The Montserrat Reporter

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1581695/putin-threat-russia-war-western-dominance-ukraine-neutral-status-talks-update

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1581820/ukraine-news-kidnapped-Melitopol-mayor-released-special-operation-Ivan-Fedorov

express.co.ukPutin shambles: Russian forces flattened as footage shows military column wiped outRUSSIAN forces appear to have taken a heavy beating in eastern Ukraine, a newly surfaced video suggests.

Ukraine: Russia demands return of Alaska and Californian fort in fury at US sanctionsRUSSIA has demanded reparations from the US over the economic sanctions placed on the Kremlin by the West.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1580756/putin-eu-energy-wrath-uk-new-gas-field-found-under-north-sea-yamal-pipeline

Good Night Montserrat

Enjoy a Hybrid AFW LitFest This Week 

BRADES, Montserrat (November 14, 2021) – Whether you live in Montserrat or thousands of miles away you will have the opportunity to experience the 13^th Alliouagana Festival of the Word. 

The official dates are November 18 to 20, however, activities begin from Monday the 15th under the theme Our Future, Our Stories. 

Festival Coordinator, Nerissa Golden of Goldenmedia said she was delighted to be facilitating another exciting programme to celebrate our love for books and the people who create them. 

Starting Monday at 10 a.m. the Public Library in Brades will host a week-long exhibition called Write Montserrat: A Literary Retrospective of Our Island’s Authors. The collection will showcase the works of local authors in a variety of genres. 

On Monday at 7 a.m, the Good Night Montserrat series sponsored by the Governor’s Office will begin on Facebook. 

“We invited book lovers to submit a video of themselves reading their favourite children’s stories. We have received submissions from around the world and are excited to share them with our fans,” Golden revealed. 

Residents are encouraged to gather along the Carr’s Bay main road on Thursday, November 18, at 10 a.m. for the Book Parade. This colourful street parade allows primary school children to bring their favourite storybook characters to life. 

The Alphonsus “Arrow” Cassell Memorial Lecture will be aired on Friday evening on the festival’s Facebook page. Two engaging panel discussions make up the programme starting at 7:30 PM. 

The Saturday morning workshops begin online at 10 AM and focus on various aspects of digital publishing from idea to final production and sales. These workshops are brought to you with the support of the Montserrat Public Library. 

Books by eight Montserratian authors will be celebrated at the Saturday evening gala. Starting at 6 PM at the Montserrat Cultural Centre, this elegant evening is a fundraising event and will highlight the new works of authors including Edwin L. Martin, Shirley Osborne, Norman Ryan and Jennifer Joseph. 

The 13^th annual Alliouagana Festival of the Word is sponsored by the Montserrat Arts Council, Goldenmedia, Governor’s Office, the Ministry of Education, Digicel, Montserrat Volcano Observatory, and Friends of AFW LitFest.

Follow the 2021 literary festival activities on Facebook at AFWLitFest or via #AFWLitFest. 

Nerissa Golden
CEO/Creative Director
Goldenmedia LLC

TMR Adapted

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/delta-variant-vaccines-protect-from-severe-disease-but-do-not-stop-all-transmission

• The COVID-19 vaccine effectively prevents severe illness and death.
• The Delta (B.1.617.2) variant of SARS-CoV-2 is spreading globally in populations with high vaccination rates.
• 1 in 4 fully vaccinated people who have exposure to the Delta variant in the home are likely to get the infection.
• The peak viral load of the Delta virus does not differ between fully vaccinated and nonvaccinated individuals.
• The elimination of the Delta strain of the virus takes place more quickly in vaccinated individuals.

The SARS-CoV-2 Delta variantTrusted Source is the most widely spread variation of the virus, accounting for about 99.8% of cases in the United Kingdom. The highly transmissible Delta variant is spreading globally, including in populations with high vaccination rates.

Several studies have shown the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines in protecting from severe disease and death. Research has also confirmed that fully vaccinated individuals have a lower risk of infection with both the Alpha (B.1.1.7)Trusted Source and Delta variants compared with unvaccinated people.

However, to date, vaccination has not limited the spread of the Delta variant. A new study, which appears in The Lancet Infectious DiseasesTrusted Source, has found that vaccination alone is not enough to stop the household transmission of the Delta variant.

Researchers from Imperial College London, the UK Health Security Agency, and the Manchester Foundation NHS Trust collaborated to carry out this “real life” study of household transmission in the U.K.

