What are the ‘ACTUARIES’ in Barbados saying about increased mortality figures?
In a post Covid 19 pandemic period there are increasing calls for governments and responsible agencies in civil society to address concerns about the efficacy of Covid 19 vaccines and excess deaths. It is well documented global authorities issued emergency use authorization of Covid 19 vaccines to address what was considered a public health emergency.
Doctor Campbell has been a lone voice asking probing questions supported by credible data sources. His most resent intervention addresses data produced by the the Society of Actuaries in the USA. There is a trend in data to support increase excess deaths in the younger age ranges. Campbell issues a caution that source data belongs to the Centre for Disease Control (CDC). The stark conclusion is that there was no negative correlation between vaccine rollout and number of deaths recorded.
Rawdon Adams, NIS Deputy Chairman Leslie Haynes, Chairman of NIS
Minister of Labour Colin Jordan admitted during a recent public talk show on VoB that the number of deaths increased in Barbados during the period 2020 to 2022.
Year
Number of deaths
2015
2538
2020
2713
2022
3347
He attributed the increase in deaths to Barbados’ ageing population. He was honest to admit that his honest to admit his conclusion was not based on empirical analysis.
The distrust by citizens in the public health authority during the post Covid 19 pandemic period will therefore continue – a global concern.
Late last year Prime Minister Mia Mottley advised the country after one of her jaunts that a deal was in the making with the Rwandan Government to establish a pharmaceutical industry in the region, the first of its kind. Mottley further updated that the Rwandan Food and Drug Administration and the Barbados Drug Service and Ministry of Health and Wellness had started discussions to advance the matter.
A few days ago Chief Medical Officer The Most Honourable Dr Kenneth George was quoted in the media as saying Barbados was, “considering the possibility of establishing local vaccine manufacturing capabilities in response to the challenges brought about by the COVID 19 pandemic”. He explained the Covid 19 pandemic had exposed an inequity with Small Island Developing States (SIDS) unable to access the vaccine therefore compromising the ability of public health authorities to protect vulnerable members of the public.
A legitimate question being asked is whether local authorities see the benefit to producing analytics to establish if COVID 19 is linked to excess deaths. Elsewhere a solid case is being promoted when deaths in the current period is compared to historical certificated data.
Should a similar trend exists for Barbados wouldn’t it support an intervention by authorities to identify those who maybe vulnerable? The blogmaster is NOT a conspiracy theorist, what he is though is someone who believes in transparency and accountability. Especially as it relates to safeguarding the rubric of public health.
Nearly 1 in 20 people who were infected by COVID have not completely recovered. That is a 6 to18 month corridor from time of infection. 42% claim to have only partially recovered from the infection. Most people recover fully from the infection, but some people develop a wide variety of long-term problems. The government needed to understand Long COVID as an essential to forming health and social care policy and supports.
The University of Glasgow carried out this prescribed effort. These scientists found the various symptoms to have one central focus, that Long Term Covid has an impact upon all aspects of daily life and reduces people’s overall quality of life. The most common reported symptoms were breathlessness, chest pain, palpitations and brain fog. Who was most likely to be infected with this type of COVID? Older individuals, women, those from deprived communities and people with pre-existing physical or mental problems. The study is important because it attempted to understand Long Covid within the general population, comparing symptoms with those uninfected, thereby distinguishing between health problems caused by COVID and health problems that would happen anyways. Analyzing 33,000 laboratory confirmed COVID cases and matching them to 63,000 never infected people from the general population. Both groups were followed over a 6,12 and 18 month period. About 13% of people in the study reported improvements in their health over time, while 11% reported some deterioration.
The study found those who had asymptomatic infections and those who had been vaccinated before their infections were fully or partially protected from COVID. The study showed that COVID is truly a multi-system disorder, not only in the brain, not only in the heart, but all organs can be attacked by this infection.
This winter will challenge our community and its healthcare systems. The data has shown us that the death and serious illnesses among the unvaccinated due to COVID, versus vaccinated and boosted will increase continually this winter. The level of vaccinated vs unvaccinated tells the tale. At the height of the pandemic 40% of Americans were untruthful about whether they had the virus or were ignoring safety precautions. While @68% of Americans have received their 1st vaccination, most have not received their second one, or boosters. The pandemic is still filling our hospitals with infected patients, and while most 1st nations offer free vaccinations and booster, only 7.6 million Americans have received their updated booster dose.
This winter as many as 90,000 Americans will die from COVID. The University of Southern California along with The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases have placed the populations lack of urgency to be vaccinated as the factor causing these deaths. According to CNN, more than 400 people die of COVID daily in America.
