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Fight with Vitamin D – in Israel with Dr. John Campbell

Vitamin D in Israel!

Dr. John Campbell
Dr. Michael Cohen

This video is for educational purposes only and must not replace advice from your own health care provider. Always consult your own doctor before taking any medication or supplements.
Dr. Michael Cohen discusses the importance of Vitamin D and zinc for the optimisation of the immune system. Vitamin K2 is also used to distribute calcium to the correct tissues.
Thank you Dr. Cohen for this excellent explanation of preventing and minimising infection by enabling the amazing natural immune response.
Dr. Cohan, Surgery details

As the Government and medical authorities only continue to push getting the vaccines, and otherwise do not guide and advise on the lives they pretend to protect; the people who for one reason or another who are able to think beyond, their survival of the ‘pandemic’, here is help to strengthen their resolve.

Preparing to fight COVID-19 (viruses)
Much to learn for you and your responsibilties own lives
The UK makes plans for the possible onslaught of Omicron
Has this problem been resolved?

Posted in COVID-19, Education, Health, International, Local, News, Regional, Science/Technology, Videos0 Comments

Vaccination passport app shares personal data of users with Amazon and Royal Mail

Vaccination passport app shares personal data of users with Amazon and Royal Mail

Vaccination passport app shares personal data of users with Amazon and Royal Mail – Daily Record

The NHS Scotland Covid status app (Image: PA)

There is missing (that we have not shared yet) leading up to this situation; but this is not just happening by chance, all by design; maybe just conveniently accepted by authoritarian controllers and power hungrys…, wait for the challenges! Where are the believers in God? Has money (and the NOW) replaced salvation for His people that is through grace and His Spirit?

Civil liberty campaigners and opposition politicians have reacted furiously to the Sunday Mail revelations.

The Scottish Government ’s controversial vaccination passport shares the personal data of users with a host of private firms, the Sunday Mail can reveal.

Proof of inoculation is now required by law to get into football grounds or nightclubs north of the border, despite plans for a scheme having been scrapped in England.

We have learned the NHS mobile phone app which presents the personal medical information in the form of a QR Code shares data with companies including Amazon, Microsoft, ServiceNow, Royal Mail and an AI facial recognition firm.

Civil liberty campaigners and opposition politicians have reacted furiously to our revelations.

Sam Grant, head of policy and campaigns at Liberty, said: “Vaccine passports create a two-tier society and already many people in Scotland have been coerced into getting a vaccine passport in order to attend events and access certain parts of society.

“It’s extremely concerning that, in doing so, data has been shared with third parties without people having the option to opt-out or without even being made aware that this is happening.

“This only furthers the wide concerns people already have around vaccine passports. (see: https://www.themontserratreporter.com/vaccine-passports-travel-to-montserrat-and-pressuring-the-unvaxxed/ )

“We all want to keep each other safe and Liberty has always supported reasonable and proportionate measures to combat Covid but vaccine passports are not a solution.”

Privacy information on the vaccination passport app reveals personal data of users will be shared with NetCompany, Service Now, Jumio, iProov, Albasoft, Amazon Web Services, CFH Docmail, Microsoft Azure, Gov.uk Notify Service, and Royal Mail. It is claimed that not all of the firms can “access” the data, even though it is “shared”.

Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “Scottish Liberal Democrats have repeatedly warned the Government that data protection is virtually non-existent – a simple screenshot was enough to bypass whatever ‘security measures’ the system had in place.

“The launch was a shambles and the IT system struggled to cope.

“Everyone has the right to medical privacy, nobody should ever have to provide part of their medical history to a bouncer or a series of private companies. That is just simply absurd.”

Scottish Conservatives’ Murdo Fraser said: “There have been serious data privacy concerns with the SNP’s vaccine passport app since the word go.

“The news that users’ personal data will be shared with so many private companies is extremely worrying.

“This will only serve to further erode public trust in the SNP’s shambolic vaccine passport scheme.”

A comment on the above story:
EDed_macd24 OCTOBER 2021: The plan all along; track and trace, trace and manipulate. Vitamin C is far superior to their weak vaccine, and totally proven by science too.

