted to summarize the summary, if you will, so the information is disseminated to everyone who cares to read the facts. This will should put to rest the argument of those who say “listen to the doctors, listen to the scientists and not the economics.” Here is some info on Dr. Bhattacharya.
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya is a Professor of Medicine at the prestigious Stanford University. He also has a Ph.D. in economics. His Curriculum Vitae is impressive and undisputed. Do No Harm. The data is presented by Dr. Bhattacharya. My comments will be presented in parentheses.
Originally case fatality rates were based on the number of hospitalizations and associated deaths.
(Not to mention that in cities like New York and Philadelphia any patient that had Wuhan but died of something else were counted as Wuhan deaths)
In April Dr. Bhattacharya conducted a study in his hometown of Santa Clara, California. At that time there were about 1000 cases identified, but Dr. Bhattacharya’s study showed that there were 50,000 cases that did not require hospitalization. 50 times more than were reported. This dropped the early fatality rate to 0.2 – 0.3% (an inconvenient truth to the democrat politicians who saw this as a way to exploit the 2020 elections by wreaking havoc on the populous. I can remember when Dr. Bhattacharya reported his findings in the April – May timeframe and he was roundly criticized at the time. It just didn’t fit the current political narrative.)
There are currently 82 studies around the world using Dr. Bhattacharya’s methodology, and when the median is taken, the studies proved the same results a 0.2 – 0.3% death rate.
In different cities, the rates are different. In NYC 0.5% death rate indicating that Governor Cuomo lied about the death rate. In Idaho a far more sparsely populated area death rate is 0.13%
Covid is not equally dangerous to everyone. There is a thousand-fold difference between a 70+ year old and the mortality rate of children. In fact, Wuhan is less dangerous to children than the seasonal flu. (although in most democrat run states schools are closed). With the 70+ aged people the seasonal flu mortality rate is 2% whereas with Wuhan it is 4%.
The UN reports that because of the economic damage that has been created by the lockdowns 130 million more people will starve this year.
The data also indicates that parents are not taking their children for their normal vaccinations in fear of Wuhan, putting at risk 80 million children of catching deadly preventable diseases. Large amount of cancer patients are skipping Chemo treatments in fear of Wuhan. One in four adults between the ages of 18 – 24 have seriously contemplated suicide. (Humans are social mammals especially at that age range. We are not built to be sequestered from others.)
Back to me.
Dr Bhattacharya, Dr. Sunetra Gupta and Dr. Martin Kulldorff of Harvard University. Dr’s from varying backgrounds and political position met (No one can say that the agreement was partisan) and agreed that the widespread lockdown has been a devastating public Health mistake. But still the politicians insist on locking us down.
The three doctors put together what they called “The Great Barrington Declaration” Which I have copied and paste below. It represents a comprehensive medical and scientific approach to managing the Wuhan Flu. Anything is is pure rubbish.
It can also be found at www.gbdeclaration.org. I would also urge you to visit the site and sign the declaration yourself.
The Great Barrington Declaration
The Great Barrington Declaration – As infectious disease epidemiologists and public health scientists we have grave concerns about the damaging physical and mental health impacts of the prevailing COVID-19 policies and recommend an approach we call Focused Protection.
Coming from both the left and right, and around the world, we have devoted our careers to protecting people. Current lockdown policies are producing devastating effects on short and long-term public health. The results (to name a few) include lower childhood vaccination rates, worsening cardiovascular disease outcomes, fewer cancer screenings and deteriorating mental health – leading to greater excess mortality in years to come, with the working class and younger members of society carrying the heaviest burden. Keeping students out of school is a grave injustice.
Keeping these measures in place until a vaccine is available will cause irreparable damage, with the underprivileged disproportionately harmed.
Fortunately, our understanding of the virus is growing. We know that vulnerability to death from COVID-19 is more than a thousand-fold higher in the old and infirm than the young. Indeed, for children, COVID-19 is less dangerous than many other harms, including influenza.
As immunity builds in the population, the risk of infection to all – including the vulnerable – falls. We know that all populations will eventually reach herd immunity – i.e. the point at which the rate of new infections is stable – and that this can be assisted by (but is not dependent upon) a vaccine. Our goal should therefore be to minimize mortality and social harm until we reach herd immunity.
The most compassionate approach that balances the risks and benefits of reaching herd immunity, is to allow those who are at minimal risk of death to live their lives normally to build up immunity to the virus through natural infection, while better protecting those who are at highest risk. We call this Focused Protection.
Adopting measures to protect the vulnerable should be the central aim of public health responses to COVID-19. By way of example, nursing homes should use staff with acquired immunity and perform frequent PCR testing of other staff and all visitors. Staff rotation should be minimized. Retired people living at home should have groceries and other essentials delivered to their home. When possible, they should meet family members outside rather than inside. A comprehensive and detailed list of measures, including approaches to multi-generational households, can be implemented, and is well within the scope and capability of public health professionals.
Those who are not vulnerable should immediately be allowed to resume life as normal. Simple hygiene measures, such as hand washing and staying home when sick should be practiced by everyone to reduce the herd immunity threshold. Schools and universities should be open for in-person teaching. Extracurricular activities, such as sports, should be resumed. Young low-risk adults should work normally, rather than from home. Restaurants and other businesses should open. Arts, music, sport and other cultural activities should resume. People who are more at risk may participate if they wish, while society as a whole enjoys the protection conferred upon the vulnerable by those who have built up herd immunity.
On October 4, 2020, this declaration was authored and signed in Great Barrington, United States, by:
Dr. Martin Kulldorff, professor of medicine at Harvard University, a biostatistician, and epidemiologist with expertise in detecting and monitoring infectious disease outbreaks and vaccine safety evaluations.
Dr. Sunetra Gupta, professor at Oxford University, an epidemiologist with expertise in immunology, vaccine development, and mathematical modeling of infectious diseases.
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, professor at Stanford University Medical School, a physician, epidemiologist, health economist, and public health policy expert focusing on infectious diseases and vulnerable populations.
Traveling the Bohemian Highway 