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IS CORONAVIRUS TESTING REALLY GOOD FOR OHIO?
by Kristine M. Severyn, Ph.D., R.Ph.
With recent Congressional approval of free COVID-19 (coronavirus) testing, we see daily news coverage of outdoor "pop-up" coronavirus testing stations, with cars lined up for blocks on roads leading to shopping mall, grocery store, and sports arena parking lots. Healthcare workers wearing gowns, gloves, masks, and face shields insert, what looks like, a long flexible Q-tip swab up people's noses as they drive through the testing tent.
Widespread coronavirus testing, contact tracing, and social distancing directives are major parts of the federal government's plan to reopen the country from the pandemic, and are required of all states and cities accepting coronavirus federal relief funds (1). While President Trump, state governors, and public health officials encourage more and more testing, people waiting for hours in their cars for coronavirus testing should be careful what they wish for.
How could testing be harmful?
When you agree to a coronavirus test, you sign a form giving permission to send the test result to your state Department of Health. All positive test results are assigned to a paid government "contact tracer," who will phone you. Your phone should display something with "COVID TEAM" on the caller ID, if you choose to ignore the call. However, if contacts repeatedly ignore calls, texts, and letters, a contact tracer may appear at your door (2).
In his April 24, 2020 coronavirus press conference Ohio Governor Mike DeWine described contact tracing as "one of the strongest weapons we can employ to help our family, friends, and ourselves stay healthy [to] isolate and kill" coronavirus. Former Ohio Department of Health Director, Amy Acton, who still works for her previous salary behind the scenes with Governor DeWine, referred to contact tracers as members of her "army."
The National Association of County and City Health Officials recommends that the country needs close to 100,000 contact tracers (3). Ohio's goal was to hire close to 2,000 tracers (4, 5).
House arrest and snitching
When the contact tracer phones, you will be ordered to stay at home for 14 days, and take multiple coronavirus tests until you are symptom-free and have a negative coronavirus test. If disease symptoms develop, you should contact your healthcare provider.
The contact tracer will also ask you to reveal the names and contact information of anyone with whom you've recently had close contact, defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) "as any individual who was within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to positive specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated" (6).
If you can't remember your contacts, the tracer will ask you to look through your cell phone to jog your memory. The tracer will then contact any names you reveal, e.g., your friends, co-workers, family, and will then tell them to stay home for 14 days.
To verify that you can isolate in your home for two weeks, the contact tracer will instruct you to send photos of the rooms inside your home to assure you have the government's designated number of bathrooms, bedrooms, etc. If not, you'll be advised to move to a hotel to isolate yourself.
If you have children, and have no spouse or family to care for them, your contact tracer will contact the local children's protective services to take your children out of your home during your quarantine. Even your dog is not permitted to have contact with you (7). Under the appearance of "helping you," if you don't have friends who can help you, the tracer will arrange for more government social services to deliver groceries to you and pick up medicine from the pharmacy (8, 9).
You and your contacts could potentially endure multiple episodes of such quarantines and house arrest, if you accidentally come into contact again with a person who tests positive for coronavirus.
How is contact tracing funded in Ohio?
The Ohio Controlling Board documents more than $82 million in contact tracing funds earmarked for Ohio's 113 local health departments for 2020 and 2021. Congress approved these funds in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Security Act (CARES) and the COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (10). Additional funding is expected.
Is contact tracing voluntary?
While Governor DeWine stated in his April 24, 2020 coronavirus press conference that contact tracing is voluntary, he was contradicted by former Director of Health Acton. If you don't follow your contact tracer's "suggestions," contact tracers are trained to report you to their "supervisor." You can then likely expect a written health department order that your house arrest is not voluntary (9).
Could the heavy-handed approach of other states' contact tracing programs come to Ohio?
Kentucky residents who opposed contact tracers' quarantine and isolation house arrest advice were ordered to wear ankle monitors, similar to convicted criminals (11).
Washington State Governor Inslee warned, "For those individuals that refuse to cooperate with contact tracers and/or refuse testing, [they] will not be allowed to leave their homes to purchase basic necessities such as groceries and/or prescriptions." (12).
Ventura County, California health officials warned that families could be relocated to coronavirus isolation facilities if the household did not have the government-recommended number of bathrooms (13).
Arkansas Governor Hutchinson announced that his state's Army National Guard would transport coronavirus-positive persons, who were unable to isolate at home, to government isolation facilities (14).
Risks to civil liberties, the economy, and society
Under the guise of protecting public health and protecting the community, Ohioans and all Americans can be intrusively tracked, monitored, and controlled by state health workers. Privacy violations and the constitutionality of contact tracing remain major concerns (15-17). Considering reports of faulty coronavirus tests and procedures (18, 19), are citizens being unnecessarily forced into house arrest, small businesses shuttered, organized sports cancelled, and entire schools closed, some for reporting even one positive coronavirus case (20, 21)?
With the CDC roughly estimating coronavirus infection fatality rates as low as 0.5%, meaning 99.5% or more of those infected recover (22), arguably in the range of seasonal influenza, Ohioans should not be concerned about every positive coronavirus test ("case") reported in the news, especially since many coronavirus cases are mild or asymptomatic. Likewise, considering the weak evidence that asymptomatic coronavirus carriers routinely transmit the virus to others (23), Ohioans may wish to reconsider the wisdom of widespread testing of asymptomatic individuals. Government public health policymakers have historically not advocated widespread testing for a virus, unless a patient appears sick or is high-risk. To now test every person for a virus with such a low death rate represents a radical, questionable change in medical practice.
Dr. Severyn earned a B.S. in Pharmacy and a Ph.D. in Biopharmaceutics at the University of Cincinnati, with a concentration in pharmacology, toxicology, and drug kinetics. She is a registered pharmacist who researches and writes on medical / legal issues, with special interest in public health and medical informed consent.
1. CDC-RFA-TP18-1802, Cooperative Agreement for Emergency Response: Public Health Crisis Response, COVID-19 Crisis Response Cooperative Agreement—Components A and B, Supplemental Funding, Interim Guidance, March 15, 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/cpr/readiness/00_docs/CDC-RFA-TP18-1802_Sup-Guid-COVID-19-Crisis-CoAg_Supplemental.pdf
2. Contact Tracer Teams Growing Amid New Challenges, June 30, 2020. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/933213?src=mkm_covid_update_200630_mscpedit_&uac=345179HT&impID=2441524&faf=1&fbclid=IwAR3xnMXJ3K7XKbB4wO2E92luogz0mqjb_sjzS9LJmbofCkl0WBFeybaFdfo#vp_4
3. National Association of County and City Health Officials, Position Statement, Building COVID-19 Contact Tracing Capacity in Health Departments to Support Reopening American Society Safely April 16, 2020. https://www.naccho.org/uploads/full-width-images/Contact-Tracing-Statement-4-16-2020.pdf
4. COVID-19 Contact Tracing, Ohio Department of Health, April 28, 2020. https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/responsible-restart-ohio/contact-tracing/contact-tracing
5. Coronavirus: Ohio hiring 'disease detectives' to conduct contact tracing, The Columbus Dispatch, May 12, 2020. https://www.dispatch.com/news/20200512/coronavirus-ohio-hiring-disease-detectives-to-conduct-contact-tracing
6. Contact Tracing for COVID-19, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Updated June 17, 2020). https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/contact-tracing/contact-tracing-plan/contact-tracing.html#:~:text=For%20COVID%2D19%2C,the%20patient%20is%20isolated.
7. Pet Owners FaQ, Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), June 23, 2020, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. http://www.ph.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/docs/animals/FAQ-PetOwners.pdf
8. A Woman Gets Her Contact Tracer Certificates and Tells All, May 27, 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFUyZWw7qoc&feature=youtu.be
9. COVID-19 Contact Tracing, online course offered by Johns Hopkins University, 2020. https://www.coursera.org/learn/covid-19-contact-tracing?edocomorp=covid-19-contact-tracing
10. Ohio Controlling Board, Fund / Appropriation Requests: May 11, 2020: CB# OBM 0100102, $12,452,824.00, Account Category 550; June 1, 2020: CB# DOH 0100565, $20,000,000.00, Account Category 550; July 13, 2020: CB# OBM 0100112, $49,599,809.00, Account Category 550.
11. Kentucky orders quarantine-breakers to wear ankle monitors, April 3, 2020. https://nypost.com/2020/04/03/kentucky-orders-quarantine-breakers-to-wear-ankle-monitors/
12. Washington gov: Those who don't cooperate with 'contact tracers' and tests not allowed to leave home. The state will provide 'family support personnel' to check in on the non-compliant. May 14, 2020. https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/washington-gov-those-who-dont-cooperate-with-contact-tracers-and-tests-not-allowed-to-leave-home
13. Ventura County clarifies claims it would force people from homes into isolated coronavirus centers, May 7, 2020. https://www.foxnews.com/us/california-ventura-county-coronavirus-forcibly-removed-homes-quarantine
14. Arkansas National Guard transporting COVID-19 patients to isolation facility, July 15, 2020. https://www.fox13memphis.com/news/local/arkansas-national-guard-transporting-covid-19-patients-isolation-facility/M6QOEDIC4JEGLKO7L2AN4BVYDQ/?fbclid=IwAR0kV0D3bWOMtjrze27ivlGNG5jSU0hHhAbT2JXyTbVc9WnlfV8Cu0D9SBE
15. CORONAVIRUS. Disease Surveillance and the Fourth Amendment, April 7, 2020. https://www.lawfareblog.com/disease-surveillance-and-fourth-amendment
16. Analyzing the U.S. Privacy Law Implications with Employee Contact Tracing Apps, April 21, 2020. https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/analyzing-the-u-s-privacy-law-36814/
17. Constitutional scholar tells Laura Ingraham why contact tracing will lead to real privacy concerns. May 22, 2020. https://www.foxnews.com/media/constitutional-scholar-warns-of-privacy-threats-from-contact-tracing
18. Accuracy of COVID-19 tests still largely unknown, Associated Press, June 14, 2020. https://www.modernhealthcare.com/technology/accuracy-covid-19-tests-still-largely-unknown
19. Florida Department of Health says some labs have not reported negative COVID-19 results, July 14, 2020; updated July 18, 2020. https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/fox-35-investigates-florida-department-of-health-says-some-labs-have-not-reported-negative-covid-19-results
20. Coronavirus: Dayton schools will switch to online learning if necessary. Dayton Daily News, July 6, 2020 (online); July 12, 2020 (print). https://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=17C1117905090060&p_docnum=6
21. DeWine Sends Message About Masks To GOP Lawmakers; Suggests Schools Could Stay Shut, July 17, 2020. https://www.statenews.org/post/dewine-sends-message-about-masks-gop-lawmakers-suggests-schools-could-stay-shut
22. COVID-19 Pandemic Planning Scenarios, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, updated July 10, 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/planning-scenarios.html#five-scenarios
23. A study on infectivity of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 carriers. Respir Med . 2020 Aug;169:106026. doi: 10.1016/j.rmed.2020.106026. Epub 2020 May 13. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32513410/
From Deficiency to Efficiency: How Natural Health Helped Me Thrive
By Andrea Hand
***This is a becoming proof story of health recovery. Health Freedom Ohio is dedicated to providing a platform for Ohioans who have overcome health challenges. If you have a recover story you would like to share, please email us at info@healthfreedomohio.org***
My name is Andrea. I'm a mother of 2 sweet boys, married to my best friend and have a passion to help others.