Posted in Business/Economy/Banking, COVID-19, Health, International, Local, News, Regional0 Comments

MedicalNewsToday-logo

Vaccines protect from severe disease but do not stop all transmission

New research examines the risk of household transmission of the Delta variant, despite vaccination. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

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 TodayDr. 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.

Posted in COVID-19, Featured, Health, International, Local, News, Science/Technology0 Comments

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Make Mental Health Care A Reality

RELEASE

Make Mental Health Care A Reality

Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.  11 October 2021.  The rising prevalence of mental health conditions in the Caribbean Region is a serious public health concern[1], and as COVID-19 continues to affect persons across the Region, there is need for urgent action to promote good mental health. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines mental health as a “state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community”.[2]

World Mental Health Day, observed annually on 10 October, seeks to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health.  This year’s theme  Mental Health in an Unequal World with the slogan “Mental health care for all: let’s make it a reality”, is an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work, and what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people.

“Lives have changed considerably due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as we are faced with the realities of unemployment, working from home, closure of schools, and not being able to socialise as we used to.  Over the past year the pandemic has had a major impact on people’s mental health especially healthcare and other frontline workers, children, women, families, homeless, people living alone, and those with pre-existing mental health conditions,” stated Dr. Tamu Davidson, Head of Chronic Diseases and Injury at CARPHA.  

In the Americas, depression continues to be the leading mental health disorder, and is twice as frequent in women as in men.[3]  Mental and neurological disorders in the elderly, such as Alzheimer’s disease, other dementias, and depression, contribute to the burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).  Mental disorders can also contribute to unintentional and intentional injury. Patients who are depressed are less likely to take their medicines, and persons with chronic NCDs and disabilities are more likely to be depressed.

Many mental health conditions can be effectively treated at relatively low cost, yet the gap between people needing care and those with access to care remains substantial.   A 2020 survey conducted by the WHO indicated that services for mental, neurological and substance use disorders had been significantly disrupted during the pandemic.[4]

CA RPHA supports its Member States through health promotion with a focus on increasing awareness about mental health and strategies to cope with mental illness, targeting the general population, children and adolescents, the elderly, women and other vulnerable populations.   Emphasis has been placed on prevention, psychosocial support and coping with mental illness during the COVID-19 pandemic.  This year, CARPHA included mental health as a focus of the annual Caribbean Wellness Day.  The Agency collaborates with the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization, Health Caribbean Coalition to increase awareness about mental health and reduce stigma.

Achieving mental health care a reality for all, calls for a whole of society approach.  Civil society, faith-based organisations, and private sector, and community-based organisations can support and promote mental well-being and prevent mental and substance-related disorders. 

  • Health professionals are reminded of their duty of care to all persons, whether they have physical and/or mental issues.  
  • Governments are urged to ensure equitable access to mental health services for all who need it. 
  • Civil society organisations are encouraged to support for public education and awareness about mental illness. 
  • The private sector can provide support for mental health services in employment packages and ensure that workplace policies do not discriminate against persons with mental illness. 

Most of all, we as individuals need to take time for ourselves.  We need to practice healthy living to preserve mental well-being. That includes self-care, healthy eating, physical activity, positive thinking, practicing mindfulness, connecting with friends, family or pets, and mindfulness, or taking time to do something we enjoy. 

There is no health without mental health[5]. This public health day is an opportunity to empower people to look after their own mental health and provide support to others. 

Let’s reach out and support someone with a mental illness .. make it a reality

###


[1] https://carpha.org/What-We-Do/NCD/Mental-Health-and-Substance-Use/Mental-Health

[2] https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-strengthening-our-response

[3] https://www.who.int/teams/mental-health-and-substance-use/promotion-prevention/gender-and-women-s-mental-health

[4] https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-mental-health-day/2021/about

[5] WHO

Posted in CARICOM, COVID-19, Features, Health, International, Local, News, Regional0 Comments

Everyday Health Logo

8 Whole Grains That Can Help Prevent or Manage Type 2 Diabetes

Adapted: for the Diabetic (and the would-be diabetic). Something for everyone – follow the links.

