Thanks to a massive gaslighting operation on the part of the media and vested interests, the public and politicians in New Zealand and elsewhere have been conned into believing that COVID-19 is something that it isn’t.
It is now time to acknowledge the further information that has come to hand, and that, with hindsight, the response of governments has been a disastrous mistake. The only responsible course is to walk back from the lockdown.
COVID-19 is no more serious than any other seasonal virus
COVID-19 is a corona virus, one of a set of seasonal viruses which includes some manifestations of the common cold.
‘There is no evidence to show that the 2019 coronavirus is more lethal than respiratory adenoviruses, influenza viruses, coronaviruses from previous years, or rhinoviruses responsible for the common cold.’ (Dr Pablo Goldschmidt , virologist specializing in tropical diseases and Professor of Molecular Pharmacology at the Université Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris. )
The vast majority of people testing positive for COVID-19 show few or no symptoms.
Oxford University researchers found that fewer than one in a thousand people infected with COVID-19 becomes sick enough to need hospitalisation, while the vast majority have only mild symptoms or none at all. Their assessment of the fatality rate for the virus in the UK is around 0.002 percent, far lower than the seasonal flu. Extensive testing in Iceland has had similar results.
It is indisputable that ‘those who die from COVID-19 are already vulnerable’ (Dr Sucharit Bhakdi)
According to the latest data of the Italian National Health Institute, the average age of the positively-tested deceased in Italy is currently about 78 years. Only 3.3% had suffered from no underlying condition at all; 82% of the deceased had suffered from two or more chronic diseases; 61% o f the deceased had suffered from three or more chronic diseases. Amongst those chronic diseases predominated cardiovascular problems, diabetes, respiratory problems and cancer. It has always been the case that the last trigger for people with advanced age and deteriorating health is frequently a flu related condition. The chances of a healthy person, even of advanced years, dying of COVID-19 is probably non-existent.
Protect the vulnerable – allow healthy people to develop herd immunity
‘If we close the schools, we will prevent the children from quickly becoming immune’, (Dr Pietro Vernazza, Swiss specialist in infectious diseases and professor of health policy).
There is no reason why time-honoured procedures for dealing with seasonal flu should not be applied now, ie protect and quarantine those most as risk, encourage others to stay warm and eat healthily, and otherwise allow the virus to take its course. Care homes have always locked down when there is an epidemic scare, people with cold symptoms have kept away from new-born babies. This year should be no different, according to specialists without vested interests.
The unprecedented policy of mass quarantine to ‘flatten the curve’ is only prolonging the coronavirus pandemic, according to Knut Wittkowski, former head of the Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Research Design at the Rockefeller University in New York.
‘As with every respiratory disease we should protect the elderly and fragile, because when they get pneumonia, they have a high risk of dying of pneumonia. This is one of the key issues to keep in mind. On the other hand, children do very well with these diseases: they are evolutionarily designed to be exposed to all kinds of viruses in their lifetime, and they should keep going to school and infecting each other. That contributes to herd immunity, which means after about four weeks at the most, the elderly people could start joining their families because then the virus would have been extinguished.
‘People are trying to flatten the curve, but I don’t really know why. What happens when you flatten the curve is you also widen it, and it takes more time. I don’t see a good reason for a respiratory disease staying in the population for longer than necessary. (video , transcript)
Distorted projections
The WHO and corporate-funded research institutions have exaggerated the danger from COVID-19. An analysis of a study by Imperial College London finds that the College, which influenced decision-making both in the UK and in NZ, exaggerated the risk by 131 times. In the United States, health official Antonio Fauci has claimed that the risk from COVID-19 is at least 10 times that of ordinary flu, with no apparent basis.
Authorities from countries such as Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States have all admitted that they are including deaths from other causes in their COVID-19 mortality figures.
The media beat-up
The media is playing the major part in creating panic, filling their pages with sensational but easily discredited stories (newspapers are supposed to sell more copies in time of war, and perhaps this ‘war on coronavirus’ is no different). The BBC reported on a 21 year old woman ‘who died of Covid19 without any previous illnesses’ – it subsequently became known that the woman did not test positive for Covid19 and died of a heart failure.
Governments have ignored new evidence
Corona is ‘an epidemic of mass panic […]. Logic was one of the first victims.’ (Danish researcher Peter Gøtzsche, founder of the Cochrane Medical Collaboration.
The dismissive response of virologists and other specialists as well as published official reports from mid-March, both well-documented here by Facts About COVID-19, provided ample warning that the virus is not the creature it is claimed to be. Governments have chosen to bow to the media-engendered hysteria, and to ignore available information contrary to the media narrative.
In a fact sheet published March 23, the World Health Organization reported that COVID-19 was in fact spreading slower, not faster, than influenza by a factor of about 50%. Moreover, pre-symptomatic transmission appeared to be much lower with COVID-19 than with influenza.
On March 24 UK removed COVID-19 from the official list of High Consequence Infectious Diseases (HCID), stating that mortality rates were ‘low overall‘.
Despite the information that came available prior to declaring a state of emergency, the New Zealand government insisted on imposing a Level 4 Lockdown from 25 March.
The damage arising from the lockdowns is incalculable
Other years have seen more deadly flu outbreaks, without such drastic measures being imposed. Great harm is now being done to the global and national economy, the viability of small businesses, the functioning of health systems, people’s mental and physical health, people’s futures.
The progression towards a police state
Perhaps the most concerning aspect is the immediate suspension of our democracy and uncertainty about its future.
