thelibertybeacon--2020-03-29--Daisy Luther: How Long Will America’s COVID-19 Lockdown Last?

How Long Will America ’ s COVID-19 Lockdown Last ?
Here ’ s What The Patterns Suggest From the moment lockdowns and serious social distancing efforts began in the United States , the question on everyone ’ s mind was , “ How long will these lockdowns last ?
” And it ’ s not simple impatience .
The cost of Covid-19 continues to come as a brutal assault to families across the country .
First , there was the money spent preparing for the likelihood of quarantine , and this was followed , for many , by a loss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people had filed for unemployment by last Thursday , something projected less than a week ago and laughed off by many as fear-mongering .
The economic ramifications of this virus are not just short-term – they ’ re long-term too .
It ’ s psychological , too .
Right now , we ’ re in this strange period of purgatory in which the situation isn ’ t that bad for a lot of people – outside of a few hotspots , we aren ’ t seeing the virus in our own backyards .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ next summer , next month – even next week – is tough on people who are accustomed to being able to map out things like vacations , summer activities for the kids , heck , even a night at the movies with our partners .
There ’ s a sense of overall discomfort which can only be described as grief as we miss out on goals , milestones , and the day to day lives we enjoyed just a couple of short weeks ago .
We want this to end .
Now .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , we want to know when .
When will this limbo known as lockdown be over ?
Unfortunately , we ’ re just getting started .
A few weeks ago , I wrote about when the lockdowns and shelter in place orders would be handed down in the United States , based on the patterns we were seeing in China and in Italy .
It turned out to be extremely accurate , so we can use the same general idea of using patterns to attempt to predict what happens next .
Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all sorts of variables .
I hate making “ predictions because of this .
These aren ’ t “ predictions ” in a crystal ball kind of way .
This is just an analysis of what has already happened and how a pattern is developing .
So , my disclaimer is , given the vast array of variables , some of which we ’ ve probably never even considered , these dates may be entirely wrong .
But right now , patterns are all we have to give us an idea of what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that could come into play are the severity of the lockdown , the population density of the infection hotspots , a surge of civil unrest , a concurrent disaster , and/or the medical systems in the different countries involved .
China is a lot more authoritarian than the US and Italy , and they incorporated shocking measures like literally welding people into their apartments .
While things started off rather gently in Italy and the United States , don ’ t expect it to stay that way .
Italy started off less strictly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the cases explode , and we ’ re seeing harsher measures being instituted across the United States as governors take steps to protect their less-infected states from those fleeing hotspots .
Expect this to continue up to and including martial law if people don ’ t cooperate with social distancing measures .
I ’ m not saying that this is a good thing or a bad thing – I ’ m just pointing out that this is reality .
If you don ’ t believe it , read this article about how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up with the National Guard to go door to door looking for New Yorkers who have fled the city .
Right here in the United States of America , boys and girls .
Don ’ t delude yourself into thinking we ’ re protected by the Constitution right now .
While that should always be the case , know that right now , we ’ re not .
For the purposes of this article , here are some definitions that I ’ m using .
• Lockdown : Periods of time with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , quarantines , and curfews mandated by federal or local governments with varying degrees of enforcement , • Peak : The plateau in which the number of cases was high somewhat uniformly .
Also known as “ flattening the curve.
” • Spike : A brief period during which the number of cases skyrocketed , then returned to the peak .
• Decline : The period of time when the number of new cases began to drop steadily from the peak period .
The charts below are all from Worldometer and show the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m not a scientist , a statistician , or a doctor .
These are my definitions that I ’ ll be using throughout the article and I ’ m sharing them for the purpose of clarity so that we ’ re all reading from the same songbook .
Here ’ s how it went down in China .
Keep in mind that I never trusted and still do not trust the numbers coming from China .
I ’ m not basing any of this on their numbers , but on their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any , I don ’ t trust the American numbers either .
I ’ m equal opportunity in my distrust .
All we ’ re looking at here are patterns .
The lockdown of China began on Jan. 22 .
Within a few days , the lockdown had spread to incorporate millions and millions of people and were quite widespread to some degree or another .
This is Worldometer ’ s chart for China .
The chart begins on Jan. 22 , which is not accurate – that was the day that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were a number of cases before that date .
But this is the data we have to work with .
Again , we ’ re not focused on the numbers , but on the pattern .
China ’ s cases hit the plateau that we ’ re calling a “ peak ” approximately Jan. 30th .
That ’ s when they hit a plateau that was continued after the peak until cases began to drop off on Feb. 19th .
During this time , the cases were being diagnosed hard and fast at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to day but stayed in a certain range .
This means the peak for China began 8 days after widespread lockdown and lasted for 20 days .
You can see a spike on Feb. 13th and 14th .
This can be explained away – at least in part .
China began using a different diagnostic method on the 13th that didn ’ t require the antigen test .
It was faster and easier to diagnose patients at that time .
There were 15 thousand new cases that day and this is notable .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdown began .
They only used this diagnostic method for 2 days , then returned to their previous methods of diagnosis .
At that time , numbers returned generally to the plateau that we ’ re calling the peak .
Cases began to decline 21 days after the peak began , on Feb. 19th .
65 days after the lockdown began , Wuhan relaxed to the lockdown : people can leave their homes but are not allowed to leave the city .
If all goes well , China plans to reopen Wuhan on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they first locked down Wuhan .
We ’ ll learn a lot about our own future when we see how it goes in Wuhan a couple of weeks from now .
Italy began its regional lockdown on Feb. 21st and it quickly expanded to a widespread national lockdown by March 9th .
( source for dates ) As I write this , Italy is at day 20 of its lockdown In the chart below , it appears that Italy began its peak around March 18th , which is 9 days after widespread lockdowns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China holds true , infections will decline but still be in peak until April 20th .
Italy could begin to relax its lockdown as of May 13th .
If China does indeed completely lift its lockdown on Day 77 and this works well , then the end of Italy ’ s lockdown could be June 6th .
Again , there are many variables .
For example , on March 28th in Italy ( yesterday at the time of writing ) , tensions arose in Italy as the health emergency became a social emergency @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orders , threatening to storm supermarkets because they ’ ve run out of food .
Cries for revolution arose throughout social media and many people have said they will not remain at home , and that they ’ re out of food and basic necessities .
This could , unfortunately , result in a much longer period of infection as people gather in crowds to protest .
It could even result in a spike for Italy around March 31-April 1 that would be similar to China ’ s spike , albeit for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
First things first – this is not going to be over in two weeks .
If the country reopened again next week or the week after while cases are still climbing , everything we ’ ve done from this point on will have been in vain .
We ’ re in this social distancing business for quite a while if we want it to work .
Our first major lockdowns began on March 19th .
Thirty-three states have closed down non-essential businesses or mandated some type of lockdown since that time .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pattern of China , the peak would have begun yesterday , March 28th .
We should begin to see the curve flattening out on charts within the next few days .
This peak would last through about April 30th and we could see our worst days on April 10th and 11th , depending on whether we have some kind of unusual variables like both China and Italy have had .
On May 23rd , we could see the lockdowns become more relaxed , and if they go 77 days like Wuhan , then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s important to note that we still don ’ t know what the aftermath of the lockdown looks like in China .
It could end up that they ’ ll put another lockdown in place if infections begin to reoccur at a high rate .
Personally , I don ’ t plan to rush out to a crowded mall the moment lockdowns are lifted .
I want to wait and see what happens after a week or so first .
To provide an example , several hundred movie theaters in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopened on March 23rd , then were abruptly ordered to close on March 27th without further explanation .
The reopening of the United States could also be a start-and-stop process as scientists learn more about Covid-19 .
This isn ’ t a short term event .
It ’ s going to get worse .
I ’ m not the only person who thinks these measures could last for quite some time .
According to Michael Snyder , it will be ongoing and we too could expect to see some civil unrest before this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there are parts of the country that are far less affected than places like New York City and New Orleans .
But every single state has diagnosed Covid within its boundaries and none of the country is unscathed by the measures being undertaken to combat the spread .
And despite the steps that Americans have taken to slow this down , we have the unfortunate distinction of surpassing China as the epicenter of the pandemic .
On Thursday , March 26th , 17,224 new cases were diagnosed here and on Friday , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the number of new cases is still climbing .
We have not seen the worst of this situation yet .
