@drbrignall shares his experience as someone who worked in public health during the pandemic and his views of how we are currently remembering the experience.
I agree that the front line health workers shouldn't be blamed and put their own lives at risk to help the public at large. The citation to the 3 million lives saved is from a blog - a peer reviewed paper from the same group suggests 80,000 lives saved. Additionally, it seems that the countries that didn't have lock-down have typical infection/death rates, so the modeling is equivocal.
Wow, what harms are hidden in the seemingly innocuous phrase “children fell behind”... this is rather chilling but I’m glad it was published here. It’s important to hear this perspective and (echoing other comments here) read between the lines.
It was a free-for-all. Intelligent, medical-wise, leaders ran amok. WW II - FDR didn't make decisions based on one man's (group's) opinion. He gathered information from the front lines, those in the trenches, the experts in their field, leaders of the countries involved. He made decisions based on a full range of facts while having the best interest in US in mind. There were daily updates on the radio, movie theaters. People were educated as to what was happening (albeit not the nitty gritty), and then motivated to follow what one leader was saying. I'm not saying everything was rosy, of course there were adversaries and the disgruntled. What did anyone expect when they heard stories from nurses, doctors, CDC, federal government, mayors, next door neighbors, scientists, and the list goes on especially when each one was saying something different. It was (mis)information overload. There should be one leader who is calling the shots, for lack of a better phrase. That leader should be trusted, knowledgeable, gathering ALL the data, listening to the experts, and then delivering a clear message of what to do and why. If that person is not in the leadership role, then that's on the American people.
The Covid case chronological graph you present as evidence that the public health response worked until the vaccines showed up is weak sauce at best. Cases are a function of testing. Instead, let’s look at deaths.
Covid is a respiratory virus, so there is a seasonal nature to it. The deaths started rising in Seattle in late fall, not necessarily due to events like the Sturgis biker rally, but due to the onset of colder (indoor) weather which both brings people closer together and elicits lower Vit D production levels.
In addition, why don’t we take a look at the death graph for 2021 and 2022, so we can see how the heroic vaccination campaign pushed C19 deaths to zero? Call me a cynic, but I’m guessing you don’t show the mortality timeline because the vaccines didn’t work and deaths spiked post vaccine rollout. If I’m right, in 2021 and 2022 WA had dramatic spikes including periods of death that dwarfed the daily average pre experimental injectable product. Well, what do you know?! The WA State DOH proves my cynical view. Deaths peaked twice, significantly higher than pre jab levels, in 2021 and 2022, both post jab rollout.
I don't understand why this activist was selected to write an article for "Sensible Medicine". If I want read a bunch of public health lies, I can pick up the Washington Post or NYT.
My experience working on COVID within public health was very different from the author’s. I am a physician, have an MPH in epidemiology and have worked extensively on health capacity building internationally. I found the system quite concrete in its attitude, protocols, structure and willingness to consider modifications of what the team was doing in order to enhance data collecting. The public health response team was large, hundreds, which made it a huge ship that could only be turned by a hand paddle. We collected symptom data on everyone who would speak with us. But we never categorized that data as mild, moderate or severe. So we missed an opportunity to see how behavior, virus, or vaccines were changing the degree of illness. It was completely unscientific.
When monoclonal antibodies emerged we did not encourage enough high risk people to access them at the free infusion sites that were set up. This made zero sense in some cases as the contact tracers and case investigators were the only “health” contact some people had.
When the vaccines rolled out the emphasis was shifted there and while the quick set up of mass vaccination sites was an accomplishment there was no discussion about addressing data on effectiveness or safety. By February, 2 months into the roll out, we started seeing breakthrough infections largely among HCWs and when we discussed concerns about this with the higher ups we were told to collect the data. Remarkably it was not until July, 4 months later, that the CDC acknowledged breakthrough infections in their MMWR on the Barnstable, Mass outbreak.
While working on outbreak investigations we were given implausible criteria to use to claim outbreaks at businesses. There was no way with any degree of certainty the data we were collecting on some locations could accurately define an outbreak. That is when I decided to leave. The protocols and decision making were not moving toward collecting meaningful data or information. Overall my experience was disappointing and eye opening.
