Stand Your Ground Against COVID-19, by Mark B.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, and this is not medical advice, just information provide for educational purposes.

What have you done to stop COVID-19 from sickening, permanently injuring, or killing your loved ones? This disease isn’t just like the flu, COVID-19 can leave the “recovered” with long-term debilitating physical, cognitive and psychiatric damage, sometimes even in people who only suffered mild symptoms. The current US toll from this disease is about 130,000 dead, with an 8% infection mortality rate. The elderly or those with common high-risk factors, like high blood pressure, diabetes, or a compromised immune system have suffered the most, but young and otherwise healthy people are dying or being handicapped for life.

Most cases go untested, undetected and with mild or no symptoms; the CDC estimates there are 10 unrecorded cases for every known infection, so the US’s tested 1% infection rate may actually mean a 10% infection rate. This is nowhere near the 80% infection rate needed for herd immunity; there are plenty of healthy people for COVID-19 to spread to, and plenty of damage to come to our society.

Being asymptomatic does not mean that Covid-19 is harmless to healthy people, however. There is much that scientists don’t know about the disease:

  • Could asymptomatic carriers suffer symptoms later on? We don’t know.
  • Are asymptomatic carriers as likely to spread the disease as symptomatic carriers? We don’t know.
  • Could those who have “recovered” from Covid-19 be more vulnerable to other diseases as a result? We don’t know.
  • When/can an effective vaccine be created, and how long would it last? Would it be effective against all current strains and mutations? No one knows.

This article will discuss the knowledge, methods, preparing the terrain, and supplements you can use to protect your family during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Knowledge

Virus Biology

The SARS-CoV-2 virus (the Coronavirus) is usually contracted when the victim inhales droplets/aerosol exhaled or ejected by a cough or sneeze from an infected person. There is a lower transmission rate possible from touching objects like doorknobs, keyboards and light switches that an infected person has used, and then touching your eyes, nose or mouth. The virus lives on surfaces like these from several hours to several days, depending on the material, the temperature and humidity.

The virus floats around in the victim until it contacts epithelial cells that line capillaries and arteries in the lungs, arteries, heart, kidney, and intestines.  The walls of these vessels are normally smooth like Teflon, nothing sticks to them.  The vessel cell membranes contain Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as part of a system to keep blood pressure in control.  When the SARS-CoV-2 virus contacts ACE2 on the vessel cell membranes, some of the time a coronavirus spike will slide into the ACE2 like a key into a lock and give the virus entrance into the cell. About 75% of the time, the original COVID-19 virus spike structure will fall apart before it has had a chance to infect someone.

[However, a recent coronavirus mutation called D614G has been discovered, that has a more flexible spike structure, and this mutation has proven to be more infective to the victim causing more damage, and more infectious for higher person-to person-transmission.]

At this point, infection has occurred.  The cell‘s reproductive machinery is taken over by the virus, and the human cell starts reproducing more coronaviruses, which are released into the body.

While scientists still haven’t determined how a Covid-19 infection leads to life-threatening clots throughout the body, it seems reasonable that the human immune system recognizes the injuries caused by the coronavirus and reacts to destroy the intruder. White blood cells attack the viruses, fibrin and platelets are called into duty to plug the damage inflicted on the epithelial cells, and this ends up generating clots in blood vessels that starve the organs of life-giving oxygen-rich blood. If the infected person is not treated effectively at the earliest signs of distress, the body’s immune system can be overwhelmed or start a cytokine storm, when the immune system gets confused and starts attacking human cells as well as the virus.

The usual symptoms of COVID-19 include:

  • Fever or chills
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headache
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Sore throat
  • Diarrhea or other GI problems

There are no vaccines approved to prevent COVID-19, although accelerated human trials on vaccines are scheduled for later this year.  Having an effective vaccine in a year or two just isn’t realistic; The typical length of time for a vaccine to be developed is between 10 and 15 years. “The fastest vaccine that has ever been developed was the one for Ebola.  That took between four and five years.”  We have to learn to live with the virus as safely as possible.

Methods

Limit Your Exposure
The most extreme and safest example would be for you and your family members to seal the doors to your home, draw on your larder and stockpile for food and supplies, and wait out the pandemic until a vaccine or cure has been discovered. However, this would very impractical, uncomfortable and demoralizing for most folks. Most of us don’t have everything stored that we may need over the next year or two, we still need to go to work somewhere for income, and humans crave the company of others for information, physical help and companionship.

Let’s break down how to limit your exposure and discuss more practical methods for your family.

  1. Reduce the number of visitors to the home. Limit your exposure if they must visit. This includes friends, family members that do not live in your home, home maintenance people, etc.

Most business can be handled through phone calls, Zoom phone meetings, or email.

Folks visiting for pleasure and company can sit in chairs on the front yard, while you and

your loved ones are on the porch a safe distance away. My parents and siblings have a Zoom meeting once a week for “Game Night”, and it’s nice to stay connected that way.

Reduce your unnecessary trips out of your house. The collapsing airline, cruise and other travel industries are evidence that most people are taking this advice to heart.

Many grocery stores, retail stores and restaurants are surviving the ever-changing operating restrictions by providing curbside delivery and at-home delivery, while Amazon, UPS and other delivery services make most shopping in person unnecessary. Many public and charter schools (like my sons’) are converting their curriculum and policies to provide a choice of on-line only, in-person only, or a combination education.

  1. Reduce the chance of cross-contamination, by washing your hands frequently (about 10 times a day) for 20 seconds, and training yourself to not touch your face so often. In one study, subjects unconsciously touched their faces an average of 23 times an hour! The coronavirus can infect you only through your “face holes” (your mouth, nose and eyes), so wearing a facemask in public covers these vulnerabilities.
  2. Reduce exposure at work. Many service and knowledge-based industries are adapting their work policies to encourage working from home. This protects their workers educes company liability, and if this continues long-term, reduces the amount of office space needed for operation. Workspaces are also being redesigned to increase personal space for each worker and reduce needed worker interaction.

Most companies are also requiring the use of some level of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in the office or factory. The most important of these PPE are face masks/face coverings and gloves.

Using PPE

  1. Face Mask / Covering – Masks are 0% to 95% effective at stopping the coronavirus from passing through, depending on the mask material and how the mask is worn. All masks and coverings are meant to stop the spread of the coronavirus from the wearer to another person.
  • N95 masks are the best of those commonly available at 95% effective, as they block particles down to 0.1 microns, and the coronavirus is about 0.12 microns in size.
  • A mask with a furnace filter is up to 85% effective.
  • A tightly woven scarf is about 45% effective.
  • A bandana folded twice is about 30% effective.

Even though all but N95 masks have weaves larger than the coronavirus, they can still be effective because the virus tends to cling to materials it touches. It is akin to three NFL players trying to rush through a submarine hatchway – they are likely to block each other, or get snagged on the way through, even though each is smaller than the hatchway.

Masks need to be kept dry and clean to be effective and worn properly. I have seen way too many people at the store or in public areas wearing a facemask on their forehead, chin, or just over their mouth. None of these methods stop the coronavirus, obviously, but many people are concerned with comfort first.

Because N95 masks are considered the best, they disappeared from the Home Depot shelves in my area in February and are difficult to find at reasonable prices anywhere now.

After watching Peak Prosperity videos in January about a disease spreading in China, I decided to buy a box of N95 masks. I now use them in my line of service work, when I work in the warehouse or must enter occupied houses to work (I always wash my hands and use hand sanitizer upon leaving). Had I realized the scale and length of the pandemic, I would have bought many boxes to last for a year or two, but I did not, and now I am using each N95 mask until it is too gross to wear. That got me to thinking about a backup plan for when my N95 masks run out.

What is the next best alternative?

I was looking for a mask idea that was inexpensive, possibly washable, and could be made at home in quantity. The Suay Sew Shop in Los Angeles was working on such a solution at the start of the year. They tested a variety of mask designs and filter inserts with a PortaCount Pro particle detector, which measures particles between .02-1.0 microns, the range of most viruses.

We don’t sew in our family, but we were able to acquire some well-made pleated cloth masks with elastic. We bought a giant box of Wypall shop towels, and I cut each towel into five 3.25” strips, then folded them in half to make them double thickness.

Then I rolled up the strip, inserted it into the pocket of the mask, and carefully unrolled the shop towel to cover the entire interior surface area of the mask. Suay claims their designs are in the effectiveness range of 80%, which is a good bang for the buck.

Once you have used your mask for some length of time (that is up to you), you take out and dispose of the shop towel insert, wash the mask in your washing machine on “hot”, and refill the mask when it’s dry.

Long-term, it would be a good preparation for someone in the family to learn to sew, and stock up on more boxes of shop towels, mask cloth, elastic, and thread.

Gloves – For the general public, CDC recommends wearing gloves when you are cleaning or caring for someone who is sick. I personally use them when I must shop at a store, and when I have to work in an occupied house (company policy). The key to effective use of gloves is to put on a fresh pair right before you enter an area of higher infection, and take them off and dispose properly right after exiting the area. If you wear them any longer you risk cross-contaminating a cleaner area.

The followingis my best practice for hand hygiene at the store. It may appear extreme now, but as the infection rates climb, it will seem more and more reasonable.

  • Put my form of payment (usually a credit card, no change received) in my right back pocket (since I am right-handed).
  • Don my mask and gloves before exiting the car.
  • Get a shopping cart and hold onto the it at the corners or anywhere but the handle, to minimize glove contamination.
  • Do my shopping, trying to stay a safe distance from others.
  • Go to the self-checkout, and scan and bag the items.
  • Pull off my right glove so it is inside out, stick in one of my shopping bags.
  • Use that hand to pull out the credit card and pay, taking care not to contact the high touch area around the card insert slot.
  • Return my credit card to the right back pocket.
  • Put my right hand in a clean shopping bag and collect my groceries.
  • Dispose of both gloves and shopping bag “glove” after getting to my car.
  • Use hand sanitizer, just in case.
  • Remove my facemask, leave on the dash to “cook” in the summer heat.

Prepare the Terrain – Terrain theory says that if the body is well and balanced, then germs that are a natural part of life and the environment will be dealt with by the body without causing sickness. No one thinks that the coronavirus is a natural part of life (and I’m avoiding getting into the origins of Covid-19, as our mission here is to learn to avoid it), but the theory has a practical application – put your body in the best condition to fight this intruder.

