Coronavirus Blog Recent Writings on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Epidemic |
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February 21, 2022 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter)
Care for the Children; and They Will Care for You Using their home-made vaccines, last September, Cuba became the first country to vaccinate children as young as two years old. They have now reached 95% coverage of young children. As a result, the omicron variant, which spreads to a large degree through children, didn't hit Cuba nearly as hard as other countries with many unvaccinated children. Meanwhile, here in the United States, where we have been unable to produce a safe and effective vaccine for children under 5, we have allowed the $300-a-month Child Tax Credit to expire, causing a 41% spike in child poverty. And the New York City Police Department brags about arresting “criminals” over stolen diapers, medicines and baby formula. Eliza Orlins, a former candidate for Manhattan district attorney remarked, “This is not public safety, this is cruelty on display.” ==================
February 1, 2022 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) Cuba Aims to Vaccinate the World Having successfully vaccinated almost its entire population with home-grown vaccines and boosted over half the population, Cuba now plans to step up exports of its vaccines and technology around the world.“Medicines and vaccines are not a commodity. It’s not something to get rich with. It’s something to save people’s lives.” Here's an interview on Democracy Now with Dr. Mitchell Valdés-Sosa, the director of the Cuban Center for Neuroscience. Dr. Valdés-Sosa discusses Cuba's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Omicron variant in particular. Dr. Valdés-Sosa wonders: Well, Dr. Valdés-Sosa, if a trip to the emergency room might cost you your life savings and more, you might start distrusting the health-care profession too.“Public health in Cuba is free for everyone. We have family doctors in every neighborhood. People trust their doctors. So, we’re very puzzled when we see the news abroad that there are people that distrust the vaccines, that there are people that don’t want to get vaccinated.” ==================
January 3, 2022 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) A People's Vaccine: A Gift to the World Maria Elena Bottazzi and Peter Hotez at Texas Children's Hospital have developed a vaccine against COVID-19 with a few million dollars of private money. They do not intend to make a penny off their vaccine. They are giving it away, patent-free, a gift to the world. There are already plans to produce their Cobervax vaccine in India, Indonesia, Botswana, and elsewhere. Hotez opines that if they had received even a fraction of the billions of dollars that Pfizer and Moderna received in public money, maybe the whole world would be vaccinated by now and there would be no omicron variant. It is really nice to know that the medical profession is not completely subservient to Wall Street, and there are still some who put people before profit. Kudos to Bottazzi and Hotez. ==================
December 28, 2021 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) Oh, My Cron! Yet Another Deadly SARS-CoV-2 Mutation The Omicron Variant is now the primary variant in many countries. It is thought to have mutated in southern Africa among peoples with little or no access to vaccines (although, this is far from certain). Omicron's distinguishing features include: Increased transmissibility, Ability to evade neutralizing antibodies, whether from vaccine or infection, And ability to infect young children.“I was ... sick ... and you visited me not.” Many believe that if vaccines had been made available to poor countries, instead of being sold by the pharmaceutical industry to the wealthy who have hoarded them, mutations such as Omicron may never have appeared. Perhaps, if enough of us in wealthy countries had shown solidarity with the peoples of Burundi, Haiti and Chad and refused vaccinations until vaccines were made available to poor countries on the basis of equality; perhaps then, there would be no deadly Omicron variant and the pandemic would have ended. I think God has his own way of teaching us the value of sharing. Do We Need an Omicron-Specific Vaccine? Dr. Anthony Fauci v. Cuban Doctors“Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.” While Dr. Fauci opines that our current vaccines are good enough for the Omicron variant, Cuba, which has developed two of the world's most effective vaccines against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, is taking no chances. Cuba has been developing an Omicron-specific vaccine since late November. They hope to have one available very soon. In the meantime, Cuba, which has vaccinated almost its entire population two years of age or older, is busy giving boosters to its people. Given Cuba's high success rate in dealing with Covid-19, I would be far more inclined toward trusting the Cuban doctors. ==================
December 7, 2021 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) Whence Cometh the Omicron? (Follow the Money) The new COVID-19 variant, dubbed Omicron, which is far more contagious than the delta variant is spreading around the world like wildfire. Its genesis is debatable since it differs markedly from all previously known variants and does not appear to be a direct descendant of any of them. It appears to have just arrived on the scene full blown. This article from Sciencemag lays out three possibilities: Each conjecture has its drawbacks. None of these three scenarios seem to fit exactly with the facts as we now know them, so let's look at a fourth possibility:1. It gestated unknown in an isolated community before being transmitted back into the population at large. Eight large strockholders in Pfizer and Moderna have already become $10 billion richer, and the omicron wave is just beginning. Follow the Money!4. It gestated in a laboratory before being released among the population at large. This would seem to fit well with the facts, as we now know them, particularly the lack of known direct ancestors. Strange that none of those smart scientists quoted in the Sciencemag article thought of that. Sometimes what is not said can be more revealing than what is said. ==================
November 30, 2021 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) And the Chutzpah of the Year Award Goes to ...(drum roll)... Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer. (and it's only November!) After refusing to share Pfizer's vaccine with poor countries, leaving millions to sicken and die, Bourla has the chutzpah to declare that people who spread “misinformation” about vaccine are “criminals” and are responsible for the death of millions. Lack of sharing is thought to be directly responsible for the latest deadly variant, dubbed Omicron, which may have originated in southern Africa. Because of the lack of vaccine, Africa has become a large reservoir in which the SARS-CoV-2 virus can mutate into new even more virulent and transmissible variants. If vaccines had been shared equitably with poor countries, it is likely that there would be no Omicron variant. If vaccines had been shared equitably with poor countries, it is likely that millions of lives would have been saved. As Dr. Ayoade Alakija, co-chair of the African Union Vaccine Delivery Alliance put it: “what is going on right now [spread of the Omicron variant] is inevitable, it's a result of the world's failure to vaccinate in an equitable, urgent, and speedy manner. ... It is as a result of [vaccine] hoarding by high-income countries of the world, and quite frankly it is unacceptable.” [Incidentally, I remain unvaccinated and request that my share of our vaccines be delivered to southern Africa, Haiti, Palestine, Afghanistan or some other poor under-vaccinated country.] Here's some misinformation that has been spread around recently about Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine: 1. Two jabs and you'll be over 90% safe from COVID-19.I agree, Mr. Bourla, it is criminal to deliberately spread such misinformation. And, one of the rarely-mentioned results of spreading such misinformation is that it has totally destroyed the credibility of our public-health sector and led to an increase in quackery and the further spread of misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccines. Incidentally, Mr. Bourla, I think you have created a superb business model: 1. Make a vaccine at government expense.I think, Mr. Bourla, you have earned your Chutzpah of the Year award many times over. ==================
November 23, 2021 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) COVID-19 Vaccines: Waning and Expired Vaccine efficacy is definitely waning, but don't worry folks. You can go out and get a booster, although we don't know how long the booster will be effective either. Vaccines stockpiled by wealthy countries are expiring — millions of doses. Meanwhile, poor countries are left without. In Haiti, about 1,000 miles from Florida, less than 1% have received even a first dose of vaccine. Lots of would-be Haitian migrants to the United States are being sent back to Haiti. I think the least we could do is give them a jab first before our vaccines expire. Using mostly Cuban developed vaccines, Cuba has fully vaccinated 80% of its population (compared to around 60% in the United States). 80% is supposed to be enough for herd-immunity. Cuba is also helping out other countries like Venezuela which can't access COVAX vaccines because of US sanctions. Cuban vaccines are based on an older, tried and true technology, and may not wane like the mRNA vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna. Only time will tell. ==================
October 12, 2021 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) Yuri Deigin and COVID Origins Yuri Deigin“... those that understood him smiled at one another and shook their heads. But, for mine own part, it was Greek to me. ... Fare you well. There was more foolery yet, if I could remember it.” When I read an article, I usually skip the acknowledgment. Acknowledgments tend to be dull and boring, unless you know one of the folks being acknowledged. However, perchance, I looked at the acknowledgment in Nicholas Wade's The origin of COVID: Did people or nature open Pandora’s box at Wuhan? Wade writes: Deigin's essay, Lab-Made? SARS-CoV-2 Genealogy Through the Lens of Gain-of-Function Research, is filled with diagrams, charts and quotes from unintelligible academic papers; but unlike most, Deigin explains what they mean and why they are important. Although writing about a difficult subject, Deigin's treatment is light and humorous. Here's my favorite pun from Deigin's essay:“The first person to take a serious look at the origins of the SARS2 virus was Yuri Deigin, a biotech entrepreneur in Russia and Canada. In a long and brilliant essay, he dissected the molecular biology of the SARS2 virus and raised, without endorsing, the possibility that it had been manipulated. The essay, published on April 22, 2020, provided a roadmap for anyone seeking to understand the virus’s origins.” Deigin documents how virologists have been playing with dangerous “Gain of Function” research for well over 20 years, since before the SARS1 outbreak in 2003. “Gain of Function” refers to artificially enhancing the ability of a virus to cause disease in humans. This has been going on in the US, China and elsewhere. Sometimes US and Chinese virologists have been working on these projects together; sometimes in competition with each other. Sometimes sharing data; sometimes hiding data.“But perhaps the most important difference is that furin is also present inside the cell, so it can cut the S protein immediately after virion assembly, thereby providing new virions with the ability to merge with new cells right off the bat (no pun intended).” In this essay, Deigin opines that neither natural origin nor lab origin can be ruled out. But that was in April 2020. In a recent interview, however, he seems to give lab origin a much higher probability. After presenting historical and virological support for a lab origin, he ends by remarking:
Gain of Function + Deliberate Release So where do we stand now? Since early in the pandemic, “experts” have put forth the natural origin conjecture as the only viable explanation. To them, all else was conspiracy theory. But lately, particularly since Nicolas Wade's May 2021 article, it has become more and more difficult to ignore the lab origin conjecture. Lab origin covers a lot of ground: from accidental to deliberate release; from careless handling of natural specimens to Gain of Function experiments. My preferred conjecture: Gain of Function laboratory manipulation followed by Deliberate Release in an act of sabotage is still considered conspiracy theory. (I don't mind. In fact, I consider it a compliment.) But, as we're seen, this can change very quickly. So, perhaps this is a good time to review some evidence I've mentioned previously. Horrific Atrocities To begin with, after over 60 years as an activist in the US Peace Movement, demonstrating against horrific atrocities that have claimed hundreds of thousands, and in some cases, millions of victims, perhaps I am predisposed to look upon rampant deadly events as the work of deranged militarists and their corporate and political enablers. For example: Those who killed millions, spreading dioxin-laced agent orange over Vietnam, poisoning the land for decades to come, would they have qualms about releasing a deadly virus upon the world? Those who totally destroyed Iraq's water treatment capabilites, killing at least hundreds of thousands, would they have qualms about releasing a deadly virus upon the world? Those who killed millions, bombing North Korea, barely leaving a single brick atop another, would they have qualms about releasing a deadly virus upon the world? Those who maintain a nuclear arsenal capable of destroying the world many times over, those who have twice used and threaten to use again these omnicidal nuclear weapons, would they have qualms about releasing a deadly virus upon the world? The United States has a long history of germ warfare. Read about it in Bionoia, a six-part article by Mark Sanborne. And so it goes..... But lets consider specifics: Wilbur Ross My first inkling that things were not as they seemed came in late January, 2020, when the US had but five confirmed cases of COVID-19. Then Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross, is quoted as saying: “So, I think it [the coronavirus outbreak in China] will help to accelerate the return of jobs to North America, some to the U.S., probably some to Mexico as well,” It seemed to me very likely that Ross had planned it this way — that he knew a lot more than he was telling. But, maybe I'm just reading something into this statement that isn't there. Still... Incidentally, it didn't work out the way Ross expected. China brought the pandemic quickly under control. Meanwhile, it spread around the world and the United States soon led the world in COVID-19 cases. By the end of 2020, China had experienced just 4.6 thousand deaths associated with COVID-19. The United States had experienced a whopping 366 thousand such deaths. In 2020, China's GDP increased by 2.3%, while in the United States, it fell by 3.5%. Letter in the Lancet In February, 2020, 27 “experts” wrote a letter that was published in the Lancet saying: This immediately made me think of another famous line from Shakespeare, “The lady doth protest to much, methinks.” [Hamlet 3:2, Just substitute scientist for lady.] What are these “experts” trying to hide, I thought.“The rapid, open, and transparent sharing of data on this outbreak is now being threatened by rumours and misinformation around its [SARS-CoV-2's] origins. We stand together to strongly condemn conspiracy theories suggesting that COVID-19 does not have a natural origin.” More eminent scientists and a subservient media piled on. The virulence with which these illuminati attacked the idea that the virus might have originated in a lab far exceeded the virulence with which the virus attacked its human hosts. But, maybe I'm just reading something into this statement that isn't there. Maybe this is merely an example of scientific groupthink. Still... To its credit, the WHO (World Health Organization) refused to jump on the bandwagon. Dr. Michael Ryan, Executive Director of the WHO, when asked about origins, merely replied: “We have listened again and again to numerous scientists who have looked at the sequences and looked at this virus; and we are assured that this virus is natural in origin.” Well said, Dr. Ryan! “We are assured.” And if their assurances are bogus? Well, that ain't our fault. We never endorsed their assurances. An Intelligence Leak In April, 2020, ABC News claimed that according to multiple unnamed sources, the National Center for Medical Intelligence had warned in November 2019 that a contagion was sweeping through China's Wuhan region. Interesting. This was at least a month before Dr. Li Wenliang became aware of the existence of seven cases of SARS-like infection in Wuhan. It couldn't have been a very large contagion. If US intelligence picked it up and passed it along, it must have been because they were actively looking for it. Now why would US intelligence be looking for an outbreak of SARS-like infections in Wuhan? Perhaps, because they had knowledge that it was planted there. Well, this could all be fake news. Still... China's Response I think the Chinese know, or at the very least, strongly suspect. Recently, China asked the WHO to investigate laboratories at Fort Detrick and the University of North Carolina for evidence of a possible release of SARS-CoV-2. Why don't the Chinese just lay their cards face up on the table? I suspect their hands are far too dirty for that. The United States and China play a dangerous game. It's way past time to end this game before many more millions die. No, It's far far from a proof; but, I think it easily rises to the level of a serious conjecture that ought to be taken seriously and not dismissed out of hand as conspiracy theory. As I began this snippet with a quote from William Shakespeare, so too, will I end with a quote from William Shakespeare: “Foul whisperings are abroad: unnatural deeds ==================