With neither a bang nor barely a whimper, barely one week ago New Zealand put being a long established and respected Parliamentary democracy on hold to become a virtual Police state in the ongoing fight against COVID-19. […]
We have settled into a life regime more restrictive than at any previous point in our history – including wartime.
We have no freedom of movement, limited access to essential goods and services, and our borders have been sealed […] (Peter Dunne, former NZ Cabinet Minister, ‘Democracy On Hold)
Victoria University’s associate law professor, Dean Knight, believes that, with so much discretionary power, there is a very real risk that the discretion could be used in an arbitrary and discriminatory manner. University of Otago law professor Andrew Geddis has warned that police can use ‘extreme and unprecedented’ powers to constrain basic freedoms of movement guaranteed by the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act.
While lockdowns are a global event, worrying trends in New Zealand have already manifested themselves over the past year. After the shooting in Christchuch, the government imposed draconian censorship and fast tracked gun control while at the same time creating an armed police force. Measures to further reduce free speech are under way, via ‘Hate Speech’ legislation.
The bizarre threats to imprison anyone who watched the shooting video, the recorded incidents of armed police terrorising families, and now the increasingly common experience of law-abiding citizens of being harassed by police officers, are creating an atmosphere of fear and distrust in the law.
Despite all the talk of ‘being kind’, a culture of dobbing in one’s neighbours is being actively encouraged. The Police Commissioner Mike Bush proudly announced that the website set up for that purpose crashed within the hour due to the volume of reports about lockdown infringements – 4,200 were received in the first 24 hours.
There has been an increase in on-line censorship. Of great concern is the Danish Parliament’s adoption of a new law that prohibits the publication of information on COVID-19 that does not comply with the government’s guidelines and allows the deletion of websites and the punishment or imprisonment of authors.
Avenues for dissent and the dissemination of accurate information are severely restricted. Organised public protest is out of the question while the lockdown is in place, leafletting too presumably. Despite these restrictions on communication and dissent, the NZ government is continuing to push ahead with controversial legislation – oral submissions for the Urban Development Bill, which constitutes an assault on traditional property rights, were heard in the early days of the lockdown.
References to ‘bringing the country out of lockdown’ suggest that restrictions may continue. (Bill Gates is recommending the US stay in lockdown for another 10 weeks.)
The crisis is seen by players such as Bill Gates as an opportunity to further other initiatives, such as further plans for compulsory vaccination, firstly making vaccines a requirement to participate in public meetings or travel. Gates has just announced plans to launch human-implantable ‘quantum-dot tattoos’ to show vaccine status. Vaccines will be fast-tracked and without liability.
Eventually what we’ll have to have is certificates of who’s a recovered person, who’s a vaccinated person […]. Because you don’t want people moving around the world where you’ll have some countries that won’t have it under control, sadly. Bill Gates, How To Respond to the Coronavirus Pandemic (video, from 34:14)
The COVID-19 scare has spawned calls for the abolition of the family, e.g ‘The Nuclear Family Was a Mistake’, and ‘The Coronavirus Crisis Shows It’s Time to Abolish the Family’, which also condemns ‘the fundamentally unsafe space that is private property’.
The executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program, Michael Ryan, has suggested that as transmission is happening within families, those testing positively, according to the very questionable testing process, should be removed from their homes, the implication being that could be by force:
‘Now, we need to go and look in families to find those people who may be sick and remove them and isolate them in a safe and dignified manner.
COVID-19 tests are not reliable:- the manufacturer’s description for the SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus Multiplex RT-qPCR testing kit has the instruction, ‘For research use only, not for use in diagnostic procedures.’
‘This is why you’re hearing that most people with COVID-19 are showing nothing more than cold/flu like symptoms. That’s because most Coronavirus strains are nothing more than cold/flu like symptoms.’ (‘If You Want to Create a Totally False Panic About a Totally False Pandemic – Pick a Coronavirus’).
So children may be forcibly taken from their homes, on the basis of testing positive for what? the common cold?
Conclusion
Fear, not the fact, of deadly disease has led politicians to take draconian steps with huge implications for the global economy, the balance of wealth and power, and civil liberties. The public have been psyched into accepting that COVID-19 infection must be stopped at all costs, ignoring all evidence of its relative harmlessness. There is a real danger that the public will continue to accept hitherto undreamed-of restrictions on their rights.
This disastrous situation can only be rectified if the mistake is acknowledged and rectified, the measures repudiated and the state of emergency lifted. Any other course leaves the way for ongoing abuse of power by the police and the authorities.
See also:
If You Want to Create a Totally False Panic About a Totally False Pandemic – Pick a Coronavirus
’12 Experts Questioning the Coronavirus Panic’: OffGuardian has assembled a group of medical specialists – eminent virologists, microbiologists, pulmonologists, etc – who all questioning the Coronavirus panic and the desirability of extreme measures.
’10 MORE Experts Criticising the Coronavirus Panic’: another 10 specialists from OffGuardian.
‘Facts about Covid-19’: a completely referenced timeline of evidence relating to the COVID-91 scare.
‘New Zealand becoming police state: Covid-19 lockdown to be taken seriously, but reporting neighbors & abuse of power goes too far’. Another observer who believes the hype about COVID-19, but still believes there is an abuse of power.
Reblogged this on uwerolandgross.
Congratulations for spreading the largest block of misinformation I have seen in a long time. The author is presenting their arguments using flat out lies. Your doing are doing a great job in spreading them. You might be an intelligent man, I would suggest combing every sentence for fact over fiction.