Everyday Health Logo
The 8 Best Whole Grains for Type 2 Diabetes | Everyday Health

Making the switch from simple to complex carbs can help stabilize your blood sugar, rev weight loss, and prevent heart disease.

Moira Lawler

By Moira LawlerMedically Reviewed by Lynn Grieger, RDN, CDCES Reviewed: October 29, 2020

jars of grains
Whole grains, including buckwheat, bulgur, and quinoa, are packed with fiber.
Natasa Mandic/Stocksy

Scientists have long known that an important step in preventing and managing type 2 diabetes is replacing refined, simple sugars in the diet with more complex sources. One of the main reasons is that complex carbohydrates lead to better blood sugar management compared with refined grains, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). Refined grains, which can be found in foods including white rice and pasta, tend to result in surges in blood sugar, or glucose, shortly after eating — and energy crashes a little while later. On the other hand, complex carbohydrates such as whole grains (brown rice and whole-wheat pasta) take comparatively longer to digest, which results in a steady release of glucose into the bloodstream.

RELATED: Small Increase in Whole Grains, Fruits, and Veggies Cuts Type 2 Diabetes Risk

Why? In part, because whole grains are good sources of fiber, which helps slow the absorption of glucose, according to the Cleveland Clinic. “A simple carb, meaning no fiber, that’s going to break down really fast and go right into the bloodstream,” says Joelle Malinowski, RD, a certified diabetes care and education specialist with Ellis Medicine in Schenectady, New York. “Fiber takes more time to digest, so it slows down the digestion of the carbohydrate and gives you better blood sugar control during the day.”

Most whole grains have a moderate glycemic load (GL), which measures a food’s impact on rising blood sugar, with low being the least likely to lead to sudden spikes, according to Harvard Health Publishing. A GL of 20 and up is considered high, between 11 and 19 is considered medium, and 10 or less is low, per Oregon State University.

RELATED: How Do You Tell the Difference Between Good and Bad Carbohydrates?

Kimberly Rose-Francis, RDN, a certified diabetes care and education specialist based in Sebring, Florida, says whole grains can also help with weight control. Weight management is top of mind for people with type 2 diabetes since overweight and obesity increase the risk and makes the disease more difficult to manage. According to a review published in September 2018 in Nutrients, consuming 60 to 90 grams (g) of whole grains per day (or about two or three servings) was associated with a 21 to 32 percent risk of type 2 diabetes, compared with those who ate whole grains never or less frequently.

What’s more, a diet filled with fibrous whole grains promotes a healthy heart, Malinowski says. According to a meta-analysis published in 2016 in The BMJ, whole-grain intake was associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. That’s important because adults with type 2 diabetes are 2 to 4 times more likely to die of heart disease than adults without diabetes, according to the AHA.

Here, explore eight types of whole grains that could help with type 2 diabetes prevention and management. Rose-Francis recommends swapping them in for refined grains in your diet. When you’re just starting out, be sure to monitor for signs of gastrointestinal distress and always talk with your doctor before making any major changes to your diet, Malinowski warns.

1 Brown Rice

brown rice in bowl on green counter

Laura Adani/Stocksy

study published in Archives of Internal Medicine showed that eating five or more servings of white rice each week led to an increased risk of diabetes. Conversely, consuming just two servings of brown rice each week led to a lower risk. And it’s as easy as it sounds: The data indicated that replacing roughly one-third of a daily serving of white rice with brown rice would lead to a 16 percent reduction in overall type 2 diabetes risk.

Brown rice has a medium GL of 16, according to Oregon State University. A ½-cup serving has 39 g of carbs and is a good source of magnesium, with 60 milligrams (mg) for 14 percent of the daily value (DV) and 2 mg of niacin for 10 percent of the DV, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Magnesium helps regulate muscles and nerve function, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels, making it a worthy choice for anyone managing diabetes as well, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), while niacin is a B vitamin that keeps the nervous system, digestive system, and skin healthy, according to the Mayo Clinic.

