Tag: pandemic

Fauci Admits to Arbitrary Rules That Boosted Mass Surveillance and Suppressed Opinions

Some people may have already forgotten – but not so long ago billions of law-abiding citizens around the world basically got put under house arrest.

When they were able to go outside, they had to wear masks, and keep 6-feet “social” distance (known as “2-meter rule” in Europe).

Not to put too fine a point on it – but, it turns out the “science” behind this was pretty much arbitrary.

And, we learned this from none other than Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

The distancing rule was just one of the Covid-era restrictions explained and enforced as coming from “authoritative” medical sources and therefore based on science.

To make matters worse, the dystopian measures included employing mass surveillance technology, enlisting tech companies big and small to enforce the rules, and relentlessly censoring not only critics, but also merely people asking questions, all over the internet.

Anthony Fauci was the face, albeit very controversial even in the “pandemic heyday” of this “medical authoritativeness” in the US – and now, his Covid legacy has just gotten even worse.

Fauci this week appeared before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic; while the sessions were held behind closed doors, an official statement posted by the House Oversight Committee cited him as making some fairly shocking statements.

Evidently asked to explain “the origin” of the 6-feet rule, euphemistically referred to as a recommendation, Fauci said that it was “likely not based on any data.”

Maybe it was based on – common sense? Also unlikely, since Fauci went on to say the guidance “sort of just appeared.”

Out of thin air? So just like the supposed origin of the virus? That was another major narrative which, if challenged, got people branded as conspiracy theorists.

“He (Fauci) testified that the lab leak hypothesis – which was often suppressed – was, in fact, not a conspiracy theory,” Subcommittee Chairman Brad Wenstrup is quoted as saying.

Some of Fauci’s answers also saw this former high ranking federal official saying he “does not recall” the specifics of the very Covid policies he had been actively imposing on the population.

“Dr. Fauci’s transcribed interview revealed systemic failures in our public health system and shed light on serious procedural concerns with our public health authority,” said Wenstrup, adding, “It is clear that dissenting opinions were often not considered or suppressed completely. Should a future pandemic arise, America’s response must be guided by scientific facts and conclusive data.”

Astounding as all of this may be, it could prove to be a teachable moment, particularly in terms of citizens thinking twice before again allowing mass surveillance to spread under cover of fear mongering.

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Fauci FINALLY confesses to Covid failures – admitting lab leak is credible, praising Trump on China and revealing he told schools to impose vaccine mandates

Dr Anthony Fauci admitted that the lab leak Covid origin theory was credible as he shed more light on the chaotic decision-making process behind the scenes of America’s pandemic response.

During his second day of marathon grilling by Congress, the former White House advisor confessed that the lab leak – the idea Covid was engineered and accidentally released from a lab in Wuhan – was ‘not a conspiracy theory’.

The U-turn is significant because he was the chief architect of a 2020 paper that discounted the theory. Fauci’s friends and former colleagues also spearheaded a paper in the Lancet that called believers conspiracy theorists and racists.

Fauci, 81, sat before the House coronavirus subcommittee for a second seven-hour stretch of questioning on Tuesday about the pandemic response that he oversaw and its myriad flaws.

The infectious disease expert said that data did not support recommendations to keep six feet of distance from another person and that vaccine mandates he personally advised likely increased vaccine hesitancy.

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The Covid vaccine gave me side effects that ruined my life, but Facebook keeps censoring me from telling my friends about what happened

A woman who says she suffered chronic health complications after taking the AstraZeneca vaccine claims to have been censored from sharing her story on Facebook.

Caroline Pover, 52, received the jab in March 2021 and within nine hours, experienced convulsions, shivering, breathing difficulties and low blood pressure.

Ms Pover, of Cirencester, Gloucestershire, says she was hospitalised when her condition escalated to ‘stroke-like’ symptoms, in addition to exhaustion, breathing difficulties, a racing heart and migraines.

Her story was shared in a national newspaper in March last year as she and 800 other victims struggled to claim the Government’s Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS).

But after sharing the link on her Facebook feed at the start of this year, Ms Pover says the website put a warning notice on her account.

Ms Pover, herself a freelance journalist and entrepreneur, said: ‘My posts about what was happening to me started having FB “notes” appearing underneath them about vaccination.

‘A group page I was an admin on was shut down completely by Facebook in the summer of 2021.

‘When I posted the Daily Express article, which did an excellent job of not discussing anything pro or anti… I received a warning and the post was hidden.