People should be prepared for anything from more stringent lockdowns , supply chain interruptions , and potentially even civil unrest in some areas as the situation drags on .
I know these dates and numbers are probably not what you want to hear .
It ’ s only been ten days and for many , it ’ s practically unimaginable to live like this for 2 more months , stretching into June .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ mindblowing , not to mention the feelings of uncertainty , unrest , and even fear that many people are experiencing .
But if you ’ re anything like me , you ’ d rather go into this unknown territory facing reality instead of waiting and wondering .
( TLB ) published this article by Daisy Luther via The Organic Prepper blog with permission and our appreciation for this perspective .
About the Author Daisy Luther is a coffee-swigging , gun-toting blogger who writes about current events , preparedness , frugality , voluntaryism , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ website , The Organic Prepper .
She is widely republished across alternative media and she also curates all of the most important/vital news links regularly on her aggregate site , PreppersDailyNews.com .
Daisy is the best-selling author of 4 books and lives in the mountains of Virginia with her two daughters and an ever-growing menagerie .
You can find her on Facebook , Pinterest , and Twitter .

How Long Will America’s COVID-19 Lockdown Last? Here’s What The Patterns Suggest
Daisy Luther
From the moment lockdowns and serious social distancing efforts began in the United States, the question on everyone’s mind was, “How long will these lockdowns last?”
And it’s not simple impatience. The cost of Covid-19 continues to come as a brutal assault to families across the country. First, there was the money spent preparing for the likelihood of quarantine, and this was followed, for many, by a loss of income. A shocking 3.3 million people had filed for unemployment by last Thursday, something projected less than a week ago and laughed off by many as fear-mongering. The economic ramifications of this virus are not just short-term – they’re long-term too.
It’s psychological, too. Right now, we’re in this strange period of purgatory in which the situation isn’t that bad for a lot of people – outside of a few hotspots, we aren’t seeing the virus in our own backyards. But the inability to plan for something next summer, next month – even next week – is tough on people who are accustomed to being able to map out things like vacations, summer activities for the kids, heck, even a night at the movies with our partners. There’s a sense of overall discomfort which can only be described as grief as we miss out on goals, milestones, and the day to day lives we enjoyed just a couple of short weeks ago.
We want this to end. Now.
And if we can’t have that, we want to know when. When will this limbo known as lockdown be over?
Unfortunately, we’re just getting started.
A few weeks ago, I wrote about when the lockdowns and shelter in place orders would be handed down in the United States, based on the patterns we were seeing in China and in Italy. It turned out to be extremely accurate, so we can use the same general idea of using patterns to attempt to predict what happens next.
Now, keep in mind, there are all sorts of variables. I hate making “predictions because of this. These aren’t “predictions” in a crystal ball kind of way. This is just an analysis of what has already happened and how a pattern is developing. So, my disclaimer is, given the vast array of variables, some of which we’ve probably never even considered, these dates may be entirely wrong. But right now, patterns are all we have to give us an idea of what to expect.
Some of the variables that could come into play are the severity of the lockdown, the population density of the infection hotspots, a surge of civil unrest, a concurrent disaster, and/or the medical systems in the different countries involved. China is a lot more authoritarian than the US and Italy, and they incorporated shocking measures like literally welding people into their apartments.
While things started off rather gently in Italy and the United States, don’t expect it to stay that way.
Italy started off less strictly but has increasingly become tougher on citizens as the cases explode, and we’re seeing harsher measures being instituted across the United States as governors take steps to protect their less-infected states from those fleeing hotspots.
Expect this to continue up to and including martial law if people don’t cooperate with social distancing measures. I’m not saying that this is a good thing or a bad thing – I’m just pointing out that this is reality. If you don’t believe it, read this article about how the cops in Rhode Island are teaming up with the National Guard to go door to door looking for New Yorkers who have fled the city. Right here in the United States of America, boys and girls.
Don’t delude yourself into thinking we’re protected by the Constitution right now. While that should always be the case, know that right now, we’re not.
Some definitions
For the purposes of this article, here are some definitions that I’m using.
Lockdown: Periods of time with the restriction of movement, closure of businesses, quarantines, and curfews mandated by federal or local governments with varying degrees of enforcement,
Periods of time with the restriction of movement, closure of businesses, quarantines, and curfews mandated by federal or local governments with varying degrees of enforcement, Peak : The plateau in which the number of cases was high somewhat uniformly. Also known as “flattening the curve.”
: The plateau in which the number of cases was high somewhat uniformly. Also known as “flattening the curve.” Spike : A brief period during which the number of cases skyrocketed, then returned to the peak.
: A brief period during which the number of cases skyrocketed, then returned to the peak. Decline: The period of time when the number of new cases began to drop steadily from the peak period.
The charts below are all from Worldometer and show the new cases diagnosed in each country.
I’m not a scientist, a statistician, or a doctor. These are my definitions that I’ll be using throughout the article and I’m sharing them for the purpose of clarity so that we’re all reading from the same songbook.
Here’s how it went down in China.
Keep in mind that I never trusted and still do not trust the numbers coming from China. I’m not basing any of this on their numbers, but on their increases and decreases. If it helps any, I don’t trust the American numbers either. I’m equal opportunity in my distrust.
All we’re looking at here are patterns.
The lockdown of China began on Jan. 22. Within a few days, the lockdown had spread to incorporate millions and millions of people and were quite widespread to some degree or another.
This is Worldometer’s chart for China. The chart begins on Jan. 22, which is not accurate – that was the day that they locked down Wuhan so we know there were a number of cases before that date. But this is the data we have to work with. Again, we’re not focused on the numbers, but on the pattern.
China’s cases hit the plateau that we’re calling a “peak” approximately Jan. 30th. That’s when they hit a plateau that was continued after the peak until cases began to drop off on Feb. 19th. During this time, the cases were being diagnosed hard and fast at a high rate that varied from day to day but stayed in a certain range. This means the peak for China began 8 days after widespread lockdown and lasted for 20 days.
You can see a spike on Feb. 13th and 14th. This can be explained away – at least in part. China began using a different diagnostic method on the 13th that didn’t require the antigen test. It was faster and easier to diagnose patients at that time. There were 15 thousand new cases that day and this is notable. This spike occurred 22 days after the lockdown began. They only used this diagnostic method for 2 days, then returned to their previous methods of diagnosis. At that time, numbers returned generally to the plateau that we’re calling the peak.
Cases began to decline 21 days after the peak began, on Feb. 19th.
65 days after the lockdown began, Wuhan relaxed to the lockdown: people can leave their homes but are not allowed to leave the city. If all goes well, China plans to reopen Wuhan on April 8th which is 77 days after they first locked down Wuhan.
We’ll learn a lot about our own future when we see how it goes in Wuhan a couple of weeks from now.
Here’s the deal with Italy.
Italy began its regional lockdown on Feb. 21st and it quickly expanded to a widespread national lockdown by March 9th. (source for dates) As I write this, Italy is at day 20 of its lockdown
In the chart below, it appears that Italy began its peak around March 18th, which is 9 days after widespread lockdowns began.
If the same pattern as China holds true, infections will decline but still be in peak until April 20th.
Italy could begin to relax its lockdown as of May 13th. If China does indeed completely lift its lockdown on Day 77 and this works well, then the end of Italy’s lockdown could be June 6th.
Again, there are many variables. For example, on March 28th in Italy (yesterday at the time of writing), tensions arose in Italy as the health emergency became a social emergency. People broke the shelter in place orders, threatening to storm supermarkets because they’ve run out of food. Cries for revolution arose throughout social media and many people have said they will not remain at home, and that they’re out of food and basic necessities.
This could, unfortunately, result in a much longer period of infection as people gather in crowds to protest. It could even result in a spike for Italy around March 31-April 1 that would be similar to China’s spike, albeit for a different reason.
What about the US?
First things first – this is not going to be over in two weeks. If the country reopened again next week or the week after while cases are still climbing, everything we’ve done from this point on will have been in vain. We’re in this social distancing business for quite a while if we want it to work.
Our first major lockdowns began on March 19th. Thirty-three states have closed down non-essential businesses or mandated some type of lockdown since that time.
If we base our timing on the pattern of China, the peak would have begun yesterday, March 28th. We should begin to see the curve flattening out on charts within the next few days.