RELATED: Why You Might Need More Magnesium if You’re Managing Type 2 Diabetes

2 Bulgur

bowl of bulgur

iStock

Diabetes experts speculate that other whole grains such as bulgur wheat could play a similar role in the diabetes diet when eaten in place of simple, refined carbohydrates. In fact, the researchers behind the Archives of Internal Medicine study theorized that replacing white rice with whole grains could possibly lower the risk of diabetes by as much as 36 percent. A 1-cup serving of cooked bulgur is an excellent source of fiber, with 8.19 g for 32 percent of the DV, and has 33.8 g of carbs, according to the USDA. It has a medium GL of 12, according to Oregon State University.

3 Oats

oats in pink bowl

Natasa Mandic/Stocksy

Oats are a food that is high in fiber and hence can control blood sugar levels,” Rose-Francis says. They’re a popular whole-grain choice for someone managing diabetes because they’re easy to include in your breakfast routine. According to the USDA, ½ cup of cooked oatmeal in the morning counts as the equivalent of 1 ounce of whole grains. That serving has 14 g of carbs and about 2.5 g of fiber for 9 percent of the DV, according to the USDA. A systematic review and meta-analysis published in December 2015 in Nutrients analyzed 14 controlled trials and two observational studies, and the authors concluded that oat intake significantly reduced A1C levels, fasting glucose levels, and cholesterol among people with diabetes.

Oats have a medium GL of 13, according to Oregon State University. Just go for steel-cut or rolled oats over instant if you can. “Instant ones are more processed, and the more processed, the less fiber there is,” Malinowski says.

RELATED: The Best Oatmeal for People With Type 2 Diabetes

4 Buckwheat

buckwheat in a bowl on blue counter

Harald Walker/Stocksy

By choosing buckwheat flour instead of regular white flour for baking, you can get a big boost to your soluble fiber content, an important consideration in a diabetes diet. “One of the most important qualities of soluble fiber is its ability to help regulate blood glucose levels,” says Steven Joyal, MD, author of What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Diabetes and chief medical officer for the Life Extension Foundation based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. “It slows the rate at which glucose is metabolized and absorbed from the intestines.” A small study published in December 2016 in Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences found that eating a breakfast with buckwheat improved glucose tolerance through lunchtime.

According to the USDA, ¼ cup of buckwheat flour — baked goods can be a great way to enjoy this whole grain — has 3 g of fiber for 11 percent of the DV, 1.44 mg of iron for 8 percent of the DV, and 22 g of carbs. Buckwheat has a medium GL, and a slice of buckwheat bread has a GL of 13, according to the University of Sydney

5 Farro

farro in brown wooden bowl

Jeff Wasserman/Stocksy

This ancient grain looks a lot like brown rice and has a nutty flavor, according to the Mayo Clinic. It can be prepared like risotto and is easy to add to stews, casseroles, and salads, according to Michigan State University Extension.

It’s loaded with nutrients, including fiber, iron, protein, and magnesium. Iron promotes growth and development and helps the body make hemoglobin, which delivers oxygen to all parts of the body, according to the NIH.

A ½-cup serving of cooked farro has 7 g of fiber for 25 percent of the DV, 7 g of protein, and 37 g of carbs, per Bob’s Red MillErin Palinski-Wade, RD, a certified diabetes care and education specialist based in Sparta, New Jersey, says farro has a glycemic index of 45 and therefore has a medium GL of 13.5.

RELATED: 8 Healthy Carbs for People With Type 2 Diabetes

6 Quinoa

jar of quinoa dry

iStock

Quinoa, another versatile food that Webb recommends as a delicious side dish, may be new to your menu. Although quinoa is commonly thought of as a whole grain, it’s actually a highly nutritious seed that is high in protein and fiber. A 1-cup serving of quinoa has 39 g of carbs, 5 g of fiber for 18 percent of the DV, and 8 g of protein, according to the USDA. Quinoa has a medium GL of 13, according to Oregon State University.

Dr. Joyal explains how fiber from quinoa and whole grains can help. “Fiber adds bulk to your diet, so it helps you feel full and more satisfied,” he says. “You are less likely to overeat.” And appetite control is important to keep you on a calorie-conscious diabetes diet. Try mixing quinoa into rice to help you get used to the taste, Malinowski says.