Citizens have a responsibility to protect their families, neighbors and themselves. Get your vaccination and do it now. While many administrations go out of their way trying to propagate an illusion of societies return to normalcy, COVID-!9 has mutated and will continue to do so for the conceivable future. Children are returning to classes, and with winter upon us, their schooling will likely be indoors. The only way we can reach a level of normalcy is by investing our time and efforts in health safety procedures.
For some time anyone who dared to question the possibility of excess Covid 19 deaths were ridiculed by establishment opinion. However, there are a number of analyses being shared to encourage questions about higher than normal death rates because of Covid 19 in working age people.
In Barbados there is definitely a worry of elderly people dying reportedly because of contracting Covid 19. Unfortunately exhaustive Covid 19 related data is not made public by local public health authorities to support rigorous independent analysis. However, more and more questions are being asked of the local public health authority in some quarters about excess deaths linked to the Covid 19 pandemic.
A non traditional publication by the name of The Conservative Woman questioned last week if the Germans have raised a plausible link between individuals injected with the Covid vaccine and excess deaths. The blogmaster in the public interest thought it important to share different opinions flowing in the news feed. Local government departments feeding the skepticism of the public is a well known fact as it relates to accurately aggregating data. Several times we have witnessed Covid 19 statistics adjusted with a one line explanation. The question some continue to ask of the local public health authority is – how robust is the criteria used to parse Covid 19 data in Barbados?
It is a preprint research paper by Christof Kuhbandner (a psychologist at Regensburg) and Matthias Reitzner (a statistician at Osnabrück) who have applied sophisticated actuarial analysis to the publicly available all-cause mortality data provided by the German government. Eugyppius comments: ‘When you account for historical mortality trends, the virus no longer looks so dangerous and the vaccines no longer look so great.’
As a matter of urgency to ensure confidence in maintained in the public health authority, independent agencies including the UWI, Cave Hill should be allowed to perform a deep dive of the criteria used to collect and analyze Covid 19 data. The pandemic has exposed globally there is growing cynicism and distrust by the public regarding how public health officials rolled out the Covid 19 vaccination project.
This is a call for greater transparency in Barbados to provide clarity about possible excess deaths. It should not be difficult to collate a minimum of 5 years of data between 2017 and current to eliminate questions being asked about excess deaths.
Barbados is a tourism dependent economy, first COVID 19 shut down the country and the world for a time, now there is the emergence of Monkeypox along with a resurgence of another hyper Covid 19 variant. Health concerns combined with ongoing Russia and Ukraine conflict continues to stoke feeds uncertainty across the globe whether travel or trade.
Raw numbers still elevated and climbing but perhaps not alarmingly so. Daily official isolations dropping. Ro reproductive rate numbers fluctuating near and sub 1. Vigilance is necessary given that the new Omicron variant is increasing rapidly in our major trading partner countries amid increasing cropover travel – Source: Lyall Small
Health Ministry confirms first case of Monkeypox in Barbados
Barbados has confirmed the first case of Monkeypox on the island.
The confirmation came by way of a statement from Minister of Health Ian Gooding-Edghill.
The full statement is below:
Good morning.
You will recall that yesterday, I informed the Barbadian public that there was a suspected case of Monkeypox in the island. In keeping with my Ministry’s commitment to transparency and full disclosure, I’m here to inform you that Barbados has recorded its first confirmed case of Monkeypox.
This case is a Barbadian male in his thirties, who attended the Winston Scott Polyclinic with symptoms of a progressive rash, body pains and fever. He sought medical attention at the Polyclinic within hours of his arrival in Barbados.
The patient was seen and assessed based on a history of recent travel and clinical manifestations. The patient was swabbed and the samples were sent to the Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory for testing where results revealed a positive case of Monkeypox.
These results of the locally done test were obtained within 24 hours as against the days awaiting results when the tests were done in Trinidad by CARPHA.
The patient remains in isolation and is under the direct care and medical supervision of our Medical Officer of Health. In the interest of patient confidentiality, no personal details will be disclosed.
I am confident that the Ministry’s speedy announcement of this case will, as has occurred with our response to Covid-19, get from the Barbadian public the same level of cooperation in our ongoing management of the Monkeypox health issue. The Ministry of Health and Wellness has commenced contact tracing as a responsible public health measure.
Let me assure the public that the Ministry is fully prepared to handle any cases of Monkeypox in our nation. I wish to thank the Ministry’s public health team for their continued dedication and commitment as we continue to manage public health in Barbados.
Attached are charts for the week ending 1st April. All the charts indicate a distinct upswing in the epidemic reminiscent of the changes around the period when Omicron was taking over from the Delta strain. I suspect we are now in a similar phase when the new variant Omicron BA-2 might be taking over from Omicron.
