This insightful interview of Dr Simon Thornley of Auckland University again shows that there are good reasons for us in this country to question authority
\n and then furnished with new, rigorous evidence - chart our own course.
\n \n <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
During the COVID lockdown crises, NZ as a country hunkered down as a team of Five Million as the Prime Minister called us. We essentially did what we thought
\n was in the best interests for the nation as a whole. However, after a short time there came from the academic realm, another voice that said hold on
\n a moment, the statistics coming in seem to be not telling the full story, so let\u2019s take another look at what's really happening?
\n \n<\/p>\n
This voice was Dr Simon Thornley who courageously stated that the facts were indeed not clearly stated. He also noted that Professor John Ioannidis of When Simon looked at the early evidence at the first stages of the lockdown - of who were in hospital or were very unwell the statistics showed people The statistics that he was able to gather showed by far the majority of people who were dying were in the 80s to 90s. This was supported in a Sky News In the interview, Simon lays out the anomalies and says that we in NZ need to be cautious, protect the elderly in particular and open up the country which There are a good number of profound points covered in this ranging interview<\/em> and the big one is that this Covid is very much like a very severe https:\/\/youtu.be\/SgixfAGVwT4<\/a><\/strong> Simon on \u2018Plan B\u2019<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n Simon talks about when a virus kicks in it expands and reaches a climax at the top of the bell curve and then falls away. That is even with no intervention - saying that the virus eventually burns itself out - this is what we call herd immunity.<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n This is the way <\/strong>we recover from 99%of virus afflictions - that\u2019s basically it.<\/p>\n So he says that the strategy that needs to be on the table, which Sweden was discussing was \u2018herd immunity\u2019 and sheltering the vulnerable - we knew for Simon says that he sees that Covid19 has taken this \u2018exalted status\u2019 - and it concerns him - given its overall importance that in many ways there are many We talk about Turkey and they locking down only the young and the elderly and having everyone between 20 and 70 stay at work and they had the same death Simon mentions that the Turk\u2019s obviously were paying attention as to who was really at risk. Saying he is not sure about the young ones - the children and that his reading of the situation is that they are even at a lower risk of anything happening in terms of severe outcomes. Especially when compared with middle age people etc, that keeping the economy going seemed very sensible.<\/em>\n<\/p>\n The Icelandic Experience<\/strong> - In Iceland they tested a considerable number and they found many with - Asymptomatic infection - so people So this was important <\/strong>- and there are big questions as to why - and the knock-on effect around our planet is - why the degree of lockdown Also Iceland opened up its borders and they seem to have readjusted their risk to some degree to the virus …. That their tourism industries are Also talked about was the CVC https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/index.html <\/a>in He states this ratio is of high interest and that is simply about the number of people who die of<\/strong> Covid and also who die because<\/strong> of Covid - stating there is a distinction there … and he says the definition is INTERESTING - divided by the total number of people who have Listen as Professor John Ioannidis of the Department of Epidemiology from Stanford University is quoted as saying the fatality rate is about 3 in a thousand Note that the age of deaths by Covid in NZ is virtually the same as for normal or natural mortality as he compared this for the year 2019 <\/strong>…Listen<\/em> … that the distribution was virtually exactly the same. as the ages of the people who had died with Covid in NZ.<\/p>\n
\n the Department of Epidemiology from Stanford University in the US was finding the same slanted stats and later on - <\/em>Prof Carl Heneghan of
\n Oxford University, in the UK also noted this.<\/p>\n
\n dying who were actually expected to die in a short while anyway - as a result of old age or other comorbidities - such as heart problems, cancer and
\n other ends of life ailments.<\/p>\n
\n Broadcast on the 20th of September they said that …. Back in July a statistical anomaly was spotted which changed the way COVID 19 deaths were
\n counted. Previously Public Health England included any death of a person who had previously had Covid 19 as a Corona virus fatality even if they had
\n recovered from the virus and died of another cause - and the person who spotted that was professor Carl Hennigan from the University of Oxford - who
\n has been quite critical of the UK lockdown, going a step further stating that the British PM was surrounded by mediocre advisors!<\/p>\n
\n means schools as well.<\/p>\n
\n flu. Saying that this virus is not as deadly as we had initially believed. <\/em>\n<\/p>\nThe Interview:<\/h3>\n
\n example that people in rest homes, in hospitals, were very susceptible to the virus - certainly people over the age of 65 - much more than people under
\n that age … so that was a reasonable strategy …and he (like me) got behind the NZ Govt\u2019s initial response to protect hospitals and rest
\n homes and avoid the spread of the virus in hospitals. However, Simon said that the response went further with slogans - like \u201cwe are going in hard
\n and early\u201d and \u201cwe are going to eliminate the virus\u201d and he said we know that the hospitals were never under threat in NZ. That even in the height
\n of Covid - there was spare capacity.<\/p>\n
\n other important challenges within the health domain. Mental health and suicides which was mentioned towards the end of this interview.<\/p>\n
\n toll - per % of population - virtually the same as Switzerland, even though the Swiss followed the conventional lockdown procedure.<\/p>\n
\n there were testing positive with Covid - but without symptoms - so that was crucial information as we initially thought that everyone with Covid had
\n severe symptoms and were going to need hospital treatment and may end up being fatal.<\/p>\n
\n when Iceland showed up anomalies and people with Covid - did not fall ill? <\/strong>\n<\/p>\n
\n recovering …Listen<\/em>\n<\/p>\n
\n the USA and the rewriting of Covid deaths down to 6%. - you will have to listen <\/em>\n<\/p>\n
\n Covid and initially the WHO stated this was very important that this was high - much much higher than what we would expect for influenza - for example
\n about 3.4% for example - where we expect influenza to be about 0.1% or 1 in a thousand - so the WHO was saying - 3 to 4 in a hundred were dying compared
\n to 1 in a thousand with flu - however listen to how Simon covers this <\/em><\/strong>and you will hear that the fatalities of Covid have
\n been \u2018dialing down\u2019 more and more that they are now getting closer to the range of seasonal influenzas.<\/p>\n
\n - the CDC is a little bit higher than that, at 0.6% - so he says we are seeing a \u2018dialling back\u2019 of the fatality rate from the virus.<\/p>\n