October 5, 2021 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) The Search for COVID Origins Continues The latest revelation in the ongoing saga of coronavirus origins is an unfunded 2018 grant proposal that was leaked recently to the Intercept. This $14 million proposal to DARPA [Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency] offers to, among other things, splice a furin cleavage site into a bat virus. Researchers have long found it a mystery how the SARS-CoV-2 virus might have got its furin cleavage site, which helps to make it so infectious. None of SARS-CoV-2's closest relatives, including those found recently in Laos, have a furin cleavage site. The Principal Investigator for this proposal was Peter Daszak, president of the Non-Governmental Organization, EcoHealth Alliance. Daszak was part of the WHO [World Health Organization] mission to China which concluded that lab release was “extremely unlikely.” Apparently, Daszak was also the driving force behind a February, 2020 letter published in the Lancet in which he and 26 other “experts” claim, “The rapid, open, and transparent sharing of data on this outbreak is now being threatened by rumours and misinformation around its [SARS-CoV-2's] origins. We stand together to strongly condemn conspiracy theories suggesting that COVID-19 does not have a natural origin.” This is extreme chutzpah. Daszak advocates for transparency while hiding his grant proposal, an important piece of evidence, for another 18 months until it was leaked to the Intercept. In 2018, Daszak proposes to genetic engineer something close, if not identical, to what we now know as SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19 disease. Three years later, he condemns all who would entertain conjectures other than natural origin as conspiracy theorists. Daszak and company also write in the Lancet letter, “We support the call from the Director-General of WHO to promote scientific evidence and unity over misinformation and conjecture.” The WHO statement that Daszak references does indeed speak strongly against “misinformation,” but says nothing whatsoever about “conjecture.” Indeed, conjecture is extremely important to the advancement of science. A conjecture is an educated guess. One often makes a conjecture, and then looks for evidence that supports or contradicts one's conjecture. Without conjecture, we may be stuck forever in a world of scientific orthodoxy, where only “experts” get to decide what is true and what is not. And unity? Scientific truth is not discovered through unity. Unity can be the end result of a fair and open competition of ideas on a level playing field. The WHO statement that Daszak and Company reference does not mention unity either. This is another example of extreme chutzpah. Daszak and company rail against all conjectures, except their own, natural origin, while elevating the natural origin conjecture to scientific theory. This would be laughable, if millions had not died. So where are we in the controversy between natural origin and laboratory origin of SARS-CoV-2? If a strong proponent of natural origin like Daszak is found to have believed that he could, with a mere $14 million, have engineered a SARS-CoV-2-like virus in a laboratory, doesn't this give the lab origin conjecture a boost? Even more so since he hid this past belief and, to my knowledge, never explained why he changed his mind. So, did scientists in fact create SARS-CoV-2 in a laboratory? Did Daszak and his colleagues find some other way to fund their research? Was it successful? I think we may be getting close to an answer. But one thing is certain. If scientists did create SARS-CoV-2 in a laboratory, they would likely go to great lengths to hide it. If you had released a plague upon humanity that killed millions, would you want people to know about it? What might the people do to those responsible for such mass murder? If you were a scientist, would you want people to know that your colleagues had killed millions through their scientific activities? Might not the people's just anger spill over onto the entire scientific community? This controversy could probably be resolved by opening up *ALL* the world's biological laboratories to intense international scrutiny. This should include those in the United States, China and all countries engaged in genetic engineering. It should include military, government, educational and commercial laboratories alike. But, “experts” resist such openness. Perhaps they have guilty consciences. Perhaps they don't want the people to know what they do behind closed doors. About the author: Tom (Yusha) Sager, is a retired mathematician and computer scientist. Most of his writings on COVID-19 appear here in reverse chronological order. He strongly *FAVORS* the *CONJECTURE* that SARS-CoV-2 was engineered in a laboratory and released in China in an act of sabotage. ==================
September 28, 2021 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) From Our Readers: Cuba and Vaccine A reader writes: “I, too, am very impressed with what Cuba has done.” This reader also wonders whether the analysis of vaccine efficacy I provided last week pertains to Cuba. My response: I suspect last week's analysis of vaccine efficacy does not pertain to Cuba for a variety of reasons. 1. Pfizer and Moderna, the two most widely used vaccines in the United States, are mRNA (Messenger RNA) vaccines which is a new (and still not completely proven) technology. Cuba's Abdala and Soberana vaccines are both subunit protein vaccines, an older, widely used, and proven technology. 2. The starting point of my analysis was the CDC's estimate that vaccination reduced covid-associated mortality by a factor of 11.3. To my knowledge, there is no data to suggest whether or not the CDC analysis pertains to Cuba or Cuban vaccines. 3. Assumptions in my analysis are based on a significant population of vaccinophobes in the United States, and the assumption that those who are vaccinated would correlate strongly with those who practice other safe behaviors (such as social distancing, masking etc.) To my knowledge, Cuba does not have a problem with vaccinophobia. Keep in mind that the estimates I offered last week (analysis posted here) were based on assumptions that may or may not turn out to be valid. If they are valid, they reduce the CDC's estimate of a reduction of mortality due to vaccine efficacy from 11.3 to 3.9. The true figure may, in fact, be quite different. Cuba is making great strides in vaccinating its population and expects to become a fully vaccinated country by the end of the year. Cuba has begun exporting its vaccines. Vietnam has received its first shippment of Cuba's Abdala vaccine. The contract calls for a total of 5 million doses to be exported from Cuba to Vietnam. ==================
September 21, 2021 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) From Our Readers: Cuba and Vaccines A reader writes: My response: I had thought about this, but decided that Cubans and folks in the countries to which they will be exporting vaccines need the vaccines a whole lot more than I do. However, maybe they would give me a virtual jab of Abdala.“I wonder if Cuba will be willing to accept foreigners for vaccination. They have in the past taken non-Cubans for other treatments. It is not free, and the price charged helps support the Cuban medical system. People from wealthier countries of course will not do this, as there is not an availability problem, but a few might do it just for the political message.” Incidentally, Cuba has begun the vaccination process on 72% of its population, while the United States has begun vaccinating about 65% of its population. While the United States has fully vaccinated a greater percentage of its population, Cuba is quite likely to surpass the United States in this regard within a month or two, as those already in the pipeline reach fully vaccinated status. Cuba not only accepts foreigners for medical treatment, they train foreign doctors too, including medical students from the United States. From Our Readers: Vaccines and Profit A reader writes: My response: If the purpose of developing vaccines was global health; the world would be close to fully vaccinated by now; and we might never have seen a delta variant. But, as you point out, “its more complicated (and profit driven) than that.” Here in wealthy countries, we let our unused vaccines spoil rather than give them away to poor countries that need them.“Always an interesting read. Pfizer and Moderna have been enjoying all the good news of them as saviors, but as you point out, it's more complicated (and profit driven) than that.” It's all part of the profit motive. Let the virus run wild and mutate in poor countries, and then spread to wealthy countries. Then develop vaccines for the mutations and sell at a profit to wealthy countries. Well, what would you expect from a socio-economic system (capitalism) that elevates greed (second of the seven deadly sins) to the highest good. Incidentally, “pump-priming” of this kind is second nature to the military. Atrocities, like the August 29 US bombing in Afghanistan that killed civilians as young as two, are meant to illicit a violent response, which is then used as an excuse for more war, more bombs and more profits for the military-industrial complex. I commend the Taliban for not responding violently to this atrocity, and thereby denying the Pentagon an excuse to commit further atrocities. I do a lot of reading: left, right, center and unclassifiable. I can't recall seeing a single article in the US media commending the Taliban for anything: Not for ending the war, not for driving out foreign invaders, not for uniting the country, not for being patient, and definitely, not for responding non-violently to provocations like the August 29 bombing. I can't be the only one; or can I? ==================
September 14, 2021 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) COVID-19: Infection-Induced Immunity Stronger Than Vaccine-Induced Immunity A new study in Israel, currently one of the most vaccinated countries on Earth, has found that those who have had COVID-19 are left with a stronger, longer-lasting immunity than those who have been vaccinated. I feel somewhat vindicated here, having floated a suggestion for attaining herd-immunity through infection-induced immunity a year ago, while vaccines were still in the trial phase. In this proposal, I stated, “Immunity derived from having recovered from a disease is the real McCoy — much more effective in general than vaccine-induced immunity.” After reading claim after claim from the “vaccine cheerleaders” about the wonders of vaccine-induced immunity, I began to doubt myself. But now that we are finding that vaccine-induced immunity wanes quickly and vaccines are less effective against the delta variant, infection-induced immunity appears far more robust. Incidentally, it also appears that a vaccine booster on top of infection-induced immunity, provides even better protection. With infections and hospitalizations sky high, this is the wrong time to implement this proposal. How Effective Are Vaccines Against COVID-19? A new report from the CDC claims to show that if you are fully vaccined, you are approximately 11.3 times less likely to die of COVID-19 than one who is not fully vaccinated. Personally, I don't believe it. If one reads the CDC article carefully, one notes that there are a number of caveats. “The findings in this report are subject to at least five limitations. ... causality could not be assessed (i.e., possible differences in testing or behaviors in vaccinated and unvaccinated persons).” That's a BIG caveat. I suspect their is a strong correlation between those who practice safe behaviors in general and those who get vaccinated (one of many safe behaviors). Let's ASSUME that those who practice safe behaviors in general are ten times less likely to die of COVID-19 than those who don't. Let's further ASSUME that only 5% of those who aren't fully vaccinated practice safe behaviors in general and 75% of those who are fully vaccinated practice safe behaviors in general. We find that even if vaccines are totally bogus (WHICH THEY ARE NOT), the vaccinated would be 2.9 times less likely to die of COVID-19 than the not fully vaccinated, just from the increased practice of safe behaviors. The CDC tooted 11.3 times less likely has to be reduced by a factor of 2.9, meaning the vaccine itself renders one only 3.9 times less likely to die of COVID-19. I believe that, in the absence of hard data, the above are reasonable assumptions for the United States where vaccines are readily available, but many suffer from vaccinophobia. Now let's ASSUME that 95% of those who are fully vaccinated practice safe behaviors in general. We get the fully vaccinated are 6.6 times less likely to die of COVID-19 than the not fully vaccinated just from the general practice of safe behaviors. The CDC tooted 11.3 times less likely has to be reduced by a factor of 6.6, meaning the vaccine itself renders one only 1.7 times less likely to die of COVID-19. I believe that this assumption is not unreasonable. As Mark Twain put it: “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” My analysis is posted here, along with a few notes. Anyone out there in readerland with a background in biostatistics (which I don't have) care to comment? As Abraham Lincoln once said: “You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.” It is way past time for the so-called “experts” to stop trying to fool us “deplorables.” Covid Business Model: Lucrative but Deadly Pfizer and Moderna are making a killing — literally. Pfizer stock has increased by 25% over the first eight months of 2021, Moderna Stock increased by a whopping 261%. By contrast, the S&P 500 index has gone up by 20%. Here's the model: Create a vaccine with technology developed with public money. Sell it to wealthy countries at a huge profit. Claiming “intellectual property,” prevent poor countries from accessing your vaccine. As viruses go wild and mutate among the poor and then spread to the wealthy, create vaccines and boosters for the new mutations and sell to wealthy countries at a huge profit. Repeat until folks figure out this racket, and put a stop to it. Lucrative, yes, but deadly. an estimated 2.6 million people have died of COVID-19 over the first eight months of 2021 to feed the greed of big pharma. China, Cuba and the Coronavirus China has been very successful in containing COVID-19 outbreaks. Their method: at the first sign of an outbreak, shut it down, quarantine and test everybody until the potential outbreak is squelched. Most recently they shut down an entire terminal at the Ningbo port for two weeks after one person tested positive for COVID-19. In March 2020, as China began to recover from the original COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, they suggested that if the world took the pandemic seriously and did as they did, the pandemic would be over by June. The world couldn't or wouldn't. Worldwide, over 4 million have died a COVID-associated death since June 2020. Over this period, China has lost only 2 to the pandemic. China is relying on their vaccines and social control of stay virtually COVID-free. Their lack of natural infection-induced immunity may come back to haunt them in the future. Meanwhile, amid a severe outbreak of COVID-19, Cuba is going all out to vaccinate its entire population as soon as possible with homegrown vaccines, Abdala and Soberana-2, both with over 90% efficacy. 38% of Cubans have been fully vaccinated to date and 62% at least partially vaccinated. By contrast, 64% of Estadounidenses have been at least partially vaccinated with 54% fully vaccinated. Cuban vaccines appear to be working well against the delta variant. Besides having developed two of the world's five COVID-19 vaccines with over 90% efficacy, Cuba is the first country to begin vaccinating children as young as two. Cuba and China are working together and have begun a regimen of two shots of China's Sinopharm vaccine followed by a shot of Cuba's Soberana Plus vaccine in Cuba's Cienfuegos Province. It is hoped that the third shot will boost the efficacy of Sinopharm from 79% to a level comparable to the world's best vaccines. Dr. Dagmar Garcia of the Finlay Vaccine Institute stresses that, “This is not a clinical trial, it is an immunization strategy that seeks to maximize efficacy, based on a combination of vaccines.” Cuba and China are both planning to export vaccines to the world's poorest nations. This will likely spell an end to Pfizer and Moderna's racket of selling vaccines to the rich for high prices while leaving the poor to sicken, die and breed more deadly viruses. ================== August 31, 2021 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) COVID-19: Let's Stop Pretending This article by Buzz Hollander, a family physician in Hawaii, came to me by way of a friend of Helen, It appears to be well researched, well thought out and well worth a very careful read. For me, the most important point: There are still many gaps in our knowledge of COVID-19 and no one can predict the future of a fast-mutating virus. The CDC and others essentially shot themselves (and the rest of us) in the foot by pretending to know what they don't. As Hollander states: Perhaps the biggest problem with lying is that once you get a reputation as a liar, (spinning the data as some like to say) folks won't believe you even if you are telling the truth. That seems to be where we stand now.“The obvious gap between ‘what the CDC says’ and ‘what we see, hear and read’ has left a large space for grifters, self-styled experts, and conspiracy theorists to thrive, especially among the large group of vaccine-hesitant (often vaccine-terrified) Americans. The whole thing might have gone better had we stuck to telling the truth as we knew it.” A few personal notes: 1. My decision to forego vaccination and double-down on avoiding risky behaviors by going double-masked in public and avoiding crowds and, as much as possible, people in general, probably leaves me at least as well protected against COVID-19 as one who is double vaccinated and has thrown caution to the winds. ==================
July 20, 2021 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) Totally Delusional: Biden Calls Cuba “Failed State” Well, things could be worse. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez has suggested that the US should explore the option of air strikes against Cuba. That would sure help the Cuban people.Open Letter to President Joseph Biden of the United States of America And incidentally, Mayor Suarez, you might take a look at your own state where buildings continue to collapse and the COVID pandemic rebounds sharply. Strange, so much in the news about large protests in Cuba a week ago Sunday. It's all over the internet. Still, haven't heard of any big protests in Cuba since. I guess there haven't been any. But, no matter, the media can keep recycling these now 9-day-old protests. This seems to be going like the Nicaraguan protests of 2018. People with legitimate beefs come out and join the protests. Then, when they find the protests are turning violent and are organized by foreign enemies, they go back home; and the protests fizzle like a wet firecracker. Déjà vu all over again. Still, plenty of protests in Florida against the Cuban government. In Florida, anti-Cuba protesters block roads with impunity; where Black Lives Matter protesters would be charged with felonies or run down by angry White Supremacists. Lots of anti-vaxxers among the Florida protesters. While Floridians demonstrate against the Cuban government, Florida has become a hotbed of pandemic contagion. Here's an interesting conjecture: Why now? Protests could have broken out any time; but why now, just as Cuba successfully completes trials of two vaccines? I think Pfizer and Moderna may be concerned about their profits. After all, suppose Cuba virtually gives away its vaccines, which appears likely. It's just as good as Pfizer's, and in some ways, maybe even better. That's going to eat into Pfizer's profits big time. So what is to be done? Call out the protesters. Create chaos. ==================
July 13, 2021 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) Cuba's Soberana-02 Vaccine Over 90% Effective Against COVID-19 Cuba now has two vaccines against COVID-19: Abdala with 92% efficacy and Soberana-02 with 91% efficacy, both require three jabs, but unlike Pfizer and Moderna vaccines can be stored under normal refrigeration. Cuba is the only Latin American country to have developed a COVID-19 vaccine and one of two countries in the world to have produced two COVID-19 vaccines of over 90% efficacy. It is widely believed that Cuba will export its vaccines and technology around the world at little more than cost. By contrast: Western corporations like Pfizer have made billions off of vaccine technology. Wealthy countries in North America and Europe are still refusing to share with poor countries. As a result, Africa faces its worst outbreak of COVID-19 yet. Perhaps, Cuba will help to quell this outbreak. This is like cutting off our nose to spite our face. Outbreaks anywhere in the world give the SARS-CoV-2 virus opportunities to mutate and then return to reinfect previously protected populations. To what extent new variants will be resistant to vaccines seems to be an unknown at this time. Here in Phelps County, Missouri, the delta variant, which is 225% more transmissible than the original SARS-CoV-2 virus appears to be spiking. New cases have risen to a seven day average of 14, up from 4 two weeks ago, higher than at any time since January. Indeed, the World, the USA, Missouri and many other locations have experiencing an uptick in COVID-19 cases recently. Of course, here in the United States, the only thing most people hear about Cuba is that last weekend a few thousand people demonstrated, largely against shortages, which are mostly due to the confluence of the 60-year-long US blockade of Cuba and the COVID pandemic that has hit Cuba hard economically. Regardless, Cuba is on track to have its entire population vaccinated by the end of year 2021. ==================
