Posted on 11/19/2021 9:48:06 AM PST by artichokegrower
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — At a busy market in a poor township outside Harare this week, Nyasha Ndou kept his mask in his pocket, as hundreds of other people, mostly unmasked, jostled to buy and sell fruit and vegetables displayed on wooden tables and plastic sheets. As in much of Zimbabwe, here the coronavirus is quickly being relegated to the past, as political rallies, concerts and home gatherings have returned.
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
This discussion is turning interesting, but, you’re right, this is a bad place to advance knowledge about COVID.
Yes, I think you are right about the sun exposure. Plus, it does seem Covid outbreaks are the worst in areas where people are staying indoors with HVAC running (very cold or very hot in developed countries), so I wonder whether buildings with central HVAC play a part as well (stores, restaurants, office and apartment buildings, etc.).
I see we had the same reaction to all the hype about Covid being a “racist” virus that disproportionately affects black and Hispanic people. I was spitting mad! If they really cared about black and Hispanic people, I railed, why not get out the news they should be taking vitamin D?
I would have been happy for my tax dollars go to free distribution of vitamin D to those who could not afford it, too. Certainly more useful than other stuff my taxes are wasted on. As one small person, all I could do was share the info re vitamin D and Covid with my black friends, who were very happy to learn about it, especially those with elderly loved ones.
And yes, even we white people above the 30th parallel need to supplement with vitamin D, and the government should be be recommending that, too.
You seem like a caring person who is interested in finding the truth rather than taking and defending a side in all this. Nice to meet you!
Look at the numbers for Uganda...very low for 47,000,000 people who live in insect infested jungles in huts and they have no business to shut down or doors to lock down...but they to have plenty of hydroxychloroquine...lots of mosquitoes...malaria is a way of life there...oh yeah, after President Trump was given that and zinc and azithromycin and some other theraputics, and got well in a few days...then the FDA decided that Hydoxy which cost 3 cents per dose should not be used after 65 years of effective application.
10th amendment says, to paraphase; if the activity isn’t enumerated in the Constitution, that activity falls to the States and the People...see if you can find the word “health” in the body of the Constitution...FDA, CDC, NIH, HHS, Medicare...do those bureaukrats have anything to do with health? We’re phuqued.
Again - and whether you are right or wrong about HCQ as therapy - not enough people in Uganda take HCQ or chloroquine on a regular basis to account for the low attack rates.
Not even close.
Isn’t HCQ a commonly used drug there to fight malaria and other diseases?
No.
How do you know that?
Actually, Ugandans are not popping HCQ on a daily basis, as some here seem to believe.
In fact, chloroquine (and its relative HCQ) has been out of use for so long in Uganda that chloroquine sensitive strains are beginning to emerge:
https://malariajournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12936-020-03157-0
From the article:
“This study found evidence of stable persistence of chloroquine susceptibility with the fixation of pfcrt K76 in Northern Uganda after discontinuation of chloroquine in the region. Accumulation of similar evidence in other endemic areas in Uganda could open channels for possible future re-use of chloroquine as an option for malaria treatment or prevention.”
Before you object “but HCQ, not chloroquine”, HCQ is hydroxychloroquine. While it has fewer side effects, it is less effective against chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum than chloroquine (or plain old quinine).
Furthermore, prophylactic use of antimalarials is extremely rare among locals in third world countries. Unless one has lived in such countries, it is not something one would know, and I don’t fault my fellow Americans for imagining all these people are popping them every day. The fact is, they don’t. It simply is not done. One, they can’t afford it, two, it well, it just is not done, and three, the drugs that actually work in areas where resistant malaria predominates (nearly all of sub-Saharan Africa, for example) are expensive and often have nasty side effects (and prophylactically using the few drugs that are effective is discouraged, as it is feared this will contribute to building resistance to them as well).
Do Africans take chloroquine when they get malaria? Yes, they do, but hardly in numbers that would have any significant impact on Covid statistics — see my earlier post #81
https://freerepublic.com/focus/chat/4014293/posts?page=81#81
I'm a specialist in Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine and I'm in contact with colleagues who work and do research in Africa.
Dear Africans,
Please throw out or imprison these mystified “scientists” and do it now before they kill you like they are doing to the rest of the world.
Tell them to get out and go away now!