That was a good rant, got to fact check it now. Diamond, Ruby and Coral Princes criuse ships have done well they bring back an old memory. Passenger ships had oldies on board just to travel from place to place not criuse as such, boatswain and lampy/ store keeper would have bets on who were going to die. They had the job of sewing tthem up for burial at sea. Sunday morning weather permiting crew and pax turned for service when the ship hoved to and off they went to Davy Jones locker. The P O who sewed the decised up got a bottle and if he guest right e few bob from the bet.
I guess having a PhD in German literature makes this author an expert at epidemiology just like I’d ask an epidemiologist for expert advice on German literature
To be honest. Government never took it seriously to begin with. Ardern had a 3 week gap, to close boarders and enforce quarantine of people coming into the country.
By the rate of the other countries, we should take precautions. Ignorance, is mans worst enemy.
3 weeks we have over 1 thousand people infected. And still rising.
Guess this is all they can do, to rectify what their inability to act, has done.
You do realise that the writer of this article is saying that the lock down is a huge, fear based, over reaction and damaging to the economy and we should walk it back and just get back to business as usual?
Have you compared the numbering those of the common cold or other seasonal viruses?
Please STOP this lockdown it is hurting the people and the nation.this is not not near bad enough in compare with all other flus we had.this is total irresponsible wat this government does.stop fearmongering AND GET BACK TO WORK
Load of rubbish. If we didn’t do the lockdown we would be like so many countries and more would be dead!
COVID-19 is at least 10 times “more lethal” than the seasonal flu, “Some patients might have around a drop of 20 to 30 per cent in lung function [after recovery].” The H1N1 “swine flu” epidemic in 2009 was even less lethal than regular seasonal flu
Thank you Alan. Have you a source/s for your information about the threat presented by Covid19? I see a claim about the drop in lung function has been made in a press statement by one doctor in Hong Kong, much repeated. As with deaths, there are questions over whether this damage was caused by the coronavirus or by other conditions, and whether accompanying cases of pneumonia, which does cause lung damage, result from the coronavirus.
There is reduced lung function once recovered from stock standard pneumonia ( which is basically what this is, the ones that make it to hospital anyway) which takes 6 months for patients to FULLY recover lung function. No “COVID” patient has been recovered for 6 months yet, so can not dismiss that this won’t happen
That PhD in German Literature makes you an expert in disease?
Go away. Go far far away.
I’ve got a PhD in a science, and several post grad qualifications in other sciencesZ
I know to leave the experts to their fields
COVID19 is worse than the common seasonal illnesses.
Now go back to your German literature
I have linked to numerous experts in their fields, who make it clear that the COVID-19 scare is beat-up, and the measures taken very dangerous from a health point of view. One is Dr Bhakdi, a specialist in microbiology, former professor at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz and one of the most cited research scientists in German history, who describes the German government lockdown measures as grotesque, absurd and very dangerous: “This is the incredible tragedy, because all these measures are actually senseles […]. The life expectancy of millions is being shortened.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBB9bA-gXL4&t=303s
Barbara McKenzie, the link you posted to Dr. Bhakdi’s, almost incoherent, ramble is totally irrelevant given that Germany now has 3,495 deaths due to COVID-19. Not just seasonal coronavirus as Dr. Bhakdi would have us believe, but the disease known as COVID-19 which is caused exclusively by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, a completely new and distinct virus, which can be tested for. So far, of all cases that have had an outcome globally i.e. the patient has either recovered or died, 21% of cases have resulted in death. Until this virus can be treated effectively we have been asked to severely curtail our social interactions in an attempt to limit it’s spread as it is highly infectious. Instead of inciting civil unrest why don’t you just sit down and follow the instructions we have been given by those qualified to give them.
The “cure” is proving far more dangerous than the disease
Level 4 lockdown was never able to be justified. The data used was out by a factor of 10. We were told to expect a hospitalisation rate of 20% and a death rate of 2-4%. So in NZ from 1,000 infected we do not have 200 in hospital and we do not have 20-40 dead. The actual rate is hospitalisation rate at 2% and death rate 0.5% or less. Once we realise more people are infected than known, these figures will reduce. The problem is we have no base level of immunity. This can be managed. Quarantine the border and get everyone possible back working with safety plans in place.
It’s just a cold virus. The common cold is a coronavirus, this is another one, no need to believe any more sinister than any other coronavirus – probably not even new. ‘There is no evidence to show that the 2019 coronavirus is more lethal than respiratory adenoviruses, influenza viruses, coronaviruses from previous years, or rhinoviruses responsible for the common cold.’ (Dr Pablo Goldschmidt , virologist specializing in tropical diseases and Professor of Molecular Pharmacology at the Université Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris, Interview on Clarin.com, 9th March 2020). The worst possible thing is preventing healthy people from developing immunity.
https://stovouno.org/2020/04/09/if-you-want-to-create-a-totally-false-panic-about-a-totally-false-pandemic-pick-a-coronavirus/
No. “Just” a cold virus is the most dangerous and incorrect thing you could say. We have a genetic mutation spawned from that known viral family into something new with heretofore ink own lethality. I also question your fatality rates, which in the US are now approaching 4.0%. But please, help the case for advanced Darwinism and ignore the many other experts who are trying to protect people from their own ignorance. I wish you well, but also wish you would stay in your lane with Kafka.
I am totally Stunned, and Angry, BUT Not one bit surprised !