June 29, 2021 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) Cuba: Shipping Millions of Doses of Vaccine to Venezuela Cuba's Abdala vaccine has completed all trials and was found to be 92% effective. Cuba has another vaccine, Soberana-2, in late trials. With two doses it has been found over 62% effective and may hit the 95% effective mark after the third dose is evaluated. This is an amazing feat for a small island nation of 11 million people, laboring under 60 years of US sanctions. Even more amazing: since the United States was a party to gain-of-function experiments that may have created the SARS-CoV-2 virus, US vaccine makers like Pfizer and Moderna could have had a “head start” in developing their vaccines. Without this head start, Cuba may even have beaten the US to having developed a successful vaccine for COVID-19. Before even completing its vaccination program at home, Cuba has completed the first shipment of Abdala vaccine to Venezuela, which is having difficulties providing for the health of its people because of US sanctions which, among other things, inhibit Venezuela's ability to participate in the international COVAX program. There is much that we in the United States could learn from Cuba. Perhaps, most importantly, we could learn how to share. Jeffrey Sachs on SARS-CoV-2 Origins Jeffrey Sachs, chair of the Lancet COVID-19 Commission, gives a short synopsis of the current state of knowledge concerning the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. I highly recommend this article, which contains many extremely important insights. Sachs points out that major hypotheses fall into two broad categories: natural origin and research-related origin; and there is no overwhelming evidence to choose one over the other. Sachs writes: So what can be said about those scientists who have“Those who have claimed that a natural origin is the only viable hypothesis overlook the extensive research activity that was underway in the field and in laboratories on SARS-like viruses, including in Wuhan, China, where the first outbreak was identified, and in the United States.” I would say that those scientists either deliberately lied to the public, or else they are lousy scientists. It's one thing to say, as I have done, that one favors a certain hypothesis or conjecture, it is quite another to declare that all who disagree are conspiracy theorists.“declared that there was overwhelming evidence that SARS-CoV-2 originated in wildlife and that alternative theories of a research-related release of the virus amounted to ‘conspiracy theories’.”? Sachs also notes that: In this case, gain of function refers to increasing the ability of a virus to infect a human host and spread among the human population.“We have learned that much of this work ... that was underway in the US, China, and elsewhere, both in collecting viral samples from the field and in studying their infectivity and pathogenicity (ability to cause disease) in the laboratory ... can be classified as ‘gain of function’ ... research.” In addition, Sachs remarks: So there it is! Finally! The first time I've seen someone of Sachs's stature use the words “deliberately release” or “bioweapons research” in writing about the COVID-19 pandemic.“the tools of genomic manipulation have advanced so rapidly that the potential to create new deadly pathogens in the laboratory and accidentally or even deliberately release them is a very serious concern. The world currently lacks adequate international and national safeguards and transparency on such dangerous work, and the risks are compounded by the secretive bioweapons research programs several governments sponsor that help to sustain it.” Since early 2020, I've argued that it is quite likely that the SARS-CoV-2 virus was intentionally released in China in an act of sabotage. (My reasoning is explained here.) It seems that others are beginning to at least discuss this conjecture seriously in public without the words, “conspiracy theory.” But, most importantly, Sachs notes that and“Neither the US nor Chinese authorities have yet been sufficiently forthcoming to date to enable researchers to advance our understanding of the origin of Yes, it's way past time for the United States and China to both come clean and open up their laboratories to international inspection. It is way past time that all such experimentation be open to public scrutiny. After millions of deaths and hundreds of millions sickened, the public has a right to know.“Many biosafety experts have long argued that such work ...requires much greater oversight, control, and scrutiny,” Note: The emphasis in red within the Jeffrey Sachs quotes is mine. ==================
June 22, 2021 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) From Our Readers: On Sharing Vaccine A reader sends in links to two articles detailing how some vaccine is finally finding its way to poor countries: Here's one from NPR. And here's one from the Guardian. My response: As these articles state plainly: while totally inadequate, this is certainly a step in the right direction. The process should have been started months ago. Even supposing the virus did “jump naturally” from beast to man; we should ask who holds the greatest responsibility for human encroachment upon the wilds; setting up the conditions for the jump to humans? It is certainly the wealthy countries, with their infinite greed for oil, meat and lumber, who hold this responsibility. Yet these same wealthy countries have hoarded the supplies of vaccine and refused to even share their “intellectual property” with poorer countries. Wilbur Ross Donald Trump's former Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross has been in the news lately for extreme corruption, having made millions of dollars off of his position in the Trump Administration. Wilbur Ross provided me with my first indication that the COVID-19 pandemic might have started in an act of sabotage against China, when he remarked in January 2020 that the novel coronavirus was “another risk factor” that people will consider before doing business in China. “So,” Ross opined, “I think it will help to accelerate the return of jobs to North America, some to the U.S., probably some to Mexico as well.” So, I ask: Would someone so callous, insensitive and corrupt think twice about sabotaging a rival country by releasing a deadly virus? Think about it. My comment on the Wilbur Ross quote above was: “Hey, Wilbur, You're getting senile. You weren't supposed to say that in public.” ==================
June 8, 2021 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) COVID-19 Origins — Revisited British science writer, Nicholas Wade released a bombshell article last month that has revived interest in searching for the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 (SARS2) virus which has caused the COVID-19 pandemic. Wade's point seems well-argued — that accidental escape from a gain of function experiment at Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) is the most likely cause of the pandemic — although he doesn't rule out other hypotheses such as natural evolution.“It must be mighty discouragin' Wade stresses that gain of function experiments into bat viruses at WIV were funded through the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases . Thus, these were really joint US-China experiments, although being conducted in China. Gain of function refers to the enhancement of certain qualities of an organism through genetic manipulation, in this case, the ability to infect humans. So let's call a spade a spade. These were experiments in bio-warfare, being performed under a different name. SARS2 might well be called a frankenvirus. China and the United States are both signatories to the UN Biological Weapons Convention which prohibits the development of bio-weapons. Therefore, they had to claim that this is research into the ability of certain viruses to jump from animals to humans with the purpose of combatting or preventing the emergence of zoonotic diseases. Wade writes: Ok. So why would the US and China collaborate on research into bio-weapons? Here I'm guessing, but I suspect each was looking to gain a jump on the other through access to each other's research and expertise. More than that, they buy each other's silence. We're all guilty here, so let's all keep our mouth's shut.“Why would anyone want to create a novel virus capable of causing a pandemic? Ever since virologists gained the tools for manipulating a virus’s genes, they have argued they could get ahead of a potential pandemic by exploring how close a given animal virus might be to making the jump to humans. And that justified lab experiments in enhancing the ability of dangerous animal viruses to infect people, virologists asserted.” Back in July, 2020, I wrote: But secrets do get out. To quote Robert Burns, “The best laid schemes o' mice an' men Gang aft a-gley.”“So let's assume for now that the COVID-19 virus was created in a laboratory. And let's assume the secret gets out. Personally, I still favor the conjecture that I first stated in February, 2020 that SARS2 was created in a laboratory, probably a military laboratory in the United States, and released in China in an act of political or economic sabotage. The fact, which Wade brings out, that the United States knew so much about the gain of function experiments at Wuhan Institute of Virology lends credence to this conjecture. These experiments could easily have been repeated in the United States; and after the release — blamed on an accident at WIV. China is certainly well-aware of this. China has claimed on multiple occasions that SARS2 might have been brought to China by the US military. Regardless, it is past time for all biological labs to be open to international inspection. It is past time that the people of the world have a say in what kind of dangerous experiments with deadly viruses are performed in these laboratories. Viruses know no borders. They infect all of us, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. SARS2 has infected at least 174 million and killed at least 3.75 million. Note on the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Nicholas Wade's article was published in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. In a box at the end the editors write, “As the coronavirus crisis shows, we need science now more than ever,” followed by a button that reads, “Support the Bulletin.” (That means give us money, in case you wondered.) I beg to differ. As the Wade article makes plain, we almost certainly have scientists to thank for the current COVID-19 pandemic which has already killed over three million people. And scientists seem to have gone to great lengths to cover up their guilt. Almost a century ago, Mohandas K. Gandhi formulated his seven social sins: As a society, we seem to suffer from all seven; not the least of which is Science without humanity. I think what we need is a little less science and a lot more humanity.Wealth without work. Note on the above Tom Lehrer quote: This is an amazing pun. But then, Tom Lehrer is an amazing satirist. The quote is from the song, There's a Delta for Every Epsilon (2:55), written decades before the COVID pandemic. It may refer to some other socio-political event or it may be a fortuitous accident.“It must be mighty discouragin' In my very first post on COVID-19 (January, 2020), I linked to another Tom Lehrer song, I Got It from Agnes, which, among other things, underscores the importance of contact tracing. ==================
May 18, 2021 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) Big Pharma Puts Profits Before Life Lee Fang at The Intercept documents how big pharma spends millions lobbying to keep vaccine out of the hands of poor countries. Cuba Begins COVID-19 Mass Vaccination Cuba begins a mass vaccination campaign using its own homegrown vaccines — even before they clear final hurdles. What I find most interesting here is the popular support the Cuban people have for their health-care workers and vaccines. Contrast this to the United States where 40% remain unvaccinated in spite of mass availability, nurses are leaving the profession over abuse and threats from the public and distrust of science and the medical establishment is rampant Aerosol or Droplets: How Does COVID-19 Spread? This article from Wired reads like a mystery thriller: How the medical establishment got it so wrong about how COVID-19 is spread and how a small group of mavericks finally got the establishment to listen, but not before millions died. ==================
May 11, 2021 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) From Our Readers: Covid-19 Vaccine A reader asks whether I've been vaccinated yet, noting that 2 months ago I wrote that I was refusing vaccination. My response: Much has changed since February when I wrote: and later in March“While wealthy countries rush to vaccinate their populations against COVID-19, 130 of the World's poorest countries have not received a single dose of vaccine. Frontline medical workers in Zimbabwe are dying for lack of protection, while ‘lawmakers’ and hospital administrators in the United States cut to the front of the line. Israel is vaccinating its entire population while ignoring the needs of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation for over half a century. In the United States, many weeks later, vaccines are overstocked and they are begging people to get their shots. Meanwhile there is still a severe shortage of vaccine in much of the world.“Maybe when all the teachers and homeless people are vaccinated and Zimbabwe and Palestine are getting their fair share of vaccine — maybe then, if I'm still around, I'll get in line for a vaccination.” So, again, “I think I'll pass on getting vaccinated. Send my vaccine to Zimbabwe or Palestine instead.” Here in the United States, Joe Biden has asked the World Trade Organization to waive big pharma's “intellectual property rights,” (Now, there's an oxymoron, if I ever saw one!) and allow other countries to manufacture vaccines. Europe has suggested instead that the US export its surplus vaccine. As this article makes plain, both are necessary. So while rich countries dither and stall, and big pharma grows fat, poor people in poor countries die. There is yet another reason why rich capitalist countries are now talking about helping poor countries vaccinate their people. Cuba stands on the brink of successfully developing several vaccines, possibly as early as the end of this month. When that happens, it's game over. Because very likely, Cuba will give its vaccine away to poor needy countries. “And so” as Jennifer Hosek points out in this article from The Conversation, “the US is now going to give away it’s extra fish before the fish rot.” Ever wonder why the US places such brutal sanctions on Cuba, making vaccine development extra difficult? Think of all the obscene profit big pharma won't make if Cuba develops and gives away vaccine. So getting back to the reader's question: I suspect by Fall, Cubans will be vaccinating the population of Zimbabwe and Palestine; and I will feel comfortable getting my shots. ==================
March 2, 2021 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) From Our Readers: On Getting Vaccinated I received three responses relating to my short snippet last week on vaccine hoarding, in particular to the final two sentences, “I think I'll pass on getting vaccinated. Send my vaccine to Zimbabwe or Palestine instead.” I have rarely, if ever, received three responses to one small snippet; so I must have hit on something very important. Here, again, is the snippet: One reader writes:“While wealthy countries rush to vaccinate their populations against COVID-19, 130 of the World's poorest countries have not received a single dose of vaccine. Frontline medical workers in Zimbabwe are dying for lack of protection, while “lawmakers” and hospital administrators in the United States cut to the front of the line. Israel is vaccinating its entire population while ignoring the needs of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation for over half a century. Another writes:“The trouble with passing on your vaccination is that it's not really yours. You can't pass it on to Palestine or Zimbabwe or anyplace else for that matter. In fact, if you don't take it when it's your turn, it may just go bad and be thrown away. Also, you just might get COVID and be put in a hospital, taking up space that somebody else might need for an unrelated matter. And then who would write the Rolla Peace News? So I urge you to please take it.” A third sends a link to register for a vaccination, https://modhss.iad1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_231d5TxZxkGedCt, without comment. (This, I take to mean, Just go register and get your shots. If I misinterpret, let me know.)“you have packed so much into this week's edition. The Heart of Darkness quotes (I remember the first one). The Over the Edge Piece which was profoundly moving and left me searching to learn more about Afghanistan. The statistics on where our vaccines are going, a new perspective I hadn't yet heard but which does impact whether I would want to get the vaccine. I appreciate the wisdom you share, Yusha, thank you. Wishing you well this evening.” A hearty thank you to all three readers who took the trouble to write in. There is so much to respond to here, I hardly know where to start. Well, let's begin with, “The trouble with passing on your vaccination is that it's not really yours.” Well, then who does it belong to? Big Pharma, which developed the vaccine with public money and is making billions of dollars off of it? The US government, which bought it from Big Pharma with public money after paying for its development? In my opinion, since this is a global pandemic, vaccines *SHOULD* belong to the global commons, not to any particular country or corporation — you know, like the atmosphere *SHOULD* belong to the global commons and *SHOULD* not be used by any particular country or corporation as their own private trash can. Unfortunately, as pointed out last week, the wealthy countries, which have a terrible record when it comes to sharing, have cornered the market on COVID-19 vaccines. Now let's talk about origins. Although the origin of SARS-CoV-19 is uncertain, it was discovered first in China. How did it get there? Lots of conjectures; but few facts. (As mentioned before, I consider most likely the conjecture that it was created in a laboratory and released in China as an act of sabotage.) How did it spread? People, mostly from wealthy countries, traveling and jet-setting around the world; people shipping stuff around the world, mostly to wealthy countries. One thing is certain: Palestinians, particularly those in Gaza, living under an almost complete Israeli blockade, aren't the ones responsible for spreading the pandemic around the world. Well, when it comes to distributing vaccine, shouldn't those least responsible for spreading disease get priority over those most responsible? Wouldn't that be fair? Unfortunately, the first reader is correct. As much as I'd like to, I cannot pass “my vaccine” (which isn't really mine) along to Zimbabwe or Palestine. However, since it's not really mine, it shouldn't matter much whether I take it or not. Right now, the lines are long. If I don't make an appointment for a vaccination, “my vaccine” goes to someone who did; and everyone gets to move up one notch. It doesn't sit there spoiling waiting for me to make an appointment. If I change my mind, I can always get on line later. I don't expect to change my mind soon for a number of reasons: And finally:1. I'll probably only be around for a few more years at most. Seems a shame to waste scarce vaccine on giving someone who sleeps most of the day a possible year or two more of life. Wouldn't it be better to give “my vaccine” to my daughter and son-in-law who are raising four children, one less than six-months-old? Maybe when all the teachers and homeless people are vaccinated and Zimbabwe and Palestine are getting their fair share of vaccine — maybe then, if I'm still around, I'll get in line for a vaccination.4. With so many people, so much more needy than I am, in so many corners of the world, I would feel like an accomplice, if I accepted scarce vaccine from the same system that denies that same vaccine to those most in need. Addendum: Here is an article by Nick Dearden detailing the system by which Big Pharma makes obscene profits, while literally killing people in poor countries; and how wealthy countries, through their system of global patents enforce this atrocity. ==================