Vaccines are ‘not a silver bullet’

The researchers recruited 621 people over 12 months from Sept 2020. Of these individuals, 163 (26%) had a SARS-CoV-2 infection. The team used genome sequencing to identify the variant:

• 71 participants had a Delta variant infection
• 42 had an Alpha variant infection
• 50 had a pre-Alpha variant infection

The scientists used the secondary attack rate (SAR)Trusted Source to study the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in households. The SAR for exposed household contacts for the Delta variant was 26%, regardless of vaccination status. However, the researchers found that 25% of vaccinated household contacts tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 Delta virus compared with roughly 38% of unvaccinated household contacts.

Dr. Simon Clarke, who is an associate professor in cellular microbiology at the University of Reading and was not involved in the study, says:

“These findings show that the vaccines remain an effective way to drive down [SARS-CoV-2] infection, but they are not a silver bullet. Infection in the wider community can still be amplified by transmission at home.”

The ability of the vaccine to prevent infection with the Delta variant in the household was roughly 34%.

Interestingly, the study found vaccination status to have no effect on the maximum amount of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta virus present, known as the peak viral load. Other studies have found similar viral loads in nasal swabs, irrespective of vaccine status.

“These similar peak viral loads in vaccine breakthrough infections may explain why infected vaccinated people were just as likely to pass on infection as infected unvaccinated people,” says Prof. Peter Openshaw, professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London.

Despite no difference in viral load, the body reduced the amount of SARS-CoV-2 Delta in the airways more quickly in vaccinated people than in unvaccinated people.

How Delta can spread among vaccinated people

Speaking with Medical News Today, Dr. Sarah Pitt, principal lecturer at the School of Applied Sciences, University of Brighton, explained: “What is interesting about this study is because they followed people up for 3 weeks, they could see how much virus they were shedding and for how long […]. This could be a useful finding, as it might provide new information about how long people should self-isolate for once they have tested positive.”

The researchers noted that the time between the completion of vaccination and study recruitment was longer for PCR-positive contacts than for PCR-negative contacts. This is an important finding according to Prof. Penny Ward, an independent pharmaceutical physician, visiting professor in pharmaceutical medicine at King’s College London.

She says that this may indicate that “waning individual protection may occur from 3 months rather than the 6 months currently scheduled for booster doses.”

The researchers note that they only included the contacts of symptomatic individuals in this study. Despite each of these people being the first member of their household to have a PCR-positive test, it is possible that another household member may already have had the infection.

According to Professor Emeritus Keith Neal of the University of Nottingham, this study helps with “understanding why Delta is now the predominant variant worldwide. Delta is able to spread between vaccinated people in a way previous variants did not.”

The research shows that the Delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus can transmit from fully vaccinated people, who can have similar amounts of it in their airways as someone who is unvaccinated.

However, the amount of the virus in the airways of a fully vaccinated individual clears more quickly, suggesting that the risk of transmission lasts for less time than it would if they were not vaccinated.

Dr. Clarke says: “[T]he fact that a vaccine reduces someone’s chance of getting [the infection] in the first place means that while the vaccines don’t provide complete protection against transmission, they are not completely ineffective.”

For live updates on the latest developments regarding the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, click here.

It doesn’t matter as it never makes sense when this happens, but at that level in the circumstance? While this in our view just adds to the evil deaths that surround us.

I N S I D E R

British Conservative lawmaker dies after being stabbed multiple times while meeting constituents

British Conservative lawmaker dies after being stabbed multiple times while meeting constituents

MP Andrew Rosindell who is an OT’s promoter was among those quickly commenting on the sad occasion, said on Twitter: “I am utterly devastated. David was my oldest friend in the House and a close friend for four decades. I feel sick inside at what has happened. We’ve all lost a very special person in our lives. My thoughts and prayers are with Julia and the family on this tragic day.”

One person responding to Rosindell’s tweet noted what is sure to be an immediate reaction to what is difficult to understand took place: “Sir David Amess death: Priti Patel orders immediate police review of MPs’ security arrangements. Maybe Priti Patel should do an immediate review on illegal immigrants breaking into the country and security arrangements Along the coast…”

(1) Andrew Rosindell MP on Twitter: “I am utterly devastated. David was my oldest friend in the House and a close friend for four decades. I feel sick inside at what has happened. We’ve all lost a very special person in our lives. My thoughts and prayers are with Julia and the family on this tragic day. ✝️ https://t.co/9UnYznE6Fb” / Twitter

See tweet here

Contribution 129/21 # 20

Is there an alternative to a quarrel of the vaxxed vs the unvaxxed, with the latter being blamed for the onward spreading of the epidemic?  (Can we travel to Montserrat without being forced to take vaccines?)

