COVID Reflections and Looking Forward
Looking back at 2020 it is difficult to choose which topic is more controversial (and annoying) . . . politics or COVID.
Since I try to avoid discussing politics with clients my choice for the first newsletter of 2021 is COVID. The information in this newsletter is curated from reliable sources and includes citations. The summaries are not to be construed as medical advice, but rather are offered because they are different from what you probably have heard in the MSM. Read if you want (including the citations) and decide for yourself if the views are
valid.
This is a VERY long newsletter. I believe you will find a lot of helpful information that is not commonly distributed.
Direct, word for word quotes are italicized. All others are paraphrased for clarity and linked to the citation.
COVID is real and dangerous. Like any enemy, it is not to be taken lightly. But the more you know about your enemy, the less there is to fear.
Testing positive for COVID antibodies does not mean you will get sick. Between 30 and 40% of those who test positive are asymptomatic. If you test positive you COULD have been infected in the last few months but your body fought it off. You should have at least some residual immunity for a period of time.
What is the Fatality Rate?
Much depends on your overall health and age.
The majority of COVID deaths occur with those 85 and older, especially if confined to a nursing home. This is followed closely by folks age 75 to 84, then ages 65 to 74. Almost 80% of COVID deaths are people age 65 and older.
About half of patients diagnosed with COVID have one or more comorbidities. Over 80% of COVID fatalities had one or more comorbidities.
We can’t stop aging but we can do things to improve our overall health.
Regarding the fatality rate, it appears that the risk of death with the pandemic coronavirus infection (commonly estimated at about 1%) is far less than it was for SARS (approximately 11%) and MERS (about 35%), but will likely be higher than the
risk from seasonal flu (which averages about 0.1%).
In other words, those who contract COVID have a 99% chance of surviving.
Starting off with the “easy” stuff and one that should address many of your questions about Medicare and COVID.
The 12 minute video addresses symptoms, side-effects, treatment, etc. I also mention asymptomatic transmission as a possibility. Since recording this video there are other sources that indicate asymptomatic transmission MAY be higher than originally thought.
Data on asymptomatic transmission is thin for obvious reasons. If you are exposed to a person who is not “obviously sick”, not showing symptoms, how would you know if you contracted the disease from them or not?
Click on the description below the video for more details and citations.
As I began to question news articles and government recommendations I started looking around for views and opinions that are different from the MSM. The Flatten the Fear site has been promoted on conservative talk radio stations and takes a POSITIVE view of this disease.
This site and others I will reference in the newsletter follow the thought process that, the more you know the better you will be in making decisions.
There are many good articles on the site but the summary linked below is like a “Readers Digest” version and is updated on a regular basis.
https://flattenthefear.com/news-article/covid-19-facts-that-flatten-the-fear/
Here is a sample from that link.
- The CDC estimates the Covid-19 fatality rate to be just 0.26 percent.
- For those outside of nursing homes, the infection fatality rate is estimated to be just 0.13 percent.
- Two percent of counties in the country account for over 40 percent all Covid-19 deaths nationally.
- Ten percent of counties account for more than two-thirds of all deaths.
One thing I have learned is this. The longer this beast hangs around the more we know about it as well as what works and what doesn’t. And there is less to fear.
Strap yourself in. The road ahead may be bumpy.
The articles that follow address the effectiveness of gloves, masks, social distancing and the big one that drives all of us crazy . . . “house arrest” otherwise known as lockdown.
As time goes on my personal feelings have changed. Perhaps yours have as well. I will also share what I do to “feel safe” merely as information, not a suggestion for you to follow.
I am in good health. No maintenance med’s. No tobacco. Not obese. The only designated “risk group” is being 70 years old.
Daily temperature and O2 checks in the AM. Supplements are Vitamin C, D, multivitamin and zinc.
I still limit my time in public but I don’t feel like I need a hazmat suit to venture outdoors. I no longer wear gloves because they should be disposed of immediately after each use. Gloves are non-porous and can easily transmit the virus from one substance to another. The virus generally enters the body by way of the nose and mouth, not through your skin.
Gloves cannot be sterilized.
No gloves, but I use sanitizer immediately upon getting in the car and before I touch anything. When I get home and empty my shopping items I immediately wash my hands.
No restaurants (so far) except for carry out. No airplane trips yet, none planned. I do go to Publix and Costco (senior hours only) as needed. Made a few trips to Lowes and the bank ATM. Beyond that you will probably find me at home.
Rachel had cataract surgery in September and October which involved (very expensive) trips to the doctor and outpatient surgery.
My comfort level and preparation may not be yours.
There are two things that drive me nuts about this situation.
The government telling me where I can and can’t go, and the masks. Most of the rules and guidelines are illogical to me but I am compliant.
I wear a mask even though I do not believe them to be effective.