February 23, 2021 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) Vaccine Hoarding While wealthy countries rush to vaccinate their populations against COVID-19, 130 of the World's poorest countries have not received a single dose of vaccine. Frontline medical workers in Zimbabwe are dying for lack of protection, while “lawmakers” and hospital administrators in the United States cut to the front of the line. Israel is vaccinating its entire population while ignoring the needs of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation for over half a century. I think I'll pass on getting vaccinated. Send my vaccine to Zimbabwe or Palestine instead. ==================
February 16, 2021 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) World Health Organization Mission to China Returns — Empty-Handed After four weeks in China, the WHO, off-again, on-again, mission to China returned without a clue about the origins of the SARS-CoV-19 virus. They did, however, pronounce the hypothesis that the virus escaped from a Chinese Laboratory “highly unlikely.” “No, No,” said their Chinese counterparts, “you must be thinking of Donald Trump.” I still maintain that the most likely scenario is that SARS-CoV-19 was created in a laboratory and released in China in an act of economic or political sabotage. But don't mind me. I'm just an unrepentant conspiracy theorist. In fact, over a year ago, I spread the conspiracy theory that “humanity is ripe for a major epidemiological catastrophe” and the United States is “perhaps particularly vulnerable [to SARS-CoV-19]. We've gutted our public health infrastructure in favor of for-profit health care. When people are afraid to seek medical help because they might end up paying for it for the rest of their lives, how are we to keep contagious disease from spreading?” Funny: The Lancet is saying much the same thing now. Never thought a well-respected medical journal like The Lancet would fall for such a conspiracy theory. And if you think the sabotage conspiracy theory is unlikely, read Bionoia. ==================
February 2, 2021 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) ROLLA MASK ORDINANCE DIES The Rolla mask ordinance, passed by the Rolla City Council in November, has expired. An attempt at yesterday's council meeting to extend it failed by one vote. During the period the ordinance was in effect, new infections fell from a daily average of 40 to a daily average of 4. Hopefully, even in the absence of local leadership, Rollaites will continue to go masked, shun indoor gatherings, avoid risky behaviors and keep the rate of new infections low. More on this next week. Bio-warfare / Bio-terrorism The off-again, on-again World Health Organization's fact-finding mission to China to inquire into the origins of the novel-coronavirus (dubbed SARS-CoV-2) has finally materialized — over a year after the COVID-19 pandemic struck Wuhan. I wouldn't expect any new bombshells to come from this mission. Likely, the trail has turned cold; and anyway, I don't think the “experts” really want us “deplorables” to know what actually happened. Last August, J. Kenneth Wickiser, Professor of Biochemistry and Dean for Research at the US Military Academy warned that with recent advances in molecular biology, it is, or soon will be, possible for an advanced high school student with a few tens of thousands of dollars to create a designer virus, possibly even more deadly than the novel-coronavirus. (But don't worry folks. Just give us more money, and we'll keep you safe from bio-terrorists.) And so it goes... But, where did SARS-CoV-2 come from? The accepted explanation seems to be that it started out in a bat, probably a horseshoe bat in China's Yunnan Province and jumped around from species to species until — Voila! It ended up as SARS-CoV-2 in Wuhan from whence it spread around the world. Interestingly, Wickiser parrots this orthodoxy, while opining that a SARS-CoV-2-like virus could have been synthesized in a laboratory. Well, putting the two stories together, it occurred to me that perhaps someone took that virus home to their laboratory (maybe an advanced high school student, but far more likely a researcher in bio-warfare) fiddled with it a bit, ended up with SARS-CoV-2 and either by accident or on purpose released it in Wuhan. Now who could have done that? Mike Pompeo's parting shot was to claim China is hiding information about the origins of SARS-CoV-2 and the virus likely came from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. China countered with why don't you open your hundreds of bio-laboratories, especially the military bio-warfare laboratory at Fort Detrick, to international inspection. The Guardian and other illuminati fired back, calling the implication that the virus was synthesized in a US laboratory a “conspiracy theory.” Meanwhile the Biden White House expressed “great concern” over “misinformation” from China. (The White House doth protest too much, methinks.) Bio-warfare is a rather nasty way to fight a war — not that there are necessarily any nice ways to fight wars — but spreading disease is certainly one of the more unpleasant ways to fight. I looked into this many years ago when the US Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear School moved to Fort Leonard Wood ... enough to know that I didn't want these biological agents 30 miles down the road from me. I was one of a small handful of folks who testified against moving the Army Chemical School. As usual, the military got what it wanted. But, I think I learned something. Now, each time a seemingly new disease or more virulent form of an existing disease hits — I think — bio-warfare / bio-terrorism. In the case of SARS-CoV-2 there were certainly indications. A year ago, as the COVID epidemic forced China into lockdown, US Commerce Secretary, Wilbur Ross, crowed about all the jobs that will now be coming back to North America. It was almost like he had planned it. And any mention of the possibility that SARS-CoV-2 might have been Made-in-the-USA is immediately squashed with loud cries of “Conspiracy Theory.” (Again, they do protest too much, methinks.) But back to the present. I found this six-part article (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6) written between 2005 and 2007 called “Bionoia” at countervortex.org. It's a good short history of bio-warfare. If you don't care to read the whole thing, then just read Part 6, as it's probably most closely related to the current situation. Part 6 discusses HIV/AIDS and is full of indications that HIV is a synthetic virus, probably synthesized by the US military. In fact in 1969 Dr. Donald MacArthur, then Director of the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency testified before Congress that with $10 million, in five years he could probably synthesize a new organism that would be resistent to the human immune system. MacArthur got his $10 million; and ten years later, the world got the AIDS pandemic which has claimed many millions of lives. In short, I defy any reasonable person to read this six part Bionoia article, and then tell me that it is not a plausible hypothesis that SARS-CoV-2 was synthesized in a laboratory in the United States. And getting back to the title of this snippet: What is the difference between bio-warfare and bio-terrorism? Answer: There may not be any. While all technology has a tendency to proliferate, bio-weapons have added capabilities. They know no borders. They can hitch rides on mosquitoes, ticks, llamas, dogs, birds, bats, rats — almost anything, especially people. And they are not static weapons. They can mutate — far beyond the imaginations of their inventors. Here is a pertinent saying from the Chinese: “Lifting a rock, only to drop it on one's own feet.” There is a similar saying in English that goes back at least to Shakespeare: “Hoist with ones own petard.” January 26, 2021 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) Honor Our 400,000 Dead As of this afternoon, the death toll from COVID-19 in the United States stands at more than 434,000. This is more than 144 times the number lost on Sept. 11, 2001 when the twin towers fell in New York City and more even than the number lost during World War II. Rivera Sun reminds us that: And finally:“There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of our failure to limit the spread of COVID-19... “To fail to reckon with the losses our nation has faced from this pandemic is to fail to measure up to our basic humanity. The dead deserve far more than what we’ve offered them and their families. These losses will haunt us for centuries to come. We can only hope that in this haunting, we change the ways in which lives are counted or discounted, and souls are lost . . . or perhaps saved.” ==================
January 5, 2021 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) 2. DR. EMILY MASTERSON ON COVID-19 VACCINES AND MUTATIONS Hello! I still enjoy reading your newsletter weekly even though I no longer live in Rolla (in fact my husband, two kids and I happily reside in Boulder County CO!). As a medical doctor, I would like to offer some quick info regarding a statement you made about the COVID vaccine possibly not being effective against the new strain of COVID circulating in the UK and future mutated strains. The scientific community is fairly certain that the vaccine will be effective against the new strain (and likely any strain that remains infectious to humans) as it targets the spike protein which is required to enter the human cell and therefore cause illness. If a strain of SARS-CoV-2 mutates at the site coding the spike protein in a way to significantly alter it's function it would likely render that strain non-infectious to humans. As a frontline healthcare worker it is very important to me that we not spread undue fears about the vaccine. The vaccine/vaccines will be a critical tool for the world to overcome this challenge. I’d hate to see people refusing the vaccine based upon faulty information. I gladly received the Moderna vaccine a few days ago and had no reaction other than expected arm soreness. I have a great sense of relief knowing that two weeks after my second vaccine I will have 95% protection from serious illness from COVID. The data leading to its approval was solid and no safety steps were skipped. By the way, I wholeheartedly agree with your putting a spot light on the fact that some in a position of wealth and/or power are cutting the line to get the vaccine. It is a moral abomination that hospital administrators, young politicians who were COVID deniers prancing around super spreader events with no mask and the wealthy gleefully getting a vaccine the first week it was shipped. Nothing new in America though... I hope everyone there is happy and healthy. I will always have a special place in my heart for Rolla. Thanks for fighting the good fight—I know it can feel hopeless at times. Emily Masterson MD A Further Note on COVID-19 Vaccines and Mutations Thanks for writing to us, Emily. It is so good to hear from you after all these years. And we hope that you and your family are all safe and healthy and have enjoyed the holidays. Thank you for all you are doing to keep us safe and helping us through these trying times of pandemic. I think the issue with today's vaccines is not so much whether they will work in the future; but that THEY ARE WORKING NOW. I feel confident that they are working as advertised, because they have been subjected to intense international scrutiny. Some countries (such as Cuba) have excellent doctors and medical researchers who would be a lot harder to fool or co-opt than what little is left of our medical regulators in the United States. Also there are websites, such as Russia Today, that would be most happy to jump on any irregularities that came to light in western-produced vaccines. And would the wealthy be cutting in line to get vaccinated if the vaccines were a hoax? Today, with increased infections and hospitalizations rising precipitously, it is important that we all do whatever possible NOW to keep the infection rate down so as not to further overwhelm our overstretched public health infrastructure and personnel. Getting a vaccination, when available, even if it turns out to be less effective than what we hoped for, would seem to be the very least we can do. I, too, have seen pronouncement by “experts” that today's vaccines will work on tomorrow's mutations. I do not share your confidence in these experts. They have been wrong again and again, particularly when it comes to predicting the future. This novel coronavirus continues to blindside us. Rather than looking at vaccines as a magic bullet, I would suggest looking at them as just another weapon in our arsenal against the novel coronavirus: along with masking, testing, contact tracing, hand washing, social distancing, immune system enhancing medications, anti-viral medications, quarantining, crowd avoidance etc. The bottom line: This will be a protracted war. We must be prepared for further surprises. More from Dr. Emily Masterson “I agree that the vaccine will be just one tool, albeit a very important tool, to get the pandemic under control. Here is a nice graphic you can share if you’d like. 
“Lastly, thanks for the link to the article about the virus mutating—that’s a good article, however it does not alter my optimism that the vaccines will likely be effective against future mutated strains.” ==================
December 29, 2020 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) Vaccination Campaign Off to a Shaky Start Seems like the vaccination campaign is way behind schedule. Surprised? Well, we could have been mass producing and stockpiling vaccines while trials were still in progress. As Dean Baker explains, even if the vaccines turned out to be worthless, we would only have wasted a few hundred million dollars; far less than the cost of the latest tax-breaks for the rich like the “three martini lunch” tax write-off. And the rich are now cutting to the front of the line and getting their vaccine before front-line healthcare workers. The problem is probably far greater than what has come to light so far at Stanford and New York. And why are young healthy “law-makers” getting vaccine ahead of the aged who are far more at risk? Congress-member Tulsi Gabbard called out her colleagues and refused vaccine until every elder who wants vaccine gets it. Hooray for Tulsi! Tulsi's another “badass.” And in spite of the shortage of trained doctors, a for-profit hospital in Indiana has just killed off a doctor, sending her home while sick with COVID-19, almost certainly because she was black. And we are killing off our frontline healthcare workers like flies to the tune of 2,900, largely though failure to provide adequate protective equipment. And we're not even sure that these vaccines will work against some new COVID strains, such as the new strain that is now devastating Britain. These viruses are tough. They mutate as I write. With all these shenanigans, how are we to trust a public health establishment that has mounted by far the worst response to the COVID-19 pandemic of all wealthy nations? Consider: if the wealthy and well-connected are able to buy their way to the front of the line; what's to stop some clever entrepreneur from replacing the real vaccine with something else, say bleach, and selling the real stuff on the black market? We continue to violate the most important rule of public health: — Gain the trust of the public. Nevertheless, I have written a jingle for the COVID-19 vaccination campaign. It's to be sung to the tune of “Cod Liver Oil” as performed by the Dubliners. Doctor Anthony Fauci, now don't be so mean; ==================
December 8, 2020 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) Vaccines Lots of vaccines for COVID-19 out there now — well — almost out there — available soon — we're assured. Pfizer's vaccine, which is already in use in the UK, should be available by the end of the week in the USA. Moderna's vaccine is expected to be cleared for emergency use very soon after. Then there's Astrazeneca, several Chinese products that you don't hear much about, several Cuban products that you hear even less about, and, of course, one from Russia too. Seems with so many wonderful products almost available, at least one of them should pan out and soon we can all get back to normal. Which ones will work out in the end? Who knows? Wouldn't it make sense for the whole world to share whichever vaccines turn out to work best? Unfortunately, share doesn't seem to be a very popular word in these days of gross inequality. Still, I'm not placing any bets. Two reasons: I'm a skeptic. I'll wait and see.1. This is one tough virus — full of surprises. Back in January, who would have thought that 11 months later the world would be well into a third wave of infections — each one worse than the last? So maybe we can get back to “normal.” But what is normal? If the pre-Trump years are to be considered normal, I don't think we will ever get back to normal; and that might be a good thing. I'm not sure what the “new-normal” will look like, I don't think anyone knows; but hopefully we will have learned an important lesson from this novel coronavirus. Hopefully, we will have learned that we are a part of Nature and attempts to dominate Nature often end in disaster. So who gets the vaccine? In the United States, there seem to be plans for a fair and equitable distribution. Will they materialize? Let's wait and see. I suspect the wealthy elite will want to get theirs first and the pharmaceutical companies will want to maximize profits. China? I suspect China will go whole hog in vaccinating all 1.44 billion Chinese as soon as possible and help vaccinate people in friendly countries too. And Cuba? Cuba is a small island of 11.3 million people. I suspect they will not only vaccinate their entire population; but will go into the world's poorest countries and vaccinate as many as possible there too. How do I know? I don't. I 'm just extrapolating from past behaviors. More on Vaccines: History Here in the West, we usually give Edward Jenner credit for inventing vaccination; but as this article from Wired documents; vaccination had been practiced for hundreds and maybe thousands of years before Edward Jenner. The procedure probably originated in China. Perhaps this has something to do with why China has had their pandemic under control since early April while in the United States and Europe it just keeps getting worse. (see table below) This article is particularly important reading for those who do not believe in vaccination. And if you are concerned about being vaccinated with a Bill Gates nanochip; then you can always go to Cuba, beyond the reach of Bill Gates' long arm, and receive your vaccination there, probably for a lot less than it would cost in the United States. As Bernie Sanders suggested back in March, we should at least give China credit where credit is due, for feeding its huge population and give Cuba credit for caring for the health of its citizens. Maybe if we had, we wouldn't be facing the crisis we are in now where over 15 million of us in the United States have been infected with COVID-19 and 1/6 of us are food insecure. What is really sad is that in suggesting we give China and Cuba credit where credit is due, Bernie torpedoed his own campaign. Think about this. A candidate who suggests giving folks credit for what they do right doesn't stand a chance in the United States. Novel Coronavirus: Origins There appears to be some biologic evidence that the novel coronavirus appeared in the United States and Europe at least as early as December 2019. What does this do to the orthodoxy that the COVID-19 virus came from a Chinese bat? It definitely cast some doubt on that theory. But, in truth, there is little doubt that had we been more interested in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and less interested in blaming it on China, we would be far better off now. Pandemics and Economics We often hear how we can't quarantine, isolate and close down businesses because it would have a negative economic impact; but here's some data from the International Monetary Fund showing that some countries that successfully limited COVID-19 infections did relatively well economically too; and some countries that failed to limit COVID-19 infections did relatively poorly economically.