RELATED: More Evidence Suggests Whole Grains May Help Prevent Type 2 Diabetes

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7 Wheat Berries

Wheat berries wheat berry

Cris Kelly/Alamy

Wheat berries are actually just whole, unprocessed kernels of wheat, and they’re another tasty whole grain that Webb recommends for people on a diabetes diet. You can make all kinds of dishes with this versatile grain — cook them as a side dish, serve them for breakfast as you would oatmeal, and top with a sprinkling of nuts and berries, or toss them into your salads for a nutty accent.

Wheat berries have a medium GL of 11, according to Oregon State University, and a ¼-cup serving contains 33 g of carbohydrates and 5 g of fiber for about 18 percent of the DV, according to Bluebird Grain Farms.

8 Barley

white and yellow bowl filled with barley

Harald Walker/Stocksy

Fiber’s also the main benefit of barley for people with type 2 diabetes. One cup of pearled, cooked barley features 6 g of fiber for about 21 percent of the DV and 44 g of carbs, per the USDA.

study involving 20 participants that was published in September 2015 in the British Journal of Nutrition found that eating bread made of barley kernels for three days at breakfast, lunch, and dinner led to improvements with metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and appetite control as well as decreases in blood sugar and insulin levels. The researchers said the effects were due to barley’s fiber content increasing the number of good bacteria in the gut and releasing helpful hormones.

Pearled barley has a medium GL of 12, according to Oregon State University.

https://www.everydayhealth.com/pictures/surprising-foods-little-impact-blood-sugar/

RELATED: 7 Healthy Meal Tips for Type 2 Diabetes

RELATED GALLERIES

https://www.everydayhealth.com/pictures/surprising-foods-little-impact-blood-sugar/

https://www.everydayhealth.com/type-2-diabetes/diet/best-foods-diabetes-summer/

https://www.everydayhealth.com/type-2-diabetes/symptoms/surprising-causes-of-blood-sugar-swings/

https://www.everydayhealth.com/type-2-diabetes/symptoms/warning-signs-of-type-2-diabetes/

Posted in Columns, Education, Health, International, Local, Opinions, Regional0 Comments

Trends

Vaccine passports, travel to Montserrat and pressuring the unvaxxed

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 15th, 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:

The impact of widespread preventative and early treatment with Ivermectin in Uttar Pradesh (pop. 241 million) and Delhi, vs Kerala which did not do so, in India

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

Posted in Business/Economy/Banking, Columns, COVID-19, De Ole Dawg, Featured, Features, Health, International, Local, News, OECS, Regional0 Comments

Mareks-Disease-in-Chickens-a-model-for-immunity-escape-Cr-Kumawat-Slideshare-3

“Losing patience” with the unvaxxed vs playing with the fire of “leaky” vaccines

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.

Marek’s Disease in Chickens, a model for immunity escape
[Cr Kumawat, Slideshare]

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/

Posted in Columns, COVID-19, De Ole Dawg, Environment, Featured, Features, Health, International, Local, News, Opinions, Regional, Science/Technology, Travel0 Comments

Best Life

If You Have These Symptoms, Get Tested for COVID—Even If You’re Vaccinated

Best Life

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.”

Posted in COVID-19, Featured, Health, International, Local, News, Regional0 Comments

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Getting a Booster Too Soon Could Cause This Serious Side Effect
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Getting a Booster Too Soon Could Cause This Serious Side Effect

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A Cloth or Surgical Mask Won’t Protect You From COVID Right Now
A study has found that you need more than a basic cloth or surgical mask to protect yourself from COVID or stop from spreading it to others.
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Daily Express

Coronavirus latest: Two risk factors for catching Covid post-vaccination – study finding

Daily Express
Daily Express

Ben Claxton

Whilst approved vaccines have demonstrated their effectiveness in clinical trials and global data, they are not a 100 percent shield when coming into contact with COVID-19. According to, Adeel A. Butt, professor of medicine at Weill Medical College, real-world studies confirm that the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are 95 percent effective in preventing infection after two doses.