Improve your physical health is by reducing the degree of your comorbidities that put patients at higher risk of a Covid-19 death:

  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Diabetes
  • Chronic respiratory disease
  • Hypertension
  • Obesity

That means, take your prescriptions as directed, reduce your intake of unhealthy processed foods, stop smoking, keep alcohol intake to a minimum, and reduce your excess weight.

  1. Get in shape for the race for your life. If you are exposed to the virus, you want your body to be in prime condition to fight its deadly effect. You do this by strengthening your body (especially your heart and lungs) through vigorous exercise. This topic has been covered in detail in previous SurvivalBlog entries.
  2. Stockpile and take supplements that make your terrain less inviting to the coronavirus, and other similar diseases.
  3. Supplies
  4. Supplements.

Readers of SurvivalBlog are ready for many kinds of disasters, and many of us have some general

medical supplies, like bandages, rubbing alcohol, and various ointments. Those who wish to prepare their family for exposure to Covid-19 need to also stockpile enough supplements and medications to keep their bodies in good shape to fight the virus from first contact.

The following prophylaxis supplements have been recommended by Dr. Chris Martenson of Peak Prosperity, mentioned at the end of many of his Coronavirus videos:

Treatment

Disclaimer: Although self-treatment is discussed here as a preliminary or “systems down” method, if you suspect you have Covid-19, get tested and seek professional medical treatment.

The Eastern Virginia Medical School has a Covid-19 Management Protocol (pdf) that makes the disease progression easy to understand, and proscribes medications and that have drastically reduced their protocol mortality rate to 3.5%. This is far below the national average of 8%, which includes those doctors using the EVMS protocol. Their strategy is to use antivirals early, followed by anti-inflammatories and blood thinners to reduce clotting.

The protocol acronym is MATH Plus. That’s M for methylprednisone, a steroid used to reduce inflammation, A for ascorbic acid, T for thiamine (vitamin B1), H for Heparin a blood thinner, plus a variety of other medications such as zinc, azithromycin, famotidine (Pepcid), melatonin, and magnesium, which have been shown to be effective in reducing the severity of symptoms.

Ivermectin is a cheap OTC medication approved for treatment as a dewormer, both for livestock and humans. It has also been shown to be effective to treating a variety of diseases like Zika, West Nile, and avian flu. A single dose of ivermectin has been shown in vitro (in a test tube) to reduce viral replication 5000-fold in 48 hours, and human studies are going on now. I bought several tubes of ivermectin at a livestock store for $8 each, good for 7 or 8 patients, just in case.

I put together an OTC “Covid Kit” for my oldest son, when he left lockdown for a co-op position at an engineering firm, to be used upon onset of mild symptoms. He knows to get tested and seek medical treatment should he not get better quickly.

The 21-day kIt includes:

  • Ivermectin – 15 mg, take once at onset
  • Zinc – 2 tablets / day
  • Aspirin – 6 to 8 tablets/day
  • Ibuprofen – 6 to 8 tablets/day
  • Vitamin C – 500 mg/day, increase to 3g/day if the disease worsens
  • Melatonin – 10 mg at bedtime
  • Famotidine – 40 mg/day.

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) was overall chosen as the most effective therapy amongst COVID-19 treaters from a list of 15 options – 75% in Spain, 53% Italy, 44% in China, 43% in Brazil, 29% in France, 23% in the U.S. and 13% in the U.K.

A study by the Henry Ford Health Center found that early use of HCQ alone cut patient mortality in half, from 26.4% to 13%. Other studies have shown that adding azithromycin and zinc reduce death rates even lower.

Conclusion

Covid-19 is a serious disease that deserves your respect, and it is vital that you protect yourself and your family. Understanding how it spreads, using good methods of infection prevention and taking supplements before you are exposed will give you the best chances of avoiding its deadly effects.




153 Comments

    1. To he who cannot spell unknown, for the same reason your skivvies don’t go into the incinerator. Toilet paper doesn’t kill e-coli nor wipes all of it off so your skivvies from almost the moment you put them on are contaminated with it.

      Soap and water works, viruses can only live outside the body for a few days. You don’t need to incinerate your masks.

      The Scam is the Media Hype, the man made Bio-Weapon is REAL. The author is describing how to protect you AND those you care about from this Bio-Weapon.

  1. Thanks for feeding the pandemic.

    This article was written before the CDC advised their numbers were bunk. 6% of those cases listed actually died from the KungFlu (use its proper name lest you support the propaganda). The other 94% had 2-3 other co-morbitities, and were universally old. So in other words, while tragic to those personally affected, almost all of the people who ‘died from Kung Flu’ were already on the edge. Gee, does pnemonia or flu season ever result in an increase in deaths in normal years? Its like watching people line up convinced THEY can beat the guy with the 3-card-monty table….
    Great info in this article, well thought out and presented. Unfortunately it probably does more to stoke peoples fears.
    Wake up people, we are ALL BEING PLAYED!

    1. K in Tenn: Agreed. People die. From all kinds of things… Covid is real but not much of a threat, unless you are frail. We know not to believe the numbers the government and media are giving us. California numbers: .02% death rate of which 1/2 are over 80 & no info on co-morbidity on the remaining. 01%. Your more likely to die from a head on texting accident on a country road. Were destroying our economy over a lie. We are preppers, but we don’t live in fear, we exercise wisdom. If you want something to be concerned about, better consider that life after death thing. 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9. Sorry, but my advise is: STOP DRINKING THE KOOL-AID.

    2. A thought to help evaluate the new reports of the “6%”… Be very careful about how statistics are read. This is a misleading piece of information, and is being heavily misinterpreted by the media. If you are genuinely searching for the truth, go to the original source data and make the assessment directly using sound statistical analysis of the clinical data.

      Remember the line from the Princess Bride?

      “Inconceivable!”

      “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means!”

    3. Okay. So let’s just stop allowing people with diabetes, heart disease, and any other “underlying” conditions to get treated, since they’re going to die anyway. Especially if they get infected with the Chinese CCP Bioweapon. In fact, let’s ONLY allow those who have no underlying conditions at all, IOW, people who are perfectly healthy, to continue to live. We’ll just eliminate all health care, since those who are perfectly healthy don’t need it.

      Did you know, that if you are shot and killed by a gunshot, or are killed in an auto accident, or happened to die in a work-related accident, that you didn’t actually die for any of these reasons if you had an underlying condition? It’s true! If you are walking across the street, and a bus hits and kills you, and you happened to have diabetes, it was the diabetes that killed you. Hard to believe, I know.

      Same logic. And no, it’s not just those over 85 years old. The vast majority of cases of people who have died are people who are 55 plus. You know, the AARP crowd. So yeah, out of the 190,000 plus people who have died since March (let’s see, that’s 6 months) just in the United States, about 80% of them are eligible for retirement. Not very many of those people DON’T have some underlying condition. So, according to the logic of the haters, LET THEM DIE. I can’t be bothered to do something small, like some of the suggestions in this well-written article, just to protect the lives of someone older than me. Are you crazy?

      Folks, this is a site about surviving and prepping. If you are here, then you should have been doing the things that are reflective of your desire to prep and survive. It’s only been six months, and you’re done. You want to get back to normal life. Well, so do we all, but it’s not going to happen. Why? Because some people buy the LIE that it’s a scamdemic, or only a few people die, so it’s okay.

      What you should have been doing for the last ten years was PREPARING for this. This attack by China with their Bioweapon is exactly the thing we prepare for.

      I ask this… what in the world are you going to do in five years when the lights go out for the last time? Hmmm? Because almost EVERYONE will die when that happens, and you will no longer be able (if you even survive) to blame their deaths on underlying causes. But I imagine some of you will still try.

      1. @Klaude “You know, the AARP crowd….So, according to the logic of the haters, LET THEM DIE.”

        Hey, that $50 Trillion shortfall in the baby boomers Social Security/Medicare Trust Funds ain’t going to fix itself, you know.

      2. Klaude Flaugstein,

        Well said!

        This was a well written common sense article…..but that’s what we are lacking in this country right now – common sense and reasonableness. We have lost our moral compass and kindness towards others. A lot of people would rather believe in conspiracies than history.

        I remember a time when we didn’t have to “pick a side”.

        1. Agreed with you, TXnurse!

          From your post: “This was a well written common sense article…..but that’s what we are lacking in this country right now – common sense and reasonableness. We have lost our moral compass and kindness towards others.”

          100%.

          1. Telesilla of Argos,

            Thanks, I just wish we could all have some kindness for the better of all, so we can all get back to jobs and a normal life. Sometimes it takes everybody to pitch in, and we could get over this faster. The virus is here to stay, but we can save lives until they come up with better treatments.

            I’ve said this before, but I really think people confuse inconvenience with oppression.

  2. I remain skeptical.
    And my skepticism is not just because the mask (aka ‘face-mask’) information is coming from press-releases from TheGovernmentAgents and spread by TheMainStreamMedia.
    In fair disclosure:
    * like George Carlin, I automatically don’t trust anything from TheGovernmentAgents… nada, zero, zip.

    Here is a point nobody addresses to my satisfaction, and this’s important to me because, after a building collapsed on me, I have one functional lung:
    * how do inhaled mask materials impact the pulmonary system?

    For example, the tiny fibers from a gaiter or bandana or face-covering of unknown composition.
    Each inhalation vacuums microscopic particles from the woven cloth.
    How do those tiny particles leave my lung and associated tissues such as my trachea and esophagus?
    If they are in my mouth, how do I avoid swallowing them?
    I rarely see virtue-signalers spitting on the store floor after each breath…

    An example of stripping fibers is my worshcloth I use in the shower.
    Laundering at least once a week, my worshcloth gets ‘threadbare’ after a few months of nightly use.
    I can see through the gaps in the weave.
    It loads less soap, so I must frequently scrub it against the soap-bar to replenish my cleaning abilities.
    Where do those tiny fibers go?
    During my shower, I probably inhale some, but the rest go down the drain.

    Let’s get back to today’s topic.
    With each inhalation through a mask (aka ‘face-mask’), I would be coating my mouth and throat with those similar fibers.
    How could that be healthy?
    For my safety, I want to read repeated double-blind research involving thousands of test-subjects over decades.
    If masks (aka ‘face-masks’) injure my lung, who compensates me for incompetent advice.
    Looking at you, Fauci and Brix… and Oregon governess Kate ‘Moonbeam’ Brown.