Attached are current charts. Except for positivity data the movement was minimal this last week. Expect that our Officials are monitoring the new Omicron variant.
Attached are charts up to the week ending 11th March 2022. The numbers are generally trending in the right direction but they seem to be slowly levelling off at relatively high levels. The R0 reproductive number needs to be closely monitored even though it is below the 1.0 target – Source: Lyall Small – See BU Covid 19 Updates page
Please see uploads for the week ending 25th February 2022. Barbados is now at a new “living with Covid” stage. The various ministries announced significant changes in their management of Covid this afternoon. As such, I am suggesting that I would submit only the enclosed graphs on a weekly basis, initially, but subject to modification if new substantive changes in the pandemic occur. All the indicators are trending in the right direction and we should all hope that they continue to do so – Source: Lyall Small
Enclosed are the updated charts for the week ending 18th February. All the charts, except Daily deaths, are moving strongly in the right direction but have not yet reached a level where victory can be claimed. Government is initiating a new phase in the epidemic from next week but there is a new Omicron based variant that needs to be watched closely to ensure that we can quickly pivot and institute any new or modified measures necessary. Government should also look closely at the efficacy of the Vaccination options being used. (Source: Lyall Small)
The blogmaster is pleased to hear more urgent discussions taking place about agreeing to protocols and logistics to have face to face classes resume between stakeholders. From anecdotal chatter the majority of parents seem supportive of the effort to restart. The one group offering some resistance seems to be the teacher’s unions.
A word to the teachers. This is a risk reward kind of situation. This is a cost benefit kind of situation. There will be a price to pay if the current way of teaching our children continues. There will be a social cost. If the class size is to large, split is and teach each group on alternate days BUT do some rh thing. The virus from all accounts will be with us for the foreseeable future, let us agree (without the long talk) how the physical plant will be changed to mitigate the risks at play.
If we are to judge from recent events like cricket at Kensington Oval and political campaigning – supported by utterances from the Chief Medial Officer and Minister Kerri Symmonds – the government is about to switch to a getting ‘back to normal’ mode. We must do all that is possible to address educating our children. Crop Over will fall in line.
Attached are charts for the week ending 4th Feb 2022. The major takeaways may be that the R0 chart is continuing to trend downward, as is the daily cases chart and that the Death’s and total isolations charts are continuing to trend upwards. These changes need to be monitored over the next couple of weeks to determine any changing or continuing trends. I’ve reposted the positivity chart as there seems to have been some recent interest in that statistic – Source: Lyall Small (Click image to see BU COVID 19 Updates page)
Attached are updated charts for the week ending 28th January. We saw a record number of daily cases (923) on 25th January. This was followed over the last 3 days with daily cases in the 700’s. The reproductive R0 numbers increased slowly to just 1.18; Deaths and Daily Official isolations also remained at relatively low levels while Home isolations rose precipitately. If these dynamics are maintained there will be no need to panic and fear that the dread worse case prediction of 3,500 peak cases per day is heading our way. The data also indicates that the Covid-19 team and the Barbados populace in general are continuing to do a good job – Source: Lyall Small
The just concluded 2022 General Election is feared by many to be a ‘super spreader’. The country is on watch for COVID 19 cases to spike given the frolicking witnessed on last campaign night, especially at Bay Street.
Enclosed are Charts for the week ending 21st January 2022. The daily cases are rising but with a relatively low reproductive number of 1.08. Daily official isolations have flattened out. Total isolations (Official + Home) are however increasing quite steeply fueled by the increasing home isolations indicating that Omicron, at this stage, is milder than the Delta variant. So far so good. The effects on daily cases by Election activities is not yet evident – Source: Lyall Small
Enclosed are the charts for the week ending 14th Jan 2022. I’ve omitted the Vaccinations chart and added a reproductive number chart which gives some idea about the rate of reproduction of the virus and a daily official isolations chart to get some indication of the position re. incidence of persons sickened by the Virus. Total isolations are increasing gradually but Official Isolations are going down slowly and the Reproductive rates are actually decreasing at this stage. Deaths are still relatively low. The charts seem to be indicating that we might yet escape the dire UWI model predictions. So far, so good.
David; Attached are the charts for the week ending 24th December 2021. The cases and positivity charts are showing slight upticks, perhaps presaging a possible Omicron upsurge in the coming weeks. The vaccination charts are continuing to show the slow growth in vaccine uptake. The Worldometer charts show a declining trend in deaths. Reports on Omicron suggest that it aggressively outcompetes the other existing variants and that its effects are relatively mild thereby offering a small ray of hope for the future containment of the epidemic.