It would seem that countries that have successfully kept their rates of infection low have made out better economically than countries where infection rates are high. ==================
December 1, 2020 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) How to Survive COVID-19 and All Other Pandemics In this short editorial, Pope Francis tells us everything we need to know about surviving pandemics. Read it carefully and savor each word. This editorial may save your life. ==================
November 24, 2020 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) Rolla Gets a Mask Ordinance Last night the Rolla City Council by a vote of nine to three enacted an ordinance requiring masks and limiting the size of gatherings. If Rollaites obey the ordinance and stop insisting that they have a constitutional right to spread their viruses among the population, it should bring down the COVID transmission rate, which has been surging out of control in Phelps County and overwhelming our regional hospital. Kudos to the Rolla City Council and Mayor Magdits. Special thanks to fifth ward representative, Marie Allen, who led the charge and rallied the troops. ==================
November 17, 2020 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) From Our Readers: Rolla Makes National News With Superspreader Event In reference to the Daily Beast article on the “private” homecoming dance at Matt's Steakhouse that turned into a superspreader event, a reader writes: My response:“And, goodness, what were those parents thinking? We don't go inside places without masks, and we sure don't go into crowded places for a homecoming dance. ... COVID is spreading at such high rates again. Stay safe.” I can't say what those parents were thinking; but I suspect they had been drinking too much kool-aid. On a positive note, I watched a video of yesterday's Rolla City Council meeting and it appears that Mayor Magdits and many members of the Rolla City Council are finally getting it. We may have an ordinance banning such events by next week. As Mayor Magdits put it, there comes a time when you have to put your ideology aside. (video of meeting to be posted soon) Again, this was all very predictable. Here's a couple of quotes from previous newsletters: Rolla Peace News, January 28, 2020 (when the United States had 5 confirmed cases of COVID-19). Rolla Peace News, February 11, 2020 (when the United States had 12 confirmed cases of COVID-19)“While it's too early to know how far this epidemic will spread, one thing is certain: humanity is ripe for a major epidemiological catastrophe. There are many reasons: war, poverty, a changing climate and overpopulation are just some that come to mind. In late March, The United States became the country with the most confirmed COVID-19 infections, surpassing China, Spain and Italy. The US has held that title ever since and now has 11.7 million confirmed cases, 2.8 million more than India, which now has the world's second most confirmed COVID-19 infections. Lately the United States has been averaging over 150 thousand new infections daily. (COVID data from worldometers)“‘Human civilization’ is primed for a global epidemic of gargantuan proportions. The Wuhan coronavirus epidemic may be only a harbinger of what is to come. ==================
November 1, 2020 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) Thoughts on Tuesday's Election In the past, winning a free and fair election used to be the goal — no longer. Now, it's winning at any cost. For some, even mass murder and suicide has become preferable to losing. Consider: Friday, the US experienced around 100,000 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 (slightly less by some counts, slightly more by others) and close to 1,000 deaths with COVID. By comparison, China has experienced less than 86,000 confirmed cases and 5,000 deaths over the entire life of the pandemic. Think about this: 16% more new cases in one day than China has experienced in 11 months. It didn't have to be this way. President Donald Trump famously said in March, “One day, its like a miracle, it will disappear.” After bringing its epidemic under control, China claimed that if the world followed China's example, the pandemic could be over by June. The world hasn't. The pandemic rages evermore out of control (except in China and possibly a few other locations). Over 1.2 million dead worldwide, 236 thousand in the United States — mass murder and suicide. Climate change is another example. We've experienced what may be this country's worst four-year period ever when it comes to hurricane, drought, wildfire and other climatic disasters. But, according to some, climate change is still a Chinese hoax. Yet another example: nuclear war. I can well imagine those who hold the nuclear triggers taking down the world in a mass murder/suicide event — like Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple — only this time we're not just talking 918 people, we're talking hundreds of millions, maybe billions. I think it might be helpful if our next president had a somewhat better grip on reality that our current president. ==================
October 20, 2020 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) How to Keep COVID-19 from Spreading After discovering six cases of COVID-19 in Qingdao, a city of 9.4 million; China has tested ten million people in four days and found seven more cases. China appears to have contained the outbreak through mass testing and contact tracing. COVID-19 first made itself known in China and has since then become a global pandemic. As of today, China has experienced less than 86,000 confirmed cases and 4.6 thousand deaths. The United States, in which many consider the virus a “Chinese hoax,” has experienced over 8 million confirmed cases and over 200,000 deaths. (If you want to know why, see cartoon referenced above.) So wear a mask, avoid crowds, particularly indoors, and if you feel sick or have been exposed, get tested and, if possible, self-quarantine. October 6, 2020 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) ==================
2. HELEN AND I TESTED NEGATIVE FOR COVID-19 Having been potentially exposed to the novel coronavirus, we self-quarantined until 14 days after possible exposure and missed last week's vigil. While we felt the chances of our actually having been exposed and having contracted COVID-19 were small, we also felt the risk of further spreading the disease warranted testing and self-quarantining. COVID-19 has infected millions worldwide and in the United States. One can hardly be too careful. Here is an article discussing measures that partially reduce the chance of spreading the virus and how very important they are. Please read this article. And a million thanks to everybody who offered to help us shop for groceries. We really appreciate it. We look forward to returning for this week's vigil. ==================
September 1, 2020 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) Africa: Missing COVID Cases — Missing Deaths I've been writing since April about how COVID-19 appears to be primarily a disease of wealthy countries, although in recent months it has spread into some less-wealthy countries. Here's a very interesting article by Linda Nordling discussing some recent findings from Africa, where it appears that in multiple areas, large numbers of people are developing antibodies to the COVID-19 virus without actually getting the COVID-19 disease or at least not having symptomatic cases. While one might surmise that the health authorities are “missing” a lot of cases, this appears unlikely, as there does not seem to be an uptick in mortality Medical researchers surmise that it might be due to Africa's youthful population or perhaps even genetic factors; but here's the conjecture that really caught my eye: Due to their exposure to other diseases such as colds and malaria; Africans have developed more robust immune systems better able to adjust to novel germs like the COVID-19 virus. I'd like to take this conjecture one step further. Perhaps those of us in wealthy countries, who are over-vaccinated and over-medicated have damaged our immune systems to the point where we cannot easily adjust to novel microbes. Do we really need to be vaccinating the entire population for chicken pox? Do we really need to be exposing the population constantly to antibiotics through the meat we eat? Over-vaccination and over-medication may be causing unintended consequences. And if you think the medical establishment knows best, consider: The human immune system is tremendously complex and no one, not even Donald Trump, fully understands it. Dr. Yoshihiro Sato published over one hundred peer-reviewed papers and even had a medical protocol based on his research adopted. Later his publications were found to be based on fake research. But, getting back to Africa: One epidemiologist quoted in the article by Linda Nordling, Yap Boum of Epicentre Africa, the research and training arm of Doctors Without Borders, suggests that because of the high prevalence of antibodies in the population and the low prevalence of active cases and deaths, Africa might try for a relatively painless herd-immunity to COVID-19 without waiting for a vaccine. In a proposal that I made recently, I also suggested a way in which we might arrive at a relatively painless vaccine-free herd immunity in more immuno-compromised populations, such as our own. What If China Develops a COVID-19 Vaccine First? The first out with a vaccine will become world famous. Wealth, power and acclamation will certainly accrue. But, shouldn't we all be working together instead of competing? Does it really matter who is first? Isn't it more important that the job be done right?“As we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, we should be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours, and this we should do freely and generously.” —Benjamin Franklin This article presents dire predictions should China be the first to produce an effective vaccine, an event which is appearing more and more likely all the time. I think competition is just fine on the playing field; but I'd rather not take a vaccine that was the result of a high-stakes competition. Two New Cartoons I've added two new cartoons to my website, both on the coronavirus theme. For those of you old enough to remember mid-20th-century absurdist theatre: Waiting for Dr. Fauci And for the mathematically inclined: Asymptotic Spreaders Also the section on Benjamin Franklin and the Postal Service has been redone and some of my more serious writings on the COVID-19 pandemic have been updated. ==================
August 18, 2020 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) Herd-Immunity I received some very thoughtful comments on the proposal in last week's newsletter on developing herd-immunity to COVID-19. One reader felt it would not be ethical to deliberately give a volunteer COVID-19. Another was concerned about long-term side-effects of having been infected with COVID-19. I'm going to save discussion of these points for a later date. Please continue to send in comments. The proposal is posted here. ==================
August 11, 2020 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) Beating the Coronavirus Pandemic: A Modest Proposal Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread. Some 250,000 new cases are confirmed each day; and counting unreported cases, the daily total may well reach into the millions. Worldwide, death toll estimates from the virus approach 750,000. Some countries, such as Laos, have been quite successful in avoiding the pandemic so far. In others, most notably, the United States, the pandemic has ravaged through the population for months. Many, such as China, where the pandemic was first noted, have brought the pandemic under control and kept it under control. In other countries, such as Japan, the pandemic is resurging after having been previously brought under control. In still others, such as India, the pandemic arrived late, but when it did arrive, it spread like wildfire. Second waves of COVID-19 cases are definitely in vogue now. Here are some examples: Folks in places where new cases have peaked and then fallen drastically, worn out from beating back the initial wave, are living in fear of a resurgence of COVID-19 — hoping science will give them a vaccine before it's too late.Spain peaked with an average of 7,800 new cases reported daily during the week ending April 1. New cases fell to an average of 279 over the week ending June 10, but then surged to an average of 2,704 new cases over the week ending August 10. Here, I have a modest proposal to make. It's a low-tech solution. It doesn't require a vaccine that may not be available for a long time and may not work particularly well, even after it is available. In fact, this proposal doesn't require anything that we don't already have, except the will to implement it. First thing is to estimate how many active infections can be handled without overwhelming one's healthcare infrastructure. Here, we must not lose sight of the fact that people still need medical attention for other reasons as well. Second let's estimate how many active infections we can handle without sending our economy into a tailspin. These estimates need to be fine-tuned. If infected people are not aged or immuno-compromised, our healthcare infrastructure can tolerate a lot more infections than if the infected are among the most vulnerable in society. If the infected people are from non-critical professions, we can handle far more infections than if the infected are frontline healthcare workers. Then, we want to build in a safety factor; and when all is said and done, we have a number, let's call it our Maximum Comfortable Active Infection Load or MCAIL for short. Note this number should change over time as we strive to build a more robust healthcare infrastructure and fine-tune the proposal. Now, estimate our current active infection load. If its above the MCAIL threshold, first thing to do is to bring it down, using known techniques such as isolation, contact tracing, social distancing etc. It's not my purpose here to review these techniques that we have all heard about over and over again. When our active infection load falls below the MCAIL threshold; we ask for volunteers; who agree to be deliberately infected with COVID-19. Our purpose here is to arrive at herd-immunity as quickly and painlessly as possible, without overwhelming our healthcare infrastructure or destroying our economic livelihood. Herd-immunity is attained when the immune portion of the population is large enough that the virus cannot easily spread through the portion that lacks immunity. I've seen estimates of herd immunity that vary from requiring 20% of the population to be immune to requiring 80% of the population to be immune. Clearly, the details need to be worked out in real time. Immunity derived from having recovered from a disease is the real McCoy — much more effective in general than vaccine-induced immunity, particularly new untried vaccines that have been rushed to market by for-profit corporations, hoping to make a killing (literally) off the pandemic. So far, there have been no confirmed instances of a fully recovered individual getting sick with COVID-19 a second time (although there are plenty of rumors). As volunteers recover, new volunteers are accepted, keeping the active infection load as close as possible to the MCAIL threshold. Once a volunteer has recovered and acquired immunity, he returns to the general population, perhaps a month or so after being selected. Once we reach herd-immunity, we can pat ourselves on the back and say, “Job Well Done.” Certainly, volunteers should be offered something for agreeing to be human guinea pigs. What should be offered? Whatever it takes to get enough volunteers. The infection fatality rate, the portion of those infected who can be expected to die from the infection, is low — less than 1% — and even lower if healthy volunteers are chosen. Lasting complications are certainly possible, but seem to be rare among healthy individuals. Volunteers should be isolated and checked daily until they are coronavirus free. If needed, they should receive the best medical care available. Most will likely experience at worst mild symptoms. Volunteers might well be less likely to die of COVID-19 then the general population, because of the constant medical care and attention they would receive while infected. In addition, volunteers should certainly receive a salary commensurate with their earning abilities. Their salary should also include hazardous duty pay. Afterwards, being virtually immune, their services should be in great demand in hospitals, nursing homes and other places where workers must be around folks who are likely to be infected or those who are most at risk from infections. What we are striving for here is far more than flattening the curve. Indeed, if this works as planned; we no longer have a curve at all; Instead we have a level straight line. Before 1963, it was common knowledge that most children would eventually get measles. Many parents would deliberately expose their children to measles at opportune times in order to get the inevitable over with, in spite of the risk involved. It is likely that, short of an effective vaccine, most people will eventually contract COVID-19. With this proposal, we are simulating the situation that existed with measles prior to 1963 when the first measles vaccine was developed. And what happens if an effective COVID-19 vaccine is developed? We can always switch horses (as we did with measles) if desired. But let's not put all our money on the vaccine horse; especially since there is no guarantee that it will ever reach the finish line. Indeed, many think that a COVID-19 vaccine that comes even close to the efficacy of our measles vaccine (97% effective) is highly unlikely. And let's not forget that decades into the HIV/AIDS pandemic, science has failed miserably in producing a vaccine. Actually, this proposal increases the likelihood of eventually developing an effective vaccine for COVID-19. It allows vaccine developers the time necessary to do the job right. “Warp-speed” is no longer necessary since we have another, perhaps even better, method of fighting the pandemic. Haste makes waste. Personally, I would not want to take a vaccine produced under the conditions now envisioned. There are certainly a lot of unknowns here; and I am not in a position to fill in all the blanks. However, I believe the idea is sound; and certainly beats doing nothing while living in fear and waiting for a vaccine. You might ask: where's the money going to come from? How about from the almost $2 trillion that the world spends each year on war and preparations for war. A minuscule percentage of the world's war budget should easily cover implementing this proposal worldwide. Not only would we conquer the pandemic; but we would also render war, potentially a much greater killer than COVID-19, far less likely. ==================
August 4, 2020 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) Israel: Just When I Thought It Couldn't Get Worse In the middle of a global pandemic, Israel deliberately demolished a COVID-19 testing center in Hebron on the West-bank of Palestine. Viruses don't play politics or respect political boundaries. Israel has been hit very hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, Israel reported 1,768 new cases of COVID-19 or 192 cases per million population. By contrast, the United States reported 54,505 new cases or 165 cases per million; and Palestine reported only 229 new cases or 45 new cases per million. Like the United States, Israel is experiencing unrest from those who would rather see their own country-people get sick and die than see their social and economic lives disrupted. Perhaps, if Israel were more interested in taking care of its own citizens and less interested in brutalizing Palestinians, their COVID numbers would come down at least as far as Palestine's. (The data above are from Worldometers.info.) ==================