‘It’s a ridiculous situation for vaccine-injured people, who have a right to information.

‘If this was an online support group relating to cancer or another type of serious condition, we’d be outraged at the thought of it being censored and we’d be very sensitive to people having to navigate a very complicated health situation.’

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Cannabis Holds Potential To Prevent And Reduce Severity Of COVID-19, While Treating Long-Term Symptoms, Study Finds

Cannabis and its compounds hold the potential to limit the “susceptibility and severity of infection” from COVID-19, while also showing promise in the treatment of long COVID symptoms such as anxiety, depression and decreased appetite, according to a new study.

Researchers at Dalhousie University in Canada carried out a comprehensive review of the scientific literature, publishing their findings about marijuana as a preventive therapeutic in the Journal of Clinical Medicine late last month.

The study found that “cannabinoids have been shown to prevent viral entry, mitigate oxidative stress, and alleviate the associated cytokine storm” of early COVID-19 infections.

“Post-SARS-CoV-2 infection, cannabinoids have shown promise in treating symptoms associated with post-acute long COVID-19, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress injury, insomnia, pain, and decreased appetite,” it said.

The research takes into account a long list of existing studies, aiming to fill the knowledge gap on how endocannabinoid system (ECS) modulation might impact patients in the early- and post-infection stages. Prior studies have focused on marijuana as treatment option during the acute phase of a COVID-19 infection.

“Cannabis and cannabinoid-based drugs have shown promise in preventing viral entry, acting as an anti-inflammatory agent, and improving many symptoms associated with post-acute SARS-CoV-2 infections,” the authors concluded.

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Death rate after Covid vaccines is much higher than flu shots, says Sen. Johnson

“Using the midpoint assumption that 70% of distributed flu vaccines were administered, the 25.5 deaths per million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine represents a 55 fold increase over the flu vaccine deaths per million doses. This is a shocking difference and only adds to the growing evidence of safety signals that are screaming to be taken seriously.”Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin)

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) has sent a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra, FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, and CDC Director Mandy Cohen regarding concerning information on the safety of the Covid-19 vaccines. According to an analysis conducted by the senator’s office, Covid vaccines are far deadlier than flu shots.

Johnson also questioned the health agency officials on their awareness of a recently released study that researchers claimed raises additional safety concerns about Covid-19 vaccines relating to the production of “off-target” or incorrect proteins.

And Johnson reiterated his previous requests for the agencies to produce data on the safety of the Covid-19 vaccines.

“When it comes to responding to my data requests on the adverse events associated with the Covid-19 vaccines, your arrogant lack of transparency has been unprecedented, irresponsible, and completely unacceptable. Over the course of the last 32 months, I have raised questions, sent formal requests, and conducted oversight on the safety and efficacy of the Covid-19 vaccines,” wrote Johnson. “Instead of addressing my legitimate questions and requests for information, you and other public health officials continue to promote the Covid-19 vaccines as safe and effective and often use the number of vaccine doses administered as support for that misleading claim.” 

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Republicans investigate resignations of 2 FDA scientists after hasty launch of Covid boosters

The head of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Washington); Subcommittee on Health Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Kentucky); and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA), are looking into the resignations of two reputable FDA scientists. The scientists resigned in 2021 after hasty approval of Covid vaccine boosters.

The retirements of Dr. Marion Gruber, director of the Office of Vaccines Research and Review at FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), and Dr. Philip Krause, deputy director of the office, were announced in late summer of 2021 by the agency. No mention was made about why Gruber and Krause were leaving the agency.

However, multiple news reports circulated that doctors Gruber and Krause were frustrated with the Biden administration’s plans to move forward with recommending COVID-19 booster shots without the scientists’ prior approval. In other reports, sources told Politico that the two officials were at odds with the FDA’s top vaccine official, Peter Marks, and were discontented over the roles of the CDC and its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in decisions that they believed should be handled by the FDA.

On behalf of the Health and Oversight Subcommittee Republicans, the members of Congress sent a letter to FDA commissioner Robert Califf, addressing their concerns.

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Fauci flip flops during Congress grilling: Ex-White House doctor ducks more than 100 questions about Covid and admits he approved risky Wuhan coronavirus research proposal without reading it

Dr Anthony Fauci evaded more than 100 questions about Covid, the lab leak theory and his ties to Wuhan during a landmark Congressional hearing Monday.

House Republicans who quizzed the ex-White House advisor said he ‘played semantics’ to avoid conceding that he funded dangerous research in China that is feared to have started the pandemic.

