OPEN LETTER FROM 22 SCIENTISTS TO THE UK PM
"We are writing as scientists and scholars concerned about the confused and contradictory directions currently being promoted in the management of the Covid-19 pandemic. We are being told simultaneously that we have successful vaccines and that major restrictions on everyday life must continue indefinitely. Both propositions cannot be true. We need to give more weight to the data on the actual success of the vaccines and less to theoretical risks of vaccine escape and/or surge in a largely vaccinated population. It is time to reassess where we are and where we go next.
Phase One of the Covid-19 vaccination programme will shortly be completed, with every vulnerable adult in the UK having been offered two injections. It is clear that the vaccines are fully delivering on the promise of the clinical trials. We can be very confident that they will reduce Covid deaths by around 98 per cent and serious illness by 80-85 per cent. This level of protection against serious illness seems not to be significantly affected by any of the variants that have been observed, because of the breadth of T-cell responses. There are sound evolutionary reasons why this is unlikely to change in the near future with new variants. In short, the level of population immunity we have now achieved by targeted vaccination and natural infection means that the SARS-Cov-2 virus in the UK has become demonstrably less fatal than seasonal influenza viruses.
Given this, it is time to recognize that, in our substantially vaccinated population, Covid-19 will take its place among the 30 or so respiratory viral diseases with which humans have historically co-existed. This has been explicitly accepted in a number of recent statements by the Chief Medical Officer. For most vaccinated and other low-risk people, Covid-19 is now a mild endemic infection, likely to recur in seasonal waves which renew immunity without significantly stressing the NHS.
Covid-19 no longer requires exceptional measures of control in everyday life, especially where there have been no evaluations and little credible evidence of benefit. Measures to reduce or discourage social interaction are extremely damaging to the mental health of citizens; to the education of children and young people; to people with disabilities; to new entrants to the workforce; and to the spontaneous personal connections from which innovation and enterprise emerge. The DfE recommendations on face covering and social distancing in schools should never have been extended beyond Easter and should cease no later than 17 May. Mandatory face coverings, physical distancing and mass community testing should cease no later than 21 June along with other controls and impositions. All consideration of immunity documentation should cease.
There will be continuing value in investments towards better vaccines with a broader spectrum of action against the virus; in establishing a genuinely voluntary, targeted surveillance programme with a genomic component to monitor the spread and evolution of the virus; and in improving social security provision to encourage people to stay at home if experiencing respiratory symptoms. Just as before the pandemic, it will remain desirable to promote general standards of public hygiene, such as thorough handwashing and surface cleaning, although neither has been shown to be particularly important in reducing SARS-Cov-2 transmission. There would also be value in increasing the ability of the NHS to deal with surges of infection, although these are as likely to come from other respiratory infections as from Covid-19, and to ensure good care for long Covid.
We have learned that a good society cannot be created by obsessive focus on a single cause of ill-health. Having endured the ravages of 2020, things are very different as we enter the spring of 2021. It is more than time for citizens to take back control of their own lives.
Professor Ryan Anderson, Translational Science, Medicines Discovery Catapult
Dr Colin Axon, Mechanical Engineering, Brunel University
"We are writing as scientists and scholars concerned about the confused and contradictory directions currently being promoted in the management of the Covid-19 pandemic. We are being told simultaneously that we have successful vaccines and that major restrictions on everyday life must continue indefinitely. Both propositions cannot be true. We need to give more weight to the data on the actual success of the vaccines and less to theoretical risks of vaccine escape and/or surge in a largely vaccinated population. It is time to reassess where we are and where we go next.
Phase One of the Covid-19 vaccination programme will shortly be completed, with every vulnerable adult in the UK having been offered two injections. It is clear that the vaccines are fully delivering on the promise of the clinical trials. We can be very confident that they will reduce Covid deaths by around 98 per cent and serious illness by 80-85 per cent. This level of protection against serious illness seems not to be significantly affected by any of the variants that have been observed, because of the breadth of T-cell responses. There are sound evolutionary reasons why this is unlikely to change in the near future with new variants. In short, the level of population immunity we have now achieved by targeted vaccination and natural infection means that the SARS-Cov-2 virus in the UK has become demonstrably less fatal than seasonal influenza viruses.
Given this, it is time to recognize that, in our substantially vaccinated population, Covid-19 will take its place among the 30 or so respiratory viral diseases with which humans have historically co-existed. This has been explicitly accepted in a number of recent statements by the Chief Medical Officer. For most vaccinated and other low-risk people, Covid-19 is now a mild endemic infection, likely to recur in seasonal waves which renew immunity without significantly stressing the NHS.