Govts Are For the People ! ?
No. They are Not.
No longer…sadly.
No the government is not working for the people and operated by the people. It works to make money for its shareholders and we are not shareholders. Enforced vaccination of all citizens will generate income, therefore, “the government” wants it.
What we consider the New Zealand Government is actually a series of Independent & subsidiary Companies listed on Dun & Bradstreet.
These companies listed in Government Industry business sector include
COMMONWEALTH OF NEW ZEALAND, NZ POLICE, NZ DEFENCE FORCE, RESERVE BANK OF NEW ZEALAND, LOCAL GOVERNMENT NEW ZEALAND, EDUCATION NEW ZEALAND, NZ DEPT OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS, MINISTRY OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Etc.
Also NZ ISLAMIC PROCESSED FOODS LTD…….. Yes, this is actually listed as a subsidiary company in Government Sector!?
Exactly that! Well said…. but most are too scared to think for themselves
That’s what scary
Enough is enough, not only are all 30 personal human rights of EVERY Kiwi being trampled on, but there is obviously no existing pandemic to even justify the national distaster being pertetrated by the Government of NZ. There will be accountability demanded for the breaching of those rights and criminal proceedings sought for the deception being flouted in the face of logic, intelligence reason.
I hearby put notice of fact, that The sitting govt. Snd acting MPs of NZ Are acting in breach of all New Zealanders human rights under the international himan rights declaration. The govt deception in acting in these ways will bring prosecution and demand answers for these breaches and the damages being perpetuated upon future generations by their illegal
irrational actions of deception.
What a load of crap!
You might want to check your grammar and spelling before posting.
Totally agree
This is the dumbest thing I’ve read in relation to COVID-19. What’s the best you’re reaping the reward of the lockdown by protecting your help. You should speak to my friend in Vienna to get a reality check. This is couch potato privilege at its best
Could the author please volunteer to dig the trench for the 28,000 80+ year olds that will need burying from misinformation like this taking off.
The Author is a bigot, claiming to defend free speech while they calmly delete it.
The way the blog is set up the author has to approve every comment. The author obviously has the right to reject spam or abuse, though I’ve now decided not to be too fussy – some of the negative responses are quite entertaining in what they reveal about the critics.
I may have missed some comments made in good faith – I apologise to those people making them.
Put a stop to this nonsensical lockdown ASAP. Use face mask etc if you must but end it now!
U would all be so saying different if we let this loose our population ain’t much compared to other countries I agree with quarantine what if this was not done and too many of us died be grateful
I totally agree with the facts as they have been published. This was known away back in February. My conclusion is there is a huge underlying reason the world has been fooled into this mess. And I don’t think govts are the innocent victims.
So true!
A bond movie gone wrong? And completely out of control?
Problem is, we probably will never know what and who is behind this
And all citizens of the world will pay the price
That’s what’s scary and sad
Yes there IS a reason for this its called Agenda 21 or now updated to Agenda20/30.Thanks to the UN.
this is how the new world order wants it
Our health system can only handle a small percentage of a pandemic. Maori will get smashed with all other indigenous and 1st nation people. NZ is spearheading this and the reason theres nothing happening is because of the lockdown. Look at NY and other states in the USA.
Because nothing happened here is the reason why we had a lockdown.
I agree. Our health system would collapse if this was allowed to spread. Just archive this open letter and give it another 6 months. Countries that didn’t go into lock-down will have disastrous death tolls. This virus is much nastier than most. Look at the death rate versus recovery in the countries where it has spread. (Italy, Spain, USA, Sweden) It ain’t good. Once the first million infected people have recovered we should re-visit this post.
So, $12 BILLION (announced Govt subsidies alone, and all borrowed money) would not have been enough to beef up the health system slightly, eh? This argument is nonsense. Economically, the mother of all depressions is coming anyway, and worldwide lockdown is just a controlled trigger. Which by the way allows governments (shepherds) to take better control over population (herd).
Recovery data is unreliable because 1. nobody gives a f***k and 2. I if more than 50% of people don’t show any symptoms that means they cannot be taken into consideration
Here here we’ll said
These conspiracy theorists are all idiots and are such experts
We need an Independent Commission of enquiry into Covid 19 immediately to investigate the veracity of government claims and proposed courses of conduct.
There will be a full Enquiry of some sort once we get clear of this thing.
I certainly agree, an Independent investigation is needed. Effective immediately. This thing of taking away our human rights and freedom is absolutely appalling. Covid-19 is a cover up of the 5G rollout plan. Health concern, really.
I fully agree with you Mata,the numbers have been fudged about the covid-19, as anyone who has had a cold in their lifetime will have the antibodies present in their system.It is to suit an alternative agender one being the surveillance system brought in through 5G which was implemented without public approval ignoring serious health concerns brought up by top medical experts .
Lot of interesting comments here, Pixie.
This letter is one of the most bias bits of rubbish i have read one the situation to date. You should be ashamed of yourselves for circulating it.
You are more then welcome to put my details online as any replys from such as yourselves will definatly not make me loose any sleep.
Conspiracy theorists such as you and your ilk really do need to be censored for the greater good rather then have a platform for sharing your miss guided and mis informed views. Shame on you for cherry picking and distorting data for your own limited agendas.
Thank you for this. The hysteria is deafening, and strangely enough, the more we know about CV19, the less people seem to be able to digest any information about it. To see the majority of humans willing give up their rights because they have an infinitesimal chance of dying of a communicable disease is astounding. I’m talking as loud as I can because I’m orders of magnitude more terrified of what might be the “New World Order” than I am of CV19. Which, by the way, I think I had back in January.
