Covid science myths and misinformation
Dear Editor,
Now that just about all that the virologists, the doctors, the scientists and chiefly the NPHET and the CMO have told us has been soundly exposed as misinformation and mis-advice, beginning with ‘ masks are bad, don’t wear them’, and ‘ the virus isn’t airborne, just stay indoors and disinfect every surface in sight and we’ll be alright’, now we’re told ‘masks are our main defence - wear two’ and by the way ‘ the virus is mainly airborne, open all your windows and go outside’, what other virus myths will be revealed next?
We were told ‘ transmission is by droplets falling on surfaces within two metres, disinfect every surface in sight and we’ll be alright’. Now we’re told this is bunkum, there’s no need to disinfect surfaces, in fact we shouldn’t, we’ll end up destroying our natural immunity’.
We had, ‘ vitamin D is no defence’ and now we’re told, take vitamin D, it’s vital to build up your natural defence’.
The latest Science Myth to be debunked is that international travel accounts for less than 0.1% of our transmissions. Now it appears it accounts for all the variants coming within our shores, which will shortly account for almost 100% of our cases.
We had ‘ the border can’t be policed’; now it appears it can and they’ll dish out €500 or €2,000 fines to everybody who crosses it ‘ without good excuse’.
This isn’t to take away from the very great work done by the HSE, the heroic work of nurses, doctors, carers, cleaners and other health-care workers battling bravely, daily against the virus. Not forgetting retail staff, and agricultural workers and delivery staff who, unlike teachers and teacher unions who deserted our children in their hour of need, have travelled to the four corners of the country by and large without a glitch, a hitch or transmitting the virus.
But when ‘ virus science’ becomes myth and not ‘ virus fact’, can we trust that ‘ vaccine science’ isn’t similar or even the same?
A local baker’s assistant asked, where is the medical information leaflet we normally get and ‘must read’ before taking any medicine, for this vaccine? It seems it’s still in the baking; we won’t be given it because of the dire warnings it could, or should, or would, contain. I’m not a scientist, but that baker’s assistant isn’t all yeast and hot air.
Kevin T Finn, Kingston Close,
Mitchelstown.