Facts about Covid-19: Fully referenced facts about Covid-19, provided by experts in the field, to help readers make a realistic risk assessment (April 15, 2020 Edition)

Swiss Propaganda Research ^ | 04/15/2020

[SeekAndFind]

April 15, 2020

Medical updates

• In the British Telegraph, Professor Alexander Kekulé, one of Germany’s leading microbiologists and epidemiologists, calls for an end to the lockdown as it causes more damage than the virus itself. In people under 50 years of age, severe disease or death are „very, very unlikely“. The general population should develop rapid immunity, while risk groups should be protected. One cannot wait for a vaccine, which will take at least six to twelve months, but must find a way to live with the virus, Professor Kekulé said.
• The German Network for Evidence-Based Medicine reports that the lethality of a severe seasonal influenza (flu) such as 2017/2018 is estimated by the German Robert Koch Institute to be 0.4% to 0.5%, and not only 0.1% as previously assumed. This would mean that the lethality of Covid19 could even be lower than that of a strong seasonal influenza, even though it may spread faster.
• The Luxembourger Tageblatt reports that Sweden’s „relaxed strategy on Covid19 seems to work“. Despite minimal measures, the situation seems to be „clearly calming down at the moment“. A huge field hospital that was set up near Stockholm remains closed due to lack of demand. The number of patients in intensive care units remains constant at a low level or is even slightly declining. „There are many vacancies in intensive care units in all Stockholm hospitals. We are approaching the flattening of the illness curve,“ explained a senior physician at the Karolinska Klinik. So far there have been about 900 deaths with Covid19 in Sweden.
• A direct comparison between the UK (with lockdown) and Sweden (without lockdown) shows that the two countries are almost identical in terms of case numbers and deaths per population.
• A letter to the New England Journal of Medicine reports that in a study of pregnant women, 88% of test-positive women showed no symptoms – a very high figure, but one that is consistent with earlier reports from China and Iceland.
• Professor Dan Yamin, director of the Epidemiology Research Laboratory at Tel Aviv University, explains in an interview that the new corona virus is „hardly dangerous“ for a large part of the population and that rapid natural immunity must be the goal. The money is better spent on extending a clinic than on paying for damages due to the lockdown, he said.
• The president of the Israeli National Research Council, Professor Isaac Ben-Israel, argues that according to current findings, the corona epidemic is over in most countries after about 8 weeks, regardless of the measures taken. He therefore recommends to lift the „lockdown“ immediately.
• The British statistics professor David Spiegelhalter shows that the risk of death from Covid19 corresponds roughly to normal mortality and is visibly increased only for the age group between approx. 70 and 80 years (see the graph at the end of the linked article).
• Professor Karin Moelling, emeritus director of the Institute of Virology at the University of Zurich and an early critic of excessive measures, stresses in a new interview the role of local special factors such as air pollution and population density.
• The British Guardian pointed out in 2015 that extreme air pollution in Chinese cities kills 4000 people per day. This is more than China has so far reported in total Covid19 deaths.
• The German virologist Hendrik Streeck has defended himself against criticism of his pilot study. Streeck found a lethality (based on cases) of 0.37% and a mortality (based on population) of 0.06%, which corresponds to a strong seasonal flu.
• Austrian internal medicine specialists warn of „collateral damage“: Due to the coronavirus, control and operation dates are postponed and fewer patients with heart attack symptoms come to the hospitals.
• A Swiss biophysicist has for the first time graphically depicted the rate of positive Covid19 tests in Switzerland since early March. The result shows that the positive rate oscillates between about 10% and 25% and that the „lockdown“ has had no significant influence (see graph below). Interestingly, Swiss authorities and media have never shown this graph.
• A Swiss researcher has analysed the latest Covid19 report of the Federal Office of Public Health and again comes to a critical assessment: „The situation report is unsuitable for politicians and competent decision making, is highly unspecific, incomplete and lacking in informative value“.
• In a new article, the Swiss chief physician for infectiology, Dr. Pietro Vernazza, explains that the alleged lack of immunity formation in Covid19 is a matter of „rare individual cases or even just clues“, which „on closer inspection do not pose a problem“, but which are „exaggerated and hastily dished up as shocking news“ by some media.
• In France, there are more and more reports of suicides out of fear of the coronavirus or out of fear of having infected someone with the coronavirus.
• The new French site Covid Infos critically examines Covid19 and media reporting.