BRADES, Montserrat, September 17, 2021 – The breaking news on Friday, September 17 was that “the recently announced policy by the Government of Antigua and Barbuda requiring all arriving passengers to be COVID-19 vaccinated (at least partially), also applies to persons in transit to and from Montserrat.”^[1] It further seems that the acceptable vaccines for this are those used in Antigua, i.e. [1] AstraZeneca Vaccine, [2] Sputnik V from Russia, [3] Pfizer (though that obviously may be adjusted, e.g. Moderna, etc.).  This goes with the linked issuing of “vaccine passports” by Antigua, complete with QR codes that tie in with files on each vaxxed person. The only relief is the assurance that “the current arrangement for the acceptance of medical emergencies from Montserrat will remain unchanged.” Premier Farrell of Montserrat, has suggested the need for another gateway for travel to Montserrat. This cluster of developments, therefore, poses significant challenges for Montserratians wishing to travel who have concerns about vaccination, and about our onward relationship with Antigua.

A first concern is that here at TMR, we have already seen from the mainstream, official and credible sources, that both the vaxxed and unvaxxed can catch Covid-19 and can spread it, also both may suffer serious hospitalisation and adverse events.

Where, while for the moment the unvaxxed dominate in hospitalisation in our region including Antigua, in places like Israel – one of the most widely vaxxed countries in the world, some 80% – by August 15^th, 59% of those with serious or critical cases were “fully vaccinated,” and there are suggestions that a month later, the proportion is even higher.  This is the main reason why Israel has pushed for a third jab, and millions of Israelis have already taken it.^[3] The UK and USA are now beginning to follow that lead.

Similarly, the vaxxed are tested on arrival here and are quarantines, precisely because we know they can catch and transmit the disease. This reflects the “leaky,” “non-sterilising” nature of these vaccines, which do not reliably stop a new infection cold. There is also a challenge that the degree of protection rapidly fades after perhaps six months. Hence, talk of not only the third jab but of an onward train of jabs every year or even every six months.

So, plainly, there is only a questionable basis for discrimination based on the idea that vaccine protection makes such a difference that the travel bans and other coercive measures are justified. For instance, an eighteen-member FDA advisory panel in the USA just voted not to go for the third jab across the board,^[4] because of a lack of data and apparently also in part influenced by the known issue of heart damage for young men. As AP reported:

“. . . the advisory panel rejected 16-2, boosters for almost everyone. Members cited a lack of safety data on extra doses and also raised doubts about the value of mass boosters, rather than ones targeted to specific groups. Then, in an 18-0 vote, it endorsed extra shots for people 65 and older and those at risk of serious disease. Panel members also agreed that health workers and others who run a high risk of being exposed to the virus on the job should get boosters, too.”

Antigua’s authorities should be politely asked to explain the travel ban given the facts of breakthrough infection and concerns about known risks and long-term potential side effects.

A second concern is hardly less serious, and can be seen from the Antigua Vaccine Passport:

For, the use of a QR code means that camera-using scanners with network access can immediately connect to detailed stores of information called databases and can then draw out details on one’s health history, other personal information, financial facts, where one has gone, what one has done, etc. Of course, this can then be used to block entry or block one’s ability to buy or sell and more. That is, this feature is therefore a dangerous move towards what we can call the spy-and-control state.  Or, in terms of a well-known Bible text that warns of the dangers of such centralised control and discriminatory action against dissenters:

“Rev 13:16 [The second beast, from the Land] also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the [first] beast [from the Sea] or the number of its name. 18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666 [= Nero Caesar, first Roman Emperor to attack and persecute the church].” [NIV]

The Rev 13:16 – 17 concerns are obviously highly relevant: we are here seeing a rise of centralised, government control that can all too easily be exerted on where one may go, whether s/he can make a living, even what one may or may not buy. That is too much power for anyone to safely handle.

But, is there an alternative to pushing or even mandating vaccines to prevent a disaster that overwhelms our health services and wrecks our economy?

Yes, to see it, let’s compare Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, India, with their sister state, Kerala. Then, onward, with the USA:

By making aggressive, widespread early use of Ivermectin, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi were able to control and suppress the Delta strain surge and have now reduced new cases and deaths to very low numbers, despite having perhaps 6% of people there vaccinated. This included, for example, giving every family member of a house where a case occurred, preventative doses. Kerala instead, refused to make early use of Ivermectin then stopped it altogether. So, just as in the USA, case numbers did not dramatically fall there.

Let us look at trends with Uttar Pradesh (241 million) vs the USA (333 million), similarly:

This effect of widespread, early Ivermectin use has also occurred elsewhere, but that is being marginalised or even dismissed. But, it is clear from such data that there are low-cost, effective, credible treatments that should be used alongside targeted vaccinations and other measures.