I'm sharing my health journey in the hopes others will know they don't have to live a life of illness.
I was 20 when my health started going down hill and the trials I had to go through to get help was insane. I collapsed at work in November of 2015, I woke up in an emergency department hours later confused and incoherent.
I went through every test in the book, was told by medical doctors and nurses they didn't know why I passed out. I went to get up and lost all feeling in my legs and couldn't stand. My head was spinning, heart rate rapid, nauseous, stomach pain and felt terrible. I left the emergency department with 0 answers and a $5,000 dollar medical bill.
I was under extreme stress and worked way more than I should. I had the mindset I was invincible and didn't take the best care of myself. I ate maybe one meal a day, lived on coffee and slept 4 hours. I was off work a month recovering and ended up finding a naturopathic doctor. She helped me navigate my nutritional deficiencies and helped me recover from adrenal insufficiency, anemia, and hypoglycemia.
Fast forward a year later I found I was pregnant with my first son. I knew right away do to extreme morning sickness. I went downhill fast and ended up with hyperemesis gravidarum. I lost 64 pounds by 34 weeks pregnant and ended up taking leave from work. I would vomit, pass out and spent most days fighting to keep water down. My husband, family and friends helped take care of me. My naturopathic doctor and midwife helped me get on a high protein clean diet and lots of supplements. I rested and did everything I could to limit stress.
At 38 weeks pregnant my blood test came back rough, my hemoglobin was at 6. I had to get that number up or my life would be at risk during and after labor. I worked hard to get my iron up and eat all I could even when I didn't want to. My son ended up being a couple weeks over which gave me some much needed time. Three days before he was born my hemoglobin was at 12 and I had achieved what seemed impossible. I went into labor and had my 7 pound health baby boy in 5 hours. I hardly bled and had no tearing. I had a complete natural birth at home. I continued to improve my health and learn.
I want to add from my own personal experience our minds are powerful and we gain strength through our mindset as well as our physical body. Overcoming defeat and fear plays a huge role in our overall health. I believe God gives us that strength and he is why I'm here today.
Fast forward I got pregnant with our second son 7 months postpartum and this round I worked hard to have a better pregnancy. I still had extreme morning sickness my whole pregnancy but I kept my healthy high protein diet and supplement routine. I saw a chiropractor to help with my back and overall health. My blood work stayed balanced most of my second pregnancy and definitely was better than my first. I still had hyperemesis gravidarum but I made sure to prioritize my body's needs.
I ended up going 3 weeks past my official due date which is normal 40 weeks is a estimate not a guarantee. I went into labor with my second son and he was born in 2 hours weighing 9 pounds 8 ounces. I didn't tear and had another great home birth.
Postpartum was different the second time, I lost all my weight in a week but felt off. I had cravings, anxiety, nausea, rapid heart rate, fatigue, hair loss, rashes, yeast infections. It just seemed my body was out of wack and continued to get worse. By 6 months postpartum I had gained 60 pounds while breastfeeding which made no sense. I ate healthy, worked out, always running around and very active. I kept telling myself it was just postpartum hormones but I just kept feeling worse. I decided to get some labs done and see what was going on.
I ended up finding out I developed Hashimoto's which is when your thyroid slows down. In my case extreme and had turned autoimmune. I ended up seeing an Endocrinologist and was put on a more natural version of a thyroid hormone. This doctor told me I would need it the rest of my life and there was no cure. I, however, didn't believe that and wouldn't except that answer. I'm 25 years old and after all I've overcome I'm not stopping now.
It can take up to 6 years for a medical doctor to diagnose Hashimoto's and they only treat symptoms. I spoke to my naturopathic doctor and she was confident getting to the root of my health issues would bring healing.
I started with the AIP protocol; this diet gets all Inflammatory foods out of your diet. Next I had several tests done. I did a food sensitivities test to determine what my body was allergic or sensitive to. I did a saliva test for hormones, GI test which checks for parasites, bacteria and gut flora levels.
I looked up what foods help or hurt thyroid function, got rid of gluten, dairy and sugars. Made sure I had all organic, non chemical, artificial and GMO foods. This is important because in order for our body's to heal we have to stop inflammation.
Another big deal food was soy even organic because the body confuses it with estrogen. Plus most soy is GMO and covered in pesticides. Eating a clean diet is very important and there are so many resources to achieve it.
I recommend Dr. Axe, holistic site websites, books or a credible naturopathic doctor. I made sure to eat high protein, moderate fat, healthy carbs and 80 % non starchy leafy vegetables. This is the diet that fit my situation. I believe it's important to find out what your body needs and modify to that. One size doesn't fit all and it's very important to find out what is specific to our body's needs.
My naturopath had me on several supplements which, just like diet, are tailored to my specific needs.
Within 6 weeks of this strict protocol my thyroid went from 68 TSH to 1. Lets just say my medical doctor was shocked and had no words. It was impossible in his eyes but holistic medicine is incredible! My naturopath discovered I had parasites in my gut lining which had been there for years and were linked to thyroid disease. I also had Candida and another bad bacteria. I did a parasite cleanse and Candida cleanse. These do take time and parasites can take 2 years to completely cleanse.
My thyroid has been balanced now and I'm the healthiest I've been in years, I've reversed my disease. I had gotten so used to living sick that I had no clue what life could be like feeling well. Symptoms are how our bodies ask for help. They should never be covered up or ignored. I don't blame medical doctors they are only doing what they have been taught and I hope one day they will learn this other incredible side to medicine. I am continuing my journey and hoping to help others find health and a better life. Holistic medicine has been around since Ancient times and is vital to our well being.
I can't say enough on how holistic medicine has transformed my life and continues to do so! I encourage people to look past what society has made normal and see there is much more. We were made to be strong and healthy. Our bodies are powerful and need treated as such. I hope this will give people answers and direction to recovery. I wish I had known years ago and hope my experience will benefit others.
Review of the CDC Report, "Excess Deaths During COVID-19 Shutdown"
June 18, 2020 5:00 PM | Anonymous member
Health Freedom Ohio Research Team
The CDC recently released an analysis of excess deaths in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic [1]. In this review of the CDC report, we will describe the model used and communicate significant findings based on our analysis of the data.
Description of the model
The purpose of this report by the CDC was to provide information about mortality potentially related to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the technical description provided, counts of all causes of death, including COVID-19 were presented. "Excess deaths" were defined as the difference between the observed number of deaths in a specific time period and the expected number of deaths, the latter which was estimated using Bayesian methods, which allowed for some degree of uncertainty. The number of excess deaths with and without COVID-19 were compared. In the number of COVID-19 deaths that are reported by each state, "presumptive" deaths were included based on earlier CDC guidance [2]. The model estimates when a significant departure from 95% confidence intervals was observed, a standard practice in statistics. It is noted in the report that the weighting methods used to account for uncertainty might over-adjust for underreporting. However, the report also mentions that ICD10 code U07, which captures unknown but possible COVID deaths, were excluded. It is unclear what the combination of exclusion of certain ICD10 codes and weighting schemes would have on generalizability of findings.
As stated by this report, the number of excess deaths "could represent misclassified COVID-19 deaths, or potentially could be indirectly related to the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g., deaths from other causes occurring in the context of health care shortages or overburdened health care systems)." (emphasis ours). Also noted in the report, "the pandemic may have changed mortality patterns for other causes of death. Upward trends in other causes of death (e.g., suicide, drug overdose, heart disease) may contribute to excess deaths in some jurisdictions."
Figure 1 below was generated [3] using the "Excess deaths with and without COVID-19" option. Note that the CDC report excludes deaths in New York City from the analysis presented in Figure 1. The points with red crosses indicate that the number of excess deaths was statistically significant, even after accounting for uncertainty parameters. There are two major points in history with significant excess deaths. The first peak of excess deaths occurs in early 2018, which coincides with a notably bad flu season [4]. The second peak starts at March 28, 2020, just a couple of weeks after states started shutting down.
A closer view of that peak is in Figure 2. In this second peak, the first date of statistically significant excess numbers of deaths occurs at March 28, which was a couple of weeks after the state-wide shutdowns of medical systems and "stay at home" orders. Scrolling over the plot, one can obtain specific values (which cannot be captured with a screenshot). On March 28, the estimated percentage excess was 6.3-10.1%. The peak occurs on April 1, where the percent excess ranges between 34.8%-39.6%.
There is also an option to plot the "total number above average by jurisdiction/cause". The initial plot generated appears below (Figure 3).
