Polder Dweller
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Biden Mask Up
The definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over again and expect different results
— attributed to EinsteinDr. Fauci Warns Parents About Children Playing Together Without Masks
This is the kind of thing that made me write my comment about Fauci (his name sounds a bit like ‘mistake’ in Dutch) yesterday. At least it seems that Trump reads TAE and decided to act on my suggestion.
There’s one thing puzzles me and that is Dr Fauci. I mean, anyone who knows me would tell you that I am not a man of violence, but if there’s one person who’s really begging for a punch in the mouth, it’s surely him.
I don’t know how Americans can resist.
Cargo Ship Blocking The Suez Is Partially Floated – Suez Canal Authority
You may appreciate seeing how the Ever Given got stuck. Ever Given AIS track.
I’m not arguing the research on ivermectin, it’s all very convincing to me. However, if you look at the officially sanctioned studies pointed to by EMA, then you see that they only ever look at ivermectin in isolation, never in combination with vitamins C and D plus zinc, so no wonder they don’t see it’s worth. It’s almost like they don’t want it to work…
The thing is that in terms of medical treatments, Holland has a very different mindset compared to the USA, UK and most other countries. Here it’s always all about saving money so if medicine X is cheaper than medicine Y, even though Y is the big name brand, then your doctor will prescribe you X, but if the doctor can get away with it, he/she will prescribe you nothing. That happens a lot in this country and on balance I think it is a good thing.
When it comes to Ivermectin, though, Holland has to follow what the rest of the EU is doing. I’m pretty certain that if it wasn’t for the EMA then we would embrace ivermectin.
I just found this from the EMA Advice Against Use of Ivermectin for Treating Covid-19
High Fine For Doctors Who Incorrectly Prescribe HCQ Or Ivermectin (MC)
I haven’t seen any official explanation for why they are so anti HCQ and Ivermectin, have you?
Also in Holland: GPs will now be fined for prescribing HCQ or ivermectin. As infection numbers are soaring back up to where they were early January.
Frankly, it’s bizarre because if you read the Nature article referred to in the text, it finishes with this:
Ending transmission of the virus is one way to return to normal. But another could be preventing severe disease and death, says Stefan Flasche, a vaccine epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Given what is known about COVID-19 so far, “reaching herd immunity through vaccines alone is going to be rather unlikely”, he says. It’s time for more realistic expectations.
In other words, we need cures like ivermectin, dexamethasone, HCQ and anything else that will help, but as Dr D would say, let’s not do science.
It’s not fully impossible that they got what they wanted
So you think it’s all some kind of cunning plan, do you? Would you care to explain? I’m not so good at this 5D chess stuff.
“Immune escape” seems to be the new scary phrase across the internet.
Virologist and epidemiologist Geert Vanden Bossche published this open letter a couple of days ago explaining that the global vaccination campaign, lockdowns and other measures are working together to produce increasingly dangerous strains of the coronavirus which are likely to devastate the population if nothing is done about this now.
The problem is on the one hand that the current vaccines do not stop people from shedding viral material, infecting others and giving the virus the perfect opportunity to get around the body’s immune system. On the other hand, keeping people locked away in their homes is weakening their natural defenses through lack of exercise, sunlight etc, but also by preventing them from being exposed to pathogens that they can easily handle (such as the common cold) which keeps their immune systems from being in optimal form.
The pandemic is being exacerbated by the very measures put in place to cope with it.
Another common medication to help in the fight against Covid. This one is apparently endorsed by big pharma in the form of AstraZeneca, presumably because they can make money from it.
Yesterday’s Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant had an eye-catching headline saying that the much ballyhooed wonder substance ivermectin doesn’t work against Covid-19, (In Dutch, behind paywall). It said that there was a positive effect, but that it wasn’t statistically significant. The article was based on another article in the journal JAMA:
Effect of Ivermectin on Time to Resolution of Symptoms Among Adults With Mild COVID-19
A Randomized Clinical TrialQuestion What is the effect of ivermectin on duration of symptoms in adults with mild COVID-19?
Findings In this randomized clinical trial that included 476 patients, the duration of symptoms was not significantly different for patients who received a 5-day course of ivermectin compared with placebo (median time to resolution of symptoms, 10 vs 12 days; hazard ratio for resolution of symptoms, 1.07).
Meaning The findings do not support the use of ivermectin for treatment of mild COVID-19, although larger trials may be needed to understand effects on other clinically relevant outcomes.
Abstract
Importance Ivermectin is widely prescribed as a potential treatment for COVID-19 despite uncertainty about its clinical benefit.Objective To determine whether ivermectin is an efficacious treatment for mild COVID-19.
