7/25/2023 0 Comments Dr howard earman![]() ![]() This accounts for the extremely infectious character of the disease, particularly in poorly ventilated indoor locations, such as schools. They are emitted whenever people speak or even in the process of respiration. Jimenez presented slides that showed how SARS-CoV-2-the virus that causes Covid-19-is transported within minute aerosol particles from one person to another. Jose-Luis Jimenez, professor of chemistry at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and an expert in aerosol physics, delivered a presentation on “The modes of transmission of SARS-CoV-2.” Dr. This compares to nearly 2,000 per million in the United States, which has led to a drop in life expectancy at birth by one and a half years.Īsked by David North whether the recent change in the policy of the New Zealand government to “transition” from its previous approach, under immense economic and political pressure, is very likely to lead to a sharp rise in cases and deaths, Baker stated, “It is, very much so.”ĭr. China, New Zealand, Taiwan, and Australia, where elimination strategies have been pursued for much or all of the pandemic, have succeeded in limiting deaths to between three and five individuals per million. Michael Baker, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the University of Otago in Wellington, New Zealand, who served on the New Zealand Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 Technical Advisory Group, delivered a presentation, “Progressive elimination of Covid-19: Is it feasible and desirable?”Įlimination strategies, he concluded, “definitely, definitely do work.” He noted that the World Health Organization has pursued an elimination strategy for many diseases, including polio. If we can bend the curve, if we can bring the R value to a low level, we can eliminate.”ĭr. Gasperowicz said, but these claims are false. “Some people claim it is too late, that it is not possible to eliminate now because we have, because the virus is everywhere,” Dr. While there was some discussion on the length of time that would be required, all the scientists agreed that such a strategy was both viable and necessary. Gasperowicz said that her models show that in countries with a high vaccination rate, aggressive measures-including the shutdown of nonessential production and aggressive testing, tracing and isolation-could eliminate the virus within two to three months. She also presented mathematical models showing that vaccines alone are not sufficient to stop the spread of the virus.ĭr. Malgorzata Gasperowicz,a developmental biologist and researcher at the University of Calgary in Canada and cofounder of Zero COVID Canada, presented a report on “The Case for SARS2 Elimination.” She documented the extreme disparity in cases and deaths between provinces in Canada that pursued an elimination strategy and those that pursued a “mitigation” or containment strategy. Many of the scientists came prepared with detailed slides presenting factual information on the impact of different measures to contain the virus, the health consequences of the disease, and how it is transmitted.Ĭertain salient facts emerged from the reports that are vital for the public to understand.ĭr. While originally scheduled for two hours, the webinar lasted for three and a half. “The world has already paid a terrible price for the deliberate refusal of governments to listen to scientists,” he said. Citing the Economist, North noted that the real number of deaths is far higher, between 10 and 20 million people. In opening the webinar, North drew attention to the colossal loss of life over the past two years, with the official global death toll now approaching five million people. The event was moderated by WSWS International Editorial Board Chairman David North and WSWS writer and practicing physician Dr. Among the countries with the highest number of viewers were the US, Canada, the UK, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Sri Lanka, Ireland, France, India, Spain, Malaysia and Brazil. During the event and in the first 12 hours after it was broadcast, several thousand people from more than 100 countries throughout the world listened in. The eight scientists and doctors spoke from five different countries: New Zealand, the UK, the United States, Canada and Pakistan. The webinar was also unique in its international scope. To the extent that there is any discussion of the science of COVID-19, it is mainly confined to scientific journals with a very small circulation, not public events to which working people have direct access. Along with an earlier webinar organized by the WSWS two months ago, Sunday’s event was the only effort to devote time to allow scientists and public health specialists to explain to the public the nature of the pandemic and what must be done. ![]()
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