This plot can be generated for specific states/jurisdictions. Not all states showed excess deaths. Below we provide Ohio, neighboring states, as well as New York/New York city, Florida, California, and Washington, where there has been considerable coverage of the COVID-19 outbreaks (Figure 4).
Figure 5 provides the figure legend, in a larger size, for ease of viewing.
There are some very important observations that can be made from this figure. First, one can observe the predominant cause of death in New York City is heart disease and heart issues. This is interesting because much has been made about why New York City is such an "epicenter" for the COVID-19 epidemic, and many scientists and doctors have stated this is due to a high prevalence of cardiovascular comorbidities, and the existence of those comorbidities is further demonstrated by this predominant cause of death. Looking at Ohio, we see that heart disease and associated cardiovascular issues is also the predominant cause of death. The second most common cause is Alzheimer's disease and dementia. This same pattern is seen in California, New York, and Pennsylvania. This is a striking finding, given the lockdowns in nursing homes and elder care settings, where COVID-19 is both highly prevalent with a high case fatality rate [5], but at the same time, families are unable to visit their relatives and supervise their care [6].
It must be stressed that this qualitative analysis does not provide proof of causality. In essence, this is an ecological analysis, where we are observing the timing of excess deaths and the cause of death after the COVID-19 shutdown. Still, as seen in Figure 1, the number of excess deaths is statistically significant, even after accounting for uncertainty. Moreover, these are likely an under-estimate. The CDC report clearly states that COVID-19 as the cause of death was assigned even in "probable" circumstances, in accordance to their earlier guidance [2] and when cause of death was not known with certainty, the models even allow for this to be COVID-19.
Still, this is noteworthy because of the impact of the shutdown on the healthcare system. At the beginning of healthcare system shutdown, when only "essential" care would be provided with a priority on increasing capacity for COVID-19 response, many doctors stopped providing regular care. There was considerable variability in this. Stories were reported of individuals with cancer and significant chronic conditions that were denied surgery and clinical care during this time. In some instances, elected officials intervened, but is unclear how many citizens of Ohio successfully sought this additional intervention. Hospital staff, and the impact on the healthcare system continues, evidenced by reported pay cuts for University Hospitals staff [6]. Also, because of the strong emphasis on "self-quarantine" and to "stay at home" / "shelter in place," many individuals may have had chronic conditions or illnesses that they neglected because they were afraid to leave their homes or afraid to violate the orders. Furthermore, nursing homes and other congregate living settings denied access to family members. Often family members can detect health concerns because of their familiarity with their loved one, issues that might be missed by medical staff, and very commonly, family members are advocates for the patient. This has been lost during this time, and continues to be. Many such examples have been cited by the media [7].
Implications for present-day legislative action
The consequences of imposing statewide social, medical, and economic restrictions in exclusive consideration of a singular diagnosis has significant deleterious consequences on the population as other health and medical needs may not be able to be met under such restrictive circumstances. There have been lasting economic effects on the healthcare system [6]. This is important when considering proposed legislation that might restrict the powers of the Director of the Ohio Department of Health. If the restrictions hadn't been so strict, much of this could have been avoided. Regular care for individuals with chronic conditions should have been maintained. Nursing homes should have allowed some level of access to patients' loved ones.
There also continues to be speculation of a "second wave," which is based on conjecture only and no actual data [8]. We must remain vigilant to prevent unwarranted panic, as we detailed in our previous white paper [9], to induce an unnecessary shutdown and potentially cause a second wave of excess deaths. There are millions of viruses, bacteria and fungi that interface with the human body. Focus on a single virus and a single diagnosis can negatively affect other significant health outcomes, and this CDC report provides evidence of that.
Download PDF: Excess Deaths During COVID 6-17-20.pdf
Cited references:
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid19/excess_deaths.htm?fbclid=IwAR035yFGOZe5IaK0Xd7pOzq1-GVeMVgK81m1JJTwO7ulhQNzCinuhl-dU0Q
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-data/faq-surveillance.html
Figures accessed from [1] on June 13, 2020
https://www.cleveland.com/healthfit/2018/02/2018_flu_update_death_toll_rea_1.html
https://www.wmfd.com/article/governor-dewine-suppresses-data-disproving-covid-19-policies/3899
https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2020/06/university-hospitals-to-cut-pay-of-all-doctors-including-those-working-on-coronavirus-frontlines.html?fbclid=IwAR3BprU-T-LYzB0FTnQztOwJYLDOxSo7OJ4cbMRtgXZ9mSf1qRqRuRMuQyI
https://www.prageru.com/our-mother-did-not-die-of-covid-19-she-died-because-of-covid-19/?fbclid=IwAR0mY6V4FKCaRMnPcUCoLwOPgLZneKIg1mPcS3ufgTLD-s_ETgcwMQ5KZnQ
http://www.healthdata.org/covid/updates
https://healthfreedomohio.org/News-Views/8962174?fbclid=IwAR1AvhIrOwHEWjy_nObbRGedr2b3-XSFmDby5-kHUzM0hOJBaF44yVihQ7s
Epidemiological Investigation of COVID-19
May 11, 2020 6:51 PM | Anonymous member
The objective of this paper is to review what is known about the epidemiology of COVID-19. The various epidemic models that have been used to drive policy will be described, with particular note regarding their strengths and weaknesses. Recent data from serologic surveys will be summarized, and the implications of these findings on meaningful epidemiologic parameters will be explained. Finally, we will elaborate on what parameters are needed in order to understand the true public health burden.
But first, we would like to start by saying that we do not downplay this virus. We do not claim it is a "hoax" or "conspiracy" or anything of the sort. Rather, we believe the proportions of this epidemic are being exaggerated. While it is tragic that people have been affected by this virus or have even succumbed to it, there is morbidity and mortality due to respiratory illnesses every year.
The Importance of Case Definitions
We have heard repeatedly that COVID-19 diagnosis kits are not widely available. This is surprising, given a recent report of 10,000 kits being sent to Uganda as a humanitarian effort [1]. This is part of the reason that the CDC has issued official guidance [2] that counts of COVID-19 disease as well as COVID-associated death include "presumed" cases that are not laboratory confirmed. Because of the similarity in presentation to other respiratory illnesses, this results in an over-report of cases, and therefore an overestimation of the public health burden. This CDC guidance has also resulted in an over-reporting of deaths due to COVID. It is important to re-iterate that there is a difference between determining deaths in individuals with disease versus deaths of the disease. Many reports have been presented on social media of doctors having death certificates corrected to say COVID-19 was the cause of death, even when it was only a co-occurring condition (for example, [3]). This inflation of death statistics has an adverse effect on reporting to the media and policy.
Epidemiologic Models
In Ohio, there have been two epidemiologic models mentioned by Dr. Amy Acton and Governor Mike DeWine as the basis for policy. A primary concern is that neither of these models has been peer reviewed. This is important to mention because peer review is one of the hallmarks of science. In peer review, other experts in the field can evaluate the assumptions and procedures in a scientific study. Generally, broad changes to health policy are not made until a study is peer reviewed. Admittedly, there is a push to release data in the interest of saving lives, but the lack of peer review must be kept in mind. Second, neither of these analyses are easy to find for the public to evaluate them. Indeed, these have only been obtained through direct contact with the modelers or through the media scouring the internet.
Both of the Ohio models use differential equations to characterize the epidemic curve. This is generally standard procedure in mathematical modeling in infectious disease epidemiology, so in and of itself, this is not a problem. However, these types of models should utilize observed data as the basis for different parameters, and should also vary the values of those parameters as a sensitivity analysis.
The Ohio State model [4,5] was based on a survival density curve and claimed that it used the current case count data as its basis. This is the model that projected that at some point, there would be 10,000 cases of COVID-19 per day in Ohio, and social distancing would only reduce that to 7,000 at the peak per day. However, this model made a variety of assumptions that are not appropriate. First, in the online seminar presenting this model, the scientist developing the model noted wide variations when there were slight changes in the assumptions. He said that was "too early to tell" (exact quote) what the epidemic would actually look like. And yet, this model was taken as the basis for the "stay at home" order. The model was highly unstable. Second, because there was no data available on recovery from COVID-19, this parameter was simply "zeroed out" (again, exact quote). As we explain below regarding the IHME model from the University of Washington, that assumption is critical. This model also assumes homogeneity across individuals, which is an oversimplification, and it assumes "spread on contact".
The preprint version of this model [5] assumed there were no false positives in the number of reported cases, some vague modeling of recovery, and incorporated illness "onset dates", which are subject to recall bias. It is also concerning that the paper describing the model never actually showed a table of the parameter estimates and how they were varied. This is standard practice in mathematical modeling. The preprint paper also estimates hospital bed usage and explicitly states that these parameter estimates cannot be shown because hospital bed numbers are considered a "trade secret" according to the Ohio Revised Code. This seems strange, considering a simple internet search reveals a cleveland.com article with the number of beds in the state of Ohio [6].
Before we describe the model from the Cleveland Clinic, we wish to explain why some of these model limitations are truly significant. First, we know that the tests for COVID-19 are not terribly accurate. False positive tests would overestimate the morbidity of disease, and thus, over-estimate the "curve". Second, cases that are recovered are no longer infectious. By not modeling this, the epidemic could "run away"; in other words, the number of infectious individuals in the population could accumulate, and we know that after treatment, people are no longer infectious. Lastly, assuming homogeneity in the response to exposure assumes that everyone has the same risk profile. We know that isn't the case with COVID-19. Many studies have reported that elderly individuals and individuals with comorbidities are much more susceptible.
The model from the Cleveland Clinic [7,8] is similar mathematically to the Ohio State model. This mathematical model does not incorporate error terms, but the analyst did vary the parameter estimates, and thus did perform a sensitivity analysis. While the paper says that infection rates (R0) are estimated from the data, the paper does not show how this was done. It is unclear if the actual reported case counts were even incorporated into the model at all. The resulting curve starts looking much like the existing data, then changes shape, and more concerning, it shifts, with a peak hospital usage in July. That isn't at all justified by the observed data that have been reported in Ohio. The model even incorporates social distancing and other variable restrictions, but that doesn't explain this sudden shift in the curve.