Design, Setting, and Participants Double-blind, randomized trial conducted at a single site in Cali, Colombia. Potential study participants were identified by simple random sampling from the state’s health department electronic database of patients with symptomatic, laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 during the study period. A total of 476 adult patients with mild disease and symptoms for 7 days or fewer (at home or hospitalized) were enrolled between July 15 and November 30, 2020, and followed up through December 21, 2020.
Intervention Patients were randomized to receive ivermectin, 300 μg/kg of body weight per day for 5 days (n = 200) or placebo (n = 200).
Main Outcomes and Measures Primary outcome was time to resolution of symptoms within a 21-day follow-up period. Solicited adverse events and serious adverse events were also collected.
Results Among 400 patients who were randomized in the primary analysis population (median age, 37 years [interquartile range {IQR}, 29-48]; 231 women [58%]), 398 (99.5%) completed the trial. The median time to resolution of symptoms was 10 days (IQR, 9-13) in the ivermectin group compared with 12 days (IQR, 9-13) in the placebo group (hazard ratio for resolution of symptoms, 1.07 [95% CI, 0.87 to 1.32]; P = .53 by log-rank test). By day 21, 82% in the ivermectin group and 79% in the placebo group had resolved symptoms. The most common solicited adverse event was headache, reported by 104 patients (52%) given ivermectin and 111 (56%) who received placebo. The most common serious adverse event was multiorgan failure, occurring in 4 patients (2 in each group).
Conclusion and Relevance Among adults with mild COVID-19, a 5-day course of ivermectin, compared with placebo, did not significantly improve the time to resolution of symptoms. The findings do not support the use of ivermectin for treatment of mild COVID-19, although larger trials may be needed to understand the effects of ivermectin on other clinically relevant outcomes.
The dosage used was higher than suggested by John Day – a 90kg (200 lb) person would be given 27mg per day for five days, compared to 18mg on days 1, 2, 4, 6 following JD’s regime. However, there was no vitamin D, zinc, doxycycline or anything else given, just ivermectin. What got me though, was that they gave it to people with mild covid whereas with HCQ they gave it to people who were on death’s door. So, it suggests to me that it was just a study to “prove” that ivermectin is ineffective.
No links because they won’t post.
Odyssey Banned for Violence, Sexism; Is this the End of World Classics?
When will they ban (or burn) Fahrenheit 451?
Putin, Crusaders, & Barbarians
This article is like a short version of Gary Lachman’s book Holy Russia. There are important differences, though. Lachman’s book is interesting – if quite chaotic – and enthusiastic about Russian history, until the final chapter when he shifts gear to dump on Putin, whom he seems to hate with a passion. The end of the book (spoiler alert) has Putin, due to his understanding of Russian history and his religious convictions, happily working towards a total nuclear apocalypse.
Escobar IMHO has a much more reasonable view of things. My only complaint is that he seems to skip a paragraph or two before his concluding statement, which comes across as a non sequitur.
Here’s the document: link.
Strange, I already uploaded this once but it’s since disappeared. Anyway, this seems to be the official take on the use of antivirals to treat Covid. Full document can be found here.
Ivermectin : In vitro inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 replication in Vero/hSLAM cells9 28 has been reported with ivermectin (IVM), but at concentrations 50- to 100 times higher than those clinically attainable in human patients (150-400 μg/kg). In vitro high doses should not however be compared as such with plasma concentrations, as the distribution volume of ivermectin is very high. Preprint results from a study in the hamster model (Pasteur Institute) indicate that IVM is associated with less severe disease related to decreased production of pro inflammatory cytokines and increased levels of IL-10.
Preliminary evidence
based on compilation of observational studies suggested survival benefit in ivermectin recipients remaining significant after adjustments (OR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.09-0.80; P< 0.03) [84]. Until now, only 3 small double-blind randomized controlled trials (DB-RCT) studying clinical recovery and/or survival have been published in peer-reviewed journals. All three trials excluded severe and critical COVID-19 patients and used a single standard dose of 200 μg/kg of ivermectin. Two were performed in Bangladesh on a total of 134 patients and failed to demonstrate any differences in resolution of symptoms or in mortality between the ivermectin- and placebo-treatment groups [85,86]. A third very small DB-RCT on 24 patients in Spain also failed to demonstrate any beneficial effect of ivermectin on viral clearance or resolution of symptoms and/or severity of disease [87]. A recent pre-print/not-peer reviewed preliminary meta-analysis of 18 RCTs on 2282 patients got a lot of publicity and suggested a 75% improvement in survival, faster time to clinical recovery and signs of a dose-dependent effect of viral clearance for patients given ivermectin versus “control treatment” [88]. However, many of these RCTs show several methodological issues such as small sample size, lack of blinding and unclear, various drugs in the control arms, different clinical scenarios (as prophylaxis, early outpatient administration and later treatment in admitted patients) and/or incomplete data on outcomes. Therefore, the quality of the evidence does not seem to offer a sufficient robust base to justify the use or approval of ivermectin. The committee withholds recommendations in favor of the clinical use of ivermectin in COVID-19 patients until more robust data from much larger ongoing DB-RCTs become available.Meanwhile in Galicia province in NW Spain there is no obligation to get vaccinated, but if you refuse it you can be fined between €1,000 and €60,000 (!)
