thevaccinereaction--2020-11-02--Scientists and Doctors Call for Return to Normal Life in The Great Barrington Declaration

On Oct. 6 , 2020 , an international coalition of scientists , doctors and medical professionals created and signed a document they titled The Great Barrington Declaration ( GBD ) , which was named for the Massachusetts town where organizers gathered and in which the petition was signed.1 By the end of October , the Declaration had already secured signatures from 10,233 scientists , 27,860 medical professionals and 504,875 concerned citizens.2 In the document , infectious disease epidemiologists and public health scientists from all over the world expressed their deep concern about the potential negative repercussions of lockdown measures imposed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and called for a global policy change to what they call “ focused protection.
” The creators of the GBD3 maintain that “ current lockdown policies are producing devastating effects on short and long-term public health , ” including fewer healthcare screening visits , worse outcomes for cardiovascular disease and other pre-existing conditions , and serious effects on mental health .
Stating that “ vulnerability to death from COVID-19 is more than a thousand-fold higher in the old and infirm than the young ” and further , that “ for children , COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including influenza , ” the authors recommend measures be put in place to protect vulnerable segments of society , while allowing all others to immediately return to normal life .
Specifically , they suggest that nursing home staff should be limited to those with acquired immunity , staff rotation should be minimized and all staff and visitors should be frequently tested .
Groceries and other essentials should be delivered to elderly who live in the community and the vulnerable should interact with people outside whenever possible .
For everyone else , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ universities should immediately reopen for in-person attendance , including all extracurricular activities ; • art , music , sports and other group events should resume ; and • young low-risk adults should return to work instead of working from home .
Martin Kulldorff , PhD , professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and one of the three initial signatories of the GBD said , “ As a public-health scientist , it is stunning to see how focused people are on this one disease and on the short term.
” He argues that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a whole , including all diseases , and should take a long view rather than opting for a short-term solution .
Dr. Kulldorff also asserted his belief that even if we choose to focus on COVID-19 alone , the lockdowns and isolations do not make sense : Pointing at Sweden—which did not impose strict lockdown measures for the past year—as an example of the economic and social benefits of a more relaxed approach to protective measures , he stressed that COVID-19 is much less serious than seasonal influenza for children .
Breaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 deaths as of Oct. 22 , 2020 , only two occurred in children under age 9 , while 4,004 deaths were in people ages 80 and above.5 Others Argue That Lower Risk of COVID-19 Does Not Mean No Risk Some argue that , while older people are more likely to experience severe symptoms or to die from COVID-19 , children and young people are not immune to infection , even serious infection.6 The CDC ’ s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report found that more than 20 percent of confirmed cases during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 29 years of age .
For the week of Sept. 28 , the National Center for Health Statistics reported 1,800 COVID-19-related deaths in people under age 35 , with 419 of those in young people under age 25 .
They also reported that 851 children under age 18 have been hospitalized with severe disease .
Those numbers are updated every week and , as of Oct. 22 , there have been 2,090 reported deaths involving COVID-19 in Americans under age 35 , with 462 in individuals under age 25.7 Most experts agree @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long-term socio-economic consequences for populations .
A U.N. report focusing on the impact on children and young people warned that , “ All children , of all ages , and in all countries , are being affected , in particular by the socio-economic impacts and , in some cases , by mitigation measures that may inadvertently do more harm than good , ” and , further , that “ the impact will be life-long.
” Analysis of data from more than 60 pre-existing , peer-reviewed studies indicated a strong association between loneliness and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , suggesting that the duration of loneliness had a greater impact than degree.8 Looking at current pandemic strategies , Dr. Kulldorff also pointed out that lockdown measures disproportionately affect the working class , who may not be able to work ( restaurant staff for example , if their place of business is closed ) or are unable to work or isolate at home ( such as those in service industries ) .
In this way , Kulldorff argues , we are effectively “ throwing the working class under the bus , ” while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students and business professionals who can more easily work from home.9 Decreases in preventive care and screening visits , increases in risk for mental health issues , significant financial losses and the potential collapse of many restaurants and small businesses that may be unable to rebound are not the only ramifications of isolation and lockdown policies .
There also has been a sharp uptick in both the number and severity of incidents of intimate partner violence ( IPV ) during the pandemic compared to the three years prior , with increases in calls @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 Some of the factors identified during COVID-19 lockdowns as potential stressors that could lead to increased domestic violence include socioeconomic instability , avoidance of healthcare facilities due to fear of catching the virus , lack of community support , increased substance abuse and more time spent at home with partners .
11 During this same period , the National Children ’ s Alliance ( NCA ) , reporting for more than 900 children ’ s advocacy centers ( CACs ) across the U.S. , says they have seen 21 percent fewer child @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to about 40,000 fewer children served compared to the same period last year .
Child safety advocates attribute the change to an underreporting of abuse in the face of COVID-19 .
As NCA Executive Director Teresa Huizar put it : In the words of Dr. Kulldorff in advocating for the GBD , the strategies to try to contain and combat COVID-19 have amounted to “ a unique experiment , and it ’ s a terrible experiment… in a short time , we are throwing all the principles of public health out the window.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ GBD and others maintain that COVID-19 will always be with us and that we must use traditional , more balanced public health strategies , while adapting to living with the new coronavirus until populations acquire immunity and the disease becomes less virulent .