While preventing transmission and pressure on hospital resources is a correct motive, the "cancel everything and stay home" and all-ages, long-term severe restrictions on association and freedom of movement (and even of breathing outside, and with the shutdowns of parks and seashores, all outside events and "stay sheltered" exhortations) is unwarranted and unwise in its scope and severity (imposed even on fit and healthy people outside), while not focusing on the causes behind comorbidities and better protecting the aged. As such this manner of response will be counter-productive in the long term. Consider (from an ongoing, rather disorganized - due to software format, thus the insequential numbering - compilation of research findings here , by the grace of God):
A (Oct 29, 2020) Massachusetts report on clusters found that household transmission was at the center of the vast majority (almost 94 percent[73 ] ) of recent COVID-19 cases.
Another study found that in household transmissions individuals with symptoms were more than 25 times more likely to infect household members than those without symptoms at the time (0.7 percent).[77][78] And that the encounters that were most likely to spread the coronavirus were those between members of the same household.[80 ]
An early one study of 318 outbreaks involving 1,245 cases in China found just one transmission that occurred outdoors, infecting just two people. Most of those who were infected and died were occurred at home.[68 ]
In addition, some preliminary research (Jun 05, 2020) showed superspreading events [71 ] account for most transmission, and that just 20% of coronavirus cases resulted in 80% of transmissions. An estimated 70% of infected patients studied didn't pass the virus at all.[72 ]
A University of Colorado Boulder study reported that among those tested (asymptomatic students in residence halls were required to test weekly), 2% of these people carried 90% of the COVID-19 virus. A related study[38 ] lended further credence to the idea that the amount of virus particles a person carries (viral load) is what drives contagion.[39 ]
A systematic review of peer-reviewed papers stated that five studies found a low proportion of reported global SARS-CoV-2 infections occurred outdoors and that the odds of indoor transmission was very high (almost 19 times higher) as compared to outdoors. [69 ] A more recent estimate reported by the New York Times is that the percentage of transmission that has occurred outdoors seems to be below 1 percent and may be below 0.1 percent.[70 ]
Furthermore, the “stay-sheltered” mandates and shutting down parks and the beach fronts and fear of outside contact was hardly rational since that fosters obesity and other comorbidities.[60 ] Also, one study of 190,000 blood samples from patients of all ethnicities and ages infected with COVID in all 50 states showed that people deficient in vitamin D were 54% more likely to get COVID-19,[61 ][62 ] meaning vitamin D can reduce the risk of catching coronavirus by 54 percent. [63 ] Among newer studies it was found that over 80% of 200 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 had vitamin D deficiency. Patients with lower vitamin D levels also had higher blood levels of inflammatory markers. Researchers across the globe are also finding a correlation between vitamin D status and patterns of COVID-19 recovery.[64 ][65 ][66 ]
While Covid-19 transmission that has occurred outdoors seems to be below 1 percent and may be below 0.1 percent, "stay sheltered" restrictions fostered/fosters lack of exercise and increased weight, and often contributes to being hypertensive[8 ] and having high cholesterol, all of which are primary factors in Covid-19 deaths. [9 ] Also, a NIH study of 2015 found that being inside with increased CO2 levels significantly degraded cognitive function.[10 ]
Also, according to one meta-analysis of 42 studies involving 20 million people, the risk of death increases 63 percent when one loses their job, and that for every one percentage point increase in the unemployment rate, there are 37,000 deaths, mainly from heart attacks, but another 1,000 from suicides and another 650 from homicides.[224 ]
In addition to which are greatly increased drug overdoses and deaths during COVID.[234 ][235 ] [236 ]A recent analysis found that U.S. drug overdose deaths rose 30% to record during the pandemic.[237 ] There has also been significant rise in the use of porn[238 ] and divorces. [239 ] And although measures taken to prevent Covid-19 infections may reduce transmission of certain other illnesses, yet due to the focus upon detection and treatment of Covid-19, neglect of the same for other diseases can result in more deaths.[240 ] Worldwide up to 6.3 million more people are predicted to develop TB between now and 2025 and 1.4 million more people are expected to die as cases go undiagnosed and untreated during lockdown.[241 ]