Fortunately Georgia has been more open minded and has allowed most businesses to remain open. Gyms, restaurants and churches have been among the hardest hit. Some have closed and will never re-open.
The economic impact and collateral damage from this virus exceeds the damage done by the disease.
Home is Where the Virus is
This is Dr. Mike Ryan (WHO) with an observation on where COVID transmission is most likely to occur.
The most likely person to become a case is someone who's been a significant contact of another case and at the moment in most parts of the world due to lock-down most of the transmission that's actually
happening in many countries now is happening in the household at family level. (Page 14)
Why is COVID on the Rise in Quebec?
Information compiled by Quebec's Health Ministry suggests that between June 28 and July 4 fewer than five per cent of new cases in the province could be traced to a bar
On the other hand, around 35 per cent were due to family contacts; 15 per cent were health care workers; 10 per cent were residents of long-term care home or inmates; another 10 per cent were
traced to workplaces and various other sources. The source of the remaining 25 per cent was undetermined.
Conclusion - sharing indoor space is a major SARS-CoV-2 infection risk.
Dead Woman Contracts COVID
True story.
A Shelby County man questions what is going on at the Shelby County Health Department.
His mother died six months ago, but the health department just sent her a letter saying she is COVID-19 positive.
Why am I skeptical?
The narrative keeps changing. Not just over time, but depending on the audience.
Everyone Dies of COVID - Even if They Were Never Diagnosed
In July, the CDC has officially directed physicians to put COVID-19 on death certificates even without any confirming test so long as they’ve “assumed” the deceased had it. No reason for the “assumption” is even required.
In fact, doctors don’t even need to “assume” the deceased wouldn’t have died but for contracting the virus. Assuming it was merely a contributing factor is sufficient to mean not only that they can but that they should cite it.
Masks Are Effective Against COVID
Masks Are Not Effective Against COVID
This one drives me nuts.
Some restaurants are open for dine-in service. But you must wear a mask.
Except when you are taking a bite.
Except when you take a drink.
But if you wear a mask the rest of the time you won’t get COVID.
Protected Against COVID if no More Than 120 Miles From Home
Now California has added a new one. You can’t travel more than 120 miles from home.
Apparently you won’t get sick within 120 miles of home but travel further and you will get COVID.
Masks Don’t Work - Stop Buying Them
STOP BUYING MASKS!
They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus, but if healthcare providers can't get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk!
https://t.co/UxZRwxxKL9
— U.S. Surgeon General (@Surgeon_General) February 29, 2020
We have been told for 9 months that masks prevent the spread of COVID, yet we have more hospitalizations and deaths per capita than before.
If masks work, how can this be happening? And shouldn’t those who don’t wear masks, or did not wear them properly, be dead by now?
Are Some Masks Better Than Others?
Yes.
The N-95 mask used by medical personnel are one of the better masks but only if worn properly with no gaps
When worn properly, N95 masks are suffocating, uncomfortable, and difficult to tolerate for long durations. Best practices for N95 use require intermittent, individualized fit testing and a seal check on donning. Mask
fit varies by facial shape and body habitus, and thus, once fit tested, ensuring fidelity to the same manufacturer and size is essential. Filtration efficiency of an N95 mask can also be compromised by even small amounts of facial hair in the area of the seal.
Use of surgical masks will not provide respiratory protection against airborne virus particles expelled by humans during talking, coughing, breathing or sneezing.
Cloth masks provide even less protection.
What is More Effective Than Masks?
Information below is extracted word for word from an interview with Dr. Michael Osterholm.
And cloth face coverings only help if used properly. His recent review of media photography indicates that in 25% of images, masks are not worn properly, leaving the nose uncovered, creating gaps where the virus can exist and enter.
“It’s like fixing three of your five screen doors on your submarine,” he said.
“Distancing, distancing, distancing is really the only focus we have,” he said. Masks are also still a valuable tool in protecting individuals from infection, but the value of masks vary. “An N95
mask, a surgical mask and a cloth face covering are not all the same in the protection they provide.”
Despite restaurants being linked to numerous COVID-19 cases, the CEO of a popular Georgia-based breakfast chain says its more than 2,100 locations have been devoid of any links to cases of the virus.
Walter Ehmer, CEO of Waffle House, spoke with Fox News’ “America’s News HQ” over the weekend about the restaurant chain’s exceptional record of zero COVID-19 cases being linked to its
restaurants.
So there you have it.
My next newsletter should not be as lengthy but I will look in more depth at who is likely to contract COVID as well as updating information on COVID vaccines.
Feel free to forward this newsletter to friends.
I have much more information and will share if you are interested. A lot of what I have learned comes from 3 easy to read books on Amazon. The Unreported Truths About COVID-19 by Alex Berenson.
Each book is a 15 minute read or less.
As they used to say in the news business, “We report, you decide”.
Stay well!
Bob
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