“I’m orders of magnitude more terrified of what might be the “New World Order” than I am of CV19.” Yes, we all should be.
yes same Im more concerned about what is happening in our world everything has the smell of state control virus. Funny you mentioned you thought you had this in Jan as friends I know went to Thailand at xmas and they said they got this incredible flu and reckon it was the Corona virus once they learned of this.
If you want a coherent, data backed analysis of why Covid19 is nowhere near the the threat the government claims it is read here https://thebfd.co.nz/2020/04/07/is-it-possible-that-covid-19-isnt-as-bad-as-we-have-been-told/ and here https://thebfd.co.nz/2020/04/10/the-real-threat-from-covid-19-is-the-governments-response/#disqus_thread
No government will ever admit their overreaction to this, instead they will pat themselves on the back and take credit for ‘preventing a far worse outcome’ with no proof whatsoever to back this up. Just as they do with their vaccination pushing – asserting that you will probably still get the infection but it will be less severe than with no vaccine. Yeah right.
The miracle properties of the coming vaccine are being much touted by everyone from Bill Gates to the NZ government, regardless of their likely efficacy or safety – of course in America, vaccine manufacturers are exempt from liability. We don’t have a vaccine for the common cold – why do they think a vaccine for this virus will work?
It’s not about if it works, it’s about control… and Bill Gates is pushing for no liability too, so no proper safety testing and no option to sue for injuries or death as a result of this vaccine.
China developed one some years ago, when tested on animals they died…
We should all shout out to stop this madness
Who admitted the y2k bug stupidity?
Weather or not the covid 19 virus is just the common flu I do not know last years stats to this years however the curve is flattening in New Zealand and most of Australia so I’d prefer to be cautious, Measures are in place to protect the greater communities I reckon the top 5 percent might be investing in surveys due to there economic stresses I’d rather be healthy than sick chur .f
Barbara McKenzie has a PhD in in German Literature…. so we should take heed of what she says??? What a load of crap.
Barbara McKenzie has a PhD in German Literature, so we shouldn’t take any notice of (or double-check) the various offiicial statistics she quotes, or the eminent virologists, pulmonologists, microbiologists, immunologists etc she refers to? Whatever …
I agree with you.
You win idiot comment of the week award. Congratulations.
My thoughts exactly!
What a load of rubbish – the writer has a phd in german literature – I am sure that is the perfect qualification to comment on this. Just because we have only had relatively few cases and fewer deaths does not point to an error in locking down the country – I suspect this writer would have been the first to pen an opposite view, had the government done nothing and bodies started piling up as they have in Europe and the US. I doubt that anyone with half a brain would take any notice of her
I am quoting Mark Twain again. ‘ It is easier to fool people than to convince them they have been fooled’. Sadly, the New Zealand public is happy to be fooled.
Thank you Barbara for putting all this together. I know how much time and effort this would have taken as I was gathering information to write something similar. Now I feel I don’t need to.
I’m an RN of 45 years experience in Paediatrics. I’ve been instinctively sceptical of alarmist reports about this outbreak from the beginning (unlike most of my colleagues). I found it was quite easy to go and fact check and put covid19 in perspective. Mainstream news media reporters (I hesitate to call them journalists) have no excuse for their failure to do more than regurgitate NGO and government bureaucratic releases and each others story’s.
You put them to shame.
Thank you very much Sally – so good to get an opinion from a member of the nursing profession! (Btw, the finished article is a pared down version of a much longer effort, with far more references, so yes it was a lot of work.)
Some promising news for us to keep An eye on ☺️
https://www.dailywire.com/news/early-antibody-testing-in-chicago-30-50-of-those-tested-for-covid-19-already-have-antibodies-report-says?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=benshapiro
Excellent research Barbara and well written. It is to a large extent sensation seeking media driven. They have cowered politicians into foolish and dangerous actions.
Thanks very much Owen. Yes the media role has been huge – page after page, hour after hour on the telly. This must be what it’s like in wartime.
Foolish & dangerous. Best description of these lower forms of life. Scary part is the sheep/slaves are hyped into “voting” aka consent to be governed/owned. When will we ever learn?
The mainstream media is the biggest danger to society in decades. There is no journalism. We have overpaid, overbotoxed, talking heads and stenographers. When was the last time you saw an actual piece of investigative journalism? Oh, probably Nicky Hager and we know what happened to him. Raided by police, computers taken, abused and slandered.
The media needs to be taken apart.
Anyone with a PhD, irrespective of tbeir specialty, will have had to demonstrate competency in research and writing in order to gain their qualifications. Barbara has conveyed her message clearly and succinctly using relevant and credable sources. Her message reflects facts as she has found them. These facts pesented call into question the messages from Govt and media in the light evidence. The economic outfall from the lockdown is going to be with us for years to come (even if lockdown was lifted tomorrow) and the outcome of that will be far reaching and enduring. I undetstand that the PM’s narrative of the situation is based on information provided to her, possibly from the WHO. I would hope that research would go further afield. Switzerland has not shut down but is practising social distancing from the vulnerable, and their statistics seem to be uneventful. So not only do we have new facts, we have an example of what happens under an alternative approach, a calm and rationale approach. I am observing fear, but that is not serving anyone. It would be good to move forward with applied logic. Most importantly it is each of our responsibility to be respectful of those whos opinions may differ from our own. Choose expressions of thought with kindness.