    Do our injestable material watch-dogs at TheFoodAndDrugAdministration certify mask (aka ‘face-mask’) material prior to giving their ‘safe to inhale/safe to swallow’ approval?

    Here in Oregon, what do I use to prevent airborne cooties from entering my lung?
    To participate in this phase of ‘virtue-signaling by costuming’, I stop at the entrance of a business with a placard demanding I ‘do something!’:
    * I buckle my AO Safety© respirator with double filters, a goofy-looking alien-invader tool certified to keep sanding dust and spray-paint out of my lung.
    * I mount my neon-yellow protective shootin’ goggles.

    Of course, my respirator/goggles costume covers only a fraction of my skin.
    Anything on my skin is absorbed by my skin.

    And I am not quite convinced a driving-alone mask (aka ‘face-mask’) prevents much of anything.

    1. Large Marge an interesting comment. Can I assume given your concerns about inhaling unwanted MASK fibers and such into your only lung you have a hospital grade HEPA air system for your home? Given your one lung and self ID as a Large Person your quite at risk for COVID.

      I just finished dusting my home and was admiring the lint and other fibers in the duster. Very interesting fibers around the dryer.

      Would be an awfully hard Anti-Mask lawsuit to file unless you can PROVE your home environment and every place you got to is HEPA filtered.

      The Mask is to PROTECT folks like you from Others Spittle. Your wearing a HOPEFULLY Better grade given your concerns Mask is to protect others as well as yourself.

      Incase you missed it reading this excellent article COVID 19 so far doesn’t penetrate Skin. It enters the body through the mucus membranes like eyes, mouth, nose. So given your protective equipment you should do well UNLESS you put your UNWASHED Fingers to touch the eyes, nose, mouth the some 23 times an hour the article also mentions.

      At Ft Sam Houston medical training we put the inside of a cut jalapeno pepper on our fingers for training. You LEARN REAL QUICK not to touch your eyes, nose or mouth that way.

      1. “Anything on my skin is absorbed by my skin.”

        That is not true. Intact skin is a very effective barrier against almost all solid particles and the vast majority of liquids as well.

        “mask fibers” is not a thing anyone needs to worry about. Most materials degrade into dust/fibers with age, use and general decay. This includes paint particles from the walls of your house, fibers from every bit of fabric and clothing and dust from any abraded surface like a countertop, wood table, or bench. But most of the dust comprising out living spaces is dead skin and hair from the resident humans, rodents, pets, and insects, including the living insects like dust mites that are consuming the aforementioned dead skin. Proper cleaning helps minimize this, but in reality, wearing an N95 or better mask will almost certainly reduce the particle load on the lungs. If there actually are and fibers or particles coming off your mask (and if you are using a good non-woven mask this will be negligible) it will be far less then what the mask itself blocked from the air around you. Unless you are wearing some offbrand gater-mask made overseas, in which case I would worry a lot more about the chemicals released from the synthetic material, dyes, and inks and not the fibers.

  3. Agree with the first comment WE ARE ALL BEING PLAYED!

    Stop spreading their fear. Only 6% of the deaths reported from COVID were actually FROM COVID. The other 94% had 2-3 preexisting conditions which a a flue or pneumonia would take them out anyways. Add in the fact that 4 democrat governors knowingly put COVID patients into nursing homes to spike the death numbers even higher. Probably by tens of thousands.

    This thing is nothing more than a control mechanism and about stealing the election for the democrats. Stop playing into their hands. Stop wearing masks (what micron filtration is your piece of cotton?)

    Fight back and take your country back. Enough being sheep!

    1. Chris! You are correct… This is an engineered virus, and a bioweapon. It does not behave in vivo like other viruses, and this is one of the reasons it’s so vexing.

    1. The basic cocktail has been: HCQ 200mg twice a day for 5 days, a Z pack (azithromycin) as normally dosed, and zinc during that time. I recommend 100 mg zinc per day but I’ve seen 200 mg per day also mentioned. I think it depends on how you tolerate it. YMMV [Editor’s note: Dosing is always age and weight specific, consult a medical professional first]

    2. Some studies recommend 250mg HCQ 2x a day, and up to 100 mg Zinc daily.

      The latest studies have shown that ivermectin can be just as effective, when used with zinc and an antibiotic like doxycycline.

      https://theland-downunder.com/2020/08/11/local-doctor-thomas-borody-may-have-breakthrough-coronavirus-cure/

      I have picked up several tubes of ivermectin at the Tractor Supply (2/$5!) and bought tetracycline in the fish antibiotic section of pet store websites.

      These meds are cheap insurance against the day that someone in my family gets Covid.

    3. Thank you Mark B and Hills of TN for the response to my question on HCQ and Zinc dosage. In my area, if one would to ask a medical practioner on the said question, one would be classified as a suspect and be referred for a testing and more if found positive.

  4. I am consistently asking individuals I meet, “Do you know of anyone ‘personally’ that has died of COVID?” I have found one person that has that personal connection! Now of course there ARE people dying from this virus but we need to keep things in perspective.

    First, especially in the U.S., this virus is being used as a political tool. I was in PSYOPS (psychological operations) during Viet Nam, I can assure you we are being PLAYED.

    Please, don’t take this in the wrong light. Yes, we need to take prudent precautions against any potential health threats but then again, keep things in perspective. When the dust settles and we have some REAL numbers to work with I presume the WWDR (world wide death rate) from this virus will be .08 to 1.2%…..we loose approximately 1.35 million people every year to traffic accidents! That’s every year!!! WE NEED TO OUTLAW VEHICLES and save all those lives every year. You get my point, perspective, perspective, perspective.

    1. Agreed that this is a political tool. Nancy Pelosi isn’t fearful of the virus, or she would have worn her mask in someone else’s business, and she is 80 years old. I heard someone throw out the idea that with a vaccine so close to being ready, was this already known about and the vaccine in the works before we were told of the existence of COVID?

      I am actually surprised the CDC changed their numbers, but the 6% fatality of the US positive cases makes much more sense. I also suspect the numbers were high because people were immediately put on ventilators rather than treated with other means.

      Nobody wants to die, and none of us want to cause others to get sick. However, I think someone already replied that Christians do not live in fear. God knows the number of our days, and we know where we will live eternally, if we walk in His ways. We take risks every day; not too many people are fearful of the risk of driving vehicles and ending up as a fatality, yet those things happen every day, and likely all of us know someone (or more than one person) who has died in a car accident.

      Eam, I have been asking people also, do you know someone who died of COVID? I haven’t found one connection yet. I’ve talked to one person who tested positive for it, and he did have a respiratory illness at the time. It does make me wonder, when I am reading Psalm 91:7…

  5. Well written article. Sad to see this type of hysterical propaganda on this site. Especially with the known and available facts regarding efficacy of masks and covid 1984 death stats (both from CDC) which refute the claims here.

    1. [Update: I misspoke here, down below. The CDC is a Federal Governmental agency that operates as a public-private partnership. Jim and I are in agreement that the CDC, the NIH, and the WHO have all been thoroughly co-opted by the multinational pharmaceutical companies. They have run rough-shod over the Third World using people as human guinea pigs without their knowledge or consent. They have become instruments of evil. They have become the intellectual heirs of Margaret Sanger, et al.

      “Do you realize that the CDC is a privately owned company? Therefore, they can say and do whatever they like for their own agenda. Who created it? Who is at its head right now? Do some research. Information coming out of the CDC is not to be trusted. Use much discernment. Take care of yourself and pray. NOTHING is what we thought it was.”

        1. Well…

          Wikipedia states it was founded by the League of Nation’s Malaria prevention division and the Rockefeller Organization. These two groups are already suspect for their globalization agendas.

          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centers_for_Disease_Control_and_Prevention

          Here are some other “proofs” that it may not be governmental. It does partner with many private organizations and has many vaccine patents.

          Here https://www.intellihub.com/cdc-exposed-as-private-corporation/

          https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/international-news/disease/cdc-is-a-private-organization-not-government/

          https://globalpossibilities.org/robert-kennedy-jr-cdc-is-a-privately-owned-vaccine-company/ (Vaccine part of their
          equation)

          Frankly, whether or not it is an official governmental organization. I, sadly, no longer trust anything from the government today.

          1. This is an interesting question you raise, Avalanche Lily — on the subject of the interface between government organizations and the private sector. There is a lot of interaction — for good purposes and as well for purposes that are not so good (and are sometimes misguided, misleading, or down right dark). In any case — and across all these cases — a lack of trust in the government is entirely understandable.

          2. Well said, Lily.

            The CDC is not to be trusted. There are too many “scientists” that stand to gain tens of millions of dollars if this disease is prolonged until a “vaccine” is made available. Bill Gates stands to make tens of Billions of dollars if any one of the “vaccines” he supports gets to be the official cure.

            (Ask India and several African countries what they think of Gates and his vaccines. The numbers of ruined lives is simply staggering.)

            There has already been several billions spent by the USG on vaccines that do not exist yet. There are many billions yet to be spent. We are literally paying in advance for “vaccines” that may turn around and kill tens if not hundreds of millions of people globally and hundreds of thousands if not millions within the USA.

            This article is well written, with great attention to detail. There is also some very good information that is useful for everyone. That being said, some of the sources used leave a lot to be desired. They are just too compromised to be trusted. I find myself trusting those doctors and nurses that are giving real-time, first hand data on what works and what doesn’t. Their information tends to run counter to that provided by the CDC, the NIH, and the WHO.

            I won’t be taking any vaccine for this. The last vaccine I took darned near killed me, and I wasn’t sick prior to taking the vaccine. I took it as a precautionary measure. The same thing happened to my wife. Never again.

          3. @ AL

            I’m not saying that we should trust the CDC as it’s a government agency. Just correcting the statement to note that it is indeed a Federal gov’t agency and not private.

          4. For years, the CDC spent precious funding and resources on a cure for the Firearms pandemic in America, instead of on medical issues, like real pandemics. How different 2020 might have been if they had not been so politically motivated, and had focused on important medical things. I’m sure they are working on solving Global Warming as well…

    2. Lilly- Its telling that the CDC was a major contributor to the fear campaign yet has now released data suggesting that the number of deaths was not only nowhere near projections, but more in line with an above average seasonal flu- or less. Also, the article posted above uses the CDC as a source.