One thing I will add. The person who wrote this post was brave to do so. His views and voice should be allowed as should be mine. Until we do a thorough post mortem on the public health response during the pandemic we will not learn and history will repeat itself.
Sorry to hear about your friend. But maybe surprisingly, the majority of similar cases have factors that explain the negative outcome, some of which you may be unaware. Do you know your friend's HIV status? What medications or supplements he was taking? What medications (eg Remdesivir) he was given? Was the ventilator managed by an experienced clinician who knew how to treat respiratory failure? Was it in fact respiratory failure?
Yep it was a bad flu. With virtually every disease known to man, the complexity of biology prohibits complete understanding of the spectrum of illness; we can't always know why some people are hit harder than others. But evidence overall demonstrates that covid was a self-limited mild - moderate flu-like illness for the vast majority of cases. Regarding "Long Covid," the medical literature is mixed on whether that actually exists, or whether it is better explained as the expected result of either the usual prolonged recovery from severe illness (for those who were in an ICU or ventilated) or a result of intense psychological stress and fear-mongering that was and still is a ubiquitous part of the narrative. For those of us who have practiced clinical medicine for awhile, we've all seen versions of "Long Covid" throughout our practice. An additional clue: follow the money. There are a lot of $$ to be made in diagnosing and treating Long Covid. I'm already starting to see the specialty clinics springing up like drug stores.
You can use as many air quotes as you like but this guy risked his neck to protect his community - voluntarily - and you go ahead and insult him? Try for some empathy for the lives risked before you go ahead and insult the next author. You're a bully and your comment serves only to sew more discord in collaborative care and our communities. So thanks for nothing.
I’m a doctor who lost his job due to the fascist NYS government and mandate.
Spare me the whining of an obviously “ well intentioned” but brainwashed medical provider.
I’ve seen too many of those first hand. None will raise their head out of the sand of their righteousness and fear induced zeal. Throughout history, the fields of this earth are littered with bodies from the efforts of the well intentioned. In light of what we now know about the psychological manipulation by our governments worldwide, should we forgive the gullible and non critical thinkers in our health systems? Perhaps, but we can never trust them again . The rot runs too deep.
Evildoers never regard themselves as such. The Nazis saw Jews as a blight on German society and implemented a Final Solution to that problem. Slave owners, of all colors, the world over regarded enslaving ‘inferior’ peoples as part of the natural order. So the medical fascists’ good intentions cut no ice at all with me.
I will be short and succinct. I understand that you may feel this way with regards to lockdowns but in no real tangible way does your approach of justifying lockdowns & the damage wrought to public health come close to being accurate. There were so many factual errors & just groupthink ideas in your column I struggle to come up with where to start except at the very least for you to go back to the start of medicine & think of how you treat patients. In the entirety of your medical career have you ever treated the risks to a 75 y/o woman HTN, diabetic, CHF patient as you would the risks of a 18 y/o healthy male. No, you take each patient look and evaluate their OWN risks with regard to their demographic & craft a plan that is made for that patient.
..."where the infection rates started to rise. This happened about six weeks prior to vaccine approval. Why did it occur? At least in part, it occurred because leaders in many jurisdictions decided that motorcycle rallies, football games, political rallies, and the like were more important than keeping disease levels low."
This isn't true, Matt. Motorcycle rallies aren't held in the winter. LA, NY, and many major cities banned indoor dining and events. There were few, if any, fans at football games (just look at the replays). Holiday travel was at an all-time low. LA had the worst lockdown in the country and broke records for cases.
The true answer is that cases and deaths rose because that's what happens every fall and winter, and you know that. Quit ascribing to the decisions of individuals what should be ascribed to nature.
I really wish public health officials would admit what is obvious: they don't know how to stop the spread of highly contagious respiratory viruses, and never will.
Kevin Burciaga, very well put. I would only suggest, it’s very likely that he DOESN’T know that, and that he fervently believes what he wrote. He’s a naturopath.