Covid-19 is a solvable problem, solvable without resorting to drastic coercion and polarisation against the unvaxxed.  That is going to require that we re-think the heavily promoted conventional wisdom and shift to a balanced approach, involving preventative dosing of those at risk, early treatments, and vaccines. Such re-thinking is obviously a challenge but it is one we should face.

[1] See GoM https://www.gov.ms/2021/09/17/antiguas-vaccination-travel-policy-also-applies-to-in-transit-passengers-to-montserrat/?fbclid=IwAR1kb8zkZKDMY50Kq-aKfhuXaGZBxZVruzQGy1iiJyNAa_HVF7oCQPIWwuI#

[2] TMR https://www.themontserratreporter.com/losing-patience-with-the-unvaxxed-vs-playing-with-the-fire-of-leaky-vaccines/

[3] TMR https://www.themontserratreporter.com/the-emerging-covid-vax-booster-shot-train/

[4] See https://apnews.com/article/fda-panel-rejects-widespread-pfizer-booster-shots-1cd1cf6a5c5c02b63f8a7324807a59f1?utm_medium=AP&utm_source=Twitter&utm_campaign=SocialFlow

Contribution 128/‘21 # 20)

Have we put the cart before the horse with this pandemic, as leaky vaxxes can trigger the rapid spread of more dangerous strains? (And so, back to the value of Ivermectin.)

BRADES, Montserrat, September 12, 2021 – It is clear that some health authorities and governments across the Caribbean and wider world are beginning to “lose patience” with the not vaccinated. Such are widely viewed as misinformed, as idiotic,^[1] stubborn, led by armchair instigators, as a dangerous source of spreading the pandemic, even as irresponsible and antisocial. Street talk and social media buzz show that some here in Montserrat are catching the impatience fever. We need to cool down the temperature and show why effective treatments such as Ivermectin are a key strategy.

For, there is a Marek’s Disease Virus^[2] shaped reason why Pfizer’s CEO recently touted his bright shiny new pill and finally publicly admitted that “Success against #COVID19 will likely require both vaccines & treatments.”^[3]For, here in Montserrat, across the region and the world, we are playing with the fire of “leaky,” “non-sterilising” vaccines.

The case of Marek’s Disease Virus in chickens – yes, chickens – tells us why.

Andrew F Read et al. let the cat out of the bag,  in PLOS Biology, back in July 2015^[4]:

“Vaccines that keep hosts alive but still allow transmission could . . .  allow very virulent strains to circulate in a population. Here we show experimentally that immunization of chickens against Marek’s disease virus enhances the fitness of more virulent strains . . . . When vaccines prevent transmission, as is the case for nearly all vaccines used in humans, this type of evolution towards increased virulence is blocked. But when vaccines leak, allowing at least some pathogen transmission, they could create the ecological conditions that would allow hot strains to emerge and persist . . . [W]e report experiments with Marek’s disease virus in poultry that show that modern commercial leaky vaccines can have precisely this effect: they allow the onward transmission of strains otherwise too lethal to persist. Thus, the use of leaky vaccines can facilitate the evolution of pathogen strains that put unvaccinated hosts at greater risk of severe disease.”

The article also notes that:

“Efficacy and mode of action are key. If [a] vaccine is sterilizing, so that transmission is stopped, no evolution can occur. But if it is non-sterilizing, so that naturally acquired pathogens can transmit from immunized individuals (what we hereafter call a “leaky” vaccine), virulent strains will be able to circulate in situations in which natural selection would have once removed them . . .” 

It is of course obvious that local, regional and international officials recognise that the major Covid-19 vaccines (including the AstraZeneca used in Montserrat) are “non-sterilising.” That’s why the vaccinated have continued to be tested and quarantined. That’s why they must still wear face masks and do social distancing etc. That’s why it is admitted they can catch and infect others with the disease, though it is believed that the vaccines reduce the intensity of the disease. And, it is why, with Delta strain on the loose, we see significant numbers of cases where the “fully vaccinated” are becoming seriously ill or worse with Covid-19. So, again, as a recent report on Israel (which is now pushing third jabs) noted^[5]:

“As of 15 August, 514 Israelis were hospitalized with severe or critical COVID-19 . . . 59% were fully vaccinated. Of the vaccinated, 87% were 60 or older. “There are so many breakthrough infections that they dominate and most of the hospitalized patients are actually vaccinated,”  says Uri Shalit, a bioinformatician at the Israel Institute of Technology (Technion) . . . “One of the big stories from Israel is:

‘Vaccines work, but not well enough.’” [“A grim warning from Israel: Vaccination blunts, but does not defeat Delta” Science Mag dot Org, August 16, 2021.]