      I don’t think we should blindly trust “experts” whether public, private, or in between (including wikipedia). The CDC is no more publicly controlled than the C I A, the Federal Reserve, or your local school district- yet you still transact in federal reserve notes also known as dollars, right?

      There are, however, many actual competent dedicated folks working in these institutions. Who in the US provides better stats for infectious disease than CDC? Many local hospital systems are publicly funded and privately administered. Would you avoid critical health treatment from trusted local experts because they’re semi publicly funded?

      Bottom line, IMHO, is that the covid 1984 situation is a psyop/political propaganda fear campaign that all good people should resist. May God bless the 9000+ who have died from it. I dont think intentionally ushering in a new great depression is the correct cure for a marginally dangerous manmade flu virus.

      Thank you for this forum.

  6. A voice of reason willing to be shouted down by the ignorant. Bravo! The pity isn’t that the masks don’t work crew just keep recycling the same manure it’s that they care NOTHING about others. Masks PROTECT Others from YOU. It’s YOUR Spittle we are controlling.

    The economic lock down of all instead of protecting the vulnerable as well as the stupidity of telling folks that masks are not needed TO Keep the Masks for the Medical Personnel was jackassery of the worst kind.

    Marxist Antifa-BLM is fighting to emplace the Socialist-Democrats into power forever and you “Hero’s” are wining about masks???

    If I may add some thoughts from someone who has worked in the Hot Spot known as the Hospitals for several decades through Ebola, H1N1, Avian Flu and many a dangerously bad flu season?

    Set up a decontamination station in your home. Take those shoes OFF before you enter your home. Strip down and toss in washing machine your outside clothing. Use soap and water to wash your hands, face and exposed skin, place those washcloths in the washer. START the washer. Then you can dress for your “Clean Zone”, hug your wife, play with your dog and such.

    I’ve been taking care of Oxygen Dependent Parents for well over a year and this house is as clean and safe as I can make it.

    1. Standing up and speaking the truth is important, even when the truth is unpopular and hotly debated.

      From your post: “A voice of reason willing to be shouted down by the ignorant. Bravo!”

      AGREED. WELL SAID. BRAVO!

    2. Michael,
      You are another voice of reason. It is now fashionable to attack healthcare workers. My answer to this is you have not seen what I have seen. Nothing worse than ignorance and conspiracies. An armchair quarterback or “sheep” could not work where HCW’s work day in and day out. What I know about infectious disease is over 30 years of work and experience.
      I absolutely believe the science behind it.

      1. TXnurse… Point so well made.

        From your post: “My answer to this is you have not seen what I have seen.”

        Unfortunately, and in order for some people to understand, blood must run like rivers in the streets. It should not be this way.

  7. OK, everybody ought to know me by now.
    I have a good time at the expense of virtue-signalers and other marxists.
    Partly because, good grief!, are they an easy target.

    But this’s serious.
    This’s the latest weekly report from TheGovernmentAgents:

    http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid_weekly/index.htm?fbclid=IwAR2-muRM3tB3uBdbTrmKwH1NdaBx6PpZo2kxotNwkUXlnbZXCwSRP2OmqsI

    Synopsis:
    * during 2020, a grand total of 9,412 perished from this phase of this influenza.

    All the other deceased had ‘co-morbidities’ such as obesity and respiratory diseases and Alzheimer’s, and were on their way to the soylent recyclers irregardless.

    Of approximately 330 million Americans, less than 10,000 perished from all this hoopla during the first eight months of 2020.

    During that period, approximately >10,000 Americans perished from medical malpractice each month.
    In round numbers, physicians killed Americans at a rate >six times worse than TheEpidemic.

    Do I place any value on this report?
    Nope.
    It was prepared and disseminated by humans, and we all filter information through our biases.
    Yet, could it point to additional avenues of investigation?
    And certain people to avoid?

    Although… I have to admit, this report from the one-job folks at TheCenterForDiseaseControlAndPrevention doesn’t at all
    mention the epidemic of driving-alone mask wearers.

    (aka ‘face-masks’)

  8. There is a ton of great information available on this blog but this article just feeds the misplaced fear that has been created and used by the powers that be. I am shocked that it made it through the excellent JWR filters!

    1. Jay… With all due respect, I must disagree. This was a well written and thoughtful article submitted by a member of the SB community who clearly cares about the health and well-being of other SB readers. Of course it should have passed through the filters of our fearless and intrepid editorial team.

    2. Hello Jay, I believe this information made it thru JWR’s filters on purpose. The education I am gleaning is from not only the new information being presented, but from the diverse and steadfast opinions on said information. Some opinions are evolving, and some are sticking to their guns in spite of new information.—-I don’t remember when it became an actual law to wear seat belts, I didn’t much care. It was only after a head on collision with a drunk driver turning into my lane that I came to take wearing seat belts a lot more seriously. Wear a mask?–Don’t wear a mask?–That to me is more an assessment of your current environment, not someones perceived policy. Most of the mentors that I have learned from scoped things out pretty well before they started offering advise and second opinions. Listening, and watching the things people think, and do, is just as, if not more important as understanding any issue. I believe a methodical thinker uses this knowledge not only to understand and always be a few steps ahead of an enemy, but to understand the thinking of his own group. Arguing the virtues of one point against another is less productive than having discussions that incorporate the best parts of both viewpoints. To me that’s what this site is all about. So I like hearing the different viewpoints, and, agree or not, I’ll discuss them with my friends. But as always, I will be responsible for myself, and my family with the best knowledge I can muster along with some hard earned lessons.

      1. Thank you, Old Welder. Your thoughts are very much appreciated, and I would like to expand on what I felt was an extremely important example and point.

        From your post: “I don’t remember when it became an actual law to wear seat belts, I didn’t much care. It was only after a head on collision with a drunk driver turning into my lane that I came to take wearing seat belts a lot more seriously.”

        We don’t survive all the lessons. Some do not come with a second chance, and we must get these “right” the first time around.

      2. Old Welder, as a retired scientist I appreciate the perspective you just added to the discussion. Throughout my career I frequently saw some fellow scientists state a theory and then try to prove it. That’s what most of us do in life. The scientific method, however, instructs us to do the opposite. State your theory, then step outside your castle and throw the biggest rocks you can find to destroy it. That which is left standing up to hard scrutiny is likely the truth. I, personally, believe in the general efficacy of masks to protect both myself and others. But, the above reference to the reviews that indicated masks did not reduce operating room infections is pretty intriguing and will make me continue to research mask effectiveness. There are already several reports of mask wearers not getting Covid19 while those around them did. Further studies should give us additional clarity, but for now masks are pretty cheap insurance. There are good points on both sides of this discussion

  9. I wrote this article over a month ago, so the stats and some scientific details are out of date.

    However, the basics are correct, that Covid-19 is dangerous to many people with comorbidities and the elderly. That includes a large and important part of the general population, including my wife and parents.

    The article’s statements are not overblown or exaggerated, and I do not live my life in fear.

    Just as one looks both ways before crossing the street, it is prudent to consider the health consequences before going out in public.

    1. Mark B. – you have some great information in the article and clearly worked very hard on it. I’m sure you aren’t surprised that many of us here are simply not on board with the masks, lockdowns and covid hysteria. However I’m sure we can all agree that the virus is real (man made or otherwise) and you provide some medical suggestions that could help anyone who gets infected, for that I thank you.

  10. ALL Bull excrement. This thing is over. The untold damage to human lives(depression, suicide, overdose, etc) far outweighs and health issues from the rona.

    The economic damage will most probably destroy this country.

    Hunker down cuz it’s about to get real and catching the Roma is gonna be the least of your problems.

    1. Oh brother. If depression, suicide and overdose are the results of the failure of Americans to not be snowflakes and hunker through a rough time, then we have far more serious issues than either the Chinese CCP Bioweapon OR depression. We have become a nation of abject weaklings that can do nothing except throw temper tantrums.

      We were attacked by a foreign nation, and now we are destroying ourselves as a result. That was a damned effective weapon, don’t you think? We are GIVING the Communists a victory they never possibly imagined, because we cannot even contemplate doing anything that remotely inconveniences ourselves. We demand instant gratification, and if we don’t get it, we quit, we stomp our feet, we run people off the road, we tell ourselves that we are more important than some older person who has some “underlying” condition. WE are the people demanding the Death Panels that we objected to when Hillary Clinton wanted to make it policy.

      Maybe it’s easy to justify letting people die alone, in isolation, fighting for every breath, if it’s not happening in front of our faces. When it’s you, or one of your loved ones, it will be too late to contemplate your lack of humanity.

      Consider this. The Chinese CCP Bioweapon is real, and it has killed AT LEAST 190,000 people since March just in this country. The damage to our economy is also real. The mental health issues you listed above are also real. These things are NOT mutually exclusive. What is also real is misinformation being paraded as fact. For every “expert opinion” there is “an equal and opposite expert opinion”.

      Everyone wants to get back to work. But it will not happen unless everyone also acknowledges that the threat is real, and musters the courage (yes, it takes courage to do the things suggested in this article) to try to prevent spreading the virus. We could have ended this thing by April if everyone hunkered down for three weeks. We could have ended this thing by May even if no one hunkered down, but took the appropriate steps to prevent the spread. It’s now September, and people are complaining about their freedom, which they don’t have, because they REFUSED to make any effort at all to prevent the spread.

      Congratulations. 190,000 people (so far) now are DEAD from this virus, and will never be able to enjoy their freedoms, because THEY ARE DEAD. And because people will continue to REFUSE to make any effort to prevent the spread, our freedoms will continue to erode, more people will die unnecessarily, and you will continue to call it a scamdemic. That’s what I call Bull Excrement.

      1. Uhh, no. Mome of those things in the article (masks, social distancing, blah blah, blah do jack squat. This virus will run its course just like every virus before it and every one after it. CDC proven time after time of putting out bogus info. Masks don’t work! Masks do work! Gaiters are harmful! Face coverings of any kind are needed!

        You’ve been played. I don’t pretend to know why and you are just speculating CCP bioweapon.

        I suspect this is all just to get Trump out of office by any means. I will not wear the face diaper of submission. You can if you think it does something for you. You’re sick, stay home. Protect the elderly and most at risk.