Covid-19 no longer requires exceptional measures of control in everyday life, especially where there have been no evaluations and little credible evidence of benefit. Measures to reduce or discourage social interaction are extremely damaging to the mental health of citizens; to the education of children and young people; to people with disabilities; to new entrants to the workforce; and to the spontaneous personal connections from which innovation and enterprise emerge. The DfE recommendations on face covering and social distancing in schools should never have been extended beyond Easter and should cease no later than 17 May. Mandatory face coverings, physical distancing and mass community testing should cease no later than 21 June along with other controls and impositions. All consideration of immunity documentation should cease.
There will be continuing value in investments towards better vaccines with a broader spectrum of action against the virus; in establishing a genuinely voluntary, targeted surveillance programme with a genomic component to monitor the spread and evolution of the virus; and in improving social security provision to encourage people to stay at home if experiencing respiratory symptoms. Just as before the pandemic, it will remain desirable to promote general standards of public hygiene, such as thorough handwashing and surface cleaning, although neither has been shown to be particularly important in reducing SARS-Cov-2 transmission. There would also be value in increasing the ability of the NHS to deal with surges of infection, although these are as likely to come from other respiratory infections as from Covid-19, and to ensure good care for long Covid.
We have learned that a good society cannot be created by obsessive focus on a single cause of ill-health. Having endured the ravages of 2020, things are very different as we enter the spring of 2021. It is more than time for citizens to take back control of their own lives.
Professor Ryan Anderson, Translational Science, Medicines Discovery Catapult
Dr Colin Axon, Mechanical Engineering, Brunel University
Professor Anthony Brookes, Genomics and Bioinformatics, University of Leicester
Professor Jackie Cassell, FFPH, Deputy Dean, Brighton and Sussex Medical School
Professor Angus Dalgleish, FRCP, FRCPath, FMedSci, Oncology, St George's, University of London
Professor Robert Dingwall, FAcSS, HonMFPH, Sociology, Nottingham Trent University
Professor Sunetra Gupta, Theoretical Epidemiology, University of Oxford
Professor Carl Heneghan, MRCGP, Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, University of Oxford
Professor Mike Hulme, Human Geography, University of Cambridge.
Dr John Lee - formerly Pathology, Hull York Medical School
Professor David Livermore, Medical Microbiology, University of East Anglia.
Professor Paul McKeigue Genetic Epidemiology and Statistical Genetics, University of Edinburgh
Professor David Paton, Industrial Economics, University of Nottingham
Emeritus Professor Hugh Pennington, CBE, FRCPath, FRCP (Edin), FMedSci, FRSE, Bacteriology, University of Aberdeen
Dr Gerry Quinn, Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster
Dr Roland Salmon, MRCGP, FFPH, former Director of the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre (Wales).
Emeritus Professor John Scott, CBE, FRSA, FBA, FAcSS, Sociology, University of Essex
Professor Karol Sikora, FRCR, FRCP, FFPM, Medicine, University of Buckingham
Professor Ellen Townsend, Psychology, University of Nottingham
Dr Chao Wang, Health & Social Care Statistics, Kingston University and St George's, University of London,
Professor John Watkins, Epidemiology, Cardiff University
Professor Lisa White, Modelling and Epidemiology, University of Oxford.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9507449/Scientists-say-vaccines-cut-deaths-98-call-end-restrictions.html
Professor Jackie Cassell, FFPH, Deputy Dean, Brighton and Sussex Medical School
Professor Angus Dalgleish, FRCP, FRCPath, FMedSci, Oncology, St George's, University of London
Professor Robert Dingwall, FAcSS, HonMFPH, Sociology, Nottingham Trent University
Professor Sunetra Gupta, Theoretical Epidemiology, University of Oxford
Professor Carl Heneghan, MRCGP, Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, University of Oxford
Professor Mike Hulme, Human Geography, University of Cambridge.
Dr John Lee - formerly Pathology, Hull York Medical School
Professor David Livermore, Medical Microbiology, University of East Anglia.
Professor Paul McKeigue Genetic Epidemiology and Statistical Genetics, University of Edinburgh
Professor David Paton, Industrial Economics, University of Nottingham
Emeritus Professor Hugh Pennington, CBE, FRCPath, FRCP (Edin), FMedSci, FRSE, Bacteriology, University of Aberdeen
Dr Gerry Quinn, Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster
Dr Roland Salmon, MRCGP, FFPH, former Director of the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre (Wales).