Dr Fauci, 82, also admitted that he signed off on millions of dollars worth of grants without reviewing the proposals – and appeared to admit his agency had little oversight of the foreign labs it bankrolled.

The all-day probe on Monday will be followed by another seven hours of questioning behind closed doors today.

Dr Fauci is accused of funding risky experiments believed to have started the pandemic and suppressing the lab leak theory to silence his critics.

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Fauci to be grilled by Congress over pandemic failures and lab leak during marathon 7-hour session TODAY

Former White House doctor Anthony Fauci will be grilled by Congress today over his handling of the Covid pandemic and links to a Chinese lab feared to have started the outbreak.

Dr Fauci, 82, will appear before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic on Monday and Tuesday for two seven-hour closed-door sessions.

The ex-official will face questions about his perceived efforts to quash scientific debate about the lab leak theory, the idea that a genetically manipulated coronavirus escaped from a Chinese lab.

Since his last appearance in front of Congress more than a year ago, it has been revealed that Dr Fauci oversaw federal spending on risky research on viruses during his time working in the federal government’s main scientific research agency. 

He is also expected to be grilled on his flip-flopping on vaccine and mask mandates, as well as the long-term effects of lockdowns, which have been linked to falling test scores and performance in school, higher rates of severe diseases like cancers, and mental health issues. 

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Paxlovid Does Not Reduce Risk Of Long COVID, Potentially Linked To Rebound Symptoms: Study

Paxlovid, an antiviral medication prescribed to treat symptoms associated with COVID-19, does not reduce the risk of developing long COVID in vaccinated people recovering at home.

The report comes from a new study published in the Journal of Medical Virology on Thursday. Conducted by a team of researchers from the University of California–San Francisco, the study also found that more people are experiencing rebounds of their COVID symptoms after taking Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir-ritonavir) than previously reported.

Paxlovid is the first antiviral pill approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat mild and moderate COVID-19 in adults. It is typically prescribed to those at high risk of having the virus progress to a severe illness, including hospitalization or death. The medication has also been authorized for use in children 12 and older who are at risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19.

According to manufacturer Pfizer, initial trials of Paxlovid showed it reduced hospitalizations and death in unvaccinated COVID patients by 86 percent to 89 percent. A real-world study conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that adults who took Paxlovid within the first five days of a COVID-19 diagnosis had a 51 percent lower hospitalization rate within 30 days than those who did not take the medication. More recent studies have indicated lower efficacy rates, with patients having about 37 percent reduced hospitalization and death risk.

However, no study has pointed to whether the drug helps protect people from getting long COVID, noted authors of the UC San Francisco study.

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Key Bioweapons Official Publicly Accuses Fauci of ‘Denial and Deception’ on COVID Origins

A leading biodefense official who played a key role in medical and public health preparedness under the Trump administration during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic alleged that current and former government officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, have been “misdirecting” the public over the origins of COVID-19.

In an interview with investigative journalist Paul D. Thacker, Dr. Robert Kadlec suggested that Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D., former director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other government officials and key virologists have been engaged in “denial and deception” about the virus’ origins.

Kadlec was assistant secretary for preparedness and response when the COVID-19 pandemic began, directing the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR). He later directed a Senate committee that, in October 2022, released an interim report on the pandemic’s origin that strongly favored the “lab-leak theory.”

Separately, Thacker, in a Dec. 22, 2023, post on The Disinformation Chronicle, analyzed new documents released earlier in the month by U.S. Right to Know (USRTK).

According to USRTK, these documents indicate that “American researchers concealed their intention to conduct high-risk coronavirus research in Wuhan under lax safety standards from the Pentagon the year before the COVID-19 pandemic.”

In an interview with The Defender, Thacker said that these documents aren’t, in and of themselves, evidence that COVID-19 emerged from the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China, but are evidence that those involved with controversial gain-of-function research at that laboratory have been dishonest.

“It’s another example showing that these people are lying,” Thacker said. “And the strongest evidence of a lab accident in Wuhan are all the examples of the researchers lying about what they were doing in Wuhan. That’s the evidence.”

Thacker wrote this was “just the latest example of scientific malfeasance.” In his Dec. 22, 2023 post, Thacker said that such malfeasance was aided by science writers in the media.

“It’s become a pandemic truism that researchers and their pet science writers eventually get caught dissembling when documents take the air out of authoritative statements and convictions underlined with purported scientific and journalistic authority,” he wrote.

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