This peak would last through about April 30th and we could see our worst days on April 10th and 11th, depending on whether we have some kind of unusual variables like both China and Italy have had.
On May 23rd, we could see the lockdowns become more relaxed, and if they go 77 days like Wuhan, then the lockdowns would end on June 6th.
It’s important to note that we still don’t know what the aftermath of the lockdown looks like in China. It could end up that they’ll put another lockdown in place if infections begin to reoccur at a high rate. Personally, I don’t plan to rush out to a crowded mall the moment lockdowns are lifted. I want to wait and see what happens after a week or so first.
To provide an example, several hundred movie theaters in China outside the epicenter of the outbreak reopened on March 23rd, then were abruptly ordered to close on March 27th without further explanation.
The reopening of the United States could also be a start-and-stop process as scientists learn more about Covid-19.
This isn’t a short term event. It’s going to get worse.
I’m not the only person who thinks these measures could last for quite some time. According to Michael Snyder, it will be ongoing and we too could expect to see some civil unrest before this is over.
Of course many Americans are already losing patience and are quite eager to get back to work. If the “shelter-in-place” orders stretch on for months, it is probably inevitable that we will see civil unrest and rioting like we are witnessing in China right now. Unfortunately, it appears that vast sections of the country will remain shut down for the foreseeable future. (source)
As in China, there are parts of the country that are far less affected than places like New York City and New Orleans. But every single state has diagnosed Covid within its boundaries and none of the country is unscathed by the measures being undertaken to combat the spread.
And despite the steps that Americans have taken to slow this down, we have the unfortunate distinction of surpassing China as the epicenter of the pandemic. On Thursday, March 26th, 17,224 new cases were diagnosed here and on Friday, there were 19,452 new cases.
Unfortunately, the number of new cases is still climbing. We have not seen the worst of this situation yet. People should be prepared for anything from more stringent lockdowns, supply chain interruptions, and potentially even civil unrest in some areas as the situation drags on.
I know these dates and numbers are probably not what you want to hear. It’s only been ten days and for many, it’s practically unimaginable to live like this for 2 more months, stretching into June. The effect on the economy alone is mindblowing, not to mention the feelings of uncertainty, unrest, and even fear that many people are experiencing.
But if you’re anything like me, you’d rather go into this unknown territory facing reality instead of waiting and wondering.
*********
(TLB) published this article by Daisy Luther via The Organic Prepper blog with permission and our appreciation for this perspective.
About the Author Daisy Luther is a coffee-swigging, gun-toting blogger who writes about current events, preparedness, frugality, voluntaryism, and the pursuit of liberty on her website, The Organic Prepper. She is widely republished across alternative media and she also curates all of the most important/vital news links regularly on her aggregate site, PreppersDailyNews.com. Daisy is the best-selling author of 4 books and lives in the mountains of Virginia with her two daughters and an ever-growing menagerie. You can find her on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.
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thelibertybeacon--2020-03-29--Trump was right and the media were wrong

Once again , Trump was right and the media were wrong In February , China reported that chloroquine could fight coronavirus , which led to a burst of media optimism .
However , when President Trump said he hoped that chloroquine might cure coronavirus , the media instantly turned on the drug .
Unsurprisingly , the media were wrong .
The lead doctor of the latest study on the drug says chloroquine is so helpful it would be unethical to deny it to control groups .
We first learned about chloroquine in mid-February , when Sun Yanrong , the deputy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biotechnology Development , announced that it was one of three drugs that the Chinese had successfully used to treat coronavirus .
For a month , the media thought chloroquine could be the answer .
For example , in early March , UPI reported favorably that South Korean experts recommended anti-malarial drugs to treat coronavirus .
On March 17 , NBC News reported that chloroquine was one “ of the options being explored ” because it was “ useful in blunting the effects of coronavirus.
” Everything changed , though , on March 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Trump said he was optimistic that chloroquine would be a magic bullet against coronavirus : But I will say that I am a man that comes from a very positive school when it comes to , in particular , one of these drugs .
And we ’ ll see how it works out , Peter .
I ’ m not saying it will , but I think that people may be surprised .
By the way , that would be a game-changer .
But we ’ re going to know very soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not work .
I feel good about it .
It ’ s all it is .
It ’ s just a feeling , you know , I ’ m a smart guy .
I feel good about it .
President Trump tweeted out the same message the next day : Almost instantly , the media stopped touting chloroquine ’ s potential and , instead , threw shade on the medicine .
The media reported on Dr. Fauci ’ s more cautious view as if he had said Trump was lying , instead of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be done .
One Arizona outlet even called Trump ’ s optimism “ bizarre , even delusional.
” Science Magazine published an article proclaiming , “ ‘ This is insane !
’ Many scientists lament Trump ’ s embrace of risky malaria drugs for coronavirus.
” The media now described chloroquine as deadly ( as all drugs are if misused ) .
The best known of these stories was the claim that a man died and his wife took ill after following Trump ’ s “ advice.
” What really happened was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because they were stupid .
( In an Agatha Christie mystery , the truth would have been that the woman cleverly figured out how to kill her husband . )
The media even went as far afield as Nigeria to report that two people overdosed after self-medicating with chloroquine following Trump ’ s press conference .
In fact , the Nigerian press had already reported in February that chloroquine could be a potential coronavirus treatment .
As always , when it comes to the media ’ s obsessive need to contradict Trump , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hopeful Trump who was correct .
A new study from the French doctor on the forefront of coronavirus treatment shows that 97.5 % of patients who received hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin improved ( emphasis added ) : Today , Prof. Didier Raoult and his team published results of their new study .
The study was supported by the Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire ( IHU ) Méditerranée Infection .
Unlike the previous small study trial , the new observation study has a larger sample size of 80 COVID-19 patients .
The objective of the study was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 patients and to decrease the virus carriage duration .
In 80 in-patients receiving a combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin , the team found a clinical improvement in all but one 86 year-old patient who died , and one 74-year old patient still in intensive care unit .
The team also found that , by administering hydroxychloroquine combined with azithromycin , they were able to observe an improvement in all cases , except in one patient who arrived with an advanced form , who was over the age of 86 , and in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a new paper published today in IHU Méditerranée Infection .
Indeed , the chloroquine and azithromycin treatment was so successful that Dr. Raoult refused to use a control group .
He believed that doing so would be unethical insofar as it would deny people a proven life-saving treatment .
And Trump once again scores against a hostile media .
Dr. Fauci & COVID-19 Priorities : Therapeutics Now or Vaccines Later ?
Why France is hiding a cheap and tested virus cure The Liberty Beacon Project is now expanding at a near exponential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grateful and excited !
But we must also be practical .
For 7 years we have not asked for any donations , and have built this project with our own funds as we grew .
We are now experiencing ever increasing growing pains due to the large number of websites and projects we represent .
So we have just installed donation buttons on our websites and ask that you consider this when you visit them .
Nothing is too small .
We thank you for all your support and your considerations … ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner .
We are making such material available to our readers under the provisions of “ fair use ” in an effort to advance a better understanding of political , health , economic and social issues .
The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving it for research and educational purposes .
If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than “ fair use ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owner .

Once again, Trump was right and the media were wrong
By Andrea Widburg
In February, China reported that chloroquine could fight coronavirus, which led to a burst of media optimism. However, when President Trump said he hoped that chloroquine might cure coronavirus, the media instantly turned on the drug. Unsurprisingly, the media were wrong. The lead doctor of the latest study on the drug says chloroquine is so helpful it would be unethical to deny it to control groups.
We first learned about chloroquine in mid-February, when Sun Yanrong, the deputy head of the China National Center for Biotechnology Development, announced that it was one of three drugs that the Chinese had successfully used to treat coronavirus. For a month, the media thought chloroquine could be the answer.
For example, in early March, UPI reported favorably that South Korean experts recommended anti-malarial drugs to treat coronavirus. On March 17, NBC News reported that chloroquine was one “of the options being explored” because it was “useful in blunting the effects of coronavirus.”
Everything changed, though, on March 20 when, in a press conference, President Trump said he was optimistic that chloroquine would be a magic bullet against coronavirus:
But I will say that I am a man that comes from a very positive school when it comes to, in particular, one of these drugs. And we’ll see how it works out, Peter. I’m not saying it will, but I think that people may be surprised. By the way, that would be a game-changer. But we’re going to know very soon. [snip] It may work and it may not work. I feel good about it. It’s all it is. It’s just a feeling, you know, I’m a smart guy. I feel good about it.