Emeritus Professor John Scott, CBE, FRSA, FBA, FAcSS, Sociology, University of Essex
Professor Karol Sikora, FRCR, FRCP, FFPM, Medicine, University of Buckingham
Professor Ellen Townsend, Psychology, University of Nottingham
Dr Chao Wang, Health & Social Care Statistics, Kingston University and St George's, University of London,
Professor John Watkins, Epidemiology, Cardiff University
Professor Lisa White, Modelling and Epidemiology, University of Oxford.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9507449/Scientists-say-vaccines-cut-deaths-98-call-end-restrictions.html
Mail Online
Multiple leading scientists call for an end to ALL Covid restrictions as they hit out at 'confused and contradictory directions'…
Leading scientists are calling on the Government to remove all coronavirus restrictions in Britain and allow people to 'take back control of their own lives' when the 'roadmap' to freedom ends in June.
Forwarded from Mike Yeadon
I know half these people & I’m glad they’ve come out in opposition to what’s happening.
I do feel they’re way too late & the economy & civil society is all but destroyed.
All that said I’m DELIGHTED that a good, solid group of professionals have set out their stall against the irrational policy responses.
Regret to say that they’ll need to do a lot more than to write a stiffly worded letter.
The authorities WILL completely ignore it. That’s been their strategy all year.
The only viable path is slow but does work: persuade people one by one.
Unless we gain access to main media, which is unlikely, that’s all we can do!
Mike
I do feel they’re way too late & the economy & civil society is all but destroyed.
All that said I’m DELIGHTED that a good, solid group of professionals have set out their stall against the irrational policy responses.
Regret to say that they’ll need to do a lot more than to write a stiffly worded letter.
The authorities WILL completely ignore it. That’s been their strategy all year.
The only viable path is slow but does work: persuade people one by one.
Unless we gain access to main media, which is unlikely, that’s all we can do!
Mike
Forwarded from Tim
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This is when people who have been silent up to now start speaking out: when their children get adverse reactions in September.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9502227/amp/Coronavirus-UK-Children-young-12-Covid-vaccines-September.html
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9502227/amp/Coronavirus-UK-Children-young-12-Covid-vaccines-September.html
Mail Online
Children as young as 12 'will get Covid vaccines in September when they return after summer as government battles to avoid a third…
'Core planning' documents have been leaked showing UK schoolchildren will be given one dose when they go back to class after the summer.
Forwarded from Rae
Please complain about the lack of coverage on the March on Saturday here.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/complaints/make-a-complaint/#/Complaint
https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/complaints/make-a-complaint/#/Complaint
India has so far given more than 100 million doses of two approved vaccines - Covishield [THIS IS THE ASTRAZENECA VACCINE REBRANDED] and Covaxin [THIS IS BILL GATES funded Bharat Biotech, India]
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-55748124
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-55748124
BBC News
Covaxin: India approves two Covid vaccines for children under 12
Both Covaxin and Corbevax are already being administered to children above 12 years.
IS INDIA BEING DEPOPULATED THROUGH BILL GATES' COVAXIN (AND ASTRAZENECA?) "BAD BATCHES"?
Has the depopulation of India started under the cover of the "vaccine" campaign and is being sold to us as the big bad Covid wave? Or is it just Bill Gates & Astrazeneca propaganda to ramp up their profits? It could be both: jab people with "bad batches", ramp up the Covid fear showing images of vaccine casualties, then jab more people, repeat.
Has the depopulation of India started under the cover of the "vaccine" campaign and is being sold to us as the big bad Covid wave? Or is it just Bill Gates & Astrazeneca propaganda to ramp up their profits? It could be both: jab people with "bad batches", ramp up the Covid fear showing images of vaccine casualties, then jab more people, repeat.
Forwarded from James Delingpole Channel
My personal highlight of Saturday was meeting Lozza's dad James Fox. He gave up being an acting legend in the 60s to find God. He was about half a century ahead of us. James's advice to Lozza is: "If you're going to take on a struggle of this magnitude you're going to need spiritual support." I believe he's totally right. 'God is our hope and strength, a very present help in trouble,' as one of the Psalms I used to croak very reluctantly at my Colditz-like prep school used to put it. Turns out the psalm was right and all that Christian grounding wasn't wasted after all.
Forwarded from Snor
Those pictures of funeral pyres in India are common place. Tourists even pay $10 each to go and watch!
I was in the himalayas in 2013 when the monsoon season started early and thousands of people were killed in the flooding. Rescue helicopters came loaded with timber that was used to build huge pyres for the dead, before rescuing the survivors.
The images being used by the media are purely for shock and fear value, I wouldn't be surprised if they are even library images of old funerals.
I was in the himalayas in 2013 when the monsoon season started early and thousands of people were killed in the flooding. Rescue helicopters came loaded with timber that was used to build huge pyres for the dead, before rescuing the survivors.
The images being used by the media are purely for shock and fear value, I wouldn't be surprised if they are even library images of old funerals.