        Let the rest of us get on with our lives.

        1. “Uhh, no. Mome of those things in the article (masks, social distancing, blah blah, blah do jack squat.”

          and

          “You’ve been played. I don’t pretend to know why and you are just speculating CCP bioweapon.”

          …says one of the last people on the planet that has not been paying attention to the actual details. Enjoy your echo-chamber.

          By the logic of several people here, since masks don’t work 100%, they don’t work at all. That is what I am hearing. Masks do provide protection, and that protection is PRIMARILY for the protection of others. Granted, they are not 100%, by a long shot. No one has said otherwise… I also vehemently oppose MANDATORY mask use and lockdowns. This is the crux of the issue. Since I wear a mask IF AROUND OTHERS, and WISH others would wear a mask when they are INSIDE and unable, or unwilling to avoid coughing on, spitting on, sneezing on, etc those around them, then by definition I must be in favor of mandatory mask use and lockdowns. THIS is why I am very content to not expose myself to them, spend money in their businesses, etc. If they care so little for others at a time like this, then I will simply not do business with them. Granted, some people ARE in favor of mandatory blah blah blah. They’re communists and not worth the skin they live inside.

          I’ll close with this… it was a very well written article, and I appreciate the author taking the time to write it.

    2. Agree 100% Winder. The damage the lockdowns have done far outweighs the supposed health benefits we’ve gotten from the lockdowns. We were supposed to lockdown for 2 weeks to slow the curve. We did that in March. It’s September now.

      We’ve turned our citizenry into mask loving-fearful zombies who walk around and don’t even speak cordially to anyone anymore. It’s time for those who feel they are at risk to protect themselves. They need to order online, have groceries delivered, socially isolate if they feel they must. It’s not up to the other 300 million citizens to protect them. We’ve never done it with the flu…..which by the way sickened me for 6 weeks in 2017. No one wore a mask for me. Nor would I ever demand that they do.

      1. @SE USA I think your 300 million figure above is not realistic. Perhaps 150 million, since many are doing exactly what you have suggested.

        Guess what… for those who say “Take off your mask and get back to work”, I say this:

        No.

        My family and I prepared for something like this over the last several years, based on the tremendous education we have received on this site and others. We are well-stocked, and can easily get by on what we have for a very long time. If we “want” something, we either grow it, order it online or do a zero-contact pickup. Simple as that. A few businesses are benefiting from what little we have chosen to spend. The others, not so much. Multiply that by 150 million and suddenly you realize that the mask-deniers and virus-deniers are not quite as relevant as they thought.

        I wonder, how many of these same people who insist on everyone getting back to work, get rid of your masks, stop being a puppet of the leftists (not true, but yes, we know that is what you think of us) are the some of the same ones who own the restaurants that are failing, the hardware stores that are closing, the mall stores that will never reopen, and any business that sells less-than-required merchandise that have closed. We get it. You are desperate. You need business. If you weren’t desperate, you wouldn’t be here and elsewhere criticizing those of us who choose to wear masks IN PUBLIC to protect ourselves AND OTHERS. You wouldn’t care. I don’t know, but I suspect it’s a substantial number, simply because business owners tend to be more conservative, and that happens to be the group objecting most strenuously to wearing masks and taking other protective measures. This doesn’t make sense to me, it actually sounds self-defeating. It’s okay. That is called survival, and those that choose to survive, will.

        As George Eliot said in his novel “Middlemarch”, “It was as useless to fight against the interpretations of ignorance as to whip the fog.”

        Our business has also been affected, but will recover when the time is right and the threat of the Chinese CCP Bioweapon has been eliminated, or at least reduced to irrelevance. We will then help to rebuild, and a new generation of businesses will open to fill the void left by those who could not, or would not adapt.

        1. Klaude Flaugstein We are not desperate. We are 100% debt free and fully stocked as you are. Our business has been affected, but we still earn a nice, comfortable living from it and want for nothing (unless this madness continues eternally).

          We care about the elderly & sick but we do not want to see the worlds greatest economy and nation destroyed. We are unwilling to let hysteria rule us. Unwilling to let political manipulation rule us. We want to be free.

          Wearing a mask, living in fear and closing down or limiting capacity of “non” essential businesses is not freedom. Simple. If you think it is what free people allow to happen, then you need to re-examine your definition of freedom.

          1. Agreed SA USA…… ( Simple. If you think it is what free people allow to happen, then you need to re-examine your definition of freedom.)

            If people are that fearful they should lock themselves inside their homes and let the rest of us live our lives without their bs rules.

  11. 1) N95 masks with valves like the article’s photo may protect the wearer but do not stop an infected person from expelling viruses that can infect others.

    Part of the argument for masks is that they (partially) block viruses being exhaled by sick people as well as (partially) block viruses in the air from being inhaled by the well.

    2) The “herd immunity” may not work. There have been reports of people surviving an attack of the Wuhan viruses and then becoming reinfected. Apparently from a different version of the virus. However, such reinfections appear rare.

    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-science-idUSKBN25O2UP

    3) The author is right to be concerned about the long term effects of the virus –several articles have noted that 15-20%?? of recovered patients have suffered longer term effects, although it is too early to tell how long the problems will linger.

    https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/07/brain-fog-heart-damage-covid-19-s-lingering-problems-alarm-scientists

  12. I’m also skeptical about all things Covid. At a recent family get together, 12 of us ranging in age from 14 to 83 were in the company of a person who did not feel well and then tested positive for Covid the next day. During that get together, I sat next to the infected person for at least 4 hours, sharing food and drinks and talking. The rest of the family interacted with him throughout the day as well, shaking hands, family hugs etc. All the while with no masks, hand washing, or other protections. (No one knew at the time he was Covid positive, although he knew he didn’t feel well, yet still chose to come to the party.)
    Now, two and a half weeks later, no one has gotten sick including his wife, children, and the other family members who rode in the car with him over an hour each way.
    Several people who were particularly concerned got tested and are negative. The infected person himself said he felt like he had a cold for about a week and then got completely better. We certainly prayed about the incident over the subsequent two weeks and I am a firm believer that God can do anything HE wants and can protect whoever He chooses. Nevertheless, I have to wonder about how dangerous the current strain of Covid is, given so many people exposed and their advanced ages in some cases. Is all of the mask wearing and social distancing for nothing? Or has it lost its usefulness since the beginning of the disease? It’s a shame that the American people can not get a simple answer to an important question from our leaders without needing to suspect all who are giving the answers of some suspicious political motivation!

    1. It’s possible that you (and members of your family) have some protective hereditary feature even if this is not known or well understood.

      Among my family members is an individual whose blood was of great interest to researchers for a a very long time related to a unique antigen structure. That characteristic may convey some protections related to some diseases. This same person also have a defective Alpha-1 gene which creates a disadvantage to other disease processes — including respiratory disease.

      The important point within this is that neither of these characteristics is apparent on the surface. Neither the advantage or disadvantage can be seen on the surface of this person who is generally very, very healthy with none of the usual comorbidity concerns or any significant health history. In fact, the Alpha-1 gene was discovered quite by surprise.

      You would never imagine that this person could be vulnerable to COVID-19, but in fact, this person may be very, very vulnerable to COVID-19 based on the Alpha-1 finding.

      For those among us who think they’re not among the vulnerable, I would say this: it’s not possible to know this with certainty. Please be cautious.

  13. Thank you, Mark B! Your article conveys genuine concern and reasoned thoughts re: precautions people can take to try to prevent the transmission of SARS-COV-2, and attempt to mitigate any illness for those who contract COVID-19.

    I do find it confusing that the very people who say they’re battling the political tyranny associated with lockdowns are the same people who combat reasonable efforts to prevent the spread of this bug (meaning least restrictive and voluntary). It seems very reasonable to me that none among us should be willing to risk others — even if we are willing to risk ourselves. Let that sink in for a bit.

    My own position, and that of every member of my household, remains steadfast. We are taking every precaution necessary to prevent contracting this virus, and/or transmitting it to anyone else.

    Folks, this is why we PREPARE. For those who are having difficulty coping with the real danger of this bioweapon, I suggest that it’s time to attend the reasons for this — whatever they may be. Those who survive this round have the opportunity to be stronger and more prepared for whatever comes next. Steel yourselves. In the truest and toughest sense of this expression, steel yourselves.

    1. Telesilla of Argos, if you really want to stop the spread of this disease then you need to completely isolate yourself from the rest of us. How do we know that you are not an asymptomatic carrier? Don’t come out of your house even with a mask, gloves, and staying at least 6′ away from anyone. You could be putting us all at risk.

      1. No problem, no need to fear me, and already done. I do not come into contact with anyone outside my own household nor does anyone else in my household.

        I hope you feel reassured!

  14. Fact Less than 10,000 people have died from this virus
    Fact Masks and Gloves are not needed
    Fact Build your immune system with mega doses of Vit D3, Vit A, Vit C
    Fact This is A Scamdemic or Plandemic (your choice)
    Fact If you are Diabetic, Obese, Heart issues, Respiratory issues you are very susceptible to
    death from this virus.
    Fact 170,000 people have died with the above listed ailments complicated by Inept (so called)
    Medical Professionals, folks who have railed against Quinine Ivermectin, Zinc and
    Azithromyacin treatment in early stages and by the MEDIA who is complicit in
    Spreading the lies.
    Fact https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/08/cdc-doesnt-want-truth-covid-19-transparent/
    Fact No Vaccine will help… They can’t even find one for the common cold or common flu or
    sheepism!! 🙂

  15. Vitamins and good health are wise in all circumstances.

    This plandemic has played out.

    I’m more worried about civil unrest and the left stealing the election.

    The plandemic was part of their arsenal.

    1. @Texas Gal

      Vitamins and good health are wise in all circumstances. YES

      This plandemic has played out. NOT BY A LONG SHOT, AND NOT A “PLANDEMIC”.

      I’m more worried about civil unrest and the left stealing the election. THIS IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING TO BE WORRIED ABOUT – – ABSOLUTELY AGREE.

      The plandemic was part of their arsenal. NO. NOT ORIGINALLY. THE PANDEMIC IS REAL, AND IT WAS DELIBERATELY UNLEASHED ON US BY CHINA. IT JUST BECAME A VERY USEFUL TOOL FOR THEM (THE LEFTISTS/COMMUNISTS) – NEVER LET A GOOD CRISIS GO TO WASTE.