Nurses defend their strike action against attacks from the government, employers and BLP aligned trade union leaders
Submitted by Tee White
On Wednesday 16 December after a meeting of the Social Partnership which brings together the government, employers and trade unions, Prime Minister Mia Mottley hosted a press conference in which she unleashed a scathing attack on the striking nurses and, in particular, Caswell Franklyn, the opposition senator who is also the leader of the Unity Workers Union (UWU) which represents the striking nurses. Prime Minister Mottley accused the nurses of prematurely initiating strike action without following the accepted procedures and accused their leader of using the strike action to further his own political ambitions. She further denounced the UWU leader for encouraging its members to abandon patients and declared that since the nurses were on strike, the government would dock their pay.
The Prime Minister’s attack on the striking nurses was, not surprisingly, fully supported by the Barbados Private Sector Association but, more surprisingly, also backed by the leaders of various trade unions including the Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP), the Barbados Nurses Association (BNA), the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW), the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) and the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB). Openly violating the basic principles of working class solidarity, which as leaders of workers’ organisations they are supposed to uphold, these trade union leaders distanced themselves from the striking nurses and made common cause with the government and employers in their attacks on the nurses. The members of these unions will need to hold these leaders to account for their betrayal of basic trade union principles.
In the face of the onslaught from the government and the forces it had mobilised against them, the nurses have held their ground and more nurses are joining them in the strike action in defence of their rights. The trigger for the dispute was a botched attempt by the government to introduce its mandatory Covid 19 vaccination policy under the guise of ‘safe zones’ at the geriatric hospital. The management of this institution put up a notice at work identifying unvaccinated nurses who would have to undergo weekly PCR tests. The UWU had previously made it clear to the management that any attempt to impose the mandatory vaccination policy, without consultation with the union, would be met with strike action. Although the Ministry of Health backed down and stated that the management of the geriatric hospital had acted prematurely since the mandatory vaccination rollout had not yet been approved, this action nevertheless triggered the nurses to take a stand on a number of other issues which had remained unresolved for years. These included better pay, better working conditions, health insurance, continuous training and better nurse to patient ratios. These are issues which the nurses have been raising for years and which successive governments, including the current one, have failed to address. Therefore, any claim that the nurses initiated strike action prematurely is clearly false. In fact, the nurses have put up with unacceptable conditions for too long and it is the government who is in the dock on this issue. Speaking about her lived reality in the Barbados health care system, one nurse declared, “We are standing in solidarity with our colleagues against the authorities trying to implement safe zones without consultation with us. We also have our own grievances at Edgar Cochrane, such as not having enough resources – gloves, blood collection bottles, gauze.
Enough is enough. Imagine having to tell a patient they have to buy their own catheter bag; some of our patients can barely afford the bus fare to get to us”. Another nurse complained that nurse to patient ratios could sometimes reach 1 to 32 patients to nurse per day while the suggested ratio is 1 to 6. Directly addressing the despicable claim by the Prime Minister that the union had encouraged the nurses to abandon their patients, Kathy Ann Holder, a registered nurse of 12 years declared, “The whole entire time, never have we abandoned or left our patients for the last two years, with or without pay, with or without the testing, with or without the vaccine when there was none”. In fact, another nurse made the point that the nurses’ struggle is actually aimed to benefit the patients, when she stated, “We are not only standing up for ourselves, but for the patients too”.
In the face of the just cause of the nurses, the government has initiated extreme measures to suppress their’ struggle. On the 18 December, the UWU claimed that the government had put a freeze on some striking nurses’ bank accounts to prevent them accessing some of their money in addition to not paying them their December salary. Director of Finance, Ian Carrington denounced the claims as “total and complete foolishness and utter rubbish”. However, a recording of a nurse speaking to her bank and asking why a portion of her bank balance was unavailable has been circulating on social media. In the recording, the bank’s customer service representative explains to the nurse that her money has been frozen because the government of Barbados had placed a hold on a portion of the money in her account. In the lead up to the holiday period, the oppressive measures of the government against the nurses must be condemned and they give the lie to the Prime Minister Mia Mottley’s claim that she would not “unfair workers”.
The attack on the striking nurses by the current BLP government reflects the fundamental anti-working class nature of this government and is consistent with its attacks on the hotel workers when they were protesting to get their severance payments. While praising the working class activism of Clement Payne and the martyrs of 1937, the government is hell bent on crushing the struggle of the workers for their rights in 2021. Although they claim that it is the leader of the UWU that is using the nurses’ strike for political ends, they are actually the ones who have called on all the political parties in the country to condemn the nurses.