I'm not sure what PHO's know anymore. You would think the real answer (change in season) would be obvious to him but instead he blames people for not making enough sacrifices. At this point, it's par for the course.
What I see as an over riding question is: How do we ever figure out what the truth is? There is so much lying, or twisting of the so called science to take advantage of people. And then it is so difficult for most of us to accept that government entities paid for by our tax dollars may actually not have the public's best interest at heart. As I observe, it seems if our minds cannot accept this possibility,that the "scientific authorities" do not have the public's best interest at heart, we then work harder and harder to defend our erroneous position. Very challenging times.
Kathy - I agree completely. You're asking one of the most important questions from the covid debacle, and there are no easy answers. I've had to question everything I thought I knew, and once trusted sources of scientific and medical information are no longer trusted (eg, CDC). several areas to consider: ask about the money flow, and who has financial interests in the issue. Another key item for me: start with what you are convinced you know is true, and look for those who agree with at least that (native immunity was an example of that for me). And look for those who encourage open discussion and debate, vs. those who suppress or censor. That's how I started following Doctors John Ioannidis, Jay Bhattacharya, Scott Atlas from Stanford; Martin Kulldorff; Sunetra Gupta; Peter McCullough; the FLCCC; many others.
The substack-name 'Sensible Medicine' put me on the wrong foot, as this is a total Bullsh!t cry-baby article. Luckily and deservedly it is ripped to shreds in the comments it generated!
I do not agree with everything Mr Brignall has said.
But let’s agree that we need, in general, to talk with each other with more respect.
That includes the respect to make our own decisions.
We must learn how to talk to each other. Forgive our mistakes, and learn from this experience of dealing with Covid.
My view now is mostly we handled it badly. Forgivable for a few months, when fear (ginned up a lot) was high.
Not forgivable later....by those who were aware or should have been.
Mr Brignall uses some data from one state to reach a big conclusion that is not justified.
Washington State did have a low infection rate. But why?
This did not happen in other places. Iran, Northern Italy, New York come to mind.
Mr Brignall implies that NPIs (non pharmaceutical interventions) were the cause.
But one small data set does not prove this. At all.
As Sweden (and others) I think proves, another approach would have been better. (Nor did Sweden do it perfectly.)
Overall. Longer-term. Sweden did suffer some (comparatively) short term.
And most of these basics of pandemic response were known before this pandemic started.
I agree that the front line health workers shouldn't be blamed and put their own lives at risk to help the public at large. The citation to the 3 million lives saved is from a blog - a peer reviewed paper from the same group suggests 80,000 lives saved. Additionally, it seems that the countries that didn't have lock-down have typical infection/death rates, so the modeling is equivocal.
Wow, what harms are hidden in the seemingly innocuous phrase “children fell behind”... this is rather chilling but I’m glad it was published here. It’s important to hear this perspective and (echoing other comments here) read between the lines.
It was a free-for-all. Intelligent, medical-wise, leaders ran amok. WW II - FDR didn't make decisions based on one man's (group's) opinion. He gathered information from the front lines, those in the trenches, the experts in their field, leaders of the countries involved. He made decisions based on a full range of facts while having the best interest in US in mind. There were daily updates on the radio, movie theaters. People were educated as to what was happening (albeit not the nitty gritty), and then motivated to follow what one leader was saying. I'm not saying everything was rosy, of course there were adversaries and the disgruntled. What did anyone expect when they heard stories from nurses, doctors, CDC, federal government, mayors, next door neighbors, scientists, and the list goes on especially when each one was saying something different. It was (mis)information overload. There should be one leader who is calling the shots, for lack of a better phrase. That leader should be trusted, knowledgeable, gathering ALL the data, listening to the experts, and then delivering a clear message of what to do and why. If that person is not in the leadership role, then that's on the American people.
Thank you so much for your perspective. I could not put my fears and efforts thru out this pandemic into words. You stated my feeling very well.
The Covid case chronological graph you present as evidence that the public health response worked until the vaccines showed up is weak sauce at best. Cases are a function of testing. Instead, let’s look at deaths.