Thank you Helen. As far as I can see there is a dearth of information coming from the government. I have looked at the relevant website, and if there is anything that explains (rightly or wrongly) why the lockdown is justified, it’s not immediately obvious. I’m wondering whether the Ministry of Health is covering itself, but I might just have missed it. https://covid19.govt.nz/
Also Sweden & Iceland. Maybe others.
Unfortunately the sock puppets called MPs rely on advice from unelected bureaucrats, who in turn are lobbied by vested interest. In this case the WHO. Their agenda is articulated by dangerous clingons like bill the butcher gates & hyped as fear porn by mainstream media. As the article said, advice from controlled experts has again drowned out a correct assessment. Govts seem to be frozen in the headlights, but more likely told/threatened to continue. Time for some civil disobedience?
Thank you Helen! I see plenty of commentary from people without relevant qualifications, from Bill Gates down to rookie journalists, so I thought perhaps I should be allowed to express a view 😉
I’d like to know what our prime minister thinks of all these stats and also why hasn’t the media asked the hard questions.
This may seem over the top but she is either extremely gullible and not fit for the job or she is getting her orders from somewhere else.
The lockdown has nothing to do with the actual threat to the individual or protection of the nation. Rather it is about a socialist govt., whose leader wishes to continue her international fame. A fitting response would have been to close borders or even localities, but the whole nation? How to plug the plug on an already shaky economy.
I hope you do actually send this to parliament. Their reply will be entertaining at least
This needs to seriously be looked at and immediate enquiry into this hoax of covid 19 you have taken away our civil writes for movement to where we could be our liberties of doing anything outside of our 4 walls are taken away oh medical centre pharmacies and some food outlets pack and save countdown is our place to be also contact with our families is also an another of liberties gone
Judy Thomas, your last sentence totally sums up your entire post.
If. You had the virus and you were on a ventilator or your family died of this you wouldn’t be so stupid but then dum arses are stupid get of your high horses and start thinking with your heads instead of your arses
The government acted upon reports of serious reports out of Italy who were well behind the viruses progress. If we did not enforce the lock down hundreds of mainly sick and elderly would have died. Saving the lives of the sick may seem a pointless exercise too many Kiwis but but for others this is unethical. A debate we will hear more of.
The points that specialists in virology, infectious diseases etc are making is that:
There is nothing special about this particular virus – it’s just another corona virus, like the common cold
Far better to have the same policy as in other years: protect the vulnerable, and allow the healthy, especially children, to acquire natural immunity.
Reference to where the vulnerable demographic lies is not presented as an argument for not caring about them – it’s to enable understanding of the virus. The second ‘coronavirus death’ in NZ was an elderly woman in her 90s with multiple health problems. She wasn’t allowed to see her children when she was dying – how caring is that? People are now being refused new or on-going cancer treatment to save services for coronavirus patients – those services are more limited now because clinics are closed, as staff test positive for the common cold. It is questionable whether this lockdown will save a single life, but it is certain to result in loss of life.
‘[The government’s anti-COVID19 measures] are grotesque, absurd and very dangerous […] The life expectancy of millions is being shortened. The horrifying impact on the world economy threatens the existence of countless people. The consequences on medical care are profound. Already services to patients in need are reduced, operations cancelled, practices empty, hospital personnel dwindling. All this will impact profoundly on our whole society.’ (Dr Sucharit Bhakdi, specialist in microbiology, former professor at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz and head of the Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene and one of the most cited research scientists in German history.”
Does Dr Bhakdi really sound as though he doesn’t care about human life?
Switzerland are social distancing from the elderly and those at risk without shutting down the economy down. This is a balanced approach that has everyones best interests at heart. An approach we could still adopt come Tuesday.
Switzerland currently have 25,107 cases and 1,036 dead! That’s a 4% mortality rate. How can that be a “balanced approach that has everyones best interests at heart”!?
The Covid 19 Pandemic overreaction is unprecedented in human history.
The need for the draconian measure of a State of Emergency is not supported by facts. The sooner the NZ Government and the WHO stop this madness the healthier our populations will be.
These are facts,
Gov and MSM say hide under yer bed’s. It is like some silly horror film from 1962. Turn the volume down, watch and listen to some music through earphones and you will understand
Storm in a teacup. What a hoax.
As far as i am concerned, if you are dumb,week, don’t know common sense an well believe anything the media says you deserve to were the false shit you are told. I stopped waisting my breath trying to tell people what it isn’t seen majority still wanting to back the false. That’s right, you lot,the media an world leaders, FALSE, FALSE FALSE…
No point time after time, posting an open letter, starting an online petition, crying on Facebook. These methods are practically useless, as recent history can show.
The only way out of this now is outright rebellion. Jus sayn
At the moment we can’t even assemble to protest or leaflet! Bill Gates might not know much about medical science but this has been a brilliant coup.
This is not a mistake. It is a declaration of war by the new world order. There will be no coming back now, sadly.
Ok you go and catch this virus to prove it’s just like the common cold and no worse. Then i might start to believe you
Yep. But when was the last time you saw people being buried in open trenches in New York?
I have no doubt Covid-19 is no more dangerous to those who are not vulnerable than cutting their toenails. BUT clearly there are plenty of folk who are vulnerable and for whom the virus is more deadly than the usual viruses that circulate. Also it is clearly difficult to protect these people from this virus.
Perhaps you could direct your extraordinary wisdom and energy to find solutions that do not require burying the dead in trenches.