President Trump tweeted out the same message the next day:
HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE & AZITHROMYCIN, taken together, have a real chance to be one of the biggest game changers in the history of medicine. The FDA has moved mountains – Thank You! Hopefully they will BOTH (H works better with A, International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents)….. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 21, 2020
Almost instantly, the media stopped touting chloroquine’s potential and, instead, threw shade on the medicine. The media reported on Dr. Fauci’s more cautious view as if he had said Trump was lying, instead of merely saying that there were still studies to be done. One Arizona outlet even called Trump’s optimism “bizarre, even delusional.” Science Magazine published an article proclaiming, “‘This is insane!’ Many scientists lament Trump’s embrace of risky malaria drugs for coronavirus.”
The media now described chloroquine as deadly (as all drugs are if misused). The best known of these stories was the claim that a man died and his wife took ill after following Trump’s “advice.” What really happened was that the couple ate fish tank cleaner because they were stupid. (In an Agatha Christie mystery, the truth would have been that the woman cleverly figured out how to kill her husband.)
The media even went as far afield as Nigeria to report that two people overdosed after self-medicating with chloroquine following Trump’s press conference. In fact, the Nigerian press had already reported in February that chloroquine could be a potential coronavirus treatment.
As always, when it comes to the media’s obsessive need to contradict Trump, the media were wrong. It was the hopeful Trump who was correct. A new study from the French doctor on the forefront of coronavirus treatment shows that 97.5% of patients who received hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin improved (emphasis added):
Today, Prof. Didier Raoult and his team published results of their new study. The study was supported by the Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire (IHU) Méditerranée Infection. Unlike the previous small study trial, the new observation study has a larger sample size of 80 COVID-19 patients. The objective of the study was to find an effective treatment to cure COVID-19 patients and to decrease the virus carriage duration. In 80 in-patients receiving a combination of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, the team found a clinical improvement in all but one 86 year-old patient who died, and one 74-year old patient still in intensive care unit. The team also found that, by administering hydroxychloroquine combined with azithromycin, they were able to observe an improvement in all cases, except in one patient who arrived with an advanced form, who was over the age of 86, and in whom the evolution was irreversible, according to a new paper published today in IHU Méditerranée Infection.
Indeed, the chloroquine and azithromycin treatment was so successful that Dr. Raoult refused to use a control group. He believed that doing so would be unethical insofar as it would deny people a proven life-saving treatment.
And Trump once again scores against a hostile media.
*********
(TLB) published this article from American Thinker
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thelibertybeacon--2020-03-29--The Propaganda of Terror and Fear

The Propaganda of Terror and Fear

The Propaganda of Terror and Fear : A Lesson from Recent History The ongoing and unfolding reactions to the Corona Virus look set to have wide-ranging and long-lasting effect on politics , society and economics .
The drive to close down all activities is extraordinary as are the measures being promoted to isolate people from each other .
The deep-rooted fear of contagious disease , hardwired into the collective consciousness by historical events such as the ‘ Black/Bubonic Plague ’ and maintained through popular culture ( e.g .
the Hollywood movies Outbreak and Contagion ) , means that people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emergency measures whether or not such measures are rational or justified .
The New York Times called for America to be put on a war footing in order to deal with Corona whilst former Army General Stanley McChrystal has been invoking his 9/11 experience in order to prescribe lessons for today ’ s leaders .
At the same time , political actors are fully aware that these conditions of fear and panic provide a critical opportunity that can be exploited in order to pursue political , economic and societal objectives .
It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dangers posed by the potential exploitation of Corona for broader political , economic and societal objectives latter far outweigh the immediate threat to life and health from the virus .
A lesson from recent history is instructive here .
9/11 AND THE GLOBAL ‘ WAR ON TERROR ’ The events of September 11 2001 represent a key moment in contemporary history .
The destruction of three skyscrapers in New York after the impact of two airliners and an attack on the Pentagon , killing around 3000 civilians , shocked both American and global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being flown into buildings , followed by the total destruction of three high rise buildings within a matter of seconds , and the spectre of a shadowy band of Islamic fundamentalists ( Al Qaeda ) having pulled off such devastating attacks , gripped the imagination of many in the Western world .
It was in this climate of paranoia and fear that extraordinary policies were implemented .
The USA Patriot Act led to significant civil liberty restrictions whilst the mass surveillance of the digital environment became normalized .
In the United States torture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terrorism whilst the Guantanamo Bay facility in Cuba became a site in which accused individuals have been held without any adequate legal protection or due process .
Remarkably , the individual accused of leading the alleged 9/11 plot , Khalid Sheikh Mohammed , who ‘ confessed ’ to CIA interrogators after being ‘ waterboarded ’ 183 times , has recently received his trial date , set for January 11 2021 and 20 years after 9/11 .
Civil liberty restrictions , mass surveillance and torture were only a sub-strand of the major war-fighting-policy that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time as America ’ s ‘ New Pearl Harbour ’ , 9/11 provided the conditions for a series of major regime-change wars which persist until today .
Critically , these wars have not been primarily about combatting ‘ Islamic fundamentalist terrorism ’ /Al Qaeda , but rather attacking ‘ enemy ’ states .
Indeed , the evidence that the 9/11 event and the alleged threat of ‘ Islamic fundamentalist ’ was then exploited in order to pursue a geo-politically motivated set of regime-change wars which had little connection to the purported Al @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Allied Commander of NATO , Wesley Clark , famously went public in 2006/7 stating that immediately after 9/11 he had been informed that the US was intending to attack seven countries within five years including Iraq , Syria , Lebanon , Somalia , Sudan and Iran .
Clark stated : Clark ’ s claims have recently been corroborated by retired Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson ( chief of staff to Colin Powell and Iraq War planner ) who stated that he had actually seen the same plans Clark was referring to many months prior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims has come by way of the UK Chilcot Inquiry into the 2003 Iraq War .
For example , a report quoted a British embassy cable , dated 15 September 2001 , explained that ‘ [ t ] he “ regime-change hawks ” in Washington are arguing that a coalition put together for one purpose [ against international terrorism ] could be used to clear up other problems in the region.
’ Another document released by Chilcot shows British Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President George Bush discussing phases one and two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and when to hit particular countries .
Blair writes : The regime-change wars that have flowed directly and indirectly from 9/11 continue to this day .
War and conflict continues in Afghanistan and Iraq whilst the nine-year-long war in Syria has borne witness to extensive and illegal policies pursued by Western governments including the funding and arming of extremist groups coupled with support for groups actually aligned with Al Qaeda .
Iran continues to be subjected to US hybrid warfare tactics including sanctions and covert operations whilst the threat of military action is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cost of these wars , built upon the ruthless exploitation of public fear of terrorism in order to pursue multiple ‘ regime-change ’ wars , has been huge .
According to the Brown University ‘ Costs of War Project ’ , the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have killed a combined 480,000 to 507,000 civilians , coalition military members , and foreign fighters , with an untold number having been maimed and disfigured .
IPPNW estimated that the first ten years of the ‘ war on terror ’ in Afghanistan , Iraq and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2011 , in Syria alone , over 400,000 people have died as a result of war .
The numbers of people displaced as a result of these conflicts are also extremely high ; wars in Afghanistan , Iraq , Pakistan , and Syria have wrought a combined 9.39 million refugees , 10.78 million internally displaced peoples , and 830,000 asylum seekers .
In addition , there are persisting and very serious concerns with respect to the possible involvement of state actors with the event of 9/11 .
Recent and critical developments regarding the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ week of the University of Alaska study of the WTC7 Collapse which confirms that the official US government investigation was wrong if not plain fraudulent .
Other important developments include publication last year of the 9/11 Consensus Panel evidence and increasing scrutiny of the official narrative from mainstream academics .
Overall , the 9/11 global ‘ war on terror ’ is increasingly coming to be understood particularly across the world as , first and foremost , a remarkable propaganda campaign designed to enable violent conflict in the international system and with its effects @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than had been suggested by official narratives regarding the need to combat Al Qaeda .
The lesson of 9/11 is that major events can become what scholar Peter Dale Scott describes as deep events which are exploited by political actors in order to precipitate and manage major political , economic and social shifts .