The cause of the nurses is just and the efforts of the government to suppress them are unjust. All out to support the nurses in their struggle!!
A two-week circuit-breaker lockdown could be introduced in England after Christmas to combat the rise of the Omicron coronavirus variant.
Following the advice of scientific advisers, The Times has reported, government officials had prepared draft regulations that would reintroduce restrictions similar to those in step two of that country’s roadmap out of lockdown last spring.
The UK is one of Barbados’ primary tourist markets. The tourism and hospitality sector is greeting the Brits and their pound with open arms after the island’s tourist season officially began on Wednesday, December 15. This week also saw news of striking nurses, members of the UWU, become the centre of national attention. What is the genesis of the impasse?
A former Minister of Health (a Government Senator) has chided the head of the Unity Workers Union (an Opposition Senator) but … how many of the nurses’ longstanding issues were allowed to fester under his ministerial stewardship? What insight of the genesis of the impasse would Dr. Walcott have?
What we will lament is the inevitable importation of the Omicron variant – in exchange for foreign exchange. Thirty pieces of silver?
What the government should do is spell out the condition of the nation’s finances and explain how desperately we are in need of the tourist arrivals.
Not the IMF.
Not the BERT Monitoring Committee.
Not the “Social Partnership”.
The Prime Minister recently chastised industrialised countries for their role in climate change. The PM lamented their lack of consultation with small island developing states. Climate justice is needed but the PM has to appreciate her government’s failings where consultation and social dialogue matter. How much dialogue was there before an agreement was brokered for a bail-out for the manufacturers of school uniforms? The private sector seems to have greater access and success with dialogue.
So is the Social Partnership one of George Orwell’s lost works? Or is the new republic sans Constitution?
Attached are updated charts for week ending 10th December. Vaccinations are slowly increasing; Daily cases are slowly decreasing and Daily test positivity is gradually declining although still some distance from the sub 5% level. There has been no movements in the charts suggestive of changes in disease incidence attributable to last weeks Republican celebrations.
David; Attached are updated charts for this week. Positive cases remain on a downward trend. Vaccinations are slowly increasing and test positivity remains substantially above the goal of <5%. Indeed, the 7 day positivity trend line is showing a slight uptick. Increased uptake of vaccinations, vigilance and compliance with protocols seems to be necessary, especially as the Omicron variant is on the move and threatens.
Here are charts for week ending 26th November. New cases continue to show a declining trend. Vaccinations gradually increasing. Positivity still high but slowly decreasing. Deaths still highish – Source: Lyall Small
Here are charts for week ending 26th November. New cases continue to show a declining trend. Vaccinations gradually increasing. Positivity still high but slowly decreasing. Deaths still highish – Source: Lyall Small
World is put on high alert over the Omicron coronavirus variant
(CNN)As fears mount over the newly identified coronavirus variant Omicron, governments around the world are scrambling to protect their citizens from a potential outbreak. The new mutation, which is potentially more transmissible, was first discovered in South Africa and has since been detected in the United Kingdom, Germany, Israel, Italy, the Czech Republic and Hong Kong.Israel is banning all foreigners from entering the country in response to Omicron fears, authorities announced Saturday. The ban, pending government approval, is expected to last two weeks. Israelis returning from a country on the red list, which includes countries in southern Africa, will be required to isolate for seven days in a designated hotel.
There are seven suspected cases of the variant in Israel, in addition to one confirmed case found in a person returning from Malawi, its Health Ministry said.
The measure of a caring society will always be how it takes care of the most vulnerable. The news some elderly persons are being denied access to being vaccinated against Covid 19 by relatives is cruel. The Covid Dashboard for all countries confirm senior citizens have been affected more than any other group.
The other concern with deep implications for Barbados society is the inability of government to get children back to face to face learning. It is one thing to see key players in the education sector grip and grinning in the media receiving electronic devices to be distributed to children to support online learning, it is another to observe children on the streets during school time. A chat with any teacher about the challenges of online learning an a few become emotional. There is no need to list the challenges in detail, the education directorate and stakeholders are aware. We need to fix it!
Before the pandemic there were legitimate concerns about the quality and relevance of our education program and indiscipline among our youth. We make a lot of noise about the so called lost decade. Soon we may be discussing the lost generation.
A word to an educated country should be enough.
Attached are the charts for the week ending 19th November. I reduced the intervals on the time axis of the daily incidence graph to more clearly show the clear current decrease in the 7-day trendline. The decreases are quite gradual suggesting that control is not likely to be as precipitous as say in the recent Grenada spike. Positivity is also slowly decreasing but we are still far from the 5%. Vaccinations are increasing – Source: Lyall Small
In recent months the developed world has forged ahead with implementing measures to ensure citizens get on with the business of living, albeit not at pre-Covid 19 level. We watch our TVs daily and marvel at the sight of thousands of spectators crammed into sports stadia, persons reporting to work, travelling on business, leisure and other ‘getting back to normal’ activities.