July 14, 2020 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) From Our Readers: A reader writes: My Response: National Outcomes from COVID-19 Pandemic“Three countries led by leaders who trust their gut feel rather than listen to the scientists have had very bad outcomes: USA, UK, Brazil. Generally countries that have listened to their experts have done much better: New Zealand for example. I have seen studies claiming that if Trump had done the right things such as shut down the country and take the responsibility for stocking PPE when the warnings first came, tens of thousands of lives would have been saved. Instead he said that it was no worse than the flu, and would disappear in the summer, and did nothing. That's what happens when we elect an egotistical moron as president. Whatever you can say about Hillary, she is way more competent than Trump, and I believe the outcome would have been much better. I'm no expert on your religion, but I'm sure that tens of thousands of lives saved must factor in somewhere. How ought we to compare the responses of various countries to the COVID pandemic? total number of cases confirmed? total number of deaths attributed to the COVID virus? cases per population size? mortality per population size? What other factors ought to be taken into account? health? age? wealth? environment? stability? number of tests performed? I have no easy answer; and I suspect no one else does either. In the comparisons which I have posted online (here and here) and update regularly, I rank countries according to total number of COVID cases. I'm somewhat unhappy about this, although it seems to be working out, provided you don't take the numbers too seriously and keep in mind the limitations of this approach. At present: (0:00 hrs gmt on July 15) the top countries in total confirmed cases are, in order: USA. Brazil, India, Russia, Peru, Chile, Mexico, Spain, South Africa, UK. One might argue from the first three countries, that countries with right-wing ideologues as heads of state are most susceptible to the COVID pandemic. However, going back to March 20, six of the top ten countries were Western European democracies. China, Iran, USA and South Korea rounded out the top ten. The UK's performance is in line with other Western European countries, although near the high end: second to Spain in number of cases; first in mortality; and quite far down the list in number of cases per population size Sweden, with its much-lauded policy of remaining open, is not doing particularly well at present, particularly in deaths per population size Some countries that might surprise you: Vietnam and Mongolia seem to be doing quite well, Israel and Saudi Arabia quite poorly. On January 28 when the USA had five confirmed cases and China less than 6,000, I warned: By early April, the USA was Number One in confirmed COVID cases, a position we have held ever since, even widening our lead over other countries. The United States surpassed a confirmed infection rate of 1% of the population this weekend. On July 10 the United States logged over 71,000 new cases, over 85% of China's 83,000+ total confirmed cases over the life of the pandemic so far.“The United States is perhaps particularly vulnerable. We've gutted our public health infrastructure in favor of for-profit health care. When people are afraid to seek medical help because they might end up paying for it for the rest of their lives, how are we to keep contagious disease from spreading?” What makes the difference? China's leadership was willing and able to do whatever necessary to stop the epidemic from spreading. China has a robust national healthcare system which extends to the entire population. The United States, as you note, is under the leadership of a delusional head of state who doesn't seem to understand or care. Decades of for-profit healthcare have left our public health infrastructure in shambles. Note 1: Data is from worldometers.info and is “as reported” which may or may not represent the reality on the ground faithfully. Note 2: COVID-19 is currently the name of a disease, syndrome or pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 is the official name given to the virus that causes the COVID-19 syndrome. However, that is hard to say. I prefer to call it the COVID-19 virus or simply the COVID virus My Response: Donald Trump and Religion This quote comes from an article I found a couple of years ago, in which the author was interviewing people on the USA/Mexico border. I've been saving it for the proper occasion.“Sometimes, God uses unusual people, people that are not exactly on the straight and narrow. And I believe God is using Mr. Trump. Like I said I don’t like his style, but I believe God is using him. He doesn’t answer to people, he does whatever.” —Kathy Casillas I'm glad you asked about Donald Trump and religion. I, too, believe God is using him; and the purpose for which I believe God is using Donald Trump appears to be the destruction of the Great American Empire. Think about it. If your intention was to destroy the Great American Empire, could you think of a better way then to place an “egotistical moron” like Donald Trump in the White House? On March 31, I warned: The COVID-19 virus is fast degrading the capacity of the US military to maintain its empire. Here's an example from Okinawa. Okinawans, fed up with the crime and pollution associated with military occupation, long ago asked the US military to pack up and leave their islands. That US troops are now spreading COVID-19 among the population could be the final straw.“But this will pass. Eventually humanity will develop herd-immunity to the COVID-19 virus. My Response: Origins of the COVID-19 pandemic Representatives of the World Health Organization are currently visiting China with the goal of forming an international mission to seek the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. They apparently will look into all possibilities, including the possibility that the COVID-19 virus was created in a laboratory. It will be interesting to see what, if anything, they find, particularly since the United States has withdrawn from the WHO and presumably will not be participating. ==================
July 7, 2020 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) From Our Readers: It's All Connected I received some very nice responses to last weeks column on how everything is connected. One reader writes, “I agree with you wholeheartedly.” Another writes, “Good Stuff Tom! What came first Man or Nature? If we think we can disrespect nature without consequences, we had better think again! We only have to just be still, pay attention and open our eyes.” My response: Thanks so much to both of you. Here's a verse from the Qur'an: The Book of Genesis places the creation of man as the final act of God on the sixth day of the Creation. Amerindians also describe the creation of man as the final act of creation, as in stories such as And Me, Coyote. According to Science, modern man evolved around 250 thousand years ago. Life on the planet Earth began around 4 billion years ago. In other words, Nature got along just fine for 3,999,750,000 years without us. I suspect she will get along just fine after we are all gone. So let's show a little respect.“Assuredly the creation of the heavens and the earth is a greater (matter) than the creation of men: Yet most men understand not.” A third reader sends in a similar post from Nicaragua, The Rona and Trees, that seems to be inspired by the same article that inspired my column last week. And yesterday, I found this wonderful article by Robert Shetterly that looks at connections between White Men in Suits, Original Sin, and Rumplestiltskin. I think it is in the aether that all is connected, and many are picking up the vibes. A fourth reader writes in, “I'm glad to see that you've decided that COVID-19 is zoonotic and not from a lab.” My response: I've decided nothing of the kind. Assuming the original viral material for the COVID-19 virus came from a bat, it could have been transformed into the COVID-19 virus through natural selection, through genetic manipulation in a laboratory, or perhaps by other means as well. I stand by my statement that: I have seen no satisfactory explanation as to why it is “impossible” that the COVID-19 virus was created in a laboratory. When you brush aside the cobwebs it turns out to be, “We're the experts. We'll spare you all the details that you wouldn't understand anyway. Just take our word for it.” And then the mantra is repeated endlessly through the media.“In my opinion it is quite likely that the COVID-19 virus was genetically engineered and released in China in an act of economic or political sabotage.” So let's assume for now that the COVID-19 virus was created in a laboratory. And let's assume the secret gets out. So far, 540 thousand have died of COVID-19. People all over the world have lost family and friends to this virus. Folks have had their whole lives disrupted. How are they going to respond to the knowledge that this scourge was visited upon them by a handful of scientists? Might they not torch a few ivory towers? Might they not liberate a few laboratories? Might they not scourge a few scientists? Indeed, scientists have a very strong interest in keeping the public from believing that they hold any responsibility for the COVID-19 pandemic. We should also keep in mind that in the past, scientists have visited other destructive technologies on humanity. The most obvious example is nuclear weapons. Another is the technology to mine and burn fossil fuels, without which it is unlikely that we would now be plagued by a warming climate. A third example is computer technology, which makes possible unmanned vehicles that can deliver bombs precisely anywhere in the world. So would folks that have made weapons capable of wiping humanity from the face of the Earth stop at creating a disease which is likely to kill one to five percent of humanity? I'll let you, Dear Reader, answer that one. Scientists, such as the renowned Dr. Anthony Fauci, decry that so many have “an anti-science bias” for “inconceivable reasons.” As a fellow scientist, let me explain, Dr. Fauci. Given the discussion above, is it not truly bizarre that so many look upon Science as the Savior of Humanity? Some may not articulate their objection to Science in manner I have; but I suspect subconsciously they understand. This age is not unique. There have been ages in the past when people have turned against Science. Consider the early 19th Century English Luddites who smashed machines and turned against industrial automation which was destroying their livelihood. My favorite example, however, is the Chinese Cultural Revolution (roughly 1967 to 1977) during which universities were shuttered and scientists were sent to the countryside to work on collective farms and learn the value of hard labor. Maybe, if scientists did more for ordinary people, and less for the elite classes of billionaires, corporate executives, politicians and generals — maybe then, there would not be so many people with “an anti-science bias.” ==================
June 30, 2020 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) It's All Connected A reader sends in this article from the New York Times detailing connections between emerging diseases (particularly COVID-19) and environmental destruction — a perfect illustration of the adage “Nature Bats Last.” The devastation we have done to natural ecosystems comes back to haunt us as zoonotic disease like COVID-19. Reading the article, I couldn't help feeling that we are going to get hit by disease upon disease until we learn that we are a part of Nature — not separate from it and definitely not holding dominion over it. I think Nature is trying to teach us something. We ignore the lesson at our own peril. Here's another article from Institute for Policy Studies detailing what may be the most important connection: Militarism and Climate Change. This has been a major theme in my writing; so I was very glad to see this excellent article. War and Climate Change feed on each other. To take one example: War is a carbon intensive activity. Tanks and fighter planes run on petroleum-based products, lots of it, and are heavy emitters of carbon dioxide, causing Climate Change. The changing climate in turn leads to disruption and scarcity of resources which makes War more likely. And here's an article from the Guardian discussing another connection between Climate Change and disease. Climate Change makes natural disasters more likely. People fleeing natural disasters, like fires, end up crowding into shelters and camps where disease is easily spread. And one final connection: Inequality. If we can't look at each other as equals, how are we going to join together to tackle so many common problems. So what's the solution? Learn to live in harmony with each other and with Nature. Sounds easy when you put it that way. Stop looking at ourselves as being exceptional. We're all in this together. If humanity is to survive, we'll have to replace “Make America Great” with “Make Nature Great.” The part can never be greater than the whole. ==================
June 23, 2020 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) Public Health Thinking of a career in Public Health? You might want to think a little harder. Folks are leaving the profession in droves. Seems like a lot of folks don't care to be healthy. Worse than that, they don't care if others are healthy either. And even worse than that, they'll viciously attack anyone who works to keep folks healthy. Well, we are a free people. We have a Right to our diseases. And we have a Right to spread them around freely. We are a free people; and as former president George W. Bush once remarked, "They hate our freedoms." Maybe this was what he was referring to. Maybe they hate our freedom to spread disease. Well, cases of COVID-19 are, very predictably, on the rise in the United States. Having fallen briefly below 20,000 new cases per day, we have now, for the first time since April, surpassed 30,000 new cases in four of the last five days. A rise in mortality will very likely follow on the heals of the rise in new infections. ==================
June 16, 2020 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) Corona Virus Appears to be Mutating The COVID-19 virus appears to be mutating and may be becoming more contagious and more virulent. It is moving into war-torn countries on the heels of invading soldiers and foreign bureaucrats. In Afghanistan, confirmed cases increased almost four-fold from 6,664 to 26,310 over the past 30 days. In Yemen, confirmed cases increased almost seven-fold from 128 to 885 in 30 days. These numbers are likely grossly under-reported. Here, in the United States, we remain by far the country with the most COVID-19 cases and our numbers continue to increase at an alarming rate. While daily new cases have been falling over the past two months; with the reopening of business and social life, new cases have leveled off and appear to be set to rise again. ==================
May 26, 2020 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) Coronablog: First the Good News Italy has recommended the Cuban medical brigade, which has been active in Italy helping to fight the COVID epidemic, for the Nobel Peace Prize. Meanwhile, here in the USA, we sanction Cuba and make it difficult for them to buy ventilators and other medical equipment. With the help of Cuba, Italy has brought new infections down from a high of over 6,000 daily to less than 500. Coronablog: Now the Bad News Looks like the “healthcare” industry is making a killing (literally) off the coronavirus: Timothy Regan who went to the emergency room with COVID-19 symptoms was socked with over $3,000 in charges of which has medical insurer, United Healthcare, paid about 1/3, leaving him with a bill of more than $2,000. The “healthcare” industry is making record profits amid the coronavirus pandemic. (In case you are wondering what fuels all these conspiracy theories about COVID-19, you need look no further.) And Gallup finds that 14% of people in the US would not get checked out if they had fever and a dry cough, typical COVID-19 symptoms, due to the cost. Let's do a little seat-of-pants calculation here: Taking 14% of the 1.7 million confirmed cases in the United States (the actual number is thought to be much higher), we get 238 thousand people. And each one infects about 2.5 other people, that's 595 thousand. And of those 595 thousand around 2.5% will die. That's almost 15 thousand people who may have died so that the healthcare industry can make record profits. Question: So, why aren't the CEOs of these corporations being charged with crimes against humanity? Answer: We live in a country that values profit more than human life. That's Capitalism! Of course, that is not the whole story. In our rush to reopen Missouri's economy, how many will have caught COVID-19 over Memorial Day weekend? And how many will they infect? And how many of those will die? I'll let someone else do this calculation. ==================
May 12, 2020 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) Tired of Writing About COVID-19 I'm tired of writing about COVID-19. If you wish, you can get the latest numbers at worldometers.org. (Really love this site! Hope you do too. Their data is basically the same as everybody else's — as reported. However, I find their tables and graphs more up-to-date and easier to read than those on other sites.) It cannot be stressed too much that the numbers therein are only as good as the reported data, which may or may not faithfully represent the situation on the ground. I would, however, be remiss if I didn't recommend to you this article by Belle Chesler, who is a teacher of visual arts in the Beaverton, Oregon public schools. Chesler talks about how inadequate distance learning is as a replacement for the hands-on classroom experience. I sure do miss reading to my classes at Mark Twain. (No, I'm not going to start reading on Zoom.) STOP now and read Chesler's article. ==================
May 5, 2020 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) Global Military Spending Up Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has come out with their 2019 asessment of global military expenditures. The world saw a 3.6% annual increase in military spending to over $1.9 trillion, the largest growth in a decade. As you might have guessed, the United States leads the pack spending a whopping $732 billion on its military in 2019, roughly equivalent to the ten countries with the next highest military expenditures, in order: China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea and Brazil. And the world has topped 3.6 million reported cases of COVID-19. The United States again leads the pack with over 1.2 million cases, slightly more than the six countries with the next highest number of COVID cases, in order: Spain, Italy, United Kingdom, France, Germany and Russia. Lots of overlap in the two lists. I don't think it's coincidence. Nor do I think it coincidence that the country responsible for over 1/3 of the world's military expenditures has been afflicted with almost 1/3 of the world's reported COVID-19 cases. Imagine! if the world had spent that $1.9 trillion on public health infrastructure, instead of the wherewithal to kill each other. Perhaps, there would have been no pandemic at all. But, sadly, it seems that a lot of folks are more interested in fighting each other than staying healthy. Some Scriptural References to Pandemics Here's an amazing hadith (Saying of the Prophet Mohammed, Peace and Blessings be upon him): Today we would say, “shelter in place,” and we would say “pandemic” instead of “plague.” The Prophet knew 1,400 years ago that this was the way to fight a pandemic.“If you hear of a plague in a land, then do not go into it. If it happens in land where you are, then do not go out of it.” And this hadith about plague is even more amazing: One who dies in a pandemic while sheltering in place will receive in the hereafter the reward of one who chooses death, so that others may live.“It is a punishment that Allah sends upon whoever he wills, but Allah has made it a mercy for the believers. Any servant who resides in a land afflicted by plague, remaining patient and hoping for reward from Allah, knowing that nothing will befall him but what Allah has decreed, he will be given the reward of a martyr.” Ancient scripture tells us that pandemic disease is a punishment from God. This chapter from 2 Samuel, often called the “Census of David” is particular pertinent to this discussion. Here are the results of David's census:“But the transgressors changed the word from that which had been given them; so We sent on the transgressors a plague from heaven, for that they infringed (Our command) repeatedly.” King David was apparently only interested in men who could draw sword. His great sin for which God sent a pestilence upon Israel was preparing for War, perhaps even aggressive War against his neighbors.“And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.” And the pestilence ended only after David learned humility and spake unto the LORD saying: Since the European “Enlightenment,” people have stopped believing that pandemic disease is a punishment from God; but today, when modern science finds itself helpless to protect against emerging diseases like HIV/AIDS and COVID-19, I think many are returning to the ancient belief.“Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house. ... And David built there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the Lord was intreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.” Think about this: The best protection available today against COVID-19 was advocated to his followers 1,400 years ago by Prophet Mohammed. ==================