Now we contrast these models to the IHME model from the University of Washington [9]. The first noteworthy difference is that a preprint for this paper is available on medRxiv, a preprint server commonly used in biomedical science. Second, this model has adapted with time. As more data on the number of cases was recorded, the model changed, and this can be seen from the website [10]. Third, an advantage of this model is that it incorporates average length of stay as a proxy for recovery time, and put greater emphasis on deaths and hospitalizations than number of actual cases. Of course, this model also assumed accurate case reporting, thereby having the same limitation due to "false positives" as the two Ohio models. It also assumes that the cause of death was reported accurately, and we know that the CDC has issued guidance to report COVID-19 as the cause of death even if there were pre-existing conditions and/or other factors that ultimately led to death [2]. Another advantage of the IHME model is that it formally conducts age-adjustment, thereby adjusting the mortality rate for the age of the population. Since we know that COVID-19 disproportionately affects the elderly, this is important, so that mortality rates are not over-estimated. The model was also clear about the data it used as input. This model had peak hospital bed usage occurring at April 19, 2020. It is puzzling that, while the work that went into this model was so transparent, it was dismissed by the Governor and Dr. Acton.
It is true that modeling real time is a challenge. Very little was known about COVID-19, and scientists continue to learn. However, basic math would have revealed that the estimates from the Ohio State model were unreasonable, given those numbers were higher than those seen in more populated countries. Regardless, the models would have benefited from more sensitivity analysis, and additional parameters to allow for the unknown rather than dropping those parameters from the model entirely. Alternatively, rather than criticizing the IHME model, as the Ohio State paper did, they could have considered adopting aspects of it. Ultimately, if a model is to be used for making policy, it needs to use actual observed data, not only parameter values. This is clear from the fact that the model that did use actual data (IHME) projected the burden of disease and on the health care system with values that were much closer to what actually happened.
Our Understanding of Prevalence
Two recent studies have been conducted in California, one by investigators at Stanford [11], and another at the University of Southern California (data only available from press releases and interviews with the media [12,13]). These two surveys shed light on the actual prevalence of COVID-19 in the population. Both studies sampled asymptomatic individuals. Both studies made an attempt to sample randomly, and when their samples did not accurately represent the demographics of the county of interest, they used statistical methods to adjust the prevalence values estimated from their study. The tests used had a sensitivity > 90% and specificity > 99%, which are quite accurate for detecting infection. Sensitivity and specificity are quantities that describe the accuracy of screening tests, and these terms are often misapplied in the media. Sensitivity is the ability of test to identify correctly all screened individuals who actually have the disease, and specificity is the ability of the test to identify only nondiseased individuals who actually do not have the disease. The Stanford study, which sampled in Santa Clara County, estimated an adjusted prevalence ranging between 2.4-4.1%. The USC study, which sampled in LA County, estimated a prevalence ~4%; this study released their data immediately to the public and additional analyses were ongoing.
Why are these values relevant? First, it shows that a fair proportion of the population is asymptomatic. Second, and more importantly, it gives a more accurate estimate of the prevalence of infection. Now, in addition to confirmed symptomatic cases, we know the more accurate number of cases. Cause-specific mortality is estimated as number of cases due to disease / number of individuals with the disease. All previous estimates of cause-specific mortality were overestimates because the denominator was too small. Now, we see that the cause-specific mortality may have been overestimated by as much as 50-85 times [11]. Said another way, for months, the reported cause-specific mortality rate for COVID-19 was 3-5%. With this new knowledge of the seroprevalence, the mortality rate is 0.1-0.2%. The Stanford study goes on to estimate seroprevalence for other populations, and report a prevalence of 10% in Italy. This is significant for two reasons. First, the mortality in Italy has been shocking to see, but the mortality rate may have been overestimated. Second, we know that the cause of death due to COVID-19 was exceedingly overreported in Italy, amplifying this problem.
Another recent study from Denmark [14] conducted a seroprevalence study of over 9000 healthy blood donors. The sensitivity of the antibody assay they used was slightly lower than in the USC study (82.5%) but the specificity was as good (99.5%). In this study, they estimated a seroprevalence of 1.7% after adjustment for sensitivity and specificity of the assay. They also estimated the cause-specific fatality rate in individuals less than 70 years of age at 82 per 100,000. That's 0.082%. While this was a sample of healthy individuals that passed an eligibility screen in order to donate blood, in many ways, this represents a typical healthy population.
There was a COVID-19 outbreak on the Diamond Princess cruise ship [15]. This is an extreme situation of intense exposure, however among over 3700 passengers and crew, 712 were infected, 13 died, 645 recovered, and 54 are still recovering after 8 weeks. This demonstrates the wide variability of individual response to the same intense exposure. However, when one accounts for the age distribution of the passengers, the age-adjusted case fatality rate is 0.125% [16]. An article by a renowned epidemiologist goes on to extrapolate this case fatality rate to the US population demographics, estimated to be 0.05% [16]. According to the article, this is lower than seasonal influenza.
In Ohio, we simply do not have the resources to do broad testing to better estimate the cause-specific mortality. The authors of the USC study even caution against broad testing, claiming that not all tests have the same accuracy.
Other Important Metrics
In the press conference on April 28, Dr. Acton mentioned that additional metrics would be followed soon. Here, we would like to make some points about what these metrics should be, and why they are important.
Physicians (whom we choose to keep anonymous) have noted that the true burden on the healthcare system is noted by deaths and hospitalizations. The entire purpose of social distancing was to ultimately reduce the burden on the hospital system, not prevent the entire state from getting sick. Thus, to evaluate the impact of social distancing, we need to estimate the change in deaths and change in hospitalization rate. As the governor pointed out on April 28, indeed, there are new hospitalizations and deaths every day. That is how disease outbreaks work – events accumulate. What is of interest is the rate of change in those metrics. Is the number of new deaths per day (or per week) declining? Is the number of new hospitalizations per day (per week) declining? Then you know you are on the other side of the peak.
This is why transparency is important. The inclusion of presumptive cases and deaths into the numbers presented to the media is misleading. Currently, only the cumulative numbers in deaths and hospitalizations are being presented. Length of stay is also important. An overnight hospitalization is not as severe as several days in the hospital. These have been denied to the public claiming privacy and HIPAA. This is completely contradictory. The number cases per county is being updated daily, often pinpointing where outbreaks occur, for example in nursing homes or prisons. For lower populated counties, an increasing case count is nearly identifiable. There have been instances where individuals have been double counted, and it has been plastered on social media. Hospitalizations, discharges, and length of stay are no less private than these numbers, and are much more meaningful.
It is important to keep things in perspective. As of April 28, 2020, COVID-19 has affected 16,128 Ohioans (confirmed numbers – "probable" cases are inappropriate to count). This is an incidence of 0.137%, far below Dr. Acton's infamous "guesstimate". There have been 757 confirmed deaths, which as stated above, is likely inflated because the CDC has ordered that cause of death always be reported as COVID-19 even if there was another cause of death. The mortality rate cannot be estimated without an accurate estimate of the total seroprevalence in the state. Supposing it is 1%, on the lower end of the Stanford confidence interval, the potential mortality rate is 0.075%, yes, less than 1%.
In 2018, there were 464 deaths due to influenza and 1961 due to pneumonia. The data for 2019 and 2020 are not yet available. Together, that is 3 times the number of COVID-19 deaths. So both in terms of absolute counts and rates, COVID-19 mortality is not worse than that for seasonal respiratory illnesses.
This also sets a terrible precedent. Much of the policy has been driven by this idea that asymptomatic individuals can spread COVID-19 infection. The literature suggests this may be true of other viral infections as well, such as influenza and other respiratory illnesses. Does this mean that we will be mandated to wear masks every flu season for the rest of our lives? Will businesses always be forced to close? We must ask ourselves what makes COVID-19 unique, and it certainly isn't the epidemiology.
Download PDF file:
Epidemiological Investigation of COVID-19.pdf
Cited references
https://www.cleveland19.com/2020/04/28/case-western-reserve-university-sends-coronavirus-test-kits-african-country-uganda/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxDALi8encs&fbclid=IwAR2WYKJIiqE92ch872O1b66Wnnkomg_f7lP1umdjrAJJ0fMg5UgkSqXN2Ww
https://video.mbi.ohio-state.edu/video/player/?id=4888&title=Mathematical%20Models%20of%20Epidemics%3A%20Tracking%20Coronavirus%20using%20Dynamic%20Survival%20Analysis
https://idi.osu.edu/assets/pdfs/covid_response_white_paper.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3QvE2H3hMUnSh7GJwocXgwaq9HTlXgkfah-lGYDJh5hJqbNaKxi679Gwc
https://www.cleveland.com/datacentral/2020/03/how-many-hospital-beds-are-near-you-details-by-ohio-county.html
https://github.com/sassoftware/covid-19-sas
https://github.com/sassoftware/covid-19-sas/blob/master/CCF/docs/seir-modeling/SAS-ETS-COVID-19-SEIR-model.pdf
https://covid19.healthdata.org/united-states-of-america/ohio
https://pressroom.usc.edu/preliminary-results-of-usc-la-county-covid-19-study-released/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_jXKcp4Zyg&feature=youtu.be
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.24.20075291v1.full.pdf
https://www.statnews.com/2020/03/17/a-fiasco-in-the-making-as-the-coronavirus-pandemic-takes-hold-we-are-making-decisions-without-reliable-data/
Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Nursing Homes
April 30, 2020 2:37 PM | Anonymous member
Republished with permission from Dr. Paul A. Byrne, original publication at Renew America.
By: Paul A. Byrne, M.D.
We are in the midst of a Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Early reports included multiple, now more than 40 deaths in a nursing home in the State of Washington. Twenty percent of the COVID-19 deaths in New York and New Jersey are residents of nursing homes. Many other nursing homes have increased deaths. Is this because the COVID-19 virus is so virulent or other factors?