In Spain, Galicia is going to punish those who refuse the vaccine against Covid-19 (In French).
Nah, not going to happen. Pfizer wouldn’t allow that, and neither would Fauci.
I agree. What’s got me is how so few doctors want to step out of line and promote this stuff (John Day notwithstanding). I have a doctor friend in England who seems particularly proud to sing from the official song sheet. He thinks Whitty and Fauci have got it right and are doing a great job. He even flip-flops right along with them and doesn’t see the problem with that.
I’ve tried probing him on vitamin D, HCQ and now Ivermectin, but he’s having none of it, it’s all nonsense. He says it’s good to take D supplements but that it’s not going to make that much difference. He gets annoyed that people just want to take a pill and then get on with living their lives without changing a thing. The vaccine is the answer, he says, because it boosts the immune system whereas Ivermectin doesn’t.
He thinks people who refuse the vaccine are antisocial and should be pressured or even forced to have it. Beyond that his solution to the crisis is for people to adopt a healthy lifestyle and diet. Health passports, face masks, social distancing and lockdowns whenever necessary forever.
If I understand him correctly, he’s far from alone in this. Go figure.
Even the Daily Mail is getting on the Ivermectin bandwagon, will something change now?
Drug used to treat lice and scabies drug could cut Covid deaths by up to 75%
So now I’m officially confused.
My understanding was that a vaccine works by giving you a version of the disease your immune system can handle and then it learns from that how to handle the bad version e.g. cowpox => smallpox.
According to Dr Martin the mRNA vaccines get your cells to produce toxins like the ones you would get from Covid and then your body or immune system learns how to handle the toxins, so that you can also handle the virus if you catch it, but your immune system doesn’t actually knock out the virus. Am I missing something here?
At what point do your cells say enough is enough and stop producing the toxins?
I’m lost.
In Holland it’s no better, the RIVM (state institute for public health and the environment) advises those who test positive and develop a fever to take paracetamol or aspirin. That’s it, nothing about vitamins, minerals, anti-virals or anything else. It continues by saying that if you do end up going to hospital then you may be treated with one of two medicines that are known to have an effect: dexamethasone (a corticosteroid which works as an immunosuppressant) or remdesevir (an antiviral).
Yep, like you said, wilful medical mispractice.
The link – didn’t show in above post.
You can find all the guidance given to UK doctors about vitamin D etc. on this site:
The long and the short of it is “Yeah, there is an effect for those who are vitamin D deficient but it’s no biggie and, you know, it doesn’t cure covid, plus in high doses it’s toxic, so be careful when prescribing it.”
More nose sprays
An anti-covid nose spray for ferrets
Translated:
A nasal spray containing a newly developed antiviral protects ferrets against infection with the corona virus for 24 hours. Scientists from Erasmus MC in Science, among others, write this. They are now preparing studies in humans.This is a small study with a handful of ferrets. “So we are not talking about a drug that will be on the market next week”, emphasizes virologist Rory de Vries of Erasmus MC. “We are in the early development phase and now want to investigate whether this also works in humans.”
Deliberately infect
The researchers first deliberately infected three ferrets with the corona virus. All three were put in their own cage. Six ferrets were then given the nasal spray with the antiviral agent and six other ferrets were given a placebo nasal spray. The twelve ferrets were distributed in the cages and spent 24 hours with their infected congeners.
Afterwards, it was found that the ferrets who received the placebo nasal spray all developed a corona infection. The ferrets that received the antiviral were not infected. Three weeks later it was also found that the placebo ferrets had produced antibodies against the virus and the ferrets that had received the antiviral drug had not.
Invade cells
The agent works by preventing the coronavirus from entering cells. In order to get into the cell, the virus must first attach to the cell with its so-called spike protein. Then the spike protein has to change shape so that the virus and the cell fuse together.
Precisely before that last step, the antiviral means a stop. “To change shape, two pieces of the spike protein have to zip together, as it were,” says virologist De Vries. “Our agent blocks one of the two pieces of zipper, so that it no longer works and the virus does not enter the cell.”
Step to the human
“This is interesting research,” says medical virologist Mariet Feltkamp of the LUMC. “It really prevents ferrets from getting infected. I would certainly invest in further research if I had the opportunity.”