9/11 became , in effect , the deep event that enabled 20 years of unfettered Western warfare abroad and severe civil liberty restrictions and extensive surveillance at home .
At the time of 9/11 many people in the West @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the invasion of Afghanistan ( the first regime war to flow within months of 9/11 ) was almost impossible without being accused of being reckless in the ‘ fight against terrorism ’ or of being an ‘ Al Qaeda ’ sympathizer .
Muslims throughout the West were widely despised .
US President George Bush declared that ‘ you are either with us or against us ’ .
The parallels with what is happening today are obvious .
Is the Corona Virus a new 9/11 , a new deep event ?
We can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this writing .
Perhaps the current strategy of suspending basic liberties will work to effectively eliminate all threats posed by the virus .
Governments will then restore the civil liberties currently being suspended and all will fairly quickly return to the way things were before .
Perhaps the economy will confidently weather the fallout from the ‘ lockdowns ’ and everything will return to business as usual .
And perhaps a sober ‘ lessons learned ’ review will lead to public health officials developing reasonable and balanced plans , such as developing sufficient @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which can be deployed the next time a sufficiently dangerous virus starts to spread thus avoiding terrifying publics and implementing draconian measures that inflict significant damage to the social and economic fabric of society .
Or perhaps not .
It may be that , as British journalist Peter Hitchens has been warning , the loss of liberty and basic rights will continue indefinitely as governments greedily hold on to their increased powers of control over their citizenry .
Similarly , Italian journalist Stefania Maurizi has warned about the risks in Italy of state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the political left , exploiting Corona in order to increase their control .
An obvious concern here is whether there will be a permanent impact on mass gatherings and protests .
James Corbett warns of a permanent state of ‘ medical martial law ’ and there is certainly the very real possibility of the normalization of government-imposed quarantine and other freedom of movement restrictions .
Margaret Kimberley of the US-based Black Agenda Report warns that Corona may be used as a way of covering up both economic crisis and collapse .
She notes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wall Street a $ 1.5 trillion lifeline which only kicked the can down the road .
The can has been kicked ever since the Great Recession of 2008 ’ .
The likely destruction of small businesses might allow for ever greater corporate choke-hold on the economy with more people forced into the corporate workforce .
There is certainly the danger that Corona will be exploited in order to distract from severe economic problems whilst also enabling the pursuit of new economic strategies which worsen rather than mitigate the social inequalities that already tarnish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those actors behind the regime-change wars that flowed from 9/11 may use the Corona Virus to increase pressure on the countries they have been targeting for the last 20 years and those they wish to target in the future .
Already we have seen the regime-change advocate John Bolton blaming China for the Corona Virus whilst the New York Times reported that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and national security adviser Robert C. O ’ Brien were ‘ arguing that tough action while Iran ’ s leaders were battling the corona virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into direct negotiations ’ .
ABC news report that , despite the Corona Virus , US and UAE troops have held a major military exercise ‘ that saw forces seize a sprawling model Mideast city ’ .
It is also worth nothing here the recent US assassination of Iranian General Solemeni and the on-going proxy battles between US forces and Iranian-backed groups in Iraq .
The possibility of Corona being exploited in order to further the regime change wars we have seen over the last 20 years is extremely likely and it would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ otherwise .
Whatever the Corona event may or may not be , the fundamental lesson of the last 20 years is that governments can and do exploit , even manipulate , events in order to pursue political , social , military and economic objectives .
Fearful populations are frequently irrational ones , vulnerable and malleable .
Now is not the time for deference to authority and reluctance to speak out .
It is time for publics to get informed , think calmly and rationally , and to robustly scrutinize and challenge what their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ failing to do this likely far surpass the immediate threat posed by the Corona Virus .
( TLB ) published this article written by Dr Piers Robinson from where it appeared at Off Guardian.org .
A Note from the Writers and Editors at Off Guardian Currently we do not accept advertising or sponsored content .
We have no big financial backers , we are not funded by any government or NGO .
We are entirely and completely independent .
This means we are often struggling to meet our costs , and individual reader-donations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or being forced to shut down !
If you would like to join our small band of regular and one-off supporters you can do so by [ ] .
And here ’ s a big thank-you to everyone who has so generously supported us so far .
Fear and Panic for A Purpose – The Coronavirus Evolves

The Propaganda of Terror and Fear: A Lesson from Recent History
Dr Piers Robinson, Co-Director Organisation for Propaganda Studies
The ongoing and unfolding reactions to the Corona Virus look set to have wide-ranging and long-lasting effect on politics, society and economics. The drive to close down all activities is extraordinary as are the measures being promoted to isolate people from each other.
The deep-rooted fear of contagious disease, hardwired into the collective consciousness by historical events such as the ‘Black/Bubonic Plague’ and maintained through popular culture (e.g. the Hollywood movies Outbreak and Contagion), means that people are without question highly susceptible to accepting extreme emergency measures whether or not such measures are rational or justified. The New York Times called for America to be put on a war footing in order to deal with Corona whilst former Army General Stanley McChrystal has been invoking his 9/11 experience in order to prescribe lessons for today’s leaders.
At the same time, political actors are fully aware that these conditions of fear and panic provide a critical opportunity that can be exploited in order to pursue political, economic and societal objectives. It is very likely, however, that the dangers posed by the potential exploitation of Corona for broader political, economic and societal objectives latter far outweigh the immediate threat to life and health from the virus. A lesson from recent history is instructive here.
President G. W. Bush signs the PATRIOT Act into law, October 26th 2001
9/11 AND THE GLOBAL ‘WAR ON TERROR’
The events of September 11 2001 represent a key moment in contemporary history. The destruction of three skyscrapers in New York after the impact of two airliners and an attack on the Pentagon, killing around 3000 civilians, shocked both American and global publics. The horror of seeing aircraft being flown into buildings, followed by the total destruction of three high rise buildings within a matter of seconds, and the spectre of a shadowy band of Islamic fundamentalists (Al Qaeda) having pulled off such devastating attacks, gripped the imagination of many in the Western world.
It was in this climate of paranoia and fear that extraordinary policies were implemented. The USA Patriot Act led to significant civil liberty restrictions whilst the mass surveillance of the digital environment became normalized.
In the United States torture was authorized in the name of preventing terrorism whilst the Guantanamo Bay facility in Cuba became a site in which accused individuals have been held without any adequate legal protection or due process.
Remarkably, the individual accused of leading the alleged 9/11 plot, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who ‘confessed’ to CIA interrogators after being ‘waterboarded’ 183 times, has recently received his trial date, set for January 11 2021 and 20 years after 9/11. Civil liberty restrictions, mass surveillance and torture were only a sub-strand of the major war-fighting-policy that was enabled by 9/11.
Presented at the time as America’s ‘New Pearl Harbour’, 9/11 provided the conditions for a series of major regime-change wars which persist until today.
Critically, these wars have not been primarily about combatting ‘Islamic fundamentalist terrorism’/Al Qaeda, but rather attacking ‘enemy’ states. Indeed, the evidence that the 9/11 event and the alleged threat of ‘Islamic fundamentalist’ was then exploited in order to pursue a geo-politically motivated set of regime-change wars which had little connection to the purported Al Qaeda threat is well established.
Former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, Wesley Clark, famously went public in 2006/7 stating that immediately after 9/11 he had been informed that the US was intending to attack seven countries within five years including Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Sudan and Iran. Clark stated:
He [the Joint Staff officer] picked up a piece of paper, he said I just got this down from upstairs, from the Secretary of Defence’s office today, and he said this is a memo that describes how we are gonna take out seven countries in five years, starting with Iraq and then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and finishing off Iran.