      Sorry for all caps. I was not yelling, I just cannot figure out how to inject italics.

      1. Sorry for all caps. I was not yelling, I just cannot figure out how to inject italics.

        Yea, me too. It would convenient. I’ve notice some people here have figured out a way to insert italics, I’m not one of them. Oh well.

  16. The death rate is calculated by dividing the COVID 19 deaths by the confirmed cases times 10 and you get a death rate close to the annual flu death rate. The article gives the factor of 10 as the CDC. The CDC assumption is that the real case numbers are 10 times the confirmed case numbers at any one time. There are rare complications with COVID 19 as there are with the flu. Masking does not stop the virus from going through the mask either coming or going through the mask as the particles are too small to be effected by the mask. The N95 mask does give 95 percent protection but those masks go to only first responders and hospitals. Use Quercetin which is a zinc ionophore at 2000 mg with 50 mg of zinc and about quadruple the dose of vitamin D and use the Vitamin D as a continuous supplement and use the Quercetin with Zinc if you start getting symptoms. Those are some recommendations from a doctor as a supplement to boost the immune system. Hopefully this helps gives some clarification.

  17. The article can be understood, as there is a need for people to have ~protective medical equipment during SHTF and ~all other times. Diseases are still a problem in our country and around the world.
    Disease~ is characterized by one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocolypse. [See Revelations in the Bible]

    Other people in this comment section have noted COVID-19 is being distorted (for political reasons). The US Economy is being throttled with COVID-19 lock~downs. … There is a problem with the numbers generated, by the Center for Disease Control.
    Apparently, the CDC is attributing many deaths to COVID-19, when the problem is the comorbidity aliments of the people dying.

    The tabulation of the people dying is influenced by politics. =
    For instance: “George Floyd Tested Positive for COVID-19. + June 4, 2020 ~ George Floyd, who died while being restrained by Minneapolis police on May 25, tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, according to the medical examiner’s report released on Wednesday. The coronavirus didn’t affect his death, according to the report.” [WEB MD]

    There is a failure to be as honest in reporting by the FAKE NEWS about COVID-19 deaths and comorbidity aliments.
    It seems, George Floyd had other health problems, including a ~fatal dosage of Fentanyl (Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid analgesic that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent. = from the Internet.)
    [Everyone rioting is claiming the Neck Restraint was the cause of death to George Floyd.]

    One question that needs to be answered by the mask wearing, Dr Fauci, “Why isn’t he out telling all of the protesters and leftwingers, that George Floyd died of COVID-19?”
    Why can’t the citizens of America expect ~consistency and ~truthfulness from the Bureaucratics in our Government.

    1. @Alan Macdonald Good point. Unless people see blood, guts and eyeballs they don’t believe it has happened. We live in such a sanitized society that when people die, especially lately from the Chinese CCP Bioweapon, their remains are whisked away to the crematorium or funeral home, and buried, with nothing left except a tombstone. Out of sight, out of mind.

      1. Uh huh.

        https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid19/excess_deaths.htm

        This link requires more than a cursory glance. The bottom line is that there have been 223,000 “excess” deaths so far this year, which is actually greater than the number of reported deaths from the Chinese CCP Bioweapon.

        My point, since you asked, is that the death rate in our country has gone up significantly due to the CCP Bioweapon, but since it is sanitized, you don’t see it, therefore it doesn’t affect you, therefore you don’t believe it (or worse, you don’t care).

        Perhaps an extra 1000-1500 people dying every day from a weapon unleashed on us doesn’t matter to you. It matters to me. It matters to the families that have lost loved ones. Someday you may be older, and you may still wish to continue living, even when you’re 70. Or 80. I pray you are not surrounded by people who say “go ahead and let him die. He’s old anyway.”Their lives are no less meaningful, or worthy, than yours or mine. The loss of life due to this attack is devastating. And it’s wrong. And to minimize it is even worse. It’s evil.

        What we are seeing in our society was predicted in a movie from the 70’s. Perhaps you remember it… it was called Logan’s Run.

        1. Just a quick glance at this study told me i had neither the time nor the inclination to get past all the averages, adjustments and other methods used to make this appear factual and prove the point they were promoting. Many years ago while going to college for a health care career I learned how easily statistics can be used to mislead and what constitutes a good versus a bad scientific study. I really believe with enough time i could take the info in this “study” and prove my point either way. It has all the criteria to me of “if you can’t impress them with your intelligence then baffle them with your B.S”
          i personally stopped using the CDC, NIH or WHO as a credible source of info years ago. Not saying that they are necessarily wrong or lying on this but no longer fit my definition of unbiased on most health issues.

  18. I was reading but stopped in my tracks when I started reading about ACE and the cell walls. I am on a low-dose ACE inhibitor and had never read about a link with Covid-19. I am still confused, too, but it appears the claim is my daily pills makes it EASIER for the virus to attack my cells. Anybody else read it the same way?

    1. Anonymous,

      The simple answer is just the opposite, some random data has shown that ACE inhibitors and Angiotension 2 inhibitors have actually shown a slightly lower incidence of death from Covid, not a huge difference, but your BP meds may actually be a little helpful. There are two studies I have read.

      Hope that helps!

    2. Yes, I have read that the ACE inhibitors cause the body to make more ACE receptors. I wonder if hypertension itself is the real risk factor, or is it the meds for it? And the docs are constantly revising the threshold for high blood pressure, essentially insisting that people should have the BP of a teenager all their lives. So they can put more people on drugs. I believe in staying off the meds.

    3. Pharmacist with 39 years’ experience here. I have read studies that corroborate what TXnurse says. The complexity of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) which is modulated in part by ACE inhibitors makes it both difficult to fully understand and also leads to differing theories on whether those inhibitors are helpful or harmful during the disease progression of COVID-19. An article in New England Journal of Medicine (March 2020) expounds eloquently on both of these theories.

      That being said, a note of caution. Whether ACE inhibitors are helpful or harmful in this specific scenario, one thing is certain. The abrupt withdrawal or cessation of therapy with these agents is certainly harmful. Other classes of agents can be used in the treatment of hypertension or cardiac disease. If you want to explore the option of using alternative agents please see your primary care physician or APRN. Do NOT stop these agents on your own.

  19. I respectfully think you are interpreting the CDC numbers incorrectly. Ask yourself, how many Americans are smokers, overweight, diabetic, high blood pressure, etc.? Those are co-morbidities. I doubt there is a person here, myself included, that doesn’t have at least one. Remember at the beginning, when JWR and Lily said you need to quit smoking NOW? Of all the infections, if the young healthy people come out fine 96% of the time, you realize that means the mortality rate is so much higher among old people to make up the difference?

    I am not a subscriber to the bioweapon theory, but a virus that predominantly preys on obese people is darn near tailor-made for America.

  20. Well, it didn’t take long for the 6% figure to be misrepresented. Less than a nano second to be sure.

    Look, I have co-morbidities, diabetes and CKD, but they are not going to kill me even at 75 years old. Getting the awful case of the flu last year didn’t either. But the Covid-19 can. Alone or with pre-existing health conditions non-withstanding.

    It doesn’t matter till it does. But then it might be too late for someone you love. This virus is mutating and it’s effecting people in ways that are not understood and leaving symptoms which are not clearing up. To suggest this does not warrant the real respect it does is dangerous for us individually as well as a country. Let us not live to regret it.

    I thank the author for the time put into this article. I found it very helpful. I also apologize for some of the language used toward the author which was very unnecessary and disrespectful. Please know that others agree with your sentiments but they are quiet today and so I thought I’d step into the fray.

    I personally am always surprised at the number of people lacking in scientific curiosity and the scientific method in reasoning. And I suspect I’ll continue to be surprised for as long as I live.

    1. @ Ladywest

      Yes, the 6% figure has been badly misunderstood and misrepresented. For those who are unclear, it means that the current data shows that only 6% of those who died of Covid-19 died JUST of that disease alone and didn’t have other co-morbidities along with it. This doesn’t mean that 94% of those thought to have died of Covid actually died of obesity or diabetes or Alzheimers. It just means that they had pre-existing conditions which are known to worsen the effect of Covid.

      Some of these conditions, such as Alzheimers, would eventually have proved fatal in their own right. Some, such as obesity or Diabetes Type 2 might well have shortened their lives but wouldn’t necessarily have killed them at this time, and potentially not for a number of years. What it does say is that unless you have one of a list of conditions, you are unlikely to die of Covid although apparently 6% of those who died did so without also having any of those conditions.

      One of the many terrible things about how this virus has been handled here in the US is that the media, political parties, and others have used the info that is disseminated by the gov’t to either push their viewpoint, produce click-bait, discount what the “other side” is doing etc. Add to this the lack of knowledge in the general public of statistics, scientific methodology and critical thinking skills and you have what we have now which is a giant mishandled mess where no one believes anything they’re told, generally for good reason.

      1. “One of the many terrible things about how this virus has been handled here in the US is that the media, political parties, and others have used the info that is disseminated by the gov’t to either push their viewpoint, produce click-bait, discount what the “other side” is doing etc. Add to this the lack of knowledge in the general public of statistics, scientific methodology and critical thinking skills and you have what we have now which is a giant mishandled mess where no one believes anything they’re told, generally for good reason.”

        Amen, amen, AMEN!!!

        (One of many reasons why, as I teach my 6yo about the various kinds of graphs, I also point out the many ways they can be misinterpreted or deliberately misleading. The others will receive the same instruction as they get old enough to understand.)

  21. I submitted this article over a month ago so some of the stats and scientific details need to be updated.

    The statements I made are not overblown or exaggerated, as a large proportion of our population is old or has comorbidities, and is at risk from this disease.

    That includes my wife, my brother, and my parents.

    Just as it is prudent to look both ways before you cross the street, it is good to consider the health consequences before you go out in public.

  22. I have requested Rx for low dosage Hydroxychloroquine from 4 M.D.’s & all refused. I have been their patient for 10 to 30 years. This is the stonewalling that has developed. Now looking for different docs.

    Are we at the point where the US was shortly after John Brown’s raid? If so, the virus will just be another factor making a horrible situation even worse.

    “when seventeen years old (men) go out to defend lives and property because no one else will”

    What is next? The fuse is in the pile of dynamite. What will be the next spark? 300,000,000 privately owned firearms are oiled & loaded.