The study, published in MedRxiv, identifies risk factors associated with COVID-19 infection at least 14 days after first vaccination and outlines characteristics of post-vaccination disease.

The King’s College London team looked at adults from the UK who had reported post-vaccination coronavirus infection between 8th December 2020 and 1st May 2021 via the COVID Symptom Study app.

By assessing the demographics of age, frailty, lifestyle factors and geographical locations with infection, the researchers revealed that “post-vaccination infection risk was substantially higher in older adults with frailty and in individuals living in most deprived areas.”

Risk was found to be lower in individuals with a healthy diet and without obesity.

READ MORE: Bowel cancer symptoms: The ‘sensation’ when having a poo – sign

Older people and those in deprived areas most at risk
© Getty Images
Older people and those in deprived areas most at risk

Professor Penny Ward, visiting professor in pharmaceutical medicine at King’s College London, said of the research: “This report is one of the first to provide information on breakthrough cases of COVID detected post-vaccination drawn from the 4.5million respondents that provide daily data using the COVID Symptom Study app.”

Ward alluded to the fact that the app is a self-reporting tool, meaning that the data provided was not always daily, with a relative excess of female participants, so it is not completely representative of the UK.

On this, Ward said this does “not detract from the usefulness of the information provided, and we know from past experience that information provided by this group can be very helpful in providing early insight into public health policies.”

“In this case, the information provided is helpful in understanding the potential need for booster vaccinations in a proportion of the frail elderly as we approach winter,” Ward explained.

DON’T MISS: Where you live in England may determine your risk of dying from Covid – new study [STUDY]Vitamin B12 deficiency: Three symptoms that can lead to nerve damage – what to look for [EXPERT]Cutting down on calories can boost longevity – but how much should you cut back? Study [STUDY]

Other findings in the study concluded:

  • Vaccination was associated with reduced odds of hospitalisation and high acute-symptom burden.
  • In the 60+ age group, the risk of more than 28 days illness was lower following vaccination.
  • Most symptoms were reported less in positive-vaccinated vs. positive-unvaccinated individuals, except sneezing, which was more common post-vaccination.

The research team found that their discoveries call attention to the reduced symptom burden and duration in people infected in post-vaccination.

Whilst the research is reassuring, the team said that the paper’s data should also prompt efforts to boost vaccine effectiveness in at-risk populations.

risk factors for catching covid after vaccination
© Getty Images
risk factors for catching covid after vaccination

Furthermore, the team also suggested that targeting infection control measures will still be an appropriate way to minimise COVID-19 infections.

Persistent symptoms lasting more than 28 days were not much affected in cases occurring after a single dose of vaccine, but the incidence was in fact halved (from 11.4 to 5.2 percent) among the double vaccinated.

According to War, this suggests “for the first time that vaccination can protect against Long Covid both by preventing infection and then ameliorating illness experienced following breakthrough infection.”

Regrettably, the study did not contain information on illness associated with different variants, and the duration of the study (Dec 2020 to early July 2021) covered the alpha and early delta variant waves in the UK, Ward explained.

Vaccine effectiveness
© Daily Express
Vaccine effectiveness

Long Covid is assessed in the study by analysing the proportion of cases with symptoms persisting for more than 28 days.

However Long Covid is still poorly understood and the persistence of symptoms post-infection, and their severity, remains to be explored.

However, Ward insists that it is “encouraging that the overall proportion of cases with persistent symptoms is reduced in patients that were previously fully vaccinated, which taken together with the milder overall illness and reduction in the need for hospital care demonstrates the additional worth of vaccination in reducing the severity of illness for individuals and reducing the burden on the NHS by lowering the number of people needing hospital care.”

While the study is unable to draw robust conclusions such as “fully vaccinated people are almost twice as likely to have no symptoms than unvaccinated if they catch COVID-19” as the app is not completely representative of the UK, one can gain insightful results as to who is most at risk of COVID-19 post-vaccination.

Posted in CARICOM, COVID-19, Health, International, Local, News, OECS, Regional0 Comments

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