- Reinstate the existing pandemic planning policies from 2019, pending a detailed review of the policies adopted in 2020. Look to countries and states which did things differently. There should be a clear commitment from the Government that we will never again lockdown.
- Stop mass testing healthy people. Return to the principles of respiratory disease diagnosis (the requirement of symptoms) that were well researched and accepted before 2020. Manufacturers' guidelines state that these tests are designed to assist the diagnosis of symptomatic patients, not to 'find' disease in otherwise healthy people.
- Stop all mask mandates. They are psychologically and potentially physically harmful whilst being clinically unproven to stop disease spread in the community and may themselves be a transmission risk.
- Vaccination. Abandon the notion that vaccine certification is desirable and that children should be vaccinated. There is no logical or ethical argument for either.
- Devise a public education programme to help redress the severe distortions in beliefs around disease transmission, likelihood of dying and possible treatment options. A messaging style based on a calm presentation of facts is urgently needed.
- A full public enquiry into the extent to which severe/fatal COVID-19 is spread in hospitals and care homes. There is stark recent evidence on this from Public Health Scotland 3 and if true for the rest of the UK, there needs to be better segregation of COVID-19 patients and staff within these settings.
- More funding and investigation of treatments for COVID-19, instead of only focusing on vaccination as a strategy. Given the high rates of hospital transmission, encourage a drive for more early treatment-at-home using some of the protocols discussed herein.
- Divert funds. The not inconsiderable money saved from ceasing testing programmes can be diverted to much needed areas, such as mental health, treatment research and an increase in hospital capacity and staffing. The vast debts accrued during 2020 will also need to be paid off, a fact that seems to be worryingly absent from economic recovery plans.
BBC health correspondent 'spiralled rapidly downhill' after Covid jab & could 'barely' get out of bed, but says he'd do it againIf any sane individual is looking for an alternative to the AstraZeneca vaccine, the EU internal market chief has said he has no reason to doubt the effectiveness of Sputnik V. Also from RT:
17 Mar, 2021 12:42
The BBC's health and science correspondent, James Gallagher, revealed that he experienced severe symptoms for several days after receiving the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.
In an article on Wednesday, Gallagher wrote that the vaccine "floored" him, inducing a migraine, vomiting, aches, chills, and exhaustion.
"I had my first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine at 0930 in the morning. That evening I spiralled rapidly downhill and could barely scrape myself out of bed for the next three days," he claimed, adding however that "even with hindsight" he would "do it all again."
"I'd rather have side effects than Covid, or another year of restrictions, or a higher chance of accidentally passing the virus onto a loved one," Gallagher declared.
Common side effects for the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine include pain, bruising, fatigue, chills, headaches, nausea, swelling, fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, sore throat, and "generally feeling unwell."
Less common side effects include dizziness, loss of appetite, itchiness, excessive sweating, and abdominal pain.
European Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton has said that he has "no reason" to doubt the efficacy of the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine. He added that Brussels needs a large portfolio of vaccines to fight Covid-19.
Breton was asked at Wednesday's press briefing in Brussels whether the EU should add Sputnik V to its vaccine list in order to make sure that the bloc meets its vaccine rollout target.
The official replied that the bloc's current portfolio of four authorized vaccines will "hopefully soon" get increased to five.Sputnik is, of course, probably a good vaccine because I think the Russians are pretty good scientists. And, of course, I wouldn't have any reason to doubt [it].Breton explained that it is important for Europe to have different types of vaccine available in order to complete the continent's immunization campaign by the end of the summer.
Brussels was dismayed when British-Swedish pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca cut its planned vaccine delivery from 90 million doses in the first quarter of 2021 to 40 million, and later to 30 million. The change has "painfully reduced the speed" of vaccination, European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen told reporters on Wednesday.
Several EU states, including France, Germany, Spain and Italy, suspended the usage of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine earlier this week after reports that people have been developing blood clots after having the vaccine administered to them.
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