The year 2020 is nearing its end. As coronavirus continues to spread, the strategies enforced by governments around the globe have done more harm than good, crippling economies and negatively affect the overall well-being of the public.
An open debate on the so-called "pandemic"
The open letter reads:
“We, Belgian doctors and health professionals, wish to express our serious concern about the evolution of the situation in the recent months surrounding the outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. We call on politicians to be independently and critically informed in the decision-making process and in the compulsory implementation of corona-measures. We ask for an open debate, where all experts are represented without any form of censorship. After the initial panic surrounding covid-19, the objective facts now show a completely different picture – there is no medical justification for any emergency policy anymore.”
The experts advised that the current crisis management is now totally disproportionate, with adverse effects on the health of many and encroaching on the public's rights, particularly in areas with extended lockdowns.
Maintain public health by protecting human rights
In 1948, the WHO defined "health" as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or other physical impairment.”
This implies that health is a broad concept that affects someone's physical, emotional and social well-being. It is the duty of Belgium and other nations to ensure citizens' fundamental human rights by factoring in these rights when making decisions to improve public health. 4 (Related: Belgium’s coronavirus death toll makes it either world’s deadliest or most honest.)
During the early days of the pandemic, the measures enforced across the globe were reasonable -- the WHO initially anticipated that the coronavirus would claim 3.4 percent victims or result in millions of deaths. The organization also reported no treatment or vaccine for the highly contagious virus, which would strain the capacity of intensive care units (ICUs) in hospitals.
These announcements caused worldwide panic, unlike anything previously recorded in history. To “flatten the curve,” countries were advised to impose lockdowns that shut down society, the economy and healthy individuals.
Understanding COVID-19
Unlike the incurable threat described by the WHO, the experts argued coronavirus had run the course of a normal wave of infection, just like flu season. They also noted that similar trends were seen when comparing the waves of infection in countries with strict lockdown policies to countries that didn't impose lockdowns -- like Iceland and Sweden. This shows that imposed lockdowns aren't necessary to stay the course of the infection.
Like with flu season, the weather, temperature and humidity, along with growing immunity are more likely to reduce the wave of infection.
How do lockdowns affect physical and mental health?
Studies suggest that instead of preventing infections, extended lockdowns, social isolation and economic woes because of the pandemic are linked to more cases of “depression, anxiety, suicides, intra-family violence and child abuse.”
Time and again, research has confirmed that maintaining strong relationships is crucial to a person's resistance to viruses. With mandatory lockdown and quarantines, it's possible that people have instead become more susceptible to infections.
The elderly have become inactive due to isolation measures. Additionally, social distancing has been linked to fear, stress and loneliness. These factors negatively affect one's psychological and overall health.
Is there no cure for coronavirus?
Mortality is significantly lower than expected. At 1.2 percent, it's closer to that of normal seasonal flu. It's safe to say that the number of registered coronavirus deaths are vastly overestimated.
Note that death by COVID-19 is different from death with COVID-19. Humans often carry multiple viruses along with potentially pathogenic bacteria.
In most cases, people who tested positive may have died due to other causes, which isn't always included in data presented about confirmed cases and deaths.
Studies have also identified the most vulnerable groups. Most of the deceased patients were 80 or older.
Meanwhile, 70 percent of the deceased who were younger than 70 also had an underlying disorder like cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, chronic lung disease, or obesity. Findings showed that 98 percent of infected individuals didn't get sick, suffered mild symptoms, or recovered spontaneously.
Experts have also found affordable, efficient, and safe treatments when used on patients who have mild symptoms. These include hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), azithromycin and zinc. Applying these treatments immediately helps improve a patients' chance of recovery and may even prevent hospitalization.
But instead of spreading the word about these potential treatments, mainstream media tries to censor and even silence reports about them.
Survey studies on influenza vaccinations reveal that vaccines with an efficiency rate of more than 50 percent have only been developed three times within a decade.
Viruses mutate naturally and as yearly cases of the influenza virus have shown, vaccines are only a temporary solution that requires new vaccines. Instead of focusing on developing an untested COVID-19 vaccine that may have many negative side effects, governments worldwide should develop strategies to effectively prevent infections.
The role of media amid the pandemic
Within the last few months, officials have used mainstream media to instill fear in people instead of helping them stay informed about coronavirus. Instead of being biased, journalists should present the news objectively and neutrally to help everyone stay informed and to prevent mass panic.
Rather than censoring videos and articles about alternative COVID-19 treatments, politicians and those in the healthcare industry should focus on testing them and verifying their effectiveness.
Terrifying citizens with figures day in and day out without explaining what these figures mean has done more harm than good. Instead of simply presenting these figures, news reports should compare them to flu deaths in other years and deaths from other causes to prevent mass panic.
The Belgian health experts ask that the WHO answer for their role in this infodemic, which includes using media censorship to silence “all divergent opinions from the official discourse, including by experts with different views.”
Supporting an open discussion on disease-prevention measures means that experts can help patients with COVID-19 recover while also ensuring that the public is educated on effectively preventing infections amid the so-called pandemic.
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