Clark’s claims have recently been corroborated by retired Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson (chief of staff to Colin Powell and Iraq War planner) who stated that he had actually seen the same plans Clark was referring to many months prior to 9/11:
My first briefing in the Pentagon from an Air Force three-star general in February of 2001 I almost fell of my chair because their briefing included on the one hand the Air Force’s ability to take out 80 to 90% of the targets in North Korea in the first few hours of an aerial strike on that country to hey when we do Iraq we’re gonna do Syria and Lebanon and we’re going to do Iran and maybe Egypt … but this was more than that [just contingency planning] Wes Clark is right they had these plans they were going to go right through all these countries that they felt threatened Israel all through those countries that they felt threatened 25-30% of the world’s oil passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Documentary evidence for these claims has come by way of the UK Chilcot Inquiry into the 2003 Iraq War. For example, a report quoted a British embassy cable, dated 15 September 2001, explained that ‘[t]he “regime-change hawks” in Washington are arguing that a coalition put together for one purpose [against international terrorism] could be used to clear up other problems in the region.’ Another document released by Chilcot shows British Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President George Bush discussing phases one and two of the ‘war on terror’ and when to hit particular countries. Blair writes:
If toppling Saddam is a prime objective, it is far easier to do it with Syria and Iran in favour or acquiescing rather than hitting all three at once.
The regime-change wars that have flowed directly and indirectly from 9/11 continue to this day. War and conflict continues in Afghanistan and Iraq whilst the nine-year-long war in Syria has borne witness to extensive and illegal policies pursued by Western governments including the funding and arming of extremist groups coupled with support for groups actually aligned with Al Qaeda. Iran continues to be subjected to US hybrid warfare tactics including sanctions and covert operations whilst the threat of military action is very clear and present.
The human cost of these wars, built upon the ruthless exploitation of public fear of terrorism in order to pursue multiple ‘regime-change’ wars, has been huge. According to the Brown University ‘Costs of War Project’, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have killed a combined 480,000 to 507,000 civilians, coalition military members, and foreign fighters, with an untold number having been maimed and disfigured. IPPNW estimated that the first ten years of the ‘war on terror’ in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan killed 1.3 million people.
Since 2011, in Syria alone, over 400,000 people have died as a result of war. The numbers of people displaced as a result of these conflicts are also extremely high; wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, and Syria have wrought a combined 9.39 million refugees, 10.78 million internally displaced peoples, and 830,000 asylum seekers. In addition, there are persisting and very serious concerns with respect to the possible involvement of state actors with the event of 9/11.
Recent and critical developments regarding the events of 9/11 include the publication this week of the University of Alaska study of the WTC7 Collapse which confirms that the official US government investigation was wrong if not plain fraudulent. Other important developments include publication last year of the 9/11 Consensus Panel evidence and increasing scrutiny of the official narrative from mainstream academics.
Overall, the 9/11 global ‘war on terror’ is increasingly coming to be understood particularly across the world as, first and foremost, a remarkable propaganda campaign designed to enable violent conflict in the international system and with its effects and objectives being far wider and deeper than had been suggested by official narratives regarding the need to combat Al Qaeda.
CORONA VIRUS: A NEW 9/11?
The lesson of 9/11 is that major events can become what scholar Peter Dale Scott describes as deep events which are exploited by political actors in order to precipitate and manage major political, economic and social shifts. 9/11 became, in effect, the deep event that enabled 20 years of unfettered Western warfare abroad and severe civil liberty restrictions and extensive surveillance at home.
At the time of 9/11 many people in the West were terrified of terrorism. Public opposition to the invasion of Afghanistan (the first regime war to flow within months of 9/11) was almost impossible without being accused of being reckless in the ‘fight against terrorism’ or of being an ‘Al Qaeda’ sympathizer. Muslims throughout the West were widely despised. US President George Bush declared that ‘you are either with us or against us’. The parallels with what is happening today are obvious.
Is the Corona Virus a new 9/11, a new deep event? We cannot yet be sure, as of this writing. Perhaps the current strategy of suspending basic liberties will work to effectively eliminate all threats posed by the virus. Governments will then restore the civil liberties currently being suspended and all will fairly quickly return to the way things were before. Perhaps the economy will confidently weather the fallout from the ‘lockdowns’ and everything will return to business as usual.
And perhaps a sober ‘lessons learned’ review will lead to public health officials developing reasonable and balanced plans, such as developing sufficient capacity for rapid testing and tracing, which can be deployed the next time a sufficiently dangerous virus starts to spread thus avoiding terrifying publics and implementing draconian measures that inflict significant damage to the social and economic fabric of society.
Or perhaps not. It may be that, as British journalist Peter Hitchens has been warning, the loss of liberty and basic rights will continue indefinitely as governments greedily hold on to their increased powers of control over their citizenry.
Similarly, Italian journalist Stefania Maurizi has warned about the risks in Italy of state authorities, hostile to open societies and the political left, exploiting Corona in order to increase their control.
An obvious concern here is whether there will be a permanent impact on mass gatherings and protests. James Corbett warns of a permanent state of ‘medical martial law’ and there is certainly the very real possibility of the normalization of government-imposed quarantine and other freedom of movement restrictions.
Margaret Kimberley of the US-based Black Agenda Report warns that Corona may be used as a way of covering up both economic crisis and collapse. She notes that the Federal Reserve ‘recently threw Wall Street a $1.5 trillion lifeline which only kicked the can down the road. The can has been kicked ever since the Great Recession of 2008’. The likely destruction of small businesses might allow for ever greater corporate choke-hold on the economy with more people forced into the corporate workforce.
There is certainly the danger that Corona will be exploited in order to distract from severe economic problems whilst also enabling the pursuit of new economic strategies which worsen rather than mitigate the social inequalities that already tarnish Western countries.
And, of course those actors behind the regime-change wars that flowed from 9/11 may use the Corona Virus to increase pressure on the countries they have been targeting for the last 20 years and those they wish to target in the future.
Already we have seen the regime-change advocate John Bolton blaming China for the Corona Virus whilst the New York Times reported that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and national security adviser Robert C. O’Brien were ‘arguing that tough action while Iran’s leaders were battling the corona virus ravaging the country could finally push then into direct negotiations’.
ABC news report that, despite the Corona Virus, US and UAE troops have held a major military exercise ‘that saw forces seize a sprawling model Mideast city’. It is also worth nothing here the recent US assassination of Iranian General Solemeni and the on-going proxy battles between US forces and Iranian-backed groups in Iraq. The possibility of Corona being exploited in order to further the regime change wars we have seen over the last 20 years is extremely likely and it would be naïve in the extreme to think otherwise.
Whatever the Corona event may or may not be, the fundamental lesson of the last 20 years is that governments can and do exploit, even manipulate, events in order to pursue political, social, military and economic objectives. Fearful populations are frequently irrational ones, vulnerable and malleable. Now is not the time for deference to authority and reluctance to speak out.
It is time for publics to get informed, think calmly and rationally, and to robustly scrutinize and challenge what their governments are doing. The dangers of failing to do this likely far surpass the immediate threat posed by the Corona Virus.
**********
A Note from the Writers and Editors at Off Guardian
Currently we do not accept advertising or sponsored content. We have no big financial backers, we are not funded by any government or NGO. We are entirely and completely independent. This means we are often struggling to meet our costs, and individual reader-donations can make the difference between OffG surviving or being forced to shut down!
If you would like to join our small band of regular and one-off supporters you can do so by [ Clicking Here ].
And here’s a big thank-you to everyone who has so generously supported us so far.
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The Liberty Beacon Project is now expanding at a near exponential rate, and for this we are grateful and excited! But we must also be practical. For 7 years we have not asked for any donations, and have built this project with our own funds as we grew. We are now experiencing ever increasing growing pains due to the large number of websites and projects we represent. So we have just installed donation buttons on our websites and ask that you consider this when you visit them. Nothing is too small. We thank you for all your support and your considerations … (TLB)
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thelibertybeacon--2020-03-30--Corona: creating the illusion of a pandemic [A Jon Rappoport report]

Corona : creating the illusion of a pandemic through diagnostic tests Nailed them , with their own words .
In this article , I ’ ll present quotes from official sources about their own diagnostic test for the coronavirus .
I ’ m talking about fatal flaws in the test .
Because case numbers are based on those tests ( or no tests at all ) , the whole “ pandemic effect ” has been created out of fake science .
In a moment of truth , a propaganda pro might murmur to a colleague , “ You know , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test for the virus .
The test turns out all sorts of results that say this person is diseased and that person is diseased .
Millions of diseased people .
But the test doesn ’ t really measure that .
The test is ridiculous , but ridiculous in our favor .
It builds the picture of a global pandemic .
An excuse to lock down the planet and wreck economies and lives… ” The widespread test for the COVID-19 virus is called the PCR .
I have written much about it in past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to published official literature , and see what it reveals .