Regrettably Barbados continues to be a country divided on how mirror what is happening in the developed world. The medical association (BAMP), teachers associations, political parties and not to forget the idiots.
It is interesting to note head of the BCCI Tricia Tannis has thrown support behind the safe zone concept. Head of the BAMP confirmed at the recent press briefing although vaccinated and unvaccinated persons can spread the virus, unvaccinated do it more efficiently. With Christmas shopping window about to open in a couple weeks and tourist winter seasons open, the shortening of the curfew period has not come as a surprise. What we will see in the weeks to come, if government continues to waffle on the implementation of safe zones the private sector will take the initiative to implement.
We need to ignite commercial activity in the country. The time to stop dithering is with us.
Enclosed are charts for week ending today. We still haven’t gone into a robust declining trend yet. There is still a lot of Covid-19 in the community. Vaccinations are increasing steadily. Deaths continue to be worrisome. Covid looks like it will with us for a little while longer – Source: Lyall Small
DAVID; Attached are charts for week ending 5th November. I changed the positivity graph to make it more noticeable. We are still far from the acceptable positivity rate of below 5%. The incidence graphs are very slowly trending downwards – Source: Lyall Small
The Covid 19 pandemic rages largely because of the highly infectious delta variant and it has raised questions about the quality of decision making by the public health establishment.
In Barbados recommendations from the Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP) continue to be at odds with public health directives. Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anton Best was obliged to support government’s recent decision to amend the travel protocol to allow fully vaccinated visitors with a valid PCR test to skip a second test and to observe quarantine. Bear in mind the ease in the entry requirement comes at a time the Covid 19 infection curve has not plateaued.
The other question being asked is the reluctance of the medical fraternity in Barbados, both, public and private to deviate from the ‘script’ by prescribing off-label drugs like Ivermectin and Hydroxychloroquine. Although the establishment has not authorized these drugs to treat Covid 19, several favourable reports have been reported by some medical practitioners. We know the several Covid 19 vaccines are certified to prevent serious illness and death BUT …
Has the time come for Barbados health officials both public and private to agree to expand therapeutic options to treat Barbadians in the prevailing environment, approved by the FDA be damned?
Enclosed are the charts for the week ending 29th October. The charts seem to be suggesting a plateauing of sorts around the mid 300s +ve cases per day, while anecdotal info suggest that this might be an underestimate. Deaths have been staggering. We are now at a total of 151 deaths. Uptake of the vaccines are still trending upwards. Source: Lyall Small
Submitted by Grenville Phillips, Chartered Structural Engineer
Dear Anti-Vaxxers:
Long before COVID-19, you were against vaccinations for your own reasons. Those reasons were accepted by the Government and people of Barbados, and you lived among us in peace – for decades. You did not advocate that Barbadians be forced to adopt your lifestyle. You simply lived – and let others live.
With the advent of COVID-19, your reasons for being anti-Vaxx no longer mattered. It was decided that all unVaxxed had only two choices – either be jabbed, or be forced into bankruptcy, homelessness, and poverty.
IRREDEEMABLE.
The Government divided the unVaxxed into two groups, hesitant and anti-Vaxxers. The hesitant are supposed to be redeemable simpletons who can be bought, like how our enslaved ancestors were sold, with cheap trinkets. The Government is reportedly trying to find the right ‘incentives’.
You, the anti-Vaxxers, are supposed to be too hardened to be redeemed. You are supposed to be spreaders of dangerous misinformation, and a threat to the economy and social fabric of Barbados. You are supposed to be the real enemy of Barbados.
FALLING DIVIDED.
The Government talks about unity, while actively dividing Barbadians. Jesus stated that a house divided against itself cannot stand – so ruin is foreseen. Frustratingly, this division is unnecessary. So, what is the way forward?
With COVID-19 now out of all control in Barbados, we should design a system assuming that most Barbadians will be infected with COVID-19. To capture everyone, the system should be designed specifically for you.
PRODUCTIVITY AIM.
We should aim for COVID-19 not affecting our productivity. The current policy of shutting down schools and businesses, just because one person got COVID-19, only achieves unproductivity.
To achieve the productivity aim, people should try to avoid getting COVID-19, and if they get it, they should prepare themselves to recover quickly. We can try to avoid getting COVID-19 by following the sanitary protocols.
RECOVER QUICKLY.