April 28, 2020 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) From Our Readers: Is COVID-19 Primarily a Disease of Wealthy Countries? A reader writes in: My response:“I read the Rolla news this morning and clicked into your article about coronovirus/wealthy countries. I agree with your premise: you'd think poor countries with less access to handwashing facilities and such would be harder hit. On the other hand, wealthy countries with people who travel more are more likely to spread it. Also, all the stats are based on where tests are available, so hard to say how many cases are where. I agree that we don't know a lot. ... I think the correlation you're making is interesting—I've wondered why we aren't seeing more spread in less developed countries.” Many very important points in your response. I've included them along with a few others in the Is COVID-19 Primarily a Disease of Wealthy Countries? article (the article). I reran the correlation using numbers as of 0:00 hours gmt April 28 (7pm cdt April 27). There were 43 countries in the top 50 in both Gross Domestic Product and number of coronavirus cases reported (the same number as at 0:00 hours gmt April 7 although a few of the countries had changed). Including the other 14 countries that are in the top 50 in one but not both categories, this time we get a correlation coefficient of 0.43 as opposed to 0.46 on April 7. However, using only the core 43 countries, we get a correlation coefficient of 0.57 as opposed to the previous 0.50. Statistically speaking, It would seem that little has changed over the past three weeks. The new graph and table have been added to the article. There are many interesting factoids that can be gleaned from this data.. For example: Ten of the 11 countries with the highest GDP are among the 15 countries with the highest reported number of COVID-19 cases. And these ten countries comprise 62% of the worlds GDP and 66% of the world's reported COVID-19 cases. But, putting numbers aside, I think the reason COVID-19 has struck such fear into people in wealthy countries is that they are so used to catastrophes striking those others in poor countries, not us. Now, here's one that seems to strike us more then them. (Doesn't God work in such marvelous ways! Perhaps we will learn humility and the importance of sharing from this, although it doesn't seem to be happening.) It cannot be stressed too much that the numbers herein are only as good as the reported data, which may or may not faithfully represent the situation on the ground. Anybody out there with a statistics background interested in playing with these numbers? I'd welcome an informed opinion. Wherefrom Cometh the COVID? According to the gurus at Johns Hopkins (and many other respected institutions and publications in the United States): Likely? Huhhh? If you don't know where COVID-19 came from, how can you rule out human creation?“TRUE or FALSE? The new coronavirus was deliberately created or released by people. I'm no expert on genetic manipulation; but if I wanted to create a deadly disease and release it, I'd sure try my hardest to mimic natural selection to cover my tracks. Wonder whether these “scientists” thought of that. Actually, mimicking natural selection in Nature has been going on for millennia. It often goes under a name like selective breeding or grafting. However, genetic engineering can speed up this process many fold. Neither you nor I know what goes on in these ultra-secret military and commercial laboratories. And if you think scientists are so hard to fool, remember the Piltdown Man. But here's the kicker: Unlike COVID “myth-buster” articles in the United States, like this one, the World Health Organization does not mention man-made creation as a myth. They have apparently refused to jump on this bandwagon; and maybe this has something to do with why the United States just terminated funding for the World Health Organization. Here are three other reasons why I stand by my previous statement that: “In my opinion it is quite likely that the COVID-19 virus was genetically engineered and released in China in an act of economic or political sabotage.” Keep in mind that all the above evidence is purely circumstantial. Nothing has been proved or disproved. Unlike some “science gurus,” I am not claiming to know what I do not.1. Many of these folks in high places are pure sociopaths. They think nothing of killing millions of people. The term “quite likely” is purposefully vague. How about, “with a probability of 65% or greater?” instead. Note (added May 15): Dr. Michael Ryan, Executive Director of the World Health Organization, said in a recent interview: But that is totally different than saying it is false that “the new coronavirus was deliberately created or released by people.”“We have listened again and again to numerous scientists who have looked at the sequences and looked at this virus; and we are assured that this virus is natural in origin.” This Is Disgusting Seems some folks are worried that China or Russia might steal our research into COVID-19 vaccines. Huhhhh? Why aren't they sharing? To date over 200 thousand people have died with COVID-19 including over 50 thousand in the United States. Apparently, the important thing is the money and prestige that would come from developing the first vaccine — very little concern over how many more people might die in the meantime. Humor? If you are having trouble keeping a sense of humor about all this, try this article. ==================
April 21, 2020 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) November Intelligence: When Did the US First Learn About COVID-19? It was reported first by ABC News and a week later by the Times of Israel that US intelligence became aware of the coronavirus epidemic in China back in November, perhaps as early as the second week of November, at least partially through intercepted Chinese messages. US intelligence reported this to the White House and shared with Israel and NATO. Apparently, nobody did a thing. This doesn't make a lot of sense. It wasn't until December 30 that Doctor Li Wenliang became aware of the existence of 7 cases of a SARS-like infection in Wuhan. But, lets assume the reports are true. It makes authorities in China, the United States, Israel and Europe all look bad — sitting on their duffs while pandemic disease spreads out of control. Now let's assume the report is only partially true. US Intelligence became aware of the spreading epidemic in China in November; but only because they were looking for it. Why? Could it be that they had brought the virus to Wuhan themselves? We could also assume that the whole report is simply “fake news” and ignore it. Take your choice; but as for me, whereas in the past I have stated: I now have to upgrade “there is a significant probability” to “it is quite likely.”“in my opinion there is a significant probability that the COVID-19 virus was genetically engineered and released in China in an act of economic or political sabotage;” If you are part of the “blame it all on China” cabal, read this article from Moon of Alabama. Moon of Alabama opines: COVID-19 Pandemic: The United States and The Countries It Sanctions“China took extreme and drastic measures at high economic costs to prevent a larger outbreak. It did not do that to deceive anyone but because it saw the seriousness of the problem. It acted in the global interest and to defeat the virus. Let's look at how the United States, and countries under US sanctions are fairing amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic:  Perhaps, if the United States were more concerned with the health of its citizens; and less concerned with empire building, war making, pampering the rich and brutalizing the unfortunate, our numbers would look more like the other numbers in the table above. And here are the numbers for a few more selected countries. If I've omitted your favorite, check the worldometers.info site.  Data from worldometers.info as of 0:00hrs gmt April 21 (7pm cdt April 20). Note: All statistics are “as reported.” There is an excellent discussion of this on the worldometers.info website. Nicaragua: How to Avoid Shutting a Country Down While Sweden is often cited as a country that has remained open in spite of the COVID pandemic, Nicaragua is a far better example. There is actually no comparison. (See tables above.) Here's a description of how they are doing it from an Estadounidense who has lived in Nicaragua for over 20 years. And this is how NOT to avoid shutting a country down.“Yesterday I went to a Nicaraguan government office to take care of necessary paperwork. At the door I was politely asked to wash my hands in one of two outdoor sinks with soap. The nice man at the door then checked my temperature with an infrared thermometer and waved me in. Just inside the door was a disinfectant mat, I was asked to wipe my shoes and then my hands were sprayed with alcohol. At the check-in desk I was given a squirt of alcohol gel for my hands and my ID, which I handed over in exchange for a visitor's ID that had also been disinfected. And if you are of the opinion that COVID-19 is no different from the flu, read this article from Science. Ceasefire Everywhere While most countries are onboard with a ceasefire in all conflicts so humanity can unite to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States and Russia apparently think a global ceasefire should not pertain to them. ==================
March 13, 2020 (last updated April 17) Has COVID-19 Caused Changes in Atmospheric CO2? 
The underlying data for the accompanying graph, which were provided to me by NOAA, are daily averages for CO2 in the atmosphere in ppm, as recorded at Mauna Loa. The lines in the graph represent 30 day running averages (leftmost: March 14 – April 12, 2020; rightmost: Dec. 1 – Dec. 30, 2019). 30-day average concentrations, as expected, rose up to mid-February when they unexpectedly started to level off, peaking on Feb. 25 at 414.21 ppm, and then falling to 413.84 ppm on March 13 and rising to 414.57 on April 1 and 415.48 on April 12.
Historically, concentrations or atmospheric CO2 should rise from October through May. So what caused the late February – early March decrease? My best guess is COVID-19. More precisely, the decrease in economic activity in China caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 was first confirmed in late December. Less then 2 months later, atmospheric CO2 peaked and started to decrease. But then, what caused the uptick in atmospheric CO2 after March 13? Again, my best guess is that it is related to the COVID-19 pandemic, this time to the Chinese bringing the pandemic in China under control, and to the concomitant resurgence of industry in China. It should be noted that there are other possible explanations for the February and March changes in atmospheric CO2. For example, the March uptick could have been caused by the atmosphere making up for the February deficit by drawing carbon out of our ocean sinks. However, I think the explanation above by far the most likely. If the conjecture holds that these changes are, to a significant extent, due to COVID-19, it would mean that a decrease in economic activity, particularly in China which is now responsible for more CO2 emissions than any other country, could result in an almost immediate decrease in atmospheric CO2. It should be noted that the pandemic is still raging in North America and Europe. Why is this not affecting atmosphic CO2 concentrations? Again, I would conjecture that the shutdown in North America and Europe is no where near as complete as it was in China. In other words, it is likely that we could begin to reverse global warming immediately, simply by decreasing unnecessary economic activity. It is also noteworthy that Nature simply did what we could have easily done for ourselves in an orderly manner, without the death and disruption caused by COVID-19. This certainly demonstrates the old adage, “Nature Bats Last;” or as Kumi Naidoo put it, “Nature does not negotiate, it responds to our intransigence.” While some toot the decrease in anthropogenic CO2 emissions, on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, it should be noted that this has had little, if any, overall effect on atmospheric CO2. Average atmospheric CO2 concentrations rose 2.36 ppm in February 2020 over February 2019 and 2.53 ppm in March 2020 over March 2019, as compared to a 50+ year average increase of 1.74 ppm per year. In the first 12 days of April 2020, CO2 concentrations rose 3.62 ppm above the equivalent period in 2019. Caveat: Four+ months is less than a blink of an eye in climatological terms. It will be interesting and exciting to see what tomorrow brings. ==================
April 14, 2020 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) The Peace Virus Here inside, all is still. You wouldn't know that outside rages a tiny, but deadly, assassin, a coronavirus, not even a micron in diameter.“And this stillness of life did not in the least resemble a peace. It was the stillness of an implacable force brooding over an inscrutable intention. It looked at you with a vengeful aspect.” Perhaps, COVID-19 ought to be renamed the Peace Virus. We have been calling for an end to the bombing of Yemen for years. COVID-19 has succeeded where we failed. Saudi Arabia has unilaterally called a truce to go home and fight the coronavirus. And in both Syria and Afghanistan, truces seem to be holding and progress continues to limp toward Peace. And in the US Navy, COVID-19 has forced a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to port, and forced the acting Secretary of the Navy to resign. That is no mean feat. I had hopes that the Peace Virus could have helped to reverse global warming, and it yet may. But, in spite of the global disruption and recession, concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide continue to rise; and March 2020 was the second warmest March on record. No, I wouldn't count on the Peace Virus to set everything straight for us. But, Nature has powers that we humans can not even dream of. So all is still. We hunker down indoors, afraid to go outside, and I think of another Joseph Conrad line: “And outside, the silent wilderness ... struck me as something great and invincible, like evil or truth, waiting patiently for the passing away of this fantastic invasion.” ==================
April 7, 2020 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) Is COVID-19 a Disease Primarily of Wealthy Countries? In mid-March, I suggested that COVID-19 seems to be attacking primarily wealthy countries such as the United States and many European countries. I think the case is a lot stronger now than it was three weeks ago when I wrote that. I've written a short article here. New COVID-19 Cases in Iran Fall for Eight Consecutive Days In spite of US sanctions that have severely degraded Iran's health care abilities, Iran appears to have stopped the COVID-19 virus in its tracks. New cases have fallen for eight consecutive days, and the number of active cases is coming down too. On top of this, Iran appears to have prepared for the worst, which may not come. ==================
March 31, 2020 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) Is Satire Obsolete? I was just feeling a little silly that evening, when I photocollaged The Lone Ranger meets the Coronavirus cartoon, Within a few days, as coronavirus cases exploded exponentially around the world, it morphed into dark humor. It wasn't funny any longer.“Sometimes, reality outraces our capacity for satire.” Decades ago, Tom Lehrer was asked if he was going to return to writing political satire. His response, “political satire became obsolete when they awarded Henry Kissinger the Nobel Peace Prize,” was political satire at its best. Recently, I saw an article on CNN that reported that gun and ammunition sales were booming on account of the coronavirus pandemic, which made me think of Lehrer's remark and my cartoon. Think about that: As a nation, our response to any adversity is to arm ourselves, no matter how inappropriate that might be. This, I think, is a big part of the reason that the United States now leads all other nations in COVID-19 cases. I still don't know whether political satire is obsolete; but perhaps Lehrer was right. And here is Tom Paxton singing, Buy a Gun for your Son (1965). Solidarity So many of the threats we face are global threats, and require a global response. Besides Global Warming and Nuclear Warfare, the current pandemic is an obvious example. All people must stand together to successfully oppose these threats. In order to allow all peoples the ability to fight the current COVID-19 pandemic, clearly, all nations should place a hold on warfare and sabotage and, at least temporarily, lift all sanctions and blockades that degrade the ability to fight the pandemic. Unfortunately, the United States is doing exactly the opposite, placing new sanctions on Iran at a time when sanctions should be lifted. Interestingly, Iran which has suffered for years under US sanctions that have degraded their ability to provide the people with adequate healthcare, appears to being doing far better than the United States at containing the pandemic. By the numbers, the US now has more COVID-19 cases, both in absolute numbers and relative to its population than Iran. The US has also experienced a greater mortality than Iran, in absolute numbers although not relative to their populations. However, perhaps most importantly, the United States now has more than six times the number of currently infectious cases than Iran has. Since future cases come from those currently infected, this numeric disparity seems likely to increase. The United States is also ramping up attacks on Venezuela, declaring President Nicholas Maduro a “narcoterrorist,” without a shred of evidence and placing a bounty on his head. So far, Venezuela has kept the pandemic mostly at bay, with currently a mere 135 cases. The closest ally of the United States, Israel, also appears to have done a lackluster job at containing the pandemic. Israel now has 4,695 COVID-19 cases, more than all but 16 other countries. Israel maintains the world's largest open-air prison, Gaza, with 1.8 million Palestinian inmates, half of whom are children. Gaza is ripe for a disastrous epidemic having inadequate clean water and medical facilities due to the long-standing Israeli blockade which clearly should be lifted immediately. By contrast, China and Cuba are going around the world providing aid in combating the pandemic to many countries in need, including Italy, Iran, Jamaica and Venezuela. Note: The above statistics on the COVID-19 pandemic come from worldometers.info and are as of 0:00 hours gmt on March 31 (7:00pm cdt on March 30). Statistics are “as reported” and may or may not truly represent the reality on the ground.Whither To? But maybe there is an upside to all this. I see very little in the news now about War. Perhaps nations are too busy fighting the pandemic to fight each other. And perhaps this pandemic is giving Nature a chance to make a comeback. Purportedly, the waters in Venice, Italy have never been so clear. But this will pass. Eventually humanity will develop herd-immunity to the COVID-19 virus. However, I suspect COVID-19 will prove to be a terminal illness for the Great American Empire. Weakened from without by Perpetual War and Climate Change, hollowed out from within by corruption and inequality, I do not expect the Great American Empire to survive intact. COVID-19 may well be the final nail in its coffin. What will follow? I don't have a crystal ball. All I have are Leonard Cohen's prophetic words: “You're not going to like what comes after America.” ==================