Swiss positive test rate before and during lockdown (FS)

US and UK

• On the US warship Theodore Roosevelt, 600 sailors tested positive for Covid19, and a first sailor has since died from or with Covid19. The warship will be a very important „case study“ for the impact on the healthy general population below 65.
• The emeritus British professor of pathology, Dr John Lee, argues that a robust and evidence-based debate is needed to avoid „big mistakes“. Many of the figures used by governments and the media have not been reliable, he says.
• In the UK, 40% of hospital beds are currently unoccupied, four times more than usual. The reason for this is the sharp decline in general patient admissions. Intensive care beds, whose capacity has been increased, are on average 78% occupied. In addition, 10% of nurses are in quarantine.
• The temporary corona hospitals of the US military near New York are „largely empty“ so far. The hospitalization rate in New York was overestimated by a factor of seven.
• A US study comes to the conclusion that the new corona virus has already spread much further than originally assumed, but causes no or only mild symptoms in most people, so that the lethality rate could be as low as 0.1%, which is roughly equivalent to seasonal flu. However, due to the fact that the disease is more easily transmitted, the cases of the disease in New York, for example, occurred in a shorter time than usual.
• In a new document on the treatment of Covid19 patients, the chief of pneumology and intensive care at Eastern Virginia Medical School states: „It is important to recognize that COVID-19 does not cause your “typical ARDS” (lung failure) … this disease must be treated differently and it is likely we are exacerbating this situation by causing ventilator induced lung injury.“
• In the US, a governor claimed an infant died „of Covid“ as the world’s youngest victim. Family acquaintances, however, stated that the infant had suffocated in a tragic accident at home and subsequently tested positive in hospital. The responsible coroner did not declare a Covid death.
• A doctor from the US state of Montana explained in a speech how death certificates for suspected Covid19 cases are being manipulated due to new guidelines.

Nursing homes

• An analysis of data from five European countries shows that residents of nursing homes have so far accounted for between 42% and 57% of all „Covid19 deaths“. At the same time, three US studies show that up to 50% of all test positive nursing home residents did not (yet) show symptoms at the time of testing. Two conclusions can be drawn from this: On the one hand, the danger of the new coronavirus – as already suspected – seems to be concentrated on a small, very vulnerable population group that needs even better protection. On the other hand, it is conceivable that some of these people may not die, or not only die from the coronavirus, but also from the extreme stress associated with the current situation. Recent reports from Germany and Italy have already mentioned nursing home residents who died suddenly without symptoms.
• A German palliative physician argues in a recent interview that in the treatment of Covid19 patients „very wrong priorities were set and all ethical principles were violated“. There is a „very one-sided orientation towards intensive care“, although „the balance between benefit and harm“ is often not good. A new diagnosis (i.e. Covid19) would turn elderly patients who in the past had mostly been treated palliatively into intensive care patients and subject them to a painful but often hopeless treatment (i.e. artificial respiration). The treatment should always be based on the actual will of the patient, the specialist argued.

Covid19 deaths in nursing homes (LTC Covid)

Political developments

• In Germany, a medical lawyer, who filed a complaint against the corona measures with the Federal Constitutional Court and called for demonstrations, was arrested and sent to a prison psychiatric ward for two days. The public prosecutor is investigating for „public provocation to commit crimes“. Another lawyer asks in an open letter to the German Federal Chamber of Lawyers: „Lawyers sent to psychiatric hospital for protest? Is it that time again in Germany?“
• In Switzerland, a „corona-critical“ doctor was arrested by a special police unit for alleged „threats against relatives and authorities“ and sent to a psychiatric clinic. The family has since declared that there were no threats against relatives. The doctor also stated that he was not accused of „threats against authorities“ during the interrogation. The police justified the deployment of the special unit by assuming that the doctor was in possession of a weapon – but this was the usual Swiss medical army pistol without ammunition. The transfer of the doctor to a psychiatric clinic was justified on the grounds of an alleged „incapacity to serve in prison“ (as is the case of nursing patients) – this, too, may be seen as a pretext. Based on the current state of knowledge, it is therefore possible that the measure was indeed at least partly politically motivated. Former US Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney has already drawn attention to the Swiss case, which is somewhat reminiscent of practices in the former Soviet Union.
• Italy is now using European satellite data to monitor the population during lockdown.
• The British police smashed a resident’s door in looking for „social gatherings“.

[Red6]

I am shocked that there are some voices questioning this stupidity.

From what I see everyone is lining up, getting their marching orders, and mindlessly following orders. I use to think those movies where they made fun of the Germans in WWII “following orders” were funny until I saw it in action today.

[KSCITYBOY]

btt

[Freee-dame]

bump for reference

[chopperk]

SIMPLE CURE FOR THE COVID19 VIRUS CRISIS. UNLESS SOMETHING IS DONE SHORTLY, THE FOOD AND OTHER SUPPLIES ARE GOING TO RUN OUT OR BECOME SO EXPENSIVE THAT NO ONE CAN AFFORD THEM. OUR FOOD SUPPLY IS BECOMING TIGHT AND IF THE DOLLAR CRASHES, INFLATION WILL EAT UP MOST FUNDING AND NO ONE CAN AFFORD FOOD.
MAKE HCQ, ZINC AND AZITHROMYCIN OTC MEDS AND DESIGNATE A PRATICIONER PHARMACIST TO DISTRIBUTE IT. THE PRACTICIONER COULD MAKE A QUICK ORAL AND PHYSICAL QUESTIONAIRE EXAM WHETHER OR NOT TO DISPENSE IT TO THE PATIENT. IF THE PATIENT HAS A ELEVATED TEMP, SORE THROAT, ACHES AND PAINS, AND A COUGH, GIVE THEM THE REQUIRED DOSAGE. IT CANNOT HURT 99% OF THE PATIENTS AND OPEN EVERYTHING UP AND GET TO WORK. THIS IS BETTER THAN RUNNING OUT OF FOOOD AND MONEY AND START VIOLENCE.