Still, Feltkamp keeps a blow to the arm. “Ferrets are not people. So the first question is whether this also works in humans. If so, does it have side effects? I am also curious how often you can use such a drug. Imagine you are on the train every day and are a little scared, can you use a nasal spray like that every day? And will it become a spray, or maybe a puff will work better? ”
Immunologist Dimitri Diavatopoulos from Radboudumc is also enthusiastic. “This has a lot of potential. If the drug also works in humans, it can help to prevent infections until there are enough vaccines. The advantage is also that it is accessible and easy to use.”
Some answers to my own questions:
British health minister, Matt Hancock says that vitamin D has no effect: DM
France Soir: Ivermectin is a victim of dishonest attacks
From Google Translate: Opinion piece by Dr Gérard Maudrux, after having been President of the Autonomous Retirement Fund for Physicians of France (CARMF) for 18 years, this urologist continues to speak on his blog in Le Quotidien du médecins. Doctor hired because he supported the request for temporary settlement of use for Ivermectin before the state council with the assistance of Mr. Teissedre. He now finds himself summoned to the Order Council to explain himself on his blog. In his debriefing, he explained to us that the doctors were afraid, that they were silent. With his agreement, we are reproducing this forum which better reflects his commitment and freedom of expression.The latest attacks on Ivermectin dramatically demonstrate the financial stakes behind the early, outpatient treatment of Covid, and the way the French are being manipulated.
What’s really going on with the lack of promotion of vitamin D by governments? Is it to keep the panic going? Is it because it’s too cheap and effective so no one will go for the vaccines? Or is it because it usefully (in a Malthusian sense) kills off the elderly, sick, obese and dark-skinned people?
Perhaps it’s all three, but at some point in the future, the fact that more was not done by our governments to promote vitamin D and to protect the elderly, sick, obese and dark-skinned people should and must be used against them.
Phoenixvoice,
That’s interesting about Maricopa county. I followed the reported cases for Italy, Spain, France, UK, Germany, Belgium and Holland, and every single one showed an increase in the number of cases when the mask mandates came in.
COVID numbers in the UK and US crashed at the exact same moment. How is that possible?
On the Dutch news last night they were waxing effusive about how the case and death numbers were dropping away spectacularly thanks to the massive immunization programme. So I looked up Israel on Worldometers to see this for myself and found that the signal, if there even is one, is very much lost in the noise. They’re certainly doing no better than many countries like USA, UK, NL or (dare I say it?) Sweden.
@John Day
Thanks for the reply, it’s very encouraging.
I’ll pass your info on to the medical professionals I know, but I’ll take an umbrella in anticipation of the inevitable sputum-flecked response I will be sure to receive. There’s just no pleasing some people.
Thanks for this Dr Day (and Ilargi for putting it up).
The only question I have specifically for you is: how effective have you found your protocol to be?
A general question for those of us who live in Europe is why there’s no promotion of alternatives to vaccines at all? If I even mention this kind of thing to friends and colleagues then they roll their eyes, call me a “wappie” (a Dutch colloquial term for a conspiracy theorist) and the conversation is shut down.
@Mr House
Yes, that is how I see it, and thanks for the link.
What there is to be done about it, that’s the million dollar question. The Time article is like you going up to a guy in a bar and saying “Hey, you damaged my car,” and he stands up, six foot four, and says “So I did, watcha gonna do about it?”
So I’m thinking that the straightforward approach isn’t going to work and a different way is going to be needed. To borrow a military term, something asymmetric, but I don’t profess to know what that might be at the moment. I’m thinking, though.
I thought you would cover this Time article about “fortifying” the election, which reads to me as an admission of rigging. Perhaps it’s all old news to you.
This RT op-ed about it is also worthwhile IMHO.
@ Doc Robinson
Thanks for the reply. That Trump made a deal seems plausible, especially if it became obvious to him that he could get nowhere in the courts. Still it begs the question of what power and what leverage was used to dismiss all these cases so easily. It’s hard to comprehend.
Would somebody be kind enough to explain to me how none of Trump’s election fraud suits ever got heard in court? I understand that one minor one was heard (and was successful?) but that all the others got thrown out due to protocol errors. How could that be possible with high-flying lawyers like Powell? Was it all just garbage that they submitted?
District Judge Vanessa Baraitser has rejected #Assange’s bail application and has decided he will remain as a remand prisoner until the conclusion of the appeal proceedings.
I’m mortified.
In theory at least, in specific circumstances (e.g. where the impartiality of a judge is claimed), a case can be referred to the highest court in the land, namely the House of Lords. That might be a way forward although I’ve no idea how that’s done and maybe it doesn’t apply to an Australian citizen.
I didn’t make any excuses for Trump. Seems you read me wrong.