I support the notion that herd immunity is ultimately the solution and maybe it can be achieved before vaccination is possible. I have been working on strategies to do this since there is no guarantee of a vaccine considering the lack of vaccines for other corona viruses. Maybe you and like minded people could work constructively on practical strategies. I prefer not to consider natural selection because I don’t fancy being dumped in a trench with thousands of others
I think patients with flu symptoms are being paranoid due to the hysteria, and are therefore being hospitalized. Then when they get into treatment with too much “fake” oxygen, their lungs gets even more inflamed, which leads to the real cause of their death.
Well I guess technically the government is working for the people, as I have witnessed most people are wanting this police state. I was shocked at how many kiwis in the first week of the lock down jumped all over the fear driven circus and were screaming for martial law in our country.
People KNOW that the only people dying are those who would have been taken off by any other virus, in any other year (NZ deaths still averaging over 80 years of age?) The way New Zealanders have entered into this charade is truly scary.
Indeed ..the wonderful, and very well written, article and 99% of comments above inemagree entirely with…in have something to add. 5G rolling out DOES play a part…..Radiation pneumonitis is a medical reality…and symptoms are EXACTLY the same, incl down to the dry cough…..
A nursing home in Sydney where 6 ofvthe darling elderly residents passed away has just had 5G tower installed and turned on. Thing is the 5G network is an ADDITIONAL radiation load as 4G remains in place and they operate concurrently.
Please read this:
https://www.healthline.com/health/radiation-pneumonitis?fbclid=IwAR22l4BIbChRNV3eziNkRytKfx_Vq323i_ylTW65YaUnAW9TgB37S2NMkso#recovery
If you actually believe the bullshit being spewed in this “open letter” propaganda, perhaps you should have a look at the factual daily death toll in the link below.
Don’t be pulled in by idiots with agendas. CHECK THE FACTS!
Are you saying that all the virologists, pulmonologists, epidemiologists etc that I have linked to are idiots with agendas?
Evidence including official statements and testimony from hospital staff makes it clear that deaths are being attributed to coronavirus wherever possible, while coincidentally eg the pneupmonia stats in the US are plummeting. The figures mean nothing.
This article is dangerous. How about you actually look at the statistics and the real reports. Also do you know how exponential rates work? 400000 people in the US have this with the death rate rising so fast that New York is digging trenches. What seasonal ‘flu’ is doing is increasing the mortality rate of those with Covid -19 because of how it affects the body’s ability to fight it off. Just because you might not like the lockdown or it might affect you in a way that you don’t like doesn’t make it the wrong thing for the country. If people such as you continue to spread this bullshit then you weaken the resolve of everyone. We are on track to
Be able to cope with the implications of more widespread infection because of this lockdown. It was supported by the opposition so it wasn’t just the government deciding what was happening. There are many people who are vulnerable to this virus
And it will kill them. Yes more people die with influenza. But this is a new virus. Cast your thoughts back to what smallpox did to the populations in the Americas when Europeans invaded. We are in a position to be on the right side of history and how we deal with this crisis is how we will be remembered.
TO THE PEOPLE OF ALL NATIONS: What I don’t get is that I have gone to all these GIANT “MEDICAL emergency” stations builds with “hundreds of beds” installed ‘overnight” in to MAJOR SPORTS ARENAS and HUGE Convention Centers, here in San Francisco PERSONALLY and there are NO PEOPLE !! NO DEAD !! NO SICK !!! NO ANYBODY !!! Not even the bunny suit and masked medical teams and tents that they just showed on THE LOCAL TV NEWS. CHASE CENTER ARENA, KAISER MEDICAL ER, UCSF MEDICAL MISSION BAYER in the HEART of the SAN FRANCISCO – biggest med centers in Northern California of 44 MILLION PEOPLE STATE – and – a HUGE, HUGE city – ALL, GHOST TOWNS. NOTHING, NOT EVEN PARKED CARS !!! AROUND THESES MASSIVE HUGE FACILITIES in a city where there is NEVER A PLACE TO PARK – EVER !!!!! When I just saw IT ALL on the TV NEWS the night before !!!! Pure LIES – There’s NOTHING THERE. NOTHING, no one, no traffic, no people, no ambulances, no sick, no dead,NO HUMANS PERIOD. NOT- A- SOLE OR LIVING THING. My only comment to myself was “WTF is this SHT !!! and “this is SURREL man . . . . .” I took pictures of it all. AND I have seen videos made by people in NEW YORK CITY showing the SAME THING “NO PEOPLE, NO SICK, NO DEAD, NOTHING, JUST A COUPLE BUNNY SUITS PEOPLE in MASKS” and THE VIDS WERE REMOVED BY EVIL GOOGLE !!!! Notice, they only show the emergency teams and ER Stations on the TV NEWS ?? War, death and international mayhem, crimes against humanity, mass murder NO PROBLEM !!! – always clearly shown on TV NEWS THESE DAYS – BUT NOTHING REAL ON THIS !!!! NOTHING REAL !!! AND, isn’t it funny/ODD, that symptoms suffered from a “VIRUS”, are near “EXACTLY” – “IDENTICAL”, to the symptoms suffered from RADIATION POISONING. I think we’re all being COOKED and POSIONED !!!!! IT’S ALL A F’ing LIE and the Lie’rs are lying to to lie’rs and the MEDIA is fixated on this, and having their daily “FIELD DAY” WITH IT. ALL So ENOUGH !! “YOU WIN !!! GREATEST TEST IN HISTORY DONE !!!! NOTICE/WARNING TO GOVERNMENT AND CONTROL THE MASSES FREAKS WORLDWIDE: YOU GOT YOUR METHOD. IT WORKS. YOU GOT YOUR DATA, YOU CAN CONTROL THE MASSSES !!! YOU WIN. [ edited] The truth is coming and it won’t be good for you when it arrives . . . . . . . . . Sorry, but you forgot one vital thing. People are very smart and this shit, DOES NOT ADD UP. Please copy and paste this to EVERYONE YOU KNOW. [..]. Enough, is enough. If not, it WILL be FAR worse in the future. It’s time for THEM, to BE AFRAID, BE AFRAID, BE AFRAID. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all . . . . . . . . . . . YA THINK ?