Spoiler alert : the admitted holes and shortcomings of the test are devastating .
“ Detection of viral RNA may not indicate the presence of infectious virus or that 2019-nCoV is the causative agent for clinical symptoms.
” Translation : A positive test doesn ’ t guarantee that the COVID virus is causing infection at all .
And , ahem , reading between the lines , maybe the COVID virus might not be in the patient ’ s body at all , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( WHO ) : “ Coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) technical guidance : Laboratory testing for 2019-nCoV in humans ” [ 2 ] : “ Several assays that detect the 2019-nCoV have been and are currently under development , both in-house and commercially .
Some assays may detect only the novel virus [ COVID ] and some may also detect other strains ( e.g .
SARS-CoV ) that are genetically similar.
” Translation : Some PCR tests register positive for types of coronavirus that have nothing to do with COVID—including plain old coronas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The WHO document adds this little piece : “ Protocol use limitations : Optional clinical specimens for testing has [ have ] not yet been validated.
” Translation : We ’ re not sure which tissue samples to take from the patient , in order for the test to have any validity .
From the FDA : “ LabCorp COVID-19RT-PCR test EUA Summary : ACCELERATED EMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION ( EUA ) SUMMARYCOVID-19 RT-PCR TEST ( LABORATORY CORPORATION OF AMERICA ) ” [ 3 ] : “ …The SARS-CoV-2RNA [ COVID virus ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the acute phase of infection .
Positive results are indicative of the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA ; clinical correlation with patient history and other diagnostic information is necessary to determine patient infection status…THE AGENT DETECTED MAY NOT BE THE DEFINITE CAUSE OF DISEASE ( CAPS are mine ) .
Laboratories within the United States and its territories are required to report all positive results to the appropriate public health authorities.
” Translation : On the one hand , we claim the test can “ generally ” detect the presence of the COVID virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that “ the agent detected ” on the test , by which we mean COVID , “ may not be the definite cause of disease.
” We also admit that , unless the patient has an acute infection , we can ’ t find COVID .
Therefore , the idea of “ asymptomatic patients ” confirmed by the test is nonsense .
And even though a positive test for COVID may not indicate the actual cause of disease , all positive tests must be reported—and they will be counted as “ COVID cases.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ For research use only , not for use in diagnostic procedures.
” Translation : Don ’ t use the test result alone to diagnose infection or disease .
Oops .
Translation : Although this company states the test can detect COVID , it also states the test can read FALSELY positive if the patient has one of a number of other irrelevant viruses in his body .
What is the test proving , then ?
Who knows ?
Flip a coin .
Translation : This clearly means the test is not suited to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patient ’ s body .
I ’ ll cover how important this admission is in a minute .
“ The detection result of this product is only for clinical reference , and it should not be used as the only evidence for clinical diagnosis and treatment .
The clinical management of patients should be considered in combination with their symptoms/signs , history , other laboratory tests and treatment responses .
The detection results should not be directly used as the evidence for clinical diagnosis , and are only for the reference of clinicians.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the test as the exclusive basis for diagnosing a person with COVID .
And yet , this is exactly what health authorities are doing all over the world .
All positive tests must be reported to government agencies , and they are counted as COVID cases.
” Those quotes , from official government and testing sources , torpedo the whole “ scientific ” basis of the test .
And now , I ’ ll add another , lethal blow : the test has never been validated properly as an instrument to detect disease @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presence of the COVID virus in a patient , it doesn ’ t show HOW MUCH virus is in the body .
And that is key , because in order to even begin talking about actual illness in the real world , not in a lab , the patient would need to have millions and millions of the virus actively replicating in his body .
Proponents of the test assert that it CAN measure how much virus is in the body .
To which I reply : prove it .
Prove it in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decades ago—but never was .
Take five hundred people and remove tissue samples from them .
The people who take the samples do NOT do the test .
The testers will never know who the patients are and what condition they ’ re in .
The testers run their PCR on the tissue samples .
In each case , they say which virus they found and HOW MUCH of it they found .
“ All right , in patients 24 , 46 , 65 , 76 , 87 , and 93 we found @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we un-blind those patients .
They should all be sick , because they have so much virus replicating in their bodies .
Are they sick ?
Are they running marathons ?
Let ’ s find out .
This OBVIOUS vetting of the test has never been done .
That is an enormous scandal .
Where are the controlled test results in 500 patients , a thousand patients ?
Nowhere .
The test is an unproven fraud .
And , therefore , the COVID pandemic , which is supposed to be based on that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ But…but…what about all the sick and dying people…why are they sick ?
” I ’ ve written thousands of words answering that question , in past articles .
A NUMBER of conditions—none involving COVID , and most involving old traditional diseases—are making people sick .
( TLB ) published this original article from the blog of Jon Rappoport with our appreciation for his contribution to raise health and freedom awareness .
Jon Rappoport is the author of three explosive collections , THE MATRIX REVEALED , EXIT FROM THE MATRIX , and POWER @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidate for a US Congressional seat in the 29th District of California .
He maintains a consulting practice for private clients , the purpose of which is the expansion of personal creative power .
Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize , he has worked as an investigative reporter for 30 years , writing articles on politics , medicine , and health for CBS Healthwatch , LA Weekly , Spin Magazine , Stern , and other newspapers and magazines in the US and Europe .
Jon has delivered lectures and seminars on global politics , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to audiences around the world .
You can sign up for his free NoMoreFakeNews emails here or his free OutsideTheRealityMachine emails here .

Corona: creating the illusion of a pandemic through diagnostic tests
Jon Rappoport
Nailed them, with their own words.
In this article, I’ll present quotes from official sources about their own diagnostic test for the coronavirus. I’m talking about fatal flaws in the test.
Because case numbers are based on those tests (or no tests at all), the whole “pandemic effect” has been created out of fake science.
In a moment of truth, a propaganda pro might murmur to a colleague, “You know, we’ve got a great diagnostic test for the virus. The test turns out all sorts of results that say this person is diseased and that person is diseased. Millions of diseased people. But the test doesn’t really measure that. The test is ridiculous, but ridiculous in our favor. It builds the picture of a global pandemic. An excuse to lock down the planet and wreck economies and lives…”
The widespread test for the COVID-19 virus is called the PCR. I have written much about it in past articles.
Now let’s go to published official literature, and see what it reveals. Spoiler alert: the admitted holes and shortcomings of the test are devastating.
From “CDC 2019-Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel” [1]:
“Detection of viral RNA may not indicate the presence of infectious virus or that 2019-nCoV is the causative agent for clinical symptoms.”
Translation: A positive test doesn’t guarantee that the COVID virus is causing infection at all. And, ahem, reading between the lines, maybe the COVID virus might not be in the patient’s body at all, either.
From the World Health Organization (WHO): “Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) technical guidance: Laboratory testing for 2019-nCoV in humans” [2]:
“Several assays that detect the 2019-nCoV have been and are currently under development, both in-house and commercially. Some assays may detect only the novel virus [COVID] and some may also detect other strains (e.g. SARS-CoV) that are genetically similar.”
Translation: Some PCR tests register positive for types of coronavirus that have nothing to do with COVID—including plain old coronas that cause nothing more than a cold.
The WHO document adds this little piece: “Protocol use limitations: Optional clinical specimens for testing has [have] not yet been validated.”
Translation: We’re not sure which tissue samples to take from the patient, in order for the test to have any validity.
From the FDA: “LabCorp COVID-19RT-PCR test EUA Summary: ACCELERATED EMERGENCY USE AUTHORIZATION (EUA) SUMMARYCOVID-19 RT-PCR TEST (LABORATORY CORPORATION OF AMERICA)” [3]:
“…The SARS-CoV-2RNA [COVID virus] is generally detectable in respiratory specimens during the acute phase of infection. Positive results are indicative of the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA; clinical correlation with patient history and other diagnostic information is necessary to determine patient infection status…THE AGENT DETECTED MAY NOT BE THE DEFINITE CAUSE OF DISEASE (CAPS are mine). Laboratories within the United States and its territories are required to report all positive results to the appropriate public health authorities.”
Translation: On the one hand, we claim the test can “generally” detect the presence of the COVID virus in a patient. But we admit that “the agent detected” on the test, by which we mean COVID, “may not be the definite cause of disease.” We also admit that, unless the patient has an acute infection, we can’t find COVID. Therefore, the idea of “asymptomatic patients” confirmed by the test is nonsense. And even though a positive test for COVID may not indicate the actual cause of disease, all positive tests must be reported—and they will be counted as “COVID cases.” Regardless.