"The Associated Press conducted its own survey in the U.S. and found there had been nearly 11,000 COVID-related nursing home deaths across the country as of April 24. However, just 23 states have been publicly reporting nursing home deaths." https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-failure-covid-nursing-home-deaths.html (Accessed 4-28-20)
This is not surprising considering that patients in nursing homes are older and have co-morbidities and therefore, are more susceptible to succumb to an infection.
Most in nursing homes require assistance in living. A prerequisite for acceptance into most, if not all, nursing homes is an Advance Directive for Healthcare. It is common that the Advance Directive will include a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) Order.
In addition some may have already unwittingly been put into Palliative care (PC). Most residents of nursing homes and their relatives do not have full and complete information about PC.
Triggers for PC are not limited to incurable diseases that are painful, but include declining ability to complete activities of daily living, weight loss, uncertainties regarding prognosis, limited social support and a serious illness (e.g., homeless, chronic mental illness), perceived psychological or spiritual distress of the patient or family. https://getpalliativecare.org/resources/clinicians/ (Accessed 4-28-20)
PC sets the stage for more deaths for the most vulnerable. How? PC focuses on alleged relief of symptom-burden, not necessarily treatment of the cause, i.e., the underlying medical conditions, treatment of which could alleviate the symptoms. For example, an elderly patient with cancer is noted to have a change in mental status. This could be a result of medication, a urinary tract infection, dehydration, or a myriad of other treatable conditions, not related to the cancer. Yet, in PC the symptom-focus response may be to give Valium-like drugs or narcotics to sedate the patient, omit evaluation and simple tests to diagnose the actual problem, and not provide common medications or interventions that could successfully treat the medical condition causing the symptom(s).
There are many concerns during this time of sheltering at home and social distancing. Separation of loved ones in nursing homes from family and visitors including clergy, done for their protection from COVID-19, was sudden and not predictable and raises other questions concerning care needs of these vulnerable persons.
Doctors and Death – Redefinitions and Participation
How did we get here? Medicine changed drastically and horrifically in 1968 with "brain death" when a Committee at Harvard published "A Definition of Irreversible Coma." "Brain death" calls a person with a beating heart and circulation, "dead." Everyone in coma is alive, nevertheless the Harvard Committee without any scientific or medical references, declared that someone unconscious in coma, on a ventilator without brainstem reflexes of the eye and ear, and unable to take a breath on their own, but many other signs of life including being warm with normal color, a beating heart, blood pressure, pulse, oxygen being taken in and carbon dioxide going out, can be considered "dead." To call a person dead while there are many signs of life and then to participate in organ procurements by stopping the beating heart and removing it thereby making the person definitively dead was a major change in the direction of medicine. This change had and still has an impact on medical practice. Doctors were blinded to the most basic good of the presence of life itself and were now participating in causing deaths albeit with the intention of helping others live. Laws were passed to protect this new definition of death. In 1970 Kansas was the first state to pass a "brain death" statute. Judges and legislators from all 50 states became involved making it legal to call someone dead while the heart was beating with many other signs of life.
Advance Directives and Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) Orders
In 1990 Medicare and Medicaid were amended to require hospitals and skilled nursing facilities to inform patients of their rights to make decisions concerning their medical care and to periodically inquire as to whether a patient executed an Advance Directive and document the patient's wishes regarding their medical care. As a result, when entering any hospital or nursing home the patient and/or those who represent the patient are asked if the patient has a Living Will or Advance Directive. This is commonly done by an admission clerk, not a treating physician. If the patient does not have an Advance Directive, quite commonly a "sample" is provided for consideration.
Every state had a "brain death" statute before a Living Will statute. A Living Will is a written statement detailing a person's desires under some future, hypothetical, circumstances not to be treated. Decisions about non-treatment in the future violate two basic principles of medicine. The first is that a physician gathers all timely, relevant information about the patient before a diagnosis and plan of treatment are made. The second is that a doctor is expected to provide the most up-to-date treatments that can be most beneficial to the patient. Neither of these are available when a Living Will is executed.
Another form of Advance Directive is a Power of Attorney for Health Care. This allows one to designate someone to speak for him/her.
POLST (Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatments) is a type of Advance Directive designed to have patients choose to get less treatment and care and once signed by a physician becomes a legal medical order binding future caregivers from providing the care refused. The future, including the onslaught of a coronavirus, cannot be known by the person completing an Advance Directive.
Once society and medicine has accepted 1) calling people "dead" who are really alive, participating in their deaths, 2) advance directives that aim at refusing or limiting treatments and care, it is an easy step to 3) palliative care principles that further limit treatments with their focus on symptoms, not cures.
Then enter coronavirus especially in nursing homes. Everything is in place for those with weak or absent immunity to acquire the virus. Those with underlying disease are more likely to get sicker. Almost everyone in a nursing home has an Advance Directive in place not to be treated and receive less care.
People with disabilities and the elderly are considered to be more likely to die from COVID-19 and therefore they may be denied life-saving or life-sustaining treatments to enable a person who is viewed as more likely to survive to receive treatment.
Nursing home residents, relatives and friends are affected by the involuntary mandated imposition of no visitors. If a person, labeled a "client," in a nursing home has an acute illness, they are subject to whatever is provided. Their Advance Directive is in place for non-treatment, even for unspecified imaginable illnesses. Many are frail; they are without relatives; treatment depends on whatever personnel in the nursing home provide. Their Advance Directive indicates that the person has chosen not to receive some treatments; thus, it is so easy to translate this into no treatment.
The palliative care movement, preceded by "brain death" and Living Will statutes, is another related change in medical care in our country. Palliative care involves a palliative care team (which can include physicians, nurses, social workers, and chaplains) that helps the family determine when the patient's care should be shifted away from cure and toward death. Palliative care is less treatment and no care and is a major part of the System of Death that exists in Medicine, the Law and the Church.
The person in the nursing home and their relatives did not appreciate this. This was done before COVID-19. Now, nursing home residents, relatives and friends are stuck with it.
Shortly after the onset of COVID-19, the anticipated need for ventilators started the push to make more ventilators. However, patients in nursing homes with a DNR order will not get a ventilator, even if it might be a temporary treatment that would allow recovery from the virus. Is the death rate among the elderly higher because of their age and co-morbidities alone or because they will not be offered a chance to survive whether that be on a ventilator or possibly due to other innovative care strategies that may have a reasonable chance for even greater effectiveness and improved survival? The Advance Directive may be the mechanism to the ending of their life even if unintended by the patient.
In general, many patients seem to have the idea that ventilator use would mean a comatose existence on a machine indefinitely. How many are informed that ventilator use can be temporary and a means to continued living? The use of ventilator guidelines is being questioned for COVID-19 patients. Are death rates from COVID-19 higher in nursing homes because in the face of advance directives that limit potentially curative therapy, treatments, whether with a life-saving ventilator or with other modalities, are being denied to the elderly?
Palliative Care proponents want opioids to relieve breathlessness and pain. Opioids do not relieve breathlessness per se but make a patient sedated and breathe less because they decrease respiratory rate and volume. The patient too sedated to take hydration or nutrition, dies. They may appear more comfortable but if they are too sedated to respond, one does not really know how they feel inside. They could be motionless and still have nausea, itching, pain, constipation, dysphoria, feel unable to handle their secretions, and other undesired side-effects.
While attention is drawn to their age and co-morbidities in discussing the increased death rates among nursing home residents and while these are valid considerations, what is not discussed is how healthcare has changed to a system of death that does not aim for protection and preservation of lives of those considered a drain on society's resources.
First came "brain death" with the goal to eliminate persons who needed ventilators. Next, came Living Wills and Advance Directives to discourage life-saving treatments, including ventilators, assisted nutrition and hydration, and even antibiotics. Then most nursing home residents have a "DNR – Do Not Resuscitate" order, which often results in, decreased treatments and care even if not directly related to resuscitation.
Add taxpayer funds to the push for PC for all, even if not dying or in pain. Enter Coronavirus-19 with sudden, social isolation for all, even those not sick. It is no surprise that elderly persons are more vulnerable to disease, but are they getting the care that protects and preserves their life and health and gives them their best chance of recovery?
A ventilator may or may not preserve the life of a person, especially when the person is older with co-morbidities and COVID 19, but denial of a needed ventilator associated with DNR in PC can shorten life and hasten death.
Dr. Paul A. Byrne is a Board Certified Neonatologist and Pediatrician. He is the Founder of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center in St. Louis, MO. He is Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at University of Toledo, College of Medicine. He is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and Fellowship of Catholic Scholars.
Dr. Byrne is past-President of the Catholic Medical Association (USA), formerly Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at St. Louis University in St. Louis, MO and Creighton University in Omaha, NE. He was Professor of Pediatrics and Chairman of the Pediatric Department at Oral Roberts University School of Medicine and Chairman of the Ethics Committee of the City of Faith Medical and Research Center in Tulsa, OK. He is author and producer of the film "Continuum of Life" and author of the books "Life, Life Support and Death," "Beyond Brain Death," and "Is 'Brain Death' True Death?"
Dr. Byrne has presented testimony on "life issues" to nine state legislatures beginning in 1967. He opposed Dr. Kevorkian on the television program "Cross-Fire." He has been interviewed on Good Morning America, public television in Japan and participated in the British Broadcasting Corporation Documentary "Are the Donors Really Dead?" Dr. Byrne has authored articles against euthanasia, abortion, and "brain death" in medical journals, law literature and lay press.
Paul was married to Shirley for forty-eight years until she entered her eternal reward on Christmas 2005. They are the proud parents of twelve children and have thirty-five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
The Psychological Manipulation of Universal Masking
Op-ed by: Heather Groves
Yesterday a local doctor made a public statement that those of us who do not support mandatory universal masking can not claim to support medical freedom, and that when we refuse to submit to noninvasive "protections" such as face coverings, we lose all credibility and public respect. She refused to acknowledge my scientifically entrenched response to her statement, despite engaging (and many times belittling) almost every other person who responded to her question.