In short, those who are “losing patience” with the unvaxxed have put the cart before the horse and are sliding into blaming the victim.

It was obvious from the beginning that the major anti-Covid-19 vaccines were “leaky” or “non-sterilising.” The researchers, regulators, and officials all knew that. We can take it to the bank that they knew about the Marek Virus evidence, that leaky vaxxes can turn the vaxxed into reservoirs for more dangerous, more infectious, fast-spreading strains than would naturally have come about. So, we know one reason they are desperate to get everyone jabbed, they fear a  truly lethal breakout strain, let’s call it Delta-plus. But we are not locked up in such a dilemma. There is the Ivermectin-based treatment option that should have been vigorously pushed as the treatment arm of our pandemic strategy for many months now.

But, someone following the WHO-FDA talking points,^[6] may say, there’s no scientific evidence of that.

False, irresponsibly, destructively, inexcusably false, with lives on the line.

For one example, here are Omura et al from Japan, in a review article published in March this year^[7] – yes, six months ago:

 “As of the 30th  of January 2021, a total of 91 trials in 27 countries has been recorded at these registration sites. There are 43 trials in phase 3 and 27 trials in phase 2, along with 17 observational studies. This includes 80 trials being conducted for therapeutic purposes and 11 for the purpose of preventing the onset of disease in close contacts and healthcare professionals. Furthermore,  by the 27th of February, the results of 42  clinical trials,  including approximately 15,000 patients (both registered and unregistered studies) have been subjected to a meta-analysis after exclusion of biasing factors. It was found that 83% showed improvements with early treatment,  51%  improved during late-stage treatment, and there was an 89% prevention of onset rate noted. This confirms the usefulness of ivermectin. Since it is a meta-analysis based on 42 test results, it is estimated that the probability of this comprehensive judgment being a mistake is as low  as one  in  four  trillion.” [The Japanese Journal of Antibiotics 74-1. Ivermectin emerged from research done in Japan.]

Investors and gamblers would salivate over an opportunity to bet with odds of four million, millions to one in favour of success. That is far more than adequate, robust scientific evidence to allow physicians to prescribe Ivermectin as a preventative, as a treatment to stamp out early-stage Covid-19, and even as part of protocols for seriously ill patients.^[8] Those who have pretended otherwise have done the world a grave disservice.

It is time for a fresh conversation and a fresh approach to taming the pandemic before it becomes an even more destructive immune escape monster, say, Delta-plus. That is going to require that we back away from the WHO-FDA talking points and recognise the evidence for and legitimacy of treatments based on repurposed, proved medications such as Ivermectin.

[1]TMR https://www.themontserratreporter.com/failing-the-horse-de-wormer-test/

[2] See https://extension.psu.edu/mareks-disease-in-chickens-description-and-prevention

[3] See https://twitter.com/AlbertBourla/status/1433024869168558081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

[4] See PLOS Biology https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pbio.1002198

[5] TMR https://www.themontserratreporter.com/covid-19-vaccine-trends-concerns-and-misinformation/ see also https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/08/grim-warning-israel-vaccination-blunts-does-not-defeat-delta 

[6]See FLCCC point by point response https://covid19criticalcare.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/CLEAN-FLCCC-STATEMENT-AGAINST-THE-GLOBAL-IVERMECTIN-DISINFORMATION-CAMPAIGN-5.11.2021.pdf

[7] See JJA http://jja-contents.wdc-jp.com/pdf/JJA74/74-1-open/74-1_44-95.pdf

[8] See https://covid19criticalcare.com/covid-19-protocols/

Taken at another level when it comes to acts against humanity, these are well documented, even their claim to scientifically; but has the “church(es)” really checked the extent of the science and indeed their faith?

“…hand in hand with the state so that we can conquer this enemy together…”

This is the most frightening situation on our local front so far in this pandemic… but haven’t we been leading to this long?

This is so so sad.

Not so much the encouragement, but what it represents in some disguise, if only to be carefully kind because of the apparent lack of due diligence by the churches, arguing the church must stand with science and faith.

Criminal acts against humanity, taking away people’s right of choice as to what ‘medication’ they take for something which carries minimal risks (Risks that are dishonestly represented at that) to theirs, or others’ lives.