I am *not* making fun of all the Freepers who believe everyone in Africa is popping HCQ every morning at dawn, but can’t help musing we should raise a Freep fund to send one of them to Uganda so they can go around asking people whether they are taking HCQ. The people will laugh themselves silly or look at them like they have two heads. Then that person can report back.
Nah, even that would not work (sigh).
Your patience is admirable. Mine is wearing thin, I guess.
so am i
(Kidding)
What is the majority of drugs they use there, if not HCQ?
Other People here seem to disagree with you.
Tell me something I don't know.
What other people? The ones who have no medical degree and zero acquaintance with life in the malarial Third World? Half of them even think ivermectin is used to treat malaria (it is not!).
If you don’t believe Dr. Noble, how about the published studies I posted above? Do you think all those researchers are lying and snickering?
Something I left out, and really should be brought up here, considering all the folks singing the praises of HCQ and how “safe” it is. While it is a relatively safe drug and has a lower incidence of side effects than its older cousin chloroquine (and, sadly, less effective), it does have its side effects, some quite serious, and the risk is cumulative over time. I, myself, would never take it long term unless I had rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, and under a doctor’s supervision with regular testing. I would take it short term if I had chloroquine-sensitive malaria, of course.
One very practical reason (among others) people who live in malarial areas is the unpleasant side effects they can have, usually gastrointestinal.
There is a very real risk of vision loss from long-term use of chloroquine and its cousins, not to mention cardiovascular damage. Better to take your two-week course if you contract malaria than to risk the side effects of being on it long term. (And to my mind, better to risk Covid or the vaccine than to take it for however many years as a preventive measure, especially now that we have treatments that are actually effective now like monoclonal antibodies.)
In some countries, workers (forestry, for example) and military personnel are issued antimalarial drugs for prophylaxis for limited periods when they are required to work in especially high-risk areas. Foreigners in country for a limited time often take them to prevent malaria as well. Normal citizens do not routinely take drugs as a preventative (treated window screens and mozzie nets are good, though).
Now for the risks of taking chloroquine (CQ) or hydroxychloroquin (HCQ) long term.
Ocular toxicity: CQ has a higher incidence of ocular toxicity (2.6%) than HCQ (0.3%). After 5 years, HCQ risk for retinopathy is 7.5%. Risk continues to rise with every year until at 20 years, risk is 20% and continues to rise at a rate of 4% per year thereafter. Not nice odds. No wonder no one takes this stuff long term unless they are suffering from rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.
Cardiotoxicity: Information appears to be somewhat spotty on long term use, but it looks like cumulative dose increases risk (same as for retinopathy):
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29858838/
He was thoroughky miserable with fever, vomiting and diarrhea. He was not hospitalized. He and his wife have returned to their hospital jobs and missed little time. The toddler is fine now too. Don’t know about long covid symptoms. Thanks for the links.
In 1974, when the FDA tried to make GRAS list supplements over the counter drugs, I was one of a number of people who testified. I had my 3 year old, and infant in a carriage with me so was a bit of a phenom in this room of 500 people. I discovered that day that both liberals and conservatives care a lot about their health and nutrition. I met the people from York barbells and chatted a while. We won that battle. I live near enough to DC to testify if there is an occasion, although at 83 I am not quite as mobile, especially in a Covid setting. Any ideas for strategies to advance the fight for govt. accountability, and control of Big Pharma?
I am glad to learn your friend and family are all recovered now. Thank you for letting me know.
That is quite something about your testifying back in 1974 re the GRAS list. Thank you for stepping up and helping out with an important win!
You are right about conservatives and liberals having that one thing in common, caring about our health.
I wish I had some ideas! Did you have anything specific in mind? It sounds like you have already done your part, though, and admirably!
After Thanksgiving I may have time to think and come up with some ideas. We could use private messages for brainstorming. One idea is that everyone could contact our Congresscritters, and demand to know why the government is not urging people to take Vitamin D now that the sun is so low, especially if they live in the northern half of the country, or if they are dark skinned.
Most people are pretty ignorant when it comes to vitamins, and way too many think they get whatever they need from the food they eat. The same holds true for many doctors who think that taking vitamins and nutrients just produces enriched urine. And as far as politicians is concerned, most of them are not too bright either especially not when it comes to Vitamins as well as nutrients, and unfortunately you and me are the least of their concern, so you might as well save your breath. For curiosity’s sake I have not seen any postings from our friend gas dr and wonder if he got a jab which may have caused him problems. Aside from that stay healthy and well.
P.S. Always enjoy reading your posts!
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