It's easy to shut down open dialogue when you rely solely on emotionally charged generalizations and ad hominem attacks, which is what she, and so many others, have attempted to do from the beginning of this Covid19 situation. By marginalizing those you disagree with and dismissing them as uncaring, negligent, and, as she put it, proponents of "oppositional behavior", you make it easy to ignore the fact that the scientific evidence and supporting data are simply not on your side. It's a play straight from Saul Alinksy's famous far left manifesto, "Rules for Radicals."
"Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it." Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions."
Instead of having a conversation about the reasons why someone may or may not support universal masking, we hear the following:
"You want old people to die!"
"You care more about money than you do about keeping people alive!"
"You are selfish! How do you call yourself a Christian?"
"You don't support mandatory masking and social distancing? How do you sleep at night!?"
Despite leveling these attacks to anyone and everyone who disagree with them, most people, the good doctor included, don't actually want to engage with those who offer a reasonable explanation for not supporting universal face coverings because, as I will lay out below, there are very valid reasons to oppose the practice. Acknowledging this fact undercuts the intended result of social and cultural intolerance directed towards any idea outside of the approved narrative.
Those of us who are not duteous to the current universal masking policies and recommendations do not, in fact, want grandma to die. Instead, we base our position on both the science behind these recommendations and the future implications of long term compliance. For example, we know that cloth face coverings are completely ineffective in preventing viral transmission, and can actually increase your risk of bacterial respiratory infection. We know that viral particles that are exhaled gather on the OUTSIDE of masks instead of the inside, enhancing the risk of cross contamination and viral transmission, especially considering that viruses live drastically longer on cloth than they do on skin. We know that face coverings increase the instances that a person touches their face and/or covering due to readjustments, releasing increased moisture buildup and because face coverings increase nasal drainage which can be another mode of transmission all on its own. We understand that cross contamination is a real danger when face coverings are not donned and doffed or laundered properly. We take into account the negative health effects of facial coverings on comorbidities (increases tachycardia, induces hypoxia, increases co2 reabsorption, may stimulate feelings of anxiety/claustrophobia due to inadequate gas exchange, ect). The World Health Organization has spoken out against universal masking for these exact reasons, and OSHA has stated that only those employees deemed to be high risk or in high risk fields should be masked. The science is very clear that universal masking is contraindicated, yet those of us who choose to rely on science are demonized and cast to the fringes of society as public enemy number one.
Many of us are asking how, and more importantly, why, this happened in an otherwise seemingly reasonable society that respects an individual's right to bodily autonomy, especially considering that numerous studies have indicated that Covid19 has a similar if not slightly lower fatality rate than the seasonal flu and we don't mask during flu season.
As a lover of history, I am reminded of a formula for social coercion used by and discussed at length in Adolph Hitler's "Mein Kampf. Some of the key components of this formula were:
Keep the dogma simple and make social changes slowly over a period of time - only 1 or 2 points at a time.
Be forthright and powerfully direct. Speak only in telling or ordering mode.
Reduce concepts down to stereotypes which are black and white.
This is for your safety.
Masking and social distancing saves lives.
The virus is the common enemy
We must sacrifice to defeat the enemy
Speak to people's emotions and stir them constantly.
Ohians will do the right thing.
If you don't mask, you don't love your neighbor.
The devil prowls the earth looking for bodies. So does this virus.
Congregating in a church setting is not Christian like behavior right now.
If you break the rules, you risk lives.
Use lots of repetition; repeat your points over and over again.
Forget scientific reasoning, balance or novelty.
A higher prevalence rate with a decreased mortality rate means the virus is more dangerous.
We don't have that data, but we use that data to enforce emergency orders.
Focus solely on convincing people and creating zealots.
If you don't mask, you don't care about the health and safety of your neighbor.
People will mask because it's the socially responsible thing to do.
If you see people breaking the rules, report them to the local police and health department.
Masking will become culturally acceptable, and not wearing a mask will be considered socially irresponsible.
Find slogans which can be used to drive the movement forward.
Don Your Mask, Don Your Cape.
Stay Home, Save Lives
In This Together Ohio
Let's Save Lives Together
Stay Safe Ohio
I am in no way comparing Mike DeWine to Adolph Hiter, but rather highlighting the social coercion tactics that have been used to induce compliance and create social friction between the consenting and the non-consenting across the ages. It is a matter of psychological manipulation laced with fear that can convince a society to shake off their freedom and embrace a fallacy that leads to chains.
For many, a mask symbolizes unity with one another and a weapon against the universal covid19 enemy. But for those of us who understand that the face coverings do not protect us from this virus, we are left asking what their intended purpose could be. Are they meant to be a visual trigger for a subconscious fear? Are they meant to create an urgency and demand for a covid19 vaccine that would otherwise be rejected? Are they meant to create an artificial barrier between a previously highly social society? I don't know. But what I do know is that they will not protect me or protect you from Covid19, and therefore they're useless. And I simply can not comply with a recommendation or a mandate that doesn't do what we're being told it is intended to do, even if that stance turns the public ire on myself. And I hope that, before you demand that I "Don my mask, don my cape", you contemplate exactly why you're willing to stand on the other side of science to do so. For some, it's virtue signaling, but for many, they truly believe they are contributing to the greater good, and I commend you for that. I just hope that you remember that, I too, believe that I am fighting for the greater good when I stand in defiance of what I believe to be government overreach and manipulation by refusing to wear a mask. We can both do what we feel is right in this situation and I promise you that if I see you in the store wearing a face covering, I will simply smile at you in passing without ever questioning your moral compass or social obligation. I simply hope that you can do the same.
A nurse who believes we can value life without sacrificing liberty
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"There was no point in seeking to convert the intellectuals. For intellectuals would never be converted and would anyway always yield to the stronger, and this will always be "the man in the street." Arguments must therefore be crude, clear and forcible, and appeal to emotions and instincts, not the intellect. Truth was unimportant and entirely subordinate to tactics and psychology." ~ Joseph Goebbels, Reich Minister of Propaganda
"Propaganda must facilitate the displacement of aggression by specifying the targets for hatred." ~ Joseph Goebbels
"It would not be impossible to prove with sufficient repetition and a psychological understanding of the people concerned that a square is in fact a circle. They are mere words, and words can be molded until they clothe ideas and disguise." ~ Joseph Goebbels
"Whoever can conquer the street will one day conquer the state, for every form of power politics and any dictatorship-run state has its roots in the street." ~ Joseph Goebbels
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Ohioans Raise Alarm Bells Regarding Proposed Legislation
Columbus, Ohio - On Wednesday, February 26, 2020 concerned Ohio citizens testified in opposition to Senate Concurrent Resolution 10 (SCR 10).
Concerns raised during the hearing included using financial incentives to increase vaccine product consumption, public posting of vaccine product consumption rates, and lack of informed consent related to vaccine consumption.
Nadera Lopez-Garrity stated during her testimony "I particularly oppose the financial incentives to penalize county health departments whose citizens decline a pharmaceutical product and the intention of publicly posting the rates of consuming such biologics, which not only has no bearing on true immunity but such disclosure would be in violation of Ohioans' constitutional rights."
According to the SCR 10:
"The Director of Health's proposed revision of Chapter 3701-36 of the Administrative Code includes standards for protecting people from disease and injury, monitoring health status, assuring a safe and healthy environment, promoting healthy lifestyles, and addressing the need for personal health services, as well as procedures for payment of state subsidies for meeting those standards [emphasis added]."
One of the public health quality indicators in the Director of Health's proposed revision of Chapter 3701-36-05 includes:
"Immunizations: measured by increasing the percentage of children entering kindergarten, seventh, and twelfth grades who are fully vaccinated in accordance with section 3313.671 of the Revised Code [emphasis added]."
According to Ohio Revised Code (ORC) 3313.671 a child is considered fully vaccinated if they have consumed a vaccine product for the following: mumps, poliomyelitis, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, rubeola, rubella, hepatitis B, chicken pox, and meningococcal disease (A, C, Y, and W). A child may be exempt from the vaccine consumption requirement if a parent or guardian submits a written statement declining based on medical, or reasons of conscience, including religious convictions.
Chairman Dave Burke, R - Ohio Senate District 26, expressed concern over the prospect of counting those with legal exemptions like medical, religious, and personal in the percentage of people eligible to be vaccinated when considering the quality indicator measured by increasing vaccination rates.
Michelle Cotterman, a registered nurse, testified in opposition to SCR10 based on the public posting of vaccination rates stating that the information is not indicative of true immunization rates. She explained "during a clinical trial for Menveo and Menactra, it was found that 21 months -- less than 2 years -- after receiving the vaccine product, up to 77% of recipients were no longer immune to various bacterial strain types contained in these vaccine products. This is one of the vaccine products listed in Ohio Revised Code (ORC) 3313.671 that would be a part of the quality indicators related to increasing consumption and subject to payment of state subsidies for meeting those standards."
Bill sponsor, Senator Peggy Lehner, R - Ohio Senate District 6, said "I don't think that there is language in the rules that have been promulgated to begin to tie, um, that concern that we are somehow paying people off to be vaccinated, I think that is a real leap."
Lehner also added "We are living in a time where there is a lot of distrust about a lot of institutions."
In 2019, Lehner was seeking to sponsor legislation that would remove the personal and religious vaccine exemptions. Dayton Daily News reported "Peggy Lehner, R-Kettering, is pushing a bill to only allow Ohio children to skip vaccinations for medical reasons — a move that is expected to bring opposition from anti-vaccination groups as well as conservative lawmakers who place a premium on individual rights."
Rishanne and Doug Golden, who lost their daughter Haleigh to vaccine-induced seizures, raised concerns about lack of proper informed consent prior to vaccine administration and cautioned the committee about having a County Health Department quality indicator including increasing the percentage of vaccination rates. "Health and Human Services commissioned a study which found that vaccine injury and death are not rare, but are rarely reported; finding less than 1% of injuries or deaths are ever reported," she said. They have a website in their daughter's memory and honor, Haleigh's Heart.