Hi the Wise, sorry but I’ve edited to remove extreme language, or most of it, simply to protect the blog. Hope I’ve got the balance right!
No problem. Didn’t think there was “to strong of language” in it, but if I could, I would make it super ugly and death threatening to entities doing this to all peoples of the world and names names and actions and ask for extreme actions to be taken against them by anyone capable. People forget so easily – The dick and george show creating death and destruction and lies to force an illegal invasion and one sided war on another country and committing mass murder, crimes against humanity and worse and abusing the lives and power of the US military to do so, just has not worn off with me – and it never will. The crimes of the country are to great to forgive, ever. Your edit is fine and I hope I have made my point clear. Simply, “NONE of this is adding up, at all” Seeing massive lies in public media and from government officials, etc. And now, it’s like here we go again and it’s worse . . . . . . . . . . The problem with “with age comes wisdom” is, the “age” part . . . . . . . L
just an update of how Sweden is getting on .http://inproportion2.talkigy.com/swedish_policy.html?fbclid=IwAR0EIyOFMCpQ3ExvquxLFgKuw54C7nUJimQQnHfE81u2NITBWSRLKQ9lZKA.
This site is operated by one individual, a former architect with a strong bias against mainstream media, hardly a reliable source of information. Currently, of the 1280 closed cases in Sweden i.e. those that have had an outcome, 70% have resulted in death. https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/sweden/
Why are people so eager to believe conspiracy theories?
Under perfect conditions COVID-19 “only” kills between 2% and 4% of those it infects, and about 20% seriously ill, but the worst aspect of COVID-19 is not its lethality but how extraordinarily contagious it is. That is a problem because you can suddenly have about 20% of your population seriously ill — New Zealand has a population of about 5 million people, so that’s about a million people. Normally a small percentage of those would be expected to die, but such a sudden, large wave of sick people crashes the health system, producing a death rate much higher than it would be if everybody could be looked after properly. It also means many other people die unnecessarily, such as mothers having difficult births, children who’ve swallowed toys, assault victims, car accident casualties, and so on. If the health system is clogged with COVID-19 patients then everybody suffers.
That is what social distancing prevents. It slows the progress of the disease and gives the health system a chance to cope.
Just look at different countries and how they’ve responded. Places that believed the doctors and medical experts and took quick, sensible action are getting through this well (South Korea, Vietnam, New Zealand), but places that have bought into the ridiculous conspiracy theories are doing really badly, with enormous numbers dead and going from bad to worse (Italy, Iran, USA).
The government did not buy into the conspiracy theories here in the States. Quite the opposite. The USA went on lock down in many states in very early March.
The issue in the States is that you have fifty little nations under one umbrella. In any case, states that locked down early (Washington) versus states that locked down later (Utah) see absolutely no difference in the lethality of Covid.
It is still less lethal than the flu. Still.
The reason that people are willing to believe conspiracy theories on this topic is that is is a demonstrably mild virus and people are losing their livelihoods over it. Every day of quarantine costs far more lives than Covid 19 takes, and this is quite obvious by looking at the facts and doing very basic clear-headed math.
Yet, here we all are making memes about how we’re all introverts now, and grassing on neighbours who walk their dogs because we were told to, even though it clearly makes more sense to keep the economy going and isolate those at risk if they choose to isolate.
Stealing livelihoods is an insane solution. Not for worry of Wall Street, but for everyone whose wellbeing is dependent upon an income – so, everyone EXCEPT the wealthy.
It is the very clear scam of all this that is making people jump to conspiracy theory conclusions. Because the lines we have been fed simply do not add up.
I’m sorry, but this is just nonsense. The average age of those who have died in NZ, allegedly from covid19, is over 80, most or all had multiple comorbidities. People die, old people die, old and sick people die of flu. There is absolutely no reason to believe this virus is especially dangerous, there is reason to believe that it is milder than most, there is plenty of reason to believe that huge damage is being done to the economy, people’s lives and to democracy by the lockdown. As many eminent medical experts have pointed out.
Plenty of apologists for this policy are accusing people who are worried about their country and its people of being conspiracy theorists, or psychopaths. Means nothing.
Check out first infection date in Thailand, then when they eventually imposed a localised lockdown, then look at their death tally. Also Cambodia. Only imposed a lockdown last week ( for 1 week only) not including their capital city, yet their numbers are ridiculously low , for effectively “ doing nothing” this whole time…
All these “ high death” countries , coming to the end of their NATURAL winter flu season , with death counts that are falling within the NORMAL RANGE for annual flu and pneumonia fatalities. Flu and pneumonia both deadly and highly infectious! Both with high mortality rates in the elderly and immunocompromised.
There is nothing extraordinary about this situation.