A letter signed by 80 researchers states that the proposition put forward by the Great Barrington Declaration is a “dangerous lie.”
If the herd immunity approach promoted by the Great Barrington Declaration is actually implemented, it will be catastrophic for society as a whole and especially for the health system. That is the message in a note written and published by 80 international researchers The The Lancet This week. That open letter, called the John Snow Memorandum, warns that a herd immune approach to administering COVID-19 is a “dangerous fall not supported by scientific evidence” while protecting the most vulnerable by allowing them to develop immunity in low-risk populations. Member Kevin Kavanagh, M.D. Infection control today®His Teacher Advisory Committee Denial For the proclamation.
Kavanagh wrote, “For infectious disease prevention professionals and leading health workers, the Great Barrington Declaration puts their lives and livelihoods at risk.”
The authors of the John Snow Memorandum are from various medical specialties including public health, epidemiology, medicine, pediatrics, sociology, virology, infectious diseases, health systems, psychology, psychology, health policy and mathematical modeling.
In the memorandum, the authors talk about success in some countries that have used COVID-19 control strategies.
“Japan, Vietnam and New Zealand, to name a few, have shown that strong public health responses can control the spread and allow life to return to normal, and there are many such success stories,” the authors wrote in the memorandum.
They also supported a sustained approach to reducing the risk of transmission. “The evidence is very clear: Controlling the social spread of COVID – 19 is the best way to protect our communities and economies until safe and effective vaccines and treatments come in the coming months. We can not afford distractions that undermine the effective response; we need to act urgently based on the evidence.”
The authors of the memorandum acknowledged that continued restrictions had led to widespread depression and reduced confidence among the general public, and that there had been renewed interest in natural herd immunization approaches during the second wave of epidemics.
However, they claim that any infection management strategy that relies on immunity to natural infections for COVID-19 is flawed.
Back in August, Infection control today®Sister release, Infection, Martin Guldorf, Ph.D., one of the authors of the announcement, spoke with professors of medicine at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He spoke on a number of topics, including the age-appropriate approach to dealing with COVID-19. To view that interview and learn more about the announcement, click here Here.
This story first appearedInfectious life! ®
“Food expert. Unapologetic bacon maven. Beer enthusiast. Pop cultureaholic. General travel scholar. Total internet buff.”