Lisa Griffin from the Ohio Department of Health testified that the changes only affect data reporting requirements and are not tied to the county health department funding. When questioned by Senator Kristina Roegner, R - Ohio Senate District 7, about specific language relating to minimal standards and subsidy payments, Griffin was unable to identify if optimal or minimal standards include increasing vaccination rates. Chairman Burke addressed the volume of concerns raised from the community on this issue and requested a statement in writing from the Ohio Department of Health that increasing vaccination rates is not tied to financial incentives from the state.
After much discussion and an unsettled reasonable doubt raised by concerned Ohioans, the roll was opened and the bill was voted out of committee. Questions remain on what formula is used for distributing state subsidy funds and which standards are used to determine that distribution. SCR 10 will be scheduled in the coming weeks on the Senate floor for a vote.
If you would like to receive updates on this legislation, participate in future legislative action alerts and other initiatives involving health freedom in Ohio, please consider signing up for a membership with Health Freedom Ohio.
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What Is 5G and Why Should We Be Concerned
January 15, 2020 10:41 AM | Anonymous member
By: Michelle McAllister Krinsky, RN
5G became one of the biggest buzzwords for 2019. As we enter 2020, no doubt you have seen the many commercials by the various telecom companies advertising their latest technology. But what exactly is 5G?
5G is the 5th Generation of wireless network technology.
1G delivered mobile voice calls.
2G introduced digital voice.
3G brought mobile data and web browsing.
4G ushered in the era of mobile internet and video.
5G will elevate the mobile network to not only interconnect people, but also interconnect and control machines, objects, and devices. It will enhance today's mobile broadband services and will also expand mobile networks to support a vast diversity of devices and services. It will connect new industries with improved performance and efficiency. Not only will 5G improve your cell phone connection and give you faster download times, it is also the technology that allows for driverless cars, SMART devices to "talk" to each other, and it is the technology that will control the operations of the SMART cities of the very near future. This new era will leap ahead of current wireless technology and many say it will be as transformative as the automobile and electricity. All this new technology sounds great... right? Unfortunately, there is a downside that the telecommunications industry doesn't like to talk about.
Let's take a closer look...
5G will be added to the current 4G infrastructure. They will work in tandem together. The main advantage that 5G offers over 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) is faster speeds. Primarily because there will be more spectrum available for 5G and it uses more advanced radio technology. It will also deliver much lower latency than 4G which enables new applications in the "Internet of Things" space. 5G requires millimeter wave high frequency bands. These mm wave frequencies travel short distances and can easily be blocked by such things as buildings and trees. While 4G LTE relies upon relatively few large masts that are built miles apart, 5G will require lots of "small cells" much closer together. These mini 5G base stations will be placed approximately every 500 feet in urban areas and neighborhoods. They will be placed on top of streetlights, utility poles, and on the sides & tops of buildings. They are being placed in front of homes, parks, and schools. Recently the FCC announced plans for a $19 billion dollar fund to help carriers deploy 5G services in rural America as well.
Click Here: FCC Announces $9B Fund for Rural 5G Deployment
Click Here: What You Need to Know About 5G Wireless & "Small" Cells
What's the Problem?
Published peer reviewed science already indicates that the current wireless technology of 2G, 3G, and 4G creates radio frequency exposures which pose a serious health risk to humans, animals, and the environment. Scientists are cautioning that before this 5G technology is rolled out that research on human health effects urgently needs to be completed to ensure the public and environment are protected. More than 240 scientists and doctors from 41 nations published an appeal to the United Nations to reduce public exposure and called for a moratorium on 5G; citing "established" adverse biological effects from RF radiation. The 5G standard is new and there are absolutely no studies that have looked at long term human exposure. However, the current body of research on wireless radiation provides enough data for scientists to call for the moratorium. Regulations to protect public health and safety are inadequate and outdated. Published science proves harmful health effects from exposure to RF microwave radiation. Studies show a wide range of biological effects at levels far below current FCC exposure guidelines that were established 20 years ago. Unfortunately, the Federal Communications Commission, an independent government agency created in 1934, has become a "captured" agency. The FCC is dominated by the wireless industry itself. The agency that has been given the responsibility and privilege of setting the standards and limits for wireless radiation exposure are the same people profiting from it. The agency is comprised of industry insiders, engineers, and businessmen. There are no scientists, no doctors, and no one with a biological background. These are the telecom executives that are responsible for setting the standards for our safety. The FCC has set a thermal standard only. What scientists already know and can prove is that wireless radiation can damage our cells and DNA below thermal levels. More than 10,000 studies show the effects of non-thermal radiation. The FCC standard only takes into account a thermal limit that causes acute burning. The RF exposure limits set for the United States are 100 times higher than other countries like Russia, China, Italy, and Switzerland. We basically have an agency that completely avoids the problem.
Click Here: The Five Fallacies of Electromagnetic Radiation Exposure Limits
This radiation will affect everyone, and with 4G/5G installations placed in every neighborhood, Americans will not be able to escape continuous involuntary exposure in their own homes and communities. The unborn child, small children, elderly, and people with chronic illness, microwave sickness, or compromised immune systems are particularly vulnerable.
Click Here: Scientific Research on 5G, 4G Small Cells, Wireless Radiation and Health
Human health is already being compromised by wireless radiation. The recent $25 million NTP, National Toxicology Program, study provides conclusive evidence that exposure to wireless radiation causes cancer. Oxidative stress, a proven result of microwave exposure is a well-established factor that can lead to cancer, non-cancer conditions, and DNA damage. Microwave sickness is a recognized medical condition in the United States and many other parts of the world.
Click Here: NIH National Toxicology Program Cell Phone Radiofrequency Radiation Study
The World Health Organization has already classified radio frequency radiation as a possible Class 2B carcinogen.
Telecoms admit they do not know if their wireless technology is safe and warn that their revenues could be negatively impacted by health claims. Insurance companies will not insure telecoms against liability for exposure related health claims or other damages.
Taxpayers may be forced to bail out telecoms in the future class action lawsuits. The telecom industry and the commissioners of the FCC are rushing to deploy the next generation of wireless before these issues have been addressed. The "race" to be the first in 5G technology is one not worth winning if the cost exceeds the benefits. There are more than 1,000 scientific studies conducted by independent researchers from around the world concerning the biological effects of RF radiation.
Click Here: Scientific Studies Showing the Biological Effects of RF Radiation
Low level or non-ionizing wireless radio frequency exposure has been attributed to a long list of adverse biological effects:
DNA single and double stand breaks and mutations
Oxidative damage/Mitochondrial damage
Disruption of cell metabolism
Increased blood brain barrier permeability
Melatonin reduction
Disruption to brain glucose metabolism
Generation of stress proteins
Symptoms from exposure to low level non-ionizing radiation can include:
Sleep disturbances/insomnia
Depression and mood disorders
Lack of concentration/ADHD
Changes in memory and cognition
Heart arrythmias and palpitations
Anxiety and restlessness
Loss of appetite/nausea
Skin burning, itching, and tingling
Sperm changes, infertility, and miscarriage
These symptoms can be brought about by exposure to many wireless devices and the exposure is cumulative:
MRIs
Cell towers in proximity to your environment
Even with the myriad of documented adverse health effects and potential disastrous effects to our environment, the 5G deployment is moving ahead. Imagine living 24 hours a day in a full body back scanner at the airport. This is what our environment will be like when 5G small cells are placed every 500 feet in our neighborhoods. The back scanners use the same mm wave technology. It is also the same technology that is used for crowd control by the military. The Active Denial System uses mm wave frequencies to disperse crowds by causing a burning, stinging sensation to the skin. Along with these uses, 5G will also provide the technology to collect and share data and provide for 24 hours surveillance. Is this the type of technology we want in our communities?
Once these "small cells" are in place and turned on, there will be nowhere to escape. It will no longer be an option. You and your family will be exposed to radiation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Any smart device you have will be connected and monitored. Along with the small cells that we can visualize in our environment, there have also been an estimated 20,000 5G satellites deployed into space so that every square inch of Earth is covered. Unlike other hazardous exposures, radiation cannot be seen, cannot be detected by smell, and often cannot be felt. But make no mistake, it is an ever-present danger that needs to be considered. Each and every exposure is cumulative and causing harm.
"Putting in tens of millions of 5G antennae without a single biological test of safety has got to be about the stupidest idea anyone has had in the history of the world." ~Dr. Martin Pall, Biochemist~
The Schuman Resonance and our Magnetic Earth
We must remember that we are "beings of frequency." The Schuman Resonance or frequency, which is 7.83hz, is considered the heartbeat of the Earth. "The Pulse of Life Itself." Humans are tuned to the resonant vibration of Earth. We vibrate at a frequency that ranges from 5-10hz. Studies have shown that people emitting a frequency closer to 7.83hz are more at peace and healthier. When we are in sync with the Earth's natural vibration the body is able to heal and have increased vitality. This pulse or frequency has been shown to be identical to the alpha waves of the human brain, which controls our creativity, our performance, our stress and anxiety levels, and affects our immune system. Humans are not the only ones affected by electromagnetic fields. A diverse array of animal life relies upon the Earth's magnetic field for navigation, breeding, feeding, migration, and survival. Biologists have discovered that wireless electromagnetic radiation disturbs internal magneto-receptors used for navigation as well as disrupting other complex cellular and biological processes in mammals, birds, fish, insects, trees, plants, seeds, and bacteria with profound impacts on the natural environment. Researchers are now attributing Radio Frequency Radiation from cellular telecommunications to be a contributing cause of bee "colony collapse disorder," insect disappearance, and a decrease in the bird population. Radiation from cell towers and SMART meters has also been shown to negatively impact trees and plant life.
