Hydroxychloroquine hit job

Hot on the heels of the recent press conferences held by ‘America’s Frontline Doctors’ to reaffirm the effectiveness of hydroxycholoroquine (HCQ) and zinc as an early treatment for covid, comes a hard-hitting piece from the Children’s Health Defense team asking why a ‘contract’ has been put out to discredit a treatment that works for patients in the early stages of the disease. As far back as 2005 chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine have been investigated as treatments for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The drug received intense scrutiny early on in the pandemic with President Trump declaring he was taking it as a preventative measure. As a result of concerted attacks based on extremely poor science, that was later retracted, the World Health Organization (WHO) and various governments around the world have withdrawn advice to use HCQ as a therapeutic for covid-19 patients. Why? Possibly because it’s off patent and very very cheap. According to Dr Ian Lipkin, it’s not a “…sexy and new and patentable” treatment that can fill Big Pharma’s coffers. Such is the depth of feeling amongst doctors who have been, and still are, using HCQ to successfully treat (and street!) covid patients without the need for ventilators or the ICU, doctors at the Henry Ford Health System have published an open letter to express their deep sadness at the politicisation of the debate. Instead of saving lives, the flagrant abuse of scientific studies and widespread use of the mainstream and social media to defame a potentially life-saving treatment has left thousands of ordinary citizens to die, as well as decimated economies and lives around the world.

Using PCR tests to detect covid infection scientifically unsound

A recent op-ed published by Off Guardian questions the veracity of PCR tests and the conventional claims that they can identify the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus deemed responsible for covid-19 infections. Off Guardian state that having questioned the authors of scientific papers claiming to have isolated the virus, not one was able to say for certain that they had ever actually achieved this. Meaning that there may be no scientific certainty - or consensus - that the RNA sequence that PCR tests are used to detect, is actually that of SARS-CoV-2. Whilst scientifically controversial, it’s worth noting that to date no experiments have satisfied all four Koch’s postulates, which is held up as the gold standard for demonstrating a causal relationship between a microbe and a disease. The article also damningly reveals that virologists at Charité Berlin assumed the RNA they found was viral. Yet, there is no gold standard as yet with which to assess the tests against. In short, it would appear that there is no evidence that PCR tests can measure viral load, bringing their use into serious doubt. In fact, the scientist who developed the PCR method, and won the Nobel prize for doing so, Dr Kary Mullis, stated that the method was unsuitable for diagnosing viral and bacterial infections. Leaving the question as to whether or not the draconian measures brought in by governments around the world are, in actuality, justified.

Statins don’t reduce risk of dying from heart disease

A new meta-analysis published in BMJ Evidence Based Medicine calls into question the validity of continuing to prescribe statins to lower cholesterol levels, flying in the face of accepted medical paradigms. Analysing 35 studies, the researchers found that using statins to lower levels of LDL cholesterol has no consistent benefit in reducing the risk of dying from heart disease. They argue that the validity of continuing to target LDL cholesterol should be questioned and that if anything, focusing on cholesterol levels fails to identify many who are at risk of dying from heart disease, while low risk individuals who don’t need treatment are included. Unsurprisingly, the use of statins has been defended by many cardiologists, despite evidence of serious risks to patients’ health from the long-term use of statins, particularly in those at low risk of developing heart disease.

Forbes issues strong call to stop own research and accept ‘expert’ view

A frankly tyrannical article in Forbes aims to shut down critical thinking and discussion and debate around science. We are told that we shouldn’t engage in our own research, even if we are a scientist by profession, because we lack the “…relevant scientific expertise to critique the science” and are likely to reach the “wrong conclusions”. We should instead rely on ‘the experts’ in a particular field to tell us what we need to know and believe. The authors choose particularly contentious areas for the mainstream that include the fluoridation of water, vaccinations and covid-19 to illustrate their point. As the authors point out, “…if you go by the evidence and by the data you’re speaking the truth”. It all depends what evidence and data you’re considering and which lens you’re looking through at the time.

Calls for return to agroecological systems in Africa

A new white paper from Tufts University Global Development and Environment Institute has found the billions of dollars spent to promote and subsidise the use of agrichemicals and commercial seeds for small-scale farmers have had little or no effect. Founded and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) has produced very little progress. African and German non-profits are now calling for a shift to support agroecological farming practices to ensure sustainability of food supplies and promote rapidly diminishing biodiversity in food production systems.

News In-Brief

UK lockdown challenge appeal to be heard

A challenge to the UK Government’s lockdown in response to the covid pandemic has been granted leave to be heard by the Appeal Court, after it was initially turned down. The Judge “…acknowledged that these were the most serious impositions on freedoms”. The case is expected to be heard w/c 28^th September 2020.

UK Health Secretary tells GPs to use ‘Zoom medicine’

In the wake of the pandemic, UK GPs have been told they should solely rely on the use of phone or video consultations to see patients unless there is a clinical reason to see them in person. UK Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, has said there needs to be a shift towards more ”Zoom medicine”, which, in our view, signals complete erosion of hands-on, personalised medicine as well as the long-established doctor/patient relationship that is so important in proper healthcare.

Coca-Cola’s dirty dealings exposed

A new analysis published in Public Health Nutrition uncovers the true extent of Coca-Cola’s efforts to downplay the effect of sugar on obesity by financing non-profit group The Global Energy Balance Network (GEBN) as its mouthpiece. Nor is this the first time Coca-Cola’s dirty dealings have been exposed.

Healthy Does It

A new initiative called Healthy Does It has been launched by the Health Food Manufacturers Association (HFMA) to promote natural health options and local health stores. The collaboration is supported by many in the natural health sector along with leading natural practitioners and research scientists to promote a more natural way of living and help people to manage their health – naturally.

White House to crack down on increased online censorship

Following Twitter’s deletion of yet another of President Trump’s Tweets, along with the temporary banning of his eldest son from the platform, the Whitehouse has announced a crackdown on online censorship. Whether it has any teeth or effect remains to be seen.

Antidepressant use increasing in children

A new study has revealed the shocking increase in use of antidepressants (ADs) for children aged 12-17 years over the past three years in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Prescribing such potent drugs at such a young age without addressing the root cause of the emotional problems risks their future health.