Taking that right to choose that will ‘lawfully’ (but illegally) cause them to lose their livelihoods. Who thinks of the consequences of this? It is what the UN ICCPR is all about.

https://antiguanewsroom.com/seventh-day-adventist-churchs-stance-on-covid-19-vaccine/?fbclid=IwAR2V2s3_fzF47MF9FV0Jyii6yxE6_RvnT9hN94LcVXx4_KgP5-qzCn-xg60

Kali Coleman

Early in the pandemic, we were coached on the telltale symptoms of COVID: cough, fever, shortness of breath, and loss of smell or taste. But with the coronavirus mutating several times over the last year and now causing some cases in fully vaccinated people, those are no longer necessarily the hallmark signs of infection. In fact, the virus is presenting so much differently amid the spread of the Delta variant that virus experts say you should no longer wait to develop a fever or lose one of your senses in order to get tested for COVID.

RELATED: If You Got Pfizer, This Is When You’re More Likely to Get Breakthrough COVID.

Tiffany Mattingly, RN, the vice president of clinical strategies at The Health Collaborative in Cincinnati, Ohio, told ABC-affiliate WCPO that many people are mistaking their coronavirus symptoms for non-urgent health issues because symptoms of the Delta variant vary from other strains. “Many people think they have sinus infections, that it’s allergy season, that it’s ragweed time, and it’s not. It’s COVID,” Mattingly said.

A sore throat is a common sign of a sinus infection and allergies, but doctors say you should now get tested for COVID if you have this symptom or think you have a sinus infection. According to Mattingly, a major problem with breakthrough infections is that these symptoms are typically much less severe in vaccinated individuals, which means they may be even more likely to wait to get tested.

“By the time that it gets severe enough that someone decides to go get a COVID test, they may have spread it to multiple people, because a couple of days have passed,” she warns. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fully vaccinated people can still spread the virus if they have been infected with the Delta variant, though they are likely to be infectious for a shorter period of time than unvaccinated people.

“Previous variants typically produced less virus in the body of infected fully vaccinated people (breakthrough infections) than in unvaccinated people. In contrast, the Delta variant seems to produce the same high amount of virus in both unvaccinated and fully vaccinated people,” the CDC says.

RELATED: For more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter.

In June, researchers from the U.K. released findings from their ongoing ZOE COVID Study, pinpointing what symptoms are more likely from the new, fast-spreading strain of the virus. Sore throat was one of the five most common symptoms among COVID cases in those fully vaccinated. The other common breakthrough infection symptoms now include headache, runny nose, sneezing, and loss of smell.

But sore throat is also now one of the five most frequently reported virus symptoms for those unvaccinated as well. According to the researchers, this shows some clear “changes from when COVID-19 first appeared over a year ago.” The other common symptoms for unvaccinated people during the Delta surge include headache, runny nose, fever, and persistent cough.

“A majority of these [Delta] cases start with sniffles, sore throat,” Gabe Kelen, MD, the director of emergency medicine at Johns Hopkins told WMAR, an ABC-affiliate in Baltimore, Maryland. “If you have symptoms, do not assume that this is a summer cold. Even if your symptoms aren’t very strong, what you want to do is make sure you are not spreading COVID to somebody else who is going to have a very bad outcome.”

Contribution Part 126/21 # 18 (Special)

But, what does that suggest about the “bird already in the hand,” Ivermectin ?

BRADES, Montserrat, September 6, 2021 – According to a Sept 1, 2021, Reuters news feed,[1] “Pfizer Inc . . . and Merck & Co Inc . . .  announced . . .  new trials of their experimental oral antiviral drugs for COVID-19.” Reuters then continues: “ . . .  as the race to develop an easy-to-administer treatment for the potentially fatal illness heats up.” It seems, that Pfizer is testing effectiveness on 1,140 non-hospitalised patients “who are not at risk of severe illness.” Meanwhile, since July, Pfizer has been running another trial for patients “who are at high risk of becoming severely ill due to underlying health conditions such as diabetes.” Pfizer’s CEO, in a related tweet, stated that “Success against #COVID19 will likely require both vaccines & treatments.”[2]

All of this is indeed progress towards hopefully effective treatment.

However, such an announcement immediately raises the bird in the hand question: Ivermectin.

To see some of its force, let us note how the above fits in with a response to Jamaica’s Health Minister by a signatory of the Jamaican Doctors’ May 20^th letter,[3] Charles Royes:

“Merck Pharmaceuticals, the original manufacturer of Ivermectin, no longer has a patent on production. They can no longer compete with low-cost manufacturers and have no financial interest in the drug. Instead, Merck has committed millions of dollars towards the development of another drug, Molnupiravir, which it hopes to market as a treatment for COVID-19. Early in the pandemic, Japan requested Merck to conduct clinical trials with Ivermectin and they declined.”