We can prepare to recover quickly by giving our bodies strong immune systems to fight the virus. Therefore, we should live healthy lifestyles, including healthy eating. If we cannot obtain sufficient daily fruit, then we should take one 500 mg tablet of Vitamin C every day.
If anyone feels sick, then that person, and those who share the same home or work space, should take 1,000 mg of Vitamin C each day for the next two weeks. If someone gets COVID-19, and they recover, then they should have a natural immunity, which recent studies show is superior to the jabs.
JABS FOR THE VULNERABLE.
The vulnerable groups are the weak, the sick, and those who chose to live unhealthy lives. Given the high death rate in these vulnerable groups, they should be given the first option of the jabs. Anyone else can follow.
Barbadian tax-payers support all Barbadians who fall ill. Barbadians are encouraged to reject the high-fat, high-salt, high-sugar, and highly processed unhealthy fast food. But if they fall sick, we do not discriminate between those who responsibly lived healthy lifestyles, and those who irresponsibly did not.
LIVE AND LET LIVE.
Taxpayers pay to medically treat both the sexually faithful and the sexually promiscuous – we do not judge the sick. That is why the movement to withhold medical treatment to the unVaxxxed is so disgusting.
Those who want to trust the jabs to fight the virus should be allowed to do so. Those who want to build their immune systems naturally, and trust their bodies to fight the virus, should also be allowed to do so.
LIVE AND LET DIE.
The jabs should never be forced on anyone. Neither should living a healthy and moral lifestyle be forced on anyone. In such matters, the Government’s role should be to set national standards of the majority, and allow persons the freedom to both discuss and strive towards them.
So, what should you, the health-conscious anti-vaxxers do? Given the general unhealthy state of many Barbadians, your method of keeping to yourself was evidently a live and let die approach. Perhaps it is time that you became more vocal in advocating a healthier lifestyle, so that you may truly live and let live.
Grenville Phillips II is a Chartered Structural Engineer. He can be reached at NextParty246@gmail.com
In the business world there is the familiar quote “culture eats strategy for breakfast”. It simple terms it does not matter the policy implemented, it is the prevailing culture that will determine the degree of success.
The headline in today’s Sunday Sun Bookings Take a Hit was predicted in this space months ago. In our tourism source markets of UK, Canada and the USA there has been high penetration of COVID 19 vaccination of the population that has permitted a return to some since of ‘normalcy’. We observe people in those markets attending sports events, travelling in unrestricted numbers, dining and other pre Covid 19 activities.
While the developed world is moving ahead with finding ways to coexist with coronavirus, Barbados with an economy solely dependent on tourism continues to be engaged in analysis paralysis. Before the pandemic Barbados was a country up to its ‘wazoo’ in debt – easy access to credit at the household and government level, we have developed an addiction to consumption and less to promoting a culture of excellence; high productivity, customer service, innovated and creative thinking to name a few.
It was easy to have predicted tourists – who have the final say where they want to spend – would want to relax at a destination where there is peace of mind. The current situation where Covid 19 numbers are surging for the world to see, we find ourselves in a pickle given the reluctance by government after government to mitigate risks associated with an over dependence on tourism. We the people are not entirely blameless, we have never felt the need to forcefully protest against lazy policies of successive government. The blogmaster buys into the position ‘people deserve the government they get‘.
After more than a decade in the economic doldrum and Barbadians described as suffering from economic fatigue, we are also being described as suffering from Covid 19 fatigue. The effect of the two ‘afflictions’ do not augur well for the future. The reality is that people must adapt to the environment in which they have to exist. If we want to enjoy the benefits (earning hard currency) of being an idyllic, iconic destination we know what we have to do. If we want to engage in analysis paralysis and bellyache about Covid fatigue then suffer the consequences. What should be obvious is that this stage of the game, we cannot pivot to replace the direct and indirect contribution to GDP in the short term. That boat has sailed.
Here is he latest BU Covid 19 Dashboard prepared by Lyall Small.
Attached are 2 charts for last week. We appear to be at a point where the cases per day have been fluctuating around 300 for nearly 2 weeks now. This suggests to me that there has not been an explosive growth in cases over that period and that there is therefore a reasonable chance that we could be nearing a plateau and then a decrease in cases. However, it can go any way and we all should do our individual parts in scrupulously adhering to the protocols, using our common sense and taking the vaccine – Lyall Small
Not too long ago, all Barbadians comprised the unVaxxed. In that state, we fought COVID-19 together. Then some of us got the injection and the enemy became you, the unVaxxed.
Enemy is an accurate descriptor. Caring Barbadians began advocating depriving their unVaxxed neighbours from earning a living, which would force them into bankruptcy and homelessness. How is this possible? A review of their social media activity documents a striking change of attitude.