    Is it still business as usual?

  23. Ugh. I just can’t.
    I’m sick of the covid fear mongering.
    I’ve read all the studies, looked at the statistics, read both sides of the arguments.
    I have stockpiled the zinc and other vitamins, etc.
    There are much bigger threats to America than a variant of covid right now.
    The CDC is no more compromised than the WHO and most medical research universities. China anyone?
    I’m really sick of the subject and how it’s being used in an election year.
    I can’t say anything else because I’m sure I’ll offend someone and I suppose you could say I’m very grumpy today.

    1. Hi, SaraSue,

      I’m sorry you are grumpy, today. While I’m not particularly grumpy today, I understand how you are feeling. All this Covid thing and lock downs and misinformation/propaganda makes our heads spin and makes all of us grumpy. I’m also very tired of this subject. Sadly, this craziness is only the tip of the iceberg.

      I am currently eating my lunch and posting the comments, because, I must. But, if I could ignore it, I would.

      Believe me, when I say, that I choose for the most part to just stay out of the fray. I also am staying away from this machine as much as possible. My peace is at stake. As soon as, I’m done eating, I will be going back outside to finish pruning the last section of finished raspberries. Most of the three beds are done except the one area that is still producing.

      Go hug your beautiful GS puppy and get a walk in. I think you will feel better. It’s beautiful outside, today, and not too hot out, at least here in our region. 🙂

      I think we should enjoy our natural world and our loved ones as much as possible before it all completely falls a part. And pray! And praise the Lord for his protection and provision and for giving us the awakeness to prepare for what is coming.

      Much love and Blessings to you,

      Lily

      1. Well said!! Husband and I have just both been feeling so ICKY lately, mentally, that I suggested yesterday we both fast from all news and social media. We listened to music more and read the Bible even more. It helped re-center us a bit, I think, even if we haven’t seen that grand flashing neon sign from Heaven yet. The kids pick up on our stress even when they don’t know WHY, and everything is just worse when we allow ourselves to be less-than-present.

        Today my motto is: keep calm and teach math. 🙂

        1. @Bear Yes. We have been feeling the same way. News overload. We used to not even have cable TV for many many years, but because of certain circumstances that are not negotiable, we now do. How we miss NOT having TV.

          I didn’t even open the computer yesterday until last night. Oops. Then again this morning. Double oops.

          I’m now going to cut the grass and listen to 80’s music. In the headphones. Loud. Then we’re going to watch a good, wholesome family movie tonight. Like The Terminator.

          I’ll work on learning math tomorrow.

  24. Elderberry anything is not recommended as a treatment for Covid-19 as it increases inflammatory cytokine production in the immune system. Generally, for viruses like the Flu, this a good thing. However, Covid does not operate the same as the Flu. It would appear that people’s immune systems are already overacting enough. Doctors are actually needing to suppress the immune system. Vitamin C, D, and zinc are all effective preventatives for Covid. We also use Oscillococcinum, Airborne, and colloidal silver as needed but not routine. Colloidal silver is on reserve as my big gun.

    I work in a nursing home that was greatly impacted by Covid. We had 83 positive cases out of a census of 300 with 13 deaths. There were 68 employee positives. I worked directly with Covid positive patients and never got sick while using this protocol

  25. Well well ,,, we had it in march,DW bounced right back ,,me not so much , we both in our 70s I have only 40% lung function from being burned in a fire (nam) 5 1/2 months later I’m still not up to par , early on little was known about treatment , that’s not the case now ,
    I used IVERMECTIN treating worms on mission.use it now on the ranch on cattle ,
    You can get in trouble using horse paste ,i would NOT do that ,instead use PORE ON livestock wormer dose rate is important ,,1ml per 20 lbs body wt as treatment , no more than once every 45days. For protection 1ml per 40lbs body wt again 45days. Don’t forget the Zink ,
    IVERMECTIN is safe if not over done ,,,,,to much can have side effects that you don’t want ,
    Yes we have medical background dw RN , me EMT and DVM

  26. This so called pandemic is a scam to usher in vote(fraud) by mail everywhere in order to allow Dems to cheat their way into winning in Nov or whenever they have enough votes.
    Wash your hands, don’t touch your face (unless you’ve washed your hands) and avoid sick people….problem solved.
    All this hand wringing from folks that believe they will get out of this world alive and that you CAN pick up a turd from the clean end.
    Bigger problem, what are you going to do when you wake up in December and discover that surprise, Senility Joe has won after all. Do we simply allow these treasonous B*stards to steal our country?

  27. Every day, pretty near each one of us faces threats from all sorts of things. Life is just chock full of risks. You have to weigh the risks and decide what the proper response will be.

    I probably ought to be wearing spf 100 every day. I probably should only be drinking purified water. I probably should cook all my meat to 180 degrees f. I probably should not eat raw fruit or vegetables. I probably should drive an armored car and go no more than 30 mph. I probably should get rid of my dog. I probably should wear body armor and carry a pistol, a shotgun, and a semi auto rifle with at least 500 rounds of each on my person. I probably should live in a bunker.

    At some point, you have to determine what is a realistic response to life’s risks, and what is just being used to control us. Would it be better if no one was allowed to carry a firearm, including the cops? Maybe in some instances, but that won’t eliminate the threat of getting shot anyways.

    This Novel virus carries no greater threat than the common flu bug. A lot of people die from the flu every year. A lot of people develop chronic conditions, some severe, from the flu every year. If the epidemiological outcome of this virus is not significantly much different from the flu, why is our reaction so much more drastic?

    If you feel the need to protect yourself by isolating and wearing PPE all the time, then by all means go for it. But to force others who don’t share your viewpoint to do the same with no appreciable difference in outcome on our society violates the rights of those you impose your will upon.

    Everyone will eventually get infected with this virus. The fact that we weren’t prepared as a society to deal with a pandemic only speaks to our failed leadership for the past decade or two. Delaying the spread of the infection isn’t going to save millions of lives. It might make the difference for a few thousand, maybe. What really needs to be discussed is the failure of our government to provide adequate facilities for the treatment before it started, when they knew full well something like this was going to happen.

    1. “I probably should wear body armor and carry a pistol, a shotgun, and a semi auto rifle with at least 500 rounds of each on my person.”

      You mean you don’t? Seriously?

      1. As a diver, ANY lung damage scares the crap out of me! The lungs can only handle an overpressure of 2 psi. Smoking, or scarring of the lungs reduces that to 1 psi.

        What that means to a diver is that it is easier to cause an air embolism. If that’s in your brain, you’re either going to wind up a vegetable or dead before they can get you to a recompression chamber.

        Even asymptomatic cases are showing some lung damage.

        And for men, new data out says this bug can go from reducing sperm count to a complete nutting.

        You don’t want to catch this thing!

        1. A very good point regarding damage to the lungs… Autopsy findings are coming out with descriptions of injury to the architecture of the lungs, even in people whose COVID-19 was believed to be mild or who were not significantly symptomatic prior to their deaths.

  28. 1) It actually is more likely that Covid deaths are being UNDERCOUNTED — in the past few months there has been a spike in excess deaths above what was attributed to the virus.

    https://www.sciencealert.com/2020-has-killed-up-to-200-000-extra-people-in-the-us-so-far

    2) I agree that economic recessions/unemployment can drive up the suicide rate — 40,000 more Americans died from suicide during the high unemployment years of the Obama/Joe Biden administration that would have been expected from the prior decade’s statistics. But those suicides are unlikely to be confused with Covid.

    I had thought that the number of deaths due to car crashes would be reduced by the shutdowns but it appears idiots are using the lower traffic as a reason to drive 100 MPH. Total deaths down somewhat but not as much as expected because death rate per vehicle mile driven is up:

    https://usa.streetsblog.org/2020/08/31/roadway-deaths-are-way-higher-than-normal-report/

    3) I think Iowa Senator Joni Ernest’s suggestion — without ANY evidence — that tens of thousands of doctors are committing Medicare fraud –by falsely claiming patients died of Covid when they did not in order to get a higher reimbursement — is utter claptrap. Why risk a career and license on something easily checked?

    4) This article discusses some of the complexity of counting Covid deaths and why doctors think the virus killed people even if they had preexisting conditions.

    https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-covid-19-deaths-are-counted1/

    1. Here’s an interesting factoid. Since February I’ve received two $30-35.00 checks from AAA car insurance here in California because, they say, they are having far fewer car accidents and the premiums are piling up. No kidding. And even though I’ve noticed traffic is almost back to normal now, they say I’m getting another check when my insurance renews in 7 months because of the same reason. I’m not going to argue with them over it.

  29. As father Mulcahy would say on the sitcom Mash. “this is all bull malarkey”.

    However the mask thing is great for us Preppers.

    My wife and I have been experimenting with IR flashlights attached to the bill of our caps, makeup, face painting, latex pieces glued to our faces, false teeth, and a host of other things to foil cameras and facial recognition.

    Prior to Covid scamdemic we were turned away from stores As wearing a bandanna was too much for the security.

    Face masks are a blessing in disguise today folks. Our face masks are always bandannas. No one, not even Big Bother can track us.

    1. @Jefferson Davis
      Not a scamdemic, it’s most definitely real. However, I have been making the point about masks and avoiding tracking for many months. Just remember to leave your google/nsa phone at home, use cash, and park away from the front of the store and cameras. And remember to put an anti-glare/privacy screen (computer privacy screen as an example) over the top of anything printed on your vehicle you don’t want the google/nsa cameras to see – free tip.

      If everyone on our side, both those that do not believe in the pandemic and those that do, wore masks, we would ALL be much safer from big brother and their tracking.

      Also, you can get really bright IR lights for your license plate to light it up brilliantly for the cameras…

  30. https://youtu.be/7jsxQWm93JE
    COVID 19 Paper Strip Screening Tests: At-Home, Frequent, Rapid Results to Open Schools & Economy

    This is just in from MedCram. I heard about the possibility of using these strips a few weeks ago, but this is only the second time I have seen this surface. It has the possibility of becoming a game changer. The cost would need to be considered if using it especially in a school setting. I think one of the questions here would be who administers and controls the testing.

  31. I would note that discarding people with chronic diseases to this virus is not a good idea. State of health is not a way to measure the value of human beings.