[monkeyshine]

Just heard Germany is reopening many things on Monday.

[central_va]

Simpler yet - open up the economy now and let those at high risk remain isolated. We and they know who they are.

[Pox]

Many people ignoring the government's heavy hand where possible.

As more and more people discover that we've shut down for this over-hyped pandemic due to the lefts stomping on the panic button (plenty on all “sides” went into panic mode) and not due to abnormally high death rates, there will be even more people ignoring the government mandates over this virus and whatever follows, IMO.

There are plenty of people carrying on as normal and that number is starting to increase in my area.

[monkeyshine]

In general I am not worried about inflation as we are most assuredly in a recession and contraction. I don’t like the debt we are piling on, they should probably monetize it permanently.
Food shortages is an issue to be concerned about and should be considered an essential service - food growing, distribution etc.

HQC is probably very safe for 99% of the people. Azythromycin is less safe for some people with certain conditions. Zinc, I am not sure what the dose is but they seem to be giving it by IV. Also think some are testing copper. One thing we don’t know much about is the dose. That said in some parts of the world HQC is sold over the counter for malaria. Restrictions can be loosened on it IMO.

[brookwood]

Article cited by Swiss Propaganda Research
https://www.ebm-netzwerk.de/en/publications/covid-19

from the article “while in Germany only 28 of 12,327 died (CFR 0.2%)”
This article is dated March 20, 2020. The deaths in Germany are more than 100 times greater now
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
the CFR in Germany is 14 times higher than when this asinine article was written
3592 deaths 133154 cases CFR 2.7%

Another article cited is summarized as follows
“The British statistics professor David Spiegelhalter shows that the risk of death from Covid19 corresponds roughly to normal mortality and is visibly increased only for the age group between approx. 70 and 80 years (see the graph at the end of the linked article).”
But in the actual article it states:

“So, roughly speaking, we might say that getting COVID-19 is like packing a year’s worth of risk into a week or two. Which is why it’s important to spread out the infections to avoid the NHS being overwhelmed.”
The other points are immaterial quotes from newspaper articles.
Another meaningless comment -”it causes no or only mild symptoms in most people, so that the lethality rate could be as low as 0.1%” - no data. Monkeys “could” fly out of my butt.
The article states the Case Fatality Rate for seasonal flu is .5% supposedly in Germany 2017-18 but .2% 2017-18 in the US, and happily notes that the CFR in Germany is .2% but the CFR in Germany is now 2.7% as noted above.
Whoever believes this Swiss Propaganda Research article with its 25 day old statistics is an idiot. Whoever propagates it is mentally ill, and is shilling for someone.
https://www.ebm-netzwerk.de/en/publications/covid-19

[Vermont Lt]

That is a great post. Thank for posting it.

[Vermont Lt]

I just came back from the local grocery store.

It was just as busy as it would have been at 11am last April.

Now, if it would only warm up.

[SeekAndFind]

Thanks. Their consolidated information taken from reports in the USA and Europe are reported once every 3 days.
That’s why I put in the date of the edition in the title.

[nickcarraway]

These facts depend a lot on believing 100% what China says.

[FtrPilot]

We and they know who they are.

Simple question:

Is a 38 year old man with hypertension and type 2 diabetes high risk or low risk?

I agree that the government (federal and state) should open up the economy now. However, I believe the CDC/NIH should publish the risk factors associated with hypertension, type 2 diabetes, heart conditions, obesity, asthma/COPD, and any other medical condition that increases the CV death rate.

For example, for hypertension, is the problem elevated blood pressure, or is it ACE inhibitors? For diabetes, is it high blood sugar, or is it metformin?

For the elderly, IMHO, everyone 65 and over should self isolate to them max extent possible.

[brookwood]

From the fake article Swiss Propaganda Research
“The German virologist Hendrik Streeck has defended himself against criticism of his pilot study. Streeck found a lethality (based on cases) of 0.37% and a mortality (based on population) of 0.06%, which corresponds to a strong seasonal flu.”
.06% of the US population of 330 million is 198,000 deaths. The average flu death toll is about 30,000 in the US. there hasn’t been a flu season with 198,000 deaths (6 times as many as all car accidents, half as much as all cancer) since 1918.
Wake up.
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/index.html

[Red6]

What amazes me is that the commies at their height during the 60s didn’t dare to just shut down every church by decree even though it was a declared atheist state, and look at us here today!

Americans have been taught to follow orders well. They think they are better than the man next to them if they follow the order more precisely, they are ethical if they follow man made rules, they are professional if they always do as they are told and educated or cultured if they parrot the prescribed narrative (whatever it may be) and take it to a higher level.

[BenLurkin]

[NetAddicted]

Read later.