SUPPORTING OPPRESSION.
When the injections first became available, the Vaxxed proudly posted the type of injections they received. Based entirely on their consistent posts and ‘likes’, those who took the mRNA and DNA types appeared to be far more likely to support the most oppressive measures after approximately two months.
One of the most oppressive measures supported, was denying the unVaxxed from receiving medical care. This evident degeneration of so much of their humanity, based entirely on their social media activity, was alarming.
TOO LATE TO APPEAL.
Evidence based discussions were impossible. Contrary evidence became inconvenient annoyances that had to be ignored for the greater ‘good’ of getting all Barbadians injected – nothing else seemed to matter.
Despite the accepted scientific fact that both the Vaxxed and the unVaxxed carry the same viral load, and are equally capable of getting and spreading COVID-19, the unVaxxed alone must be severely punished in this absurd world. Since this illogical attitude towards the unVaxxed does not appear to be wearing off, my recommendations to help you survive follow.
SURVIVAL RECOMMENDATIONS.
Purchase a bottle of 1,000 mg of Vitamin C for the next 100 days – that would be 100 tablets. Purchase a second bottle for the next 100 days and maintain that extra supply.
Take one 1,000 mg tablet each day. If you ever get sick, then take two or three tablets each day for as long as you are sick. If Vitamin C becomes scarce, then order some from a reputable health-type store in the US, like GNC. With your immune system boosted, keep following the sanitary protocols that appear to have worked in Barbados.
CHOOSING HARDSHIP.
Solutions Barbados’ policy was that every house that had a large fruit-bearing tree would not pay land-tax. Had this been done in 2018, no-one in Barbados need be hungry today. Further, the abundant fruit would have replaced unhealthy processed foods, leading to a healthier population ready for any corona variant. If you have not already done so, plant at least one fruit bearing tree.
Solutions Barbados’ policy was to mandate utility companies giving a free subsistence amount of water and electricity each month. The bands above that would be increased so that there was no loss to the utility company. This was not done. Therefore, vulnerable families unnecessarily leaked money from land-tax and utility bills. Families should decide whether they wish to continue choosing unnecessary hardship.
MAKING MONEY IN THE USA.
You need to start earning money outside of Barbados. Solutions Barbados’s policy was to train every household, through a 6-week workshop on CBC, on starting home-based businesses to make money. Had this been done, people would have automated their businesses by now to at least pay for their normal monthly expenses.
Barbados currently enjoys an exceptionally generous double taxation agreement with the US. It is like having the economic benefits of being a US citizen without living there. Rather than be influenced by paid political operatives to remain in a hand-to-mouth, paycheque-to-paycheque, and house-poor poverty, make it your business to attend the next free workshop – the date of which will be advertised in these weekly articles.
FINISH YOUR COURSE.
Should a new variant arrive that incapacitates the Vaxxed and unVaxxed alike, you will likely be blamed – and targeted for new punishments. Therefore, finish your course well. Every day presents a new opportunity to: care and love more, be a kinder and more helpful human being, point persons to the light, and help those who stumbled or lost their way.
Every day is also an opportunity to forgive. The response to the inhumanity of others is to lovingly forgive them from your heart – they simply know not what they do. Jesus explained that we will be forgiven to the same extent that we forgive others. If you forgive everyone entirely, as if the offenses against you never happened, then you are ready to meet Our Creator.
TO THE VAXXED.
Let me address any Vaxxed who may be reading this. If you disagree with the persecution of the unVaxxed, then write a most convincing message to your future self, and schedule it to be automatically sent to you every month.
To those who actively support policies to force the unVaxxed into bankruptcy and poverty, and deny them medical care, let me write something that I sincerely hope will shock you back to reality – even if for a moment. I love you – from my heart I do. But if taking the injection will make me like you, then I would rather die with my humanity intact.
Grenville Phillips II is a Chartered Structural Engineer. He can be reached at NextParty246@gmail.com
David; attached are 2 Charts on the daily incidence of Covid-19 in Barbados from 1st August to 8th October. They try to provide a picture of how the 3rd wave of the pandemic has been progressing here. They are essentially based on the raw data. The data suggests, to me, that we are near the eye-wall of this category 5 hurricane and can go either way into an eventual stable calm or an extended chaotic nightmare of expanding cases. The majority of the population needs to concentrate on doing what we individually all know is our part to get out this, battered but not broken.
Congratulations. You have been selected for persecution. Please do not be alarmed. From the historical record, every generation had a set of persons who experienced oppression. It is simply your time.
Please do not blame yourself – you did nothing wrong. Whenever politicians mess up, they look for a group to blame