    Stephen Hawking spent much of his life in a wheelchair , badly crippled from ALS. Yet he probably did more to advance human progress than 99% of the people out there.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Hawking

    Whereas I can think of any number of perfectly healthy people whose deaths would not cause me to choke up with sadness. Or mourn the loss to humanity.

    1. This is right, Don Williams.

      From your post: “I would note that discarding people with chronic diseases to this virus is not a good idea. State of health is not a way to measure the value of human beings.”

      We are not savages.

      …and among those of us who are Christian Believers, we ought to consider that the very life of Jesus was sacrificed for us, to bring us into reconciliation with God, and that we would know eternal life with Him.

      Asking that we behave with kindness, compassion, love and caring for others is hardly a sacrifice. Get real about this. Taking reasonable precautions to protect ourselves AND others is the very least we can do — especially when we consider what has been done for us.

      It’s not about mandatory anything. I am personally a Libertarian-leaning Conservative. I believe in freedom, and I understand and appreciate risk. I do not live in fear, but I do believe in direct and hard-hitting risk assessment. I am highly independent. I am not one of the “sheeple”, and never have been been.

      This is about being people of truly good character, and the moral compass that should be guiding every one of us.

      If you’re taking unnecessary (and even arrogant) risks with the health and safety and well being of another person, it’s time to rethink those choices.

  32. Thank you for the thoughtful article. I am sorry for all of the mudslinging and vitriol, especially from those who seem not to be able to grasp that the world can contain more than one Big Bad Scary Thing at a time. Awhile back I saw a Venn diagram that really resonated. One circle was labeled “people concerned about illnesses and deaths from covid,” another was “people concerned about economic stability and financial survival,” and the third was, “people concerned about civil liberties and individual freedom.” The small center area, where all three overlapped, was labeled in bold letters simply “ME.” I nodded my head and agreed aloud. It is NOT either/or, and fighting about it is a total waste of time!

    The world seems a complicated mess right now, but isn’t that why we prepare? So we are PREPARED for whatever comes down the pike? I remember that this most excellent blog addressed swine flu as well, back in 2008. Not in a panicked, fearmongering manner, but simply in a prudent educational manner. Just like now. Widespread disease is a negative thing that occurs on this planet, just like natural disasters or crime or car accidents.

    Is covid being taken advantage of for nefarious political agendas? Undoubtedly. (“Never let a good crisis go to waste” — sound familiar, anyone?) Does it still kill people? Undoubtedly. Whether or not it was manmade is of no concern to individual human immune systems–that is a different angle. Should people wear masks? Yes, I believe it is prudent in certain situations. (Plus, as other commenters have already stated, what a boon to being a grey man!) Should the government force us to do it? Nope, I don’t think it’s their place. They aren’t very good at looking out for our best interests…. Unfortunately, with a public health situation, personal liberties are crowded a lot closer together than in other situations. This is a little more complicated than “don’t like guns? Cool, don’t have them then and I won’t talk about mine.”

    In our family we have several people with increased risk factors, and one more who is so terrified of the virus that I take a little extra care simply for her mental health. Besides, as has also been stated already, this is an excellent test-run for preparedness. If nothing else, many people have more hours in their days due to the elimination of commuting, and that time could be wisely spent acquiring new skills and knowledge. That’s NEVER a waste!

  33. I said this many times on these hallowed pages:
    * stress is the silent killer

    Every time I hear the warnings ‘epidemic!’ or ‘Centers For Disease Control And Prevention!’, I sense an adrenaline dump in my physical body… and, by ethereal osmosis, in those around me.
    This’s a natural reaction to danger:
    * The python is circling me!, the tigers are stalking me!, big spider!, who can I trust!
    In preparation for the coming! dangers!, my heart-rate and blood-pressure increases, my digestion stops, my muscles tense, my attention focuses on surviving the next few seconds.

    Stress is one reason I donated my television set to saint Vincent de Paul sometime last century.
    (The other reason was the insulting portrayal of my beloved MEN as pudgy bumbling bigoted short-sighted dummies.)

    I get enough stress from:
    * traffic pollution and
    * EMP/60hrz electronics pollution… and
    * pollution from marxists and just generalized goofballs I cannot satisfyingly strangle until their eyeballs pop from their empty heads because of the dilemma of somebody probably frowning on that sort of behavior.

    My poor physical body doesn’t need to cope with the additional stresses of anticipating ‘the next update’ of conflicting informations from ‘highly-placed officials’.

    I have a choice:
    * I can be frustrated in fear… or
    * I can be fascinated in amusement.

    I think stress is an open door for inviting dis-ease.
    This latest influenza is merely a symptom.
    Stress is the causal factor.
    I welcome your rebuttal.

  34. LargeMarge… no rebuttal… I choose to live by “ Where The Spirit of The Lord is there is liberty “ and “ God had not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind “

  35. I have lived in the same area for sixty four years and I have attended quite a few churches during my life and I have met a whole lot of people and I have hundreds and hundreds of friends and each friend has hundreds and hundreds of friends. We’re talking thousands of people. So how many people that I know and how many friends of my friends have had Covid 19? ONE! That’s right ONE! The pandemic scam is just that, a scam. If there really was a pandemic I would “know of” or “know” about several hundred people being sick. And BTW, the one guy that I know who had Covid 19 is about my age and he hardly even knew he had it.

  36. Although I wear a mask (actually a Harbor Freight dust mask) where required, I haven’t really changed my actions in general since this mess started.
    As to contact tracing, good luck with that. No smart phone. Only an old fashioned cell phone which is rarely turned on.

  37. Oh my!!! I do enjoy the lively group we have here on SB. I just wish to defend the author that has given us such a lively topic to debate. Whether or not I agree or disagree with what someone has to offer here I will always support and appreciate the effort put forth.

    I remember back in Jr. High (when I started to think) that there was a big stink about the Communist Manifesto be available in the public library. I was, even then, an ardent believer in the Constitution and the Capitalist way of life BUT I needed to understand how thousand, nay millions of people where willing to die for that concept. So I read it!! Since that point in time I make it my duty to read anything that is diametrically opposed to my way of thought.

    That is the difference between we and they. We honor the right for men to be free and THINK as they choose. They would force us to think as they, A BIG DIFFERENCE!!

    Thanks for the article, thanks for the replies, I will defend to the death your right to disagree with me.

  38. Mark, Thanks for the interesting article. I’ve been following many of your strategies, but you gave me a few more ideas. One never knows or thinks of everything.

    I don’t throw my contaminated protective gear away though. I typically take it off just before entering a clean space and let it sit for a couple weeks, or for masks let them bake in the car for a week or two. I’m not going out much.

    The virus is real, we still don’t know that much about the virus, and the articles on long term damage to people with milder cases, younger people, older people convinced me long ago that it should not be taken lightly by anyone. Sometimes “fear of the unknown” is appropriate.

  39. Nice article but sorry. Was on the road back in June when the so-called pandemic was at its height. Travelled coast to coast and witnessed no such thing.

    Lots of empty hospitals, lots of hype ! Breathless reporters telling us doomsday was just around the corner. Find it amazing there’s actually no physical evidence to substantiate these wild claims by mainstream media yet so many people completely buy into it.

    Stay locked in your house and live in fear. I’ll be outside enjoying the fresh air

    Have a nice day

  40. Sars H1N1 Swine Flu were all covids. No shots for them lol. No offense to HCW I humbly work at a grocery store. During the height of the insanity in March and April I l had people sneezing spittle etc all over me . I live with an 85 yr old person and I am their care giver.Why did they not catch it yet?March and April was before masks or else.

  41. The anti-mask positions in the comments are flawed. And the article doesn’t adequately detail the value and purpose mask wearing.

    Any respiratory virus can be spread through droplets coughed/exhaled from an infected persons’ respiratory system.
    Anyone can inhale those droplets and become infected themselves.

    This process is extremely well known and understood. Masks disrupt/slow/inhibit this process. Protective masks, like a fitted N95 or similar can protect a wearing from inhaling droplets spread by an infectious person. But, any mask will reduce how far a droplet can be spread from an infected person, reducing the likelihood of infecting others. The science on this is really clear and really well understood.

    There is certainly a point where the mask is not really adding much benefit to inhibt spread, such as outdoors in moving air with a reasonable amount of spacing from someone. This may be 2 feet, it may be 6 or more….the 6 feet suggestion is the best guess. There is also certainly a point where a mask is overwhelmed and useless, such as being in a car with someone for an extended time. But, for transient contact situations, such as retail, public transportation, etc, it is clear that masks are warranted, beneficial and the responsible thing to wear. Rebelling against mandates is a proud tradition, but in this case social responsibility and charity to others far outweighs sticking it to the gub’nt. I wear a mask out of respect for the cashier at the store, or the person I pass in the office hallway and the common courtesy of minimizing the potential to contaminate them with my exhaled, and potentially contaminated lung-juice. And even if I know I am not infected/contagious, it is a common courtesy to others to wear a mask anyway….because they don’t know that for certain.

    1. My thoughts exactly. I have heard lots of people say that masks are useless because the virus particles are much smaller than the holes in the masks. Yes they are; HOWEVER, the virus particles are not floating around alone, but carried by the droplets, which are LARGER than the mask holes, hence their effectiveness.

      And your last bit as well. I wear a mask in public to be kind to my fellow humans who do not know whether I am healthy or isolating or what. Not because the gummint told me to (they haven’t). We’re all stressed about stuff nowadays, and if a simple thing such as a mask for a few minutes can ease someone’s mind a bit, no skin off my nose!

      Finally — if nothing else — this is what I told an elderly relative months back: The mask reminds you NOT TO TOUCH YOUR FACE! (So would soaking your fingers in jalapeno juice, but one of these things is not like the other. 😉 )

  42. I would like to thank everybody for their well thought-out comments, even the folks that don’t agree with the information that I provided. Interesting conversations by all.

    This pandemic did not have to turn out like this. If we had just followed a few common sense steps like mask wearing, and early HCQ treatment we would have had far fewer deaths and a strong economy.

    The lockdown and Federal Reserve bailout of the rich has given us a second, economic “pandemic” to overcome, that will damage our country just as much as Covid.

    May God bless us all.

  43. Fauci,Bill Gates,CDC,Johns Hopkins all in it together to deceive with inflated numbers with just a little Truth mixed in to sucker the infirm and those running scared. GRIFTERS one and ALL!

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