Plainly, if success against Covid-19 “will likely require both vaccines & treatments,” then, why was credible, adequate evidence of the effectiveness of Ivermectin[4] sidelined? And why is there a push to use disreputable tactics such as pushing the notion that it is horse deworming medicine . . . neatly omitting its Nobel Prize-winning performance against river blindness and evidence of antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects? Where, as that evidence was available in a key part in 2020, doesn’t that suggest that delays have cost us dear?

Of course, it has been convenient for many to dismiss that body of evidence as lacking credibility. The problem with that is, that in fact Ivermectin has been in use in several regions and has shown startling impact, on population-level data.

For just one example, as TMR discussed earlier,[5] here is the case of Slovakia – showing how case rates sharply taper off once Ivermectin was made widely available:

Similar patterns in Indonesia, India, Peru, and Mexico should give us pause before we take convenient dismissals at face value. Peru in particular gave the world a natural experiment across its 25 states, in a population of 33 million, as Dr. John Campbell of the UK summarised.

Dehli, India is typical of Indian cases:

So, it is quite plausible that had Ivermectin been given a more fair hearing, we would have been able to put on the ground, treatments plus vaccine strategy many months ago. Recall, now that he has a competitor to Ivermectin (but one likely to make much bigger profits) Pfizer’s CEO has gone on record, that success against Covid-19 “will likely require both vaccines & treatments.”

We can call that an inadvertently telling admission against interest, so, likely to be true. Here, an admission that can hardly be a brand new realisation, as serious development work for the candidate oral drug has to have been ongoing since the early days of the crisis.  Likewise, for efforts by Merck, which also declined a Japanese request to study Ivermectin.

It is also worth the while to ponder a moment on why both treatments and vaccines are now on the table. For, the vaccines are non sterilising and seem to significantly fade after about six months. This is why there seems to be a push for third jabs, with Israel in the lead. Suggestions point to regular onward boosters. Such in turn points to selection pressure on the virus from the vaccines, leading to the emergence of breakout variants comparable to antibiotic or insecticide resistance. That is, we need effective anti-viral treatments to help stop the progress of infections, also further reducing spreading. And yes, the “fully vaccinated” can catch and spread the disease.

Again, as a report on Israel noted[6]:

“As of 15 August, 514 Israelis were hospitalized with severe or critical COVID-19 . . . 59% were fully vaccinated. Of the vaccinated, 87% were 60 or older. “There are so many breakthrough infections that they dominate and most of the hospitalized patients are actually vaccinated,”  says Uri Shalit, a bioinformatician at the Israel Institute of Technology (Technion) . . . “One of the big stories from Israel [is]: ‘Vaccines work, but not well enough.’” [“A grim warning from Israel: Vaccination blunts but does not defeat Delta” Science Mag dot Org, August 16, 2021.]

[1] See https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/pfizer-starts-dosing-patients-oral-covid-19-drug-trial-2021-09-01/

[2] See https://twitter.com/AlbertBourla/status/1433024869168558081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

[3] TMR https://www.themontserratreporter.com/jamaican-doctors-stage-an-ivermectin-uprising/

[4] See https://covid19criticalcare.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/FLCCC-Ivermectin-in-the-prophylaxis-and-treatment-of-COVID-19.pdf

[5] TMR https://www.themontserratreporter.com/ivermectin-some-population-level-evidence/

[6] TMR https://www.themontserratreporter.com/covid-19-vaccine-trends-concerns-and-misinformation/ see also https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/08/grim-warning-israel-vaccination-blunts-does-not-defeat-delta 

Contribution – 124/21 # 17)

Is Ivermectin simply an anti-parasitic for animals that is being misused due to anti-vax propaganda?

BRADES, Montserrat, September 6, 2021 – Indeed, Ivermectin is often used to de-worm horses, dogs, etc, and as an antiparasitic. That is the germ of truth that has been used to lend credibility to a smear job, [yes], that ignorant people following unscientific anti-vax misinformation are dosing themselves with a useless, toxic medicine intended for animals. It is even true that some desperate people have indeed apparently taken horse-sized doses of veterinary formulations, obviously without a doctor’s supervision. For, a horse might weigh 1,200 lbs, a big person perhaps 250. So, a horse-sized dose would then be maybe four or more times that for a human being and could easily have toxic effects.  But, that’s not even near to being the whole story.

And the push to suggest that it is, is instead a truth test that far too many are failing.

First, those who promote or publish the atrocity tale in the media. As, there is the readily accessed ¾ of the story that could easily have been found, starting with its Nobel Prize-winning role in dealing with human river blindness. Yes, Ivermectin has been used successfully and safely with people (under medical supervision) for over thirty years. 