March 24, 2020 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) Corona Blowback Oh boy! What a day. Don't know where to begin; so lets start with the numbers: over 10,000 new COVID-19 cases in the United States yesterday — up from over 9,000 the day before — an 838% increase from a week ago. We're setting new records day after day. No other country has come even close: not China, not Italy, not Iran, none. Among the ten countries with the most COVID-19 cases, United Kingdom is next with a 331% increase over the past week. Worldwide cases have increased 108% over the past week. And in China cases have increased less than 1% over the past week.“I read the news today, oh boy,” On January 28, I wrote: On February 11, I elaborated:“The United States is perhaps particularly vulnerable. We've gutted our public health infrastructure in favor of for-profit health care. When people are afraid to seek medical help because they might end up paying for it for the rest of their lives, how are we to keep contagious disease from spreading?” So why is this happening? Many reasons:“The United States, with it's for-profit health industry, is perhaps the least able of all wealthy countries to respond positively to such an epidemic. How do you fight an epidemic when a large part of the population is too poor to afford to go to a doctor? How do you fight an epidemic when a large part of the population is so afraid, that it would not bring itself to the attention of the authorities anyway? How do you fight an epidemic in a society that has become so used to blaming others for everything that goes wrong, that it has lost its power of introspection?” 1. This can't be happening to us! So, let's go to the beach and party. This is abject stupidity: Californians ignoring a “shelter in place” order and crowding onto the beaches en masse amidst a global pandemic. 2. How can we profit from the coronavirus? Profiteering is rampant. Even the President reportedly tried to buy up exclusive rights to a promising German vaccine that is under development. 3. A total lack of national leadership. We've spent decades getting “big government off our backs”. So it's hardly surprising to find big government missing in action when it is most needed. 4. While the world needs to pull together in face of the COVID-19 pandemic, instead of putting a hold on sanctions which degrade the ability of others to fight the pandemic, the United States is ramping up sanctions on Iran, one of the hardest hit countries. 5. Blame it on the Chinese. Donald Trump insists on calling COVID-19 the “Chinese virus”, sparking racist assaults against East Asians in the United States. This, in spite of that nobody knows where and how COVID-19 came. Last week I quoted Shakespeare on hand-washing. Here's another Shakespeare line describing a similar situation:Note: I stand by my previous statement that, “in my opinion there is a significant probability that the COVID-19 virus was genetically engineered and released in China in an act of economic or political sabotage.” The Chinese have a much older saying:“For ’tis the sport to have the engineer Some other statistics:“To pick up a rock only to drop it on one's own foot.” 1. There appear to have been few cases of internal transmission in China recently. China is ramping up surveillance at airports and border crossings in order to identify travelers with COVID-19 infections. 2. Israel, with a population of around 9 million, has reported almost 1,500 cases of COVID-19. Meanwhile, Palestinian prisoners are held in unsanitary conditions without access to the means to prevent the spread of disease. Israel also holds 1.8 million people, in the world's largest open air prison, Gaza, without adequate medical supplies or clean drinking water. 3. Europe has far more cases than any other continent: around 200,000. 4. Cuba and China are helping Italy and other countries fight the pandemic. Meanwhile, the United States is not even helping itself. Juan Cole has written an excellent article on the US response to COVID-19. 5. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has tracked the rise and fall of the COVID-19 pandemic in China pretty closely. The epidemic spread in China throughout January, peaking in early February and then falling below 100 new cases per day by early March. The 30 day running average of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere peaked on February 25 and fell until March 13 tracking the earlier decrease in economic activity in China caused by the pandemic. After March 13, carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere rose again, this time tracking the resurgence of economic activity in response to China's bringing the pandemic under control. Historically, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations rise from October through May. Maybe now that China has shown the world how to beat the coronavirus, next they will show the world how to beat global warming. It won't be easy; but I believe it can be done. Maybe they could also show the world how to live in Peace. It's never been done before. But, maybe, the time is now. Note 1: Most of the statistics on COVID-19 above come from the tables and graphs at worldometers.info. The worldometers.info day begin at 00 hours universal (Greenwich mean) time which is 7:00pm cdt the previous day. Thus, yesterday refers to 7pm Sunday, March 22 to 7pm Monday, March 23 cdt. Weekly growth rates refer to 7pm Monday, March 16 to 7pm Monday, March 23 cdt. Note 2: By time you read this, many parts of this post are likely to be out-of-date. ==================
March 17, 2020 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) Corona Blowback William Shakespeare on Hand-Washing Gentlewoman In truth, I am tired of writing about the COVID-19 coronavirus; yet, here I go again.Sanctions: an Attack on Public Health Here are three articles on Iran, Venezuela and Cuba and how US sanctions have degraded Public Health in these countries. I suspect Iran, Venezuela and Cuba will continue to do the best they can under the circumstances to inhibit the spread of the Coronavirus. Perhaps, in the long run, better than many far wealthier countries. Iraq is another case. Sanctions of Iraq, 1990-2003, probably killed well over a million, mostly children, of preventable disease. It was known in the halls of government that this was happening, yet it continued for 13 years. China appears to have the COVID-19 coronavirus under control. Over the last 10 days, China has averaged 20 new confirmed cases per day.Kudos for China China claims that if the rest of the world takes appropriate measures, as China has, the pandemic will be over by June. China has objected to the use of the name Wuhan Coronavirus, pointing out that the virus may not have originated in China. I agree. And I apologize for having used that name in the past. And I think the Chinese and some others know exactly how it originated; and I suspect at some point they will go public. If I had anything to do with starting this pandemic, I'd be quaking in my boots right now. Taking a look at the 20 countries with the most confirmed COVID-19 cases. They are, in order:Disease of the Wealthy Countries China, Italy, Iran, Spain, Germany, South Korea, France, United States, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Belgium, Sweden, Japan, Malaysia, Canada, Australia, Portugal. Except Iran and Malaysia, they are all relatively wealthy countries in North America, Europe, Australia and East Asia. One can ascribe various reasons for this, but I can't help thinking: “But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.” —Matthew 19:30 (KJV) This is what really scares me. As I've stated before, I think the world is primed for a really serious epidemic, one which will make COVID-19 look like the common cold. Think, for example, of a respiratory infection like COVID-19, but with all the characteristics of HIV/AIDS. That's scary.What's Next? The world better learn to put aside its differences and learn to work together. ==================
Coronavirus Poem: for children and advanced grownups And Here is a video of me reciting this poem to my grandchildren. Coronavirus cartoon: The Lone Ranger meets the Coronavirus 
Coronavirus Update As expected, on March 5, new cases worldwide surpassed new recoveries for the first time since February 18. The number of contagious cases, which had been decreasing since February 18 are now on the rise again. New cases in China fell to 40 on March 8. Meanwhile new cases outside of China stood at 3,847. Parts of Italy have been placed under partial quarantine. Will this work in Italy the way it has in China? Will the Italians show the dedication and discipline the Chinese have shown? We'll see. There are now over 500 cases in the United States including one in Missouri. 22 have died. Globalization John Feffer notes how fragile our global civilization is and how it is literally disintegrating before our eyes under the scourges of climate change, pestilence and militarism. Feffer recommends a new globalization where the world hegemons, the United States and China, work together against climate change, disease and inequality. This is an important article. Please read it. ==================
March 3, 2020 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update Worldwide, recoveries have exceeded new infections since February 18, mainly due to the work of the Chinese in containing the virus. However, if the trend of the last few days continues, new cases outside China will soon dwarf recoveries in China. To date, the world has seen close to 100,000 cases with over 3,000 deaths. The coronavirus epidemic in China appears under control, probably due to draconian measures taken by the Chinese authorities, including the quarantining of millions of people. New infections in China fell to 202 on March 1, 125 on March 2 and 119 on March 3. In many other locations, new infections are on the rise. Coronavirus cases in the United States reached 124 today. Nine deaths in the United States are attributed to the coronavirus epidemic. Iran has experienced 2,336 cases and 77 deaths, perhaps partially due to US sanctions that have hit the healthcare sector very hard. Previously I have stated that in my opinion there is a significant probability that the COVID-19 virus was genetically engineered and released in China in an act of economic or political sabotage. I stand by this statement. If true, with the coronavirus spreading worldwide, the perpetrators have a lot to answer for. I have also stated previously that I felt that among wealthy countries, the United States, with its for-profit health care system and its corrupt government, is among the least prepared to combat an infectious epidemic. I stand by that statement too. It appears that the Wall Street healthcare moguls are charging folks thousands of dollars just for COVID-19 testing. The cardinal principle of public health is to win the trust of the public. It appears that the cardinal principle of the United States healthcare system is to make as much money as possible off of the public's misfortune. How many will forego testing and spread disease simply to avoid these exorbitant charges? For my part, I've written a short six line poem stressing the tried and true method of inhibiting the spead of respiratory infection: wash hands and cover mouth when coughing. Here's a video of me reciting this poem to my grandchildren. On a lighter note, for all you Lone Ranger fans, here's a cartoon: The Lone Ranger meets the Coronavirus. But lets keep this all in perspective. HIV/AIDS has killed over 32 million and still infects hundreds of thousands each year. Note: Most of the statistics above come from these graphs on worldometers.info. ==================
February 25, 2020 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) From Our Readers: Wuhan Coronavirus A reader sends in this article from the Washington Post dated Feb 2 on the early spread of the Wuhan coronavirus with no further comment. My response: This article highlights a major drawback of top-down authoritarian social systems: They can be slow to react. In the case of the Wuhan coronavirus, precious weeks were lost during which the spread of the virus could have been slowed. However, the article does not mention the strength of China's system: that once the national leadership began to react, it quickly mobilized all the powers of the State to combat the spread of the virus: quarantining millions and building hospitals at break-neck speed. Here are some statistics from a graph posted on Worldometer: New cases appear to have peaked on February 4 shortly after China began to mobilize against the virus.And some final notes: While new cases outside of China have spiked in the last few days, the transmission rate within China appears to have fallen.Like other existential threats, such as climate change, it is imperative that humanity start working together against the common enemy, instead of making War on each other. ==================
February 18, 2020 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) From Our Readers: Wuhan Coronavirus In response to last week's post in which I wrote: A reader writes in:“The United States, with it's for-profit health industry, is perhaps the least able of all wealthy countries to respond positively to such an epidemic. How do you fight an epidemic when a large part of your population is too poor to afford to go to a doctor? How do you fight an epidemic when a large part of your population is so afraid, that it would not bring itself to the attention of the authorities anyway? How do you fight an epidemic in a society that has become so used to blaming others for everything that goes wrong, that it has lost its power of introspection?” My response:“You say that the United States is the least able of the wealthy countries to respond to the epidemic. I have no idea whether you consider China a wealthy country, but it is certainly an economic powerhouse. Because of its secrecy and stonewalling it has certainly proved itself the least able to deal with such a crisis. I suspect that if Trump stays out of the way, our infrastructure will handle it okay. The CDC is very professional, and seems to be dealing with this correctly.” I stand with World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and many others in believing that China has done an admirable job in responding to the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak. Do you think the United States could have quarantined a city the size of Wuhan? Do you think the US could build hospitals as quickly as China has? China has a system of universal health care and a history of top-down social control that permits rapid responses to public health emergencies. We do not. Reading US Commerce Secretary, Wilbur Ross's gloating remarks about the damage the coronavirus will do to the Chinese economy and the possible boost to the US economy, the first thing that popped into my mind was biological warfare and sabotage. Apparently, I was not the only one thinking along these lines. Here is a three part article about US biological warfare and sabotage including attempts to spread plague and other disease among the North Koreans and Chinese during the Korean War. [Hey, Wilbur, You're getting senile. You weren't supposed to say that in public.]Part 1: Biological Weapons: A Useful and Timely Factual Overview This article comes to me by way of Gary Kohls. I highly recommend this three part article on biological warfare, although I would have liked to have seen mentioned: And don't forget that 30 miles down the road from Rolla lies Fort Leonard Wood, home of the U.S. Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear School.1. The use of smallpox as a biological weapon against our Amerindian population. Smallpox could be as much as 95% fatal to a population that lacked immunity. ==================
February 11, 2020 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) Two New Statistical Milestones What do these two statistics have in common? They both demonstrate the inability of “human civilization” to respond positively to global threats.1. Yesterday the daily average concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere at the Mauna Loa observatory surpassed 416 ppm for the first time since record-keeping began. (Just nine months ago the 415 ppm milestone was also surpassed at Mauna Loa.)“I hate statistics. What I got to know, I keep in my head.” —Jay Hanna “Dizzy” Dean We've known for well over 30 years that carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will heat the planet and make it increasingly hostile to “human civilization.” Yet, we seem totally unable to shed the behaviors that drive this crisis: Fighting wars, burning fossil fuels and eating meat (in that order) may be the three most important of these destructive behaviors. “Human civilization” is primed for a global epidemic of gargantuan proportions. The Wuhan coronavirus epidemic may be only a harbinger of what is to come. The United States, with it's for-profit health industry, is perhaps the least able of all wealthy countries to respond positively to such an epidemic. How do you fight an epidemic when a large part of the population is too poor to afford to go to a doctor? How do you fight an epidemic when a large part of the population is so afraid, that it would not bring itself to the attention of the authorities anyway? How do you fight an epidemic in a society that has become so used to blaming others for everything that goes wrong, that it has lost its power of introspection? Here's an interesting article from Science about the World Health Organization and its director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Russia and Cuba are actively helping China to contain the coronavirus epidemic. US Commerce Secretary, Wilbur Ross, gloats over the damage the coronavirus may do to the Chinese economy and the possible boost to the US economy. ==================
February 4, 2020 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) Wuhan Novel Coronavirus The Wuhan novel coronavirus, so far has infected at least 20,000 people, mostly in China and killed over 400, all but two in China. It's first cases appeared in December, 2019. While the world panics and markets fall, it is important to put this novel coronavirus in perspective. Here is a list of epidemics from Wikipedia. Going through the list, the Wuhan coronavirus doesn't appear to distinguish itself. It's kill rate is 2 to 3 percent. Some of those infected early, appears to be healing which is a sign that the epidemic may be peaking. China is now testing the Russian antiviral drug, Triazavirin, on the virus. Compare to the ongoing HIV/AIDS epidemic that has killed over 30 million since its onset in the 1960s and still kills hundreds of thousands annually and infects millions each year. All attempts to develop an HIV vaccine have failed including this most recent one. Both HIV and Wuhan coronavirus are thought to have jumped from other mammals to humans, although we should not rule out that these viruses may have been man-made. ==================
January 28, 2020 (written for Rolla Peace Newsletter) Wuhan Corona Virus: This Could Be A Big One With all the existential threats the human race faces, lets not forget this one: Pestilence. The Wuhan Corona Virus (aka 2019-nCoV,) has so far killed at least 132, spread to over 6,000, and caused China to place at least 60 million people under quarantine. The virus is thought to have jumped to humans from a bat or possibly a snake in a live animal market in Wuhan, although no one is really sure. While it's too early to know how far this epidemic will spread, one thing is certain: humanity is ripe for a major epidemiological catastrophe. There are many reasons: war, poverty, a changing climate and overpopulation are just some that come to mind. The United States is perhaps particularly vulnerable. We've gutted our public health infrastructure in favor of for-profit health care. When people are afraid to seek medical help because they might end up paying for it for the rest of their lives, how are we to keep contagious disease from spreading? So wash your hands often and well, cover your mouth when you cough, and your nose when you sneeze and if you don't know how disease is spread, Tom Lehrer explains it in song in this two minute video. ###
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