All of those mentioned above either dismissed or heavily downplayed “hydroxy”—a cheap anti-malarial drug, also used for lupus, that had been around for decades and is known to have minimal side effects—for the treatment of COVID-19.
Why? As most of us are aware, a man they thought an ogre, whom they despised, who knew nothing of science, recommended it—President Donald J. Trump—so it had to be disdained.
And yet hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) apparently did and does work in many instances, if taken early in the illness.
This was known in June 2020, when the esteemed British medical journal Lancet retracted its support of a dubious study it had published opposing the use of HCQ.
“We all entered this collaboration to contribute in good faith and at a time of great need during the COVID-19 pandemic. We deeply apologise to you, the editors, and the journal readership for any embarrassment or inconvenience that this may have caused.”
This apology, made eight months ago, was largely ignored by the mainstream media because it didn’t fit their narrative. And, worse yet, it might have benefited the nefarious Trump.
At the same time, many independent doctors were insisting that HCQ was working for them with real patients. They were similarly dismissed by a rabid press that had neither the inclination nor skills to investigate. (Laura Ingraham, to her credit, featured several of these doctors on her cable show.)
Meanwhile, thousands, if not millions, died across the globe who needn’t have.
How many we will never know, but it’s a safe assumption a good number could have been spared.
The pervasive use of this drug might not have entirely saved us from COVID, but it could arguably have reduced the pandemic to the level of a bad year of flu.
Whatever the truth, an apposite description for what happened might be outrageous.
Where were they during the Year of the Pandemic?
Oh, never mind. Politics is more important. So what if there’s a little collateral damage like a country, a world actually, being locked down with children being kept out of school, economies failing, myriad businesses closing never to return, mass unemployment, and, not surprisingly, a spike in suicides, not to mention illnesses, some terminal, left untreated that normally were?
And, needless to say, when it comes to medical science, what is declared true in the United States has serious ramifications across the globe because “the whole world is watching,” and often imitating, what happens here. Everyone pays attention, unfortunately, in this case, too much attention.
Speaking of which, and speaking of politics bludgeoning medical science, we have new disturbing (to put it mildly) information about his brother, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the man who paraded himself daily and endlessly—with constant media fawning—on television as the savior of New York, possibly the nation.
Being a fake must be the family business.
So where are we? Not in a happy place, I’m afraid, though, thanks to the “election” of Joe Biden, political leaders who previously instituted the most onerous of lockdowns are suddenly lightening up. Your favorite corner Thai place may actually survive. Be pleased about that and try to enjoy the benefits of hypocrisy.
But be extra careful when that so-called “party of science” continues to sell you its bill of science goods as the new administration’s “climate envoy,” John Kerry, just did, asserting that this year’s climate summit in Scotland is the world’s “last best chance” to avert climate catastrophe.
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