It is easy to become disconnected with the Earth's natural vibration in today's society. Many people rarely spend time outdoors in nature. We have become saturated with technological devices that emit electromagnetic fields that interfere with our natural resonance with the planet. Wireless radiation in the MHz, GHz, and THz is literally millions, billions, and trillions times the normal frequency of Earth. You can imagine the impact that this has on our health and consciousness. A recent study indicates that the Schuman Resonance frequency of 7.83Hz can inhibit the growth of cancer cells. It also showed inhibitory effects to decrease as frequencies increased.
Click Here: Effects of Extremely Low Frequency Electromagnetic Radiation on Cancer Cells
What can we do to protect ourselves?
Return to nature. Spend time outdoors. Use Grounding and Earthing techniques to reestablish your connection with the Schuman Resonance.
Raise your own frequency to a state of peace – using prayer and meditation.
Strengthen your immune system with a healthy diet, organic food, and exercise.
Plant trees in your yard to help block the 5G mm waves.
Reduce your exposure to wireless devices. Keep cell phones away from your head, out of pockets, and away from your body.
Use the speaker mode when talking on your phone. The greater the distance away from your body, the safer.
Place phones in airplane mode when not in use. Never sleep with your cell phone by your bedside.
Use wired connections and turn Wi-Fi off at night.
Purchase an EMF detector so you can measure and pinpoint areas of danger in your home and take action.
Get rid of cordless "deck" phones. They are more dangerous than cell phones.
Remove SMART meters from your home.
Use protective measures such as shields that can be placed on phones and computers to decrease radiation exposure.
Clothing and hats are available that are lined with a silver mesh to block the EMFs when in areas of increased exposure.
RF shielding paint is available for home use.
Do not allow children to spend unlimited amounts of time on wireless devices.
Infants and children are extremely sensitive to the risk of EMFs due to their developing brains and bodies. Even the AAP has issued a warning on this. Click Here: American Academy of Pediatrics Letter to the FCC
Pregnant women should take extra precautions due to the harmful effects of radiation to the developing fetus. Pregnant women in China wear protective aprons that shield the fetus all the way around.
Ultimately practice self-care and take control of your environment. Wireless radiation poses a real hazard to our health. We can expect 5G radiation to be more hazardous than 3G and 4G because of the higher more intense frequencies and vast amount of antennas.
Be informed and educated on this issue. Hold your government officials responsible for protecting your safety and health. Go to your community councils, local societies, and community organizations. Educate them on this technology and let them know you do not want it in your community. Schedule meetings and send emails to your local, state, and federal representatives. Let them know that this technology violates our basic Civil Rights!
It violates our right to maintain the safety and security of our home.
It violates the right to protect our family.
It violates our basic human right to live safely and in a healthy manner in our own home.
It has taken away our choice and consent in being exposed to a technology that has serious health repercussions.
Most states already have bills that allow for the 5G infrastructure to continue unimpeded. Ohio voted in favor of HB 478, "Small Cell Expansion Act." This bill eliminated municipal control over small cell installation. Ohio HB 478 needs to be overturned!
Click Here: 5G Small Cell Deployment: Every Current State Law
The wireless telecom companies seem to be in control. Congress has formalized 5G deployment without public notification or consent. Local municipalities say their hands are tied in halting the small cell deployment. They cite the Telecommunications Act of 1996 which gave the FCC the power to regulate the environmental health and safety effects of wireless radiation. In Section 704 of the 1996 Telecommunications Act it specifically prohibits the discussion of environmental concerns or health concerns in the placement of cell towers. This is despite growing awareness and scientific confirmation of both environmental and health effects from exposure to cell tower radiation and all radio frequency wireless devices. Section 704 also specifically bans local and state governments from setting their own environmental standards for wireless radiation and human exposure. Section 704 must be overturned, and control given back to our local municipalities that can govern the health and safety of their residents. Cities in the United States and throughout the world are saying "No" to 5G deployment until further safety testing has been completed. Unfortunately, many people are completely unaware of this technology and the dangers it poses. We must continue to inform others and have a united voice in opposition. Recently American scientists, doctors, and healthcare practitioners sent a letter to President Trump asking for a moratorium on 5G.
Click Here: Moratorium on 5G – Letter to President Trump
If you are an Ohio resident, please sign this petition asking to halt 5G until further safety testing has been completed.
*Sign the Ohio Petition*
Click Here: Become Familiar with These Other Senate and House Bills
Please join Southwest Ohio for Responsible Technology. This group provides information on 5G, highlights concerns in our community and ways to take action.
Join SWORT
Other Resources for 5G Information:
Environmental Health Trust. Ehtrust.org
Americans for Responsible Technology
Scientists for Wired Technology
We all like the convenience of our wireless devices, but at what cost?
We seem to be a species with amnesia.
When we sever our connection with Spirit and with Nature, where does it lead?
The industries involved have shown a reckless disregard for our health and the health of our environment.
Money always talks...
We are the authors of our lives and the stewards of future generations.
May we not forget.
Community Supported Agriculture: Local and Fresh is Best
January 08, 2020 6:00 PM | Anonymous member
A CSA which stands for Community Supported Agriculture, is a fundamentally different way of buying produce directly from a local farmer. Customers buy "shares" or memberships into a set time frame, typically weekly or bi-weekly. Then a box of locally grown, veggies, fruits, meats, cheese, eggs, herbs, flowers, bake goods etc (whatever the arrangement is for that particular farm) is provided at a set date for customer pick up. Sometimes farms deliver, or allow multiple places for weekly pick ups or will take shares to distribute at the farmer's markets.
These funds collected upfront for a weekly share are an investment in the farm. Farmers will use the capitol to purchase seed, equipment, labor, livestock and other essential needs. Yes, there are risks that are involved in a CSA. Weather, and the unforeseen. That is part of a CSA.
Some CSAs will require a work period from their members. A set amount of hours to volunteer and gain skills which often evolve into their own gardens!
A few reasons to try a CSA:
1) Saves you money. You will spend less and cut the middle man by purchasing directly from a local farmer.
2) You can try new things. You may experiment with a food you've never had! Some CSAs will include a recipe card or plan the box around a specific meal.
3) You eat veggies/fruit in season which also means you are consuming healthier foods!
4) You can get your hands dirty and help grow your foods!
5) You are supporting your community.
6) You know exactly where your food comes from! Shake your farmers hand!
CSAs will typically start a summer membership enrollments in February. Many of your farmers at the local farmers markets participate in CSAs. Take the time to ask them about the process, or refer you. You can always google "local CSA" or check out Local Harvest and can be connected to many in your area.
Mandy Palmer is owner and operator of Barefoot Hippie Homestead, a farm in Lebanon, Ohio. Together with her husband, Rusty, and 6 beautiful girls, she runs the farm and offers a Community Supported Agriculture program. Mandy also has many other herbal and beeswax crafts for sale from her website. Check them out at: https://www.barefoothippiehomesteading.com/
Food Samples Tested Positive for Pesticide Residue, says USDA
December 30, 2019 2:35 PM | Anonymous member
By Ravi Kulasekere PhD, ND
A recent USDA report shows that more than half of the food samples we consume and feed our children tested for pesticide residue and some tested above the FDA allowed limit. The article states:
". . . For the 10,545 samples analyzed, 47.8 percent of the samples had no detectable pesticides, 21.0 percent had one pesticide, and 31.2 percent of the samples had more than one pesticide."
They do not say so in the article but we can safely assume that the foods tested were conventionally grown and not organic. Some were also grown outside the USA.
This revelation of pesticide residue in food should come as no surprise to anyone. When pesticides are being sprayed on our food, at times all the way up to harvest, it does not magically disappear when it comes from the field into your fridge. Some produce will not only have surface residue but will also absorb some of it. Consuming pesticides in any amount over an extended period of time is not healthy and can lead to many chronic and debilitating illnesses.
The article goes on to say:
"In addition, 642 samples were found to have pesticides for which no tolerance was established, including 444 fresh fruit and vegetable samples, 151 processed fruit/vegetable samples, 30 rice samples, and 17 wheat flour samples.
508 samples contained 1 pesticide for which no tolerance was established;
106 samples contained 2 pesticides for which no tolerance was established;
13 samples contained 3 pesticides for which no tolerance was established;
2 samples contained 7 pesticides for which no tolerance was established; and
20 samples also contained 1 pesticide each that exceeded an established tolerance".
This is absolutely unacceptable. If no tolerances are established, we all know that the industry would do nothing to keep levels lower. Therefore, you are pretty much consuming poison through your food. Why does the FDA and USDA not do anything about it? As you probably guessed they are very careful not to antagonize the Big-Ag lobby and if you fall ill their bed-fellows in Pharma would then start to profit from your illness. The comment made by the industry lobby group makes it clear:
"An industry group, the Alliance for Food and Farming, heralded the report as an all clear for consumers to eat as many fresh fruits and vegetables as possible."
First of all, KNOW where your food is coming from. Shop at local farmers markets in the summer as the small farmers tend to use no pesticides or very little.
Buy ORGANIC whenever possible. The extra price you pay will bring you much better returns in health, which is cheaper in the long run. Find local and nationwide chains that carry organic food for less. There are many.
Go to a consumer advocacy page such as the Environmental Working Group and read up what foods that are grown conventionally are safe to consume and what foods are not. The EWG publishes a list of dirty foods and clean foods yearly. Carry that info in a note card when you go shopping.
Buy food that is grown in a greenhouse as these tend to not use pesticides as much if at all.
Most importantly GROW YOUR OWN FOOD in the summer. It is actually a great way to even teach your kids how to live in a sustainable way and it is fun. You don't need a lot of space or time to grow and if you have no space grow something in a container.
Finally, read up or take a class locally to understand native edible plants in your own backyard. Nature provides a plethora of highly nutritious plants that grow native to your area and we are often told that these plants are noxious weeds and should be killed using poison. They are not and in fact you SHOULD NOT be spraying poison in your own backyard anyway. If you want to kill something, undiluted vinegar works just as well as any pricey poison you can buy at the store.
Dr Ravi Kulasekere PhD, ND BCHHP
Do No Pharm Naturopathy LLC