Failure to acknowledge that is without excuse for any significant media house, official, or spokesperson.

Second, if we fail to take a critically aware view of such voices, ironically, we are in danger of swallowing or even spreading misinformation ourselves.

In either case, credibility is broken.

We can also provide facts from relevant scientific literature. For example, as Dr. Pierre Kory and others note in a 2021 American Journal of Therapeutics article[1]:

“Ivermectin [was] introduced as a veterinary drug [in the early 1980s] . . .  it soon made historic impacts in human health, improving the nutrition, general health, and well-being of billions of people worldwide ever since it was first used to treat onchocerciasis (river blindness) in humans in 1988 . . . Ivermectin’s impacts in controlling onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis, diseases which blighted the lives of billions of the poor and disadvantaged throughout the tropics, is why its discoverers were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2015 and the reason for its inclusion on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) ‘List of Essential Medicines.’ ”

In a 2020 [Nature] Journal of Antibiotics article,[2] Fatemeh Heidary and Reza Gharebaghi add:

“Studies revealed that ivermectin as a broad-spectrum drug with high lipid [ = fat] solubility possesses numerous effects on parasites, [1, 3] nematodes, arthropods, flavivirus, mycobacteria, and mammals through a variety of mechanisms. In addition to having antiparasitic and antiviral effects, this drug also causes immunomodulation in the host. Studies have shown its effect on inhibiting the proliferation of cancer cells, as well as regulating glucose and cholesterol in animals.” [Pardon the technical language.]

That is why Ivermectin was a reasonable drug to test as a possible repurposed treatment for effectiveness against Covid-19. As we have already seen here at TMR, it is credibly effective, which is why leading Doctors in Jamaica publicly advised their Minister of Health[3]:

“[w]hile Ivermectin[‘s] efficacy has been demonstrated in the management of all stages of Covid, we draw particular attention to its use in the early stage of the disease . . . In our carefully considered opinion, the available data on Ivermectin is quite adequate.[4] There is no need to await the outcome of further trials. Any call for local trials prior to approval is unnecessary, as neither time, resources, nor ethical approval would permit. We need not await WHO approval of the use of Ivermectin for the treatment of Covid-19. The WHO, unfortunately, has been slow, and sometimes incorrect, in its assessment and advice on various aspects of the pandemic and specifically so in relation to its current stance on Ivermectin. Several medical jurisdictions in various countries are proceeding to include Ivermectin in their Covid-19 treatment strategies.”

A summary of such evidence has been made by Dr. Kory and others.[5] Reportedly, Ivermectin:

 – inhibits the replication of many viruses, including influenza, Zika, Dengue, and others

 – inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication and binding to host tissue

 – has potent anti-inflammatory properties

 – significantly diminishes viral load and protects against organ damage in multiple animal models

– prevents transmission and development of COVID-19 disease in those exposed to infected patients

 – hastens recovery and prevents deterioration in patients with mild to moderate disease treated early

 – hastens recovery and avoidance of ICU admission and death in hospitalized patients

– reduces mortality in critically ill patients with COVID-19

– leads to striking reductions in case-fatality rates in regions with widespread use

 safety, availability, and [low] cost . . .  is nearly unparalleled

– near nil drug interactions along with only mild and rare side effects observed in almost 40 years of use and billions of doses administered

There is a fair amount of published evidence for that [see the report], there is a growing body of cases and studies, and there are population-level results. No wonder the Jamaican Doctors make a pointed contrast:

“Emergency Use Approval has been granted from health regulatory authorities, including WHO, and FDA, for the clinical use of other treatment regimes (Remdesivir, Convalescent Plasma, Monoclonal Antibodies, etc.) with far less research and data support compared with Ivermectin.”

A Cartoon used to promote the notion that Ivermectin is a misused de-wormer for horses (and yes, this is apple flavour here)

[1] See https://journals.lww.com/americantherapeutics/fulltext/2021/06000/review_of_the_emerging_evidence_demonstrating_the.4.aspx

[2] See https://www.nature.com/articles/s41429-020-0336-z.pdf

[3] TMR https://www.themontserratreporter.com/jamaican-doctors-stage-an-ivermectin-uprising/ cf Gleaner https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20210520/doctors-back-ivermectin-covid-19-fight 

[4] TMR note, e.g. see https://covid19criticalcare.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/FLCCC-Ivermectin-in-the-prophylaxis-and-treatment-of-COVID-19.pdf 

[5] See https://covid19criticalcare.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/FLCCC-Ivermectin-in-the-prophylaxis-and-treatment-of-COVID-19.pdf pp. 3 – 4