From a manufacturer of PCR test kit elements, Creative Diagnostics, “SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus Multiplex RT-qPCR Kit” [4]:
“Regulatory status: For research use only, not for use in diagnostic procedures.”
Translation: Don’t use the test result alone to diagnose infection or disease. Oops.
“non-specific interference of Influenza A Virus (H1N1), Influenza B Virus (Yamagata), Respiratory Syncytial Virus (type B), Respiratory Adenovirus (type 3, type 7), Parainfluenza Virus (type 2), Mycoplasma Pneumoniae, Chlamydia Pneumoniae, etc.”
Translation: Although this company states the test can detect COVID, it also states the test can read FALSELY positive if the patient has one of a number of other irrelevant viruses in his body. What is the test proving, then? Who knows? Flip a coin.
“Application Qualitative”
Translation: This clearly means the test is not suited to detect how much virus is in the patient’s body. I’ll cover how important this admission is in a minute.
“The detection result of this product is only for clinical reference, and it should not be used as the only evidence for clinical diagnosis and treatment. The clinical management of patients should be considered in combination with their symptoms/signs, history, other laboratory tests and treatment responses. The detection results should not be directly used as the evidence for clinical diagnosis, and are only for the reference of clinicians.”
Translation: Don’t use the test as the exclusive basis for diagnosing a person with COVID. And yet, this is exactly what health authorities are doing all over the world. All positive tests must be reported to government agencies, and they are counted as COVID cases.”
Those quotes, from official government and testing sources, torpedo the whole “scientific” basis of the test.
And now, I’ll add another, lethal blow: the test has never been validated properly as an instrument to detect disease. Even assuming it can detect the presence of the COVID virus in a patient, it doesn’t show HOW MUCH virus is in the body. And that is key, because in order to even begin talking about actual illness in the real world, not in a lab, the patient would need to have millions and millions of the virus actively replicating in his body.
Proponents of the test assert that it CAN measure how much virus is in the body. To which I reply: prove it.
Prove it in a way it should have been proven decades ago—but never was.
Take five hundred people and remove tissue samples from them. The people who take the samples do NOT do the test. The testers will never know who the patients are and what condition they’re in.
The testers run their PCR on the tissue samples. In each case, they say which virus they found and HOW MUCH of it they found.
“All right, in patients 24, 46, 65, 76, 87, and 93 we found a great deal of virus.”
Now we un-blind those patients. They should all be sick, because they have so much virus replicating in their bodies. Are they sick? Are they running marathons? Let’s find out.
This OBVIOUS vetting of the test has never been done. That is an enormous scandal. Where are the controlled test results in 500 patients, a thousand patients? Nowhere.
The test is an unproven fraud.
And, therefore, the COVID pandemic, which is supposed to be based on that test, is also a fraud.
“But…but…what about all the sick and dying people…why are they sick?”
I’ve written thousands of words answering that question, in past articles. A NUMBER of conditions—none involving COVID, and most involving old traditional diseases—are making people sick.
Sources:
[1]: (link)
[2]: (link)
[3]: (link)
[4]: (link)
*********
(TLB) published this original article from the blog of Jon Rappoport with our appreciation for his contribution to raise health and freedom awareness.
Jon Rappoport is the author of three explosive collections, THE MATRIX REVEALED, EXIT FROM THE MATRIX, and POWER OUTSIDE THE MATRIX, Jon was a candidate for a US Congressional seat in the 29th District of California. He maintains a consulting practice for private clients, the purpose of which is the expansion of personal creative power. Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, he has worked as an investigative reporter for 30 years, writing articles on politics, medicine, and health for CBS Healthwatch, LA Weekly, Spin Magazine, Stern, and other newspapers and magazines in the US and Europe. Jon has delivered lectures and seminars on global politics, health, logic, and creative power to audiences around the world. You can sign up for his free NoMoreFakeNews emails here or his free OutsideTheRealityMachine emails here.
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thelibertybeacon--2020-03-31--Marine Le Pen Says It’s Reasonable to Question If COVID-19 Was ‘Lab-Produced’

ER Editor : We ’ ve published a few stories referencing the secretive , Parallel Universe that the biowarfare laboratories globally constitute ( 400 of them worldwide with 13,000 scientists , often located in iffy countries where our laws don ’ t apply ) , and that Covid-19 may have been produced in a lab .
We ’ ve also published about the curious timing / geography of appearances of new lung cases ( Covid-19 or not ) which calls into question the highly suspicious , Deep State ‘ it ’ s a Chinese virus ’ narrative .
Kudos to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to raise this topic publicly .
We also take this opportunity to note that accurate detection of a very specific virus requires a very specific test , none of which currently exist .
Covid-19 is , to many doctors , mostly ( not 100 % ) presenting like another case of the ‘ flu , so what is being ‘ measured ’ and reported as ‘ cases ’ here ?
See Manufactured Pandemic : Testing People for ANY Strain of a Coronavirus , Not Specifically for COVID-19 [ VIDEO ] .
We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us at any given time .
The French government is about to begin using the serology test , which , as this article above mentions , does not even test for virus .
The story about Marine Le Pen ’ s comments were picked up by MSM outlet Le Figaro yesterday , with the obligatory mention of ‘ conspiracy ’ .
Otherwise , it doesn ’ t seem easy to find this story .
Below is Sputnik News ’ version .
Happily , a significant enough number of French people aren ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ readers that the made-in-a-lab theory is indeed just that .
We also remind readers of the various viruses that have also been lab-made or claimed to be , such as Lyme and Zika .
Doctors back in the early ’ 80s , when AIDS was getting going , were saying that the human body could never produce the HIV infection by itself , for example .
Here is the list of relevant articles on the lab hypothesis ( we especially recommend the first and the one with Dr. Francis Boyle ) : • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ China ?
A Veteran Insider Speaks Out • ( A 2nd useful article is referenced in here ) COVID-19 : Further Evidence that the Virus Originated in the US • None IT ’ S OFFICIAL : Chinese Scientists Find A Genetic Explanation for Coronavirus Discriminating By Race • ( Despite the titled , more strains of what is being called Covid-19 have been found ) COVID-19 Has 2 Strains , First Case of Neurological Damage Reported – Chinese Scientists • None India To Probe Wuhan Institute Of Virology ; Dr. Francis Boyle – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] • None Was the 2020 Wuhan Coronavirus an Engineered Biological Attack on China by America for Geopolitical Advantage ?

ER Editor: We’ve published a few stories referencing the secretive, Parallel Universe that the biowarfare laboratories globally constitute (400 of them worldwide with 13,000 scientists, often located in iffy countries where our laws don’t apply), and that Covid-19 may have been produced in a lab. We’ve also published about the curious timing / geography of appearances of new lung cases (Covid-19 or not) which calls into question the highly suspicious, Deep State ‘it’s a Chinese virus’ narrative. Kudos to Marine Le Pen for having the nerve to raise this topic publicly.
We also take this opportunity to note that accurate detection of a very specific virus requires a very specific test, none of which currently exist. Covid-19 is, to many doctors, mostly (not 100%) presenting like another case of the ‘flu, so what is being ‘measured’ and reported as ‘cases’ here? See Manufactured Pandemic: Testing People for ANY Strain of a Coronavirus, Not Specifically for COVID-19 [VIDEO]. We’ve all got lots of coronaviruses inside us at any given time. The French government is about to begin using the serology test, which, as this article above mentions, does not even test for virus.
The story about Marine Le Pen’s comments were picked up by MSM outlet Le Figaro yesterday, with the obligatory mention of ‘conspiracy’. Otherwise, it doesn’t seem easy to find this story. Below is Sputnik News’ version. Happily, a significant enough number of French people aren’t buying the official line.
We remind readers that the made-in-a-lab theory is indeed just that. We also remind readers of the various viruses that have also been lab-made or claimed to be, such as Lyme and Zika. Doctors back in the early ’80s, when AIDS was getting going, were saying that the human body could never produce the HIV infection by itself, for example. Here is the list of relevant articles on the lab hypothesis (we especially recommend the first and the one with Dr. Francis Boyle):