Covid is a respiratory virus, so there is a seasonal nature to it. The deaths started rising in Seattle in late fall, not necessarily due to events like the Sturgis biker rally, but due to the onset of colder (indoor) weather which both brings people closer together and elicits lower Vit D production levels.
In addition, why don’t we take a look at the death graph for 2021 and 2022, so we can see how the heroic vaccination campaign pushed C19 deaths to zero? Call me a cynic, but I’m guessing you don’t show the mortality timeline because the vaccines didn’t work and deaths spiked post vaccine rollout. If I’m right, in 2021 and 2022 WA had dramatic spikes including periods of death that dwarfed the daily average pre experimental injectable product. Well, what do you know?! The WA State DOH proves my cynical view. Deaths peaked twice, significantly higher than pre jab levels, in 2021 and 2022, both post jab rollout.
https://doh.wa.gov/emergencies/covid-19/data-dashboard
Your narrative as written here is a pathetic excuse for “science” IMHO.
I don't understand why this activist was selected to write an article for "Sensible Medicine". If I want read a bunch of public health lies, I can pick up the Washington Post or NYT.
You guys are better than this.
My experience working on COVID within public health was very different from the author’s. I am a physician, have an MPH in epidemiology and have worked extensively on health capacity building internationally. I found the system quite concrete in its attitude, protocols, structure and willingness to consider modifications of what the team was doing in order to enhance data collecting. The public health response team was large, hundreds, which made it a huge ship that could only be turned by a hand paddle. We collected symptom data on everyone who would speak with us. But we never categorized that data as mild, moderate or severe. So we missed an opportunity to see how behavior, virus, or vaccines were changing the degree of illness. It was completely unscientific.
When monoclonal antibodies emerged we did not encourage enough high risk people to access them at the free infusion sites that were set up. This made zero sense in some cases as the contact tracers and case investigators were the only “health” contact some people had.
When the vaccines rolled out the emphasis was shifted there and while the quick set up of mass vaccination sites was an accomplishment there was no discussion about addressing data on effectiveness or safety. By February, 2 months into the roll out, we started seeing breakthrough infections largely among HCWs and when we discussed concerns about this with the higher ups we were told to collect the data. Remarkably it was not until July, 4 months later, that the CDC acknowledged breakthrough infections in their MMWR on the Barnstable, Mass outbreak.
While working on outbreak investigations we were given implausible criteria to use to claim outbreaks at businesses. There was no way with any degree of certainty the data we were collecting on some locations could accurately define an outbreak. That is when I decided to leave. The protocols and decision making were not moving toward collecting meaningful data or information. Overall my experience was disappointing and eye opening.
One thing I will add. The person who wrote this post was brave to do so. His views and voice should be allowed as should be mine. Until we do a thorough post mortem on the public health response during the pandemic we will not learn and history will repeat itself.
Sorry to hear about your friend. But maybe surprisingly, the majority of similar cases have factors that explain the negative outcome, some of which you may be unaware. Do you know your friend's HIV status? What medications or supplements he was taking? What medications (eg Remdesivir) he was given? Was the ventilator managed by an experienced clinician who knew how to treat respiratory failure? Was it in fact respiratory failure?
Yep it was a bad flu. With virtually every disease known to man, the complexity of biology prohibits complete understanding of the spectrum of illness; we can't always know why some people are hit harder than others. But evidence overall demonstrates that covid was a self-limited mild - moderate flu-like illness for the vast majority of cases. Regarding "Long Covid," the medical literature is mixed on whether that actually exists, or whether it is better explained as the expected result of either the usual prolonged recovery from severe illness (for those who were in an ICU or ventilated) or a result of intense psychological stress and fear-mongering that was and still is a ubiquitous part of the narrative. For those of us who have practiced clinical medicine for awhile, we've all seen versions of "Long Covid" throughout our practice. An additional clue: follow the money. There are a lot of $$ to be made in diagnosing and treating Long Covid. I'm already starting to see the specialty clinics springing up like drug stores.
I will not be lectured by a naturopathic "Doctor." Get rekt. "sensible Medicine?" Do better.
