Clarification sought from health minister

AS a doctor of 40 years’ experience, I sent a letter to Vaughan Gething on September 8 requesting clarification of the meaning of a coronavirus “case”, because many people are confused about it and often unnecessarily frightened.

To date I have received no reply. The public have a right to understand what they are being told by ministers.

Dear Mr Gething, In the light of recent reports of a “local lockdown” in Caerphilly, I would be grateful for clarification of what is meant by “cases”, in relation to ‘Covid19’.

Are the “cases” asymptomatic, symptomatic, well, sick, at home, hospitalised or dead?

How are the “cases” counted? Are they detected clinically or by testing?

Is the testing random or targeted? Are children being tested at school and by what method?

As health minister you will be familiar with correspondence in the British Medical Journal. I refer you to outstanding questions and concerns regarding the RT-PCR test, its interpretation and the deleterious effect on children.

I would be grateful for answers to the queries raised in the correspondence referenced below, namely:

What is the purpose of randomly testing to detect minute quantities of viral RNA in predominantly asymptomatic populations?

Do the necessarily amplified samples of viral genome in an RT-PCR test indicate, (a) active presence of ‘live’ virus in an asymptomatic individual, (b) past presence of live virus, (c) a portion

of viral genome remaining after destruction of virus by the immune system, (d) viral load, (e) current infection, (f ) past infection, (g) latent infection, (h) infection with SARS CoV-2, (i) infection with a related coronavirus, (j) ‘carrier’ status, (k) transmissibility potential, (l) any or all of the above or something else?

The NHS website gives guidance regarding coronavirus testing. It states, “A positive result means you had coronavirus when the test was done”. What does that mean exactly? And is there a danger of creating a “Casedemic” of apparent “spikes” of unknown significance?

Please also advise as to what risk assessments have been carried out regarding adverse effects on the population of ‘lockdowns’, face mask-wearing and the social, psychological, physical, economic short and long-term consequences of government-mandated “covid rules”.

I look forward to your detailed response, including references to peer-reviewed scientific publications supporting any assertions.

Please regard this as a Freedom of Information request, if necessary.

Dr Janet Menage MA MB ChB

Llanybydder, Ceredigion