As for children and teens, with 412 Covid-assigned deaths among those aged 0–17 out of a 2020–2021 total of 644,000 (rounded) Covid-assigned deaths (CDC data as of 09/08/21), then this translates into 0.06% deaths being in the 0–17 age group:
Another study finds that the risk of coronavirus spreading in schools is 'extremely low, [186 ] while the quarantine of children may negatively affect their development of immune systems. Research by two professors found that keeping children masked, however necessary, could undermine their bodies’ ability to learn how to fight pathogens:
Memory T cells begin to form during the first years of life and accumulate during childhood. However, for memory T cells to become functionally mature, multiple exposures may be necessary, particularly for cells residing in tissues such as the lung and intestines, where we encounter numerous pathogens. These exposures typically and naturally occur during the everyday experiences of childhood — such as interactions with friends, teachers, trips to the playground, sports — all of which have been curtailed or shut down entirely during efforts to mitigate viral spread. As a result, we are altering the frequency, breadth and degree of exposures that are crucial for immune memory development.[88 ]
Also, research has found that the immune cells of the upper airways of children are pre-activated and primed for detecting the coronavirus. An extra layer of protection resides in children’s nasal cavities, which is an innate response kids are born with which is designed to fight respiratory viruses of all kinds. Scientists have found that kids showed higher concentrations of pattern recognition receptors — also known as PPRs — compared to adults.[34 ] [35 ]
Moreover as regards masking and children, a study conducted in Germany found them harmful:
By 26.10.2020 the registry had been used by 20,353 people. In this publication we report the results from the parents, who entered data on a total of 25,930 children. The average wearing time of the mask was 270 minutes per day. Impairments caused by wearing the mask were reported by 68% of the parents. These included irritability (60%), headache (53%), difficulty concentrating (50%), less happiness (49%), reluctance to go to school/kindergarten (44%), malaise (42%) impaired learning (38%) and drowsiness or fatigue (37%)…. A precise benefit-risk analysis is urgently required. The occurrence of reported side effects in children due to wearing the masks must be taken seriously...[89 ]
A study published March 2 reports that self-harm by children and suicides have increased exponentially during COVID-19 lockdowns that have closed schools, finding that ,
In March and April 2020, mental health claim lines1 for individuals aged 13 - 18, as a percentage of all medical claim lines, approximately doubled over the same months in the previous year. Claim lines for intentional self - harm as a percentage of all medical claim lines in the 13 - 18 age group increased 99.83 percent in March 2020 compared to March 2019 . The increase was even larger when comparing April 2020 to April 2019, nearly doubling (99.83 percent). For the age group 13 - 18, claim lines for overdoses increased 94.91 percent as a percentage of all medical claim lines in March 2020 and 119.31 percent in April 2020 over the same months the year before.[229 ]
As for quarantines and the aged, early on close to half of all COVID-19 deaths had occurred in long-term care facilities, with up to 70% of deaths occurring in nursing homes[94 ] and elder care facilities accounting for over 40% of US deaths.[95 ][96 ] (38% according to the NYT, updated October 30, 2020[97] ). Which means that the 99.4 percent of the country that does not reside in those facilities are far less likely to die of COVID-19.[98 ]
If the government want to spend more money it borrows, then maybe cruise ships could have been employed for many mobile in elder care facilities, and which might have had UV Light system used to kill airborne viruses. .
And rather than shutting down parks etc. and "stay sheltered" mandates, all the former should have stayed open and people exhorted to get out as much as they can in open spaces, and exercise and lose weight. Frequent ventaltion f homes and other inside places should have been exhorted, where possible, and and with church services continuing outside or in spacious places of good ventilation, and with business allowed to remain open with the same. Workers who pass a fitness test should been allowed to continue to work observing the aforementioned deterrents to transmission or high viral loads in such.
Yet while we seek to save lives, 7,000 Americans die every day in the US from a wide range of causes [244 ] - besides over 2,000 a day being slain in the “quarantine” of their mother’s womb[245 ] - my prayer is that all sinners will come to repentance and faith in the risen Lord Jesus and be baptized and follow Him.