You can use as many air quotes as you like but this guy risked his neck to protect his community - voluntarily - and you go ahead and insult him? Try for some empathy for the lives risked before you go ahead and insult the next author. You're a bully and your comment serves only to sew more discord in collaborative care and our communities. So thanks for nothing.
Vaccine mandates for health care workers. If they didn’t get vaccinated, they lost their jobs. It’s well-documented.
Most health care systems are still mandating vaccines for workers.
I’m a doctor who lost his job due to the fascist NYS government and mandate.
Spare me the whining of an obviously “ well intentioned” but brainwashed medical provider.
I’ve seen too many of those first hand. None will raise their head out of the sand of their righteousness and fear induced zeal. Throughout history, the fields of this earth are littered with bodies from the efforts of the well intentioned. In light of what we now know about the psychological manipulation by our governments worldwide, should we forgive the gullible and non critical thinkers in our health systems? Perhaps, but we can never trust them again . The rot runs too deep.
Evildoers never regard themselves as such. The Nazis saw Jews as a blight on German society and implemented a Final Solution to that problem. Slave owners, of all colors, the world over regarded enslaving ‘inferior’ peoples as part of the natural order. So the medical fascists’ good intentions cut no ice at all with me.
I will be short and succinct. I understand that you may feel this way with regards to lockdowns but in no real tangible way does your approach of justifying lockdowns & the damage wrought to public health come close to being accurate. There were so many factual errors & just groupthink ideas in your column I struggle to come up with where to start except at the very least for you to go back to the start of medicine & think of how you treat patients. In the entirety of your medical career have you ever treated the risks to a 75 y/o woman HTN, diabetic, CHF patient as you would the risks of a 18 y/o healthy male. No, you take each patient look and evaluate their OWN risks with regard to their demographic & craft a plan that is made for that patient.
..."where the infection rates started to rise. This happened about six weeks prior to vaccine approval. Why did it occur? At least in part, it occurred because leaders in many jurisdictions decided that motorcycle rallies, football games, political rallies, and the like were more important than keeping disease levels low."
This isn't true, Matt. Motorcycle rallies aren't held in the winter. LA, NY, and many major cities banned indoor dining and events. There were few, if any, fans at football games (just look at the replays). Holiday travel was at an all-time low. LA had the worst lockdown in the country and broke records for cases.
The true answer is that cases and deaths rose because that's what happens every fall and winter, and you know that. Quit ascribing to the decisions of individuals what should be ascribed to nature.
I really wish public health officials would admit what is obvious: they don't know how to stop the spread of highly contagious respiratory viruses, and never will.
Kevin Burciaga, very well put. I would only suggest, it’s very likely that he DOESN’T know that, and that he fervently believes what he wrote. He’s a naturopath.
I'm not sure what PHO's know anymore. You would think the real answer (change in season) would be obvious to him but instead he blames people for not making enough sacrifices. At this point, it's par for the course.
What I see as an over riding question is: How do we ever figure out what the truth is? There is so much lying, or twisting of the so called science to take advantage of people. And then it is so difficult for most of us to accept that government entities paid for by our tax dollars may actually not have the public's best interest at heart. As I observe, it seems if our minds cannot accept this possibility,that the "scientific authorities" do not have the public's best interest at heart, we then work harder and harder to defend our erroneous position. Very challenging times.
Kathy - I agree completely. You're asking one of the most important questions from the covid debacle, and there are no easy answers. I've had to question everything I thought I knew, and once trusted sources of scientific and medical information are no longer trusted (eg, CDC). several areas to consider: ask about the money flow, and who has financial interests in the issue. Another key item for me: start with what you are convinced you know is true, and look for those who agree with at least that (native immunity was an example of that for me). And look for those who encourage open discussion and debate, vs. those who suppress or censor. That's how I started following Doctors John Ioannidis, Jay Bhattacharya, Scott Atlas from Stanford; Martin Kulldorff; Sunetra Gupta; Peter McCullough; the FLCCC; many others.
The substack-name 'Sensible Medicine' put me on the wrong foot, as this is a total Bullsh!t cry-baby article. Luckily and deservedly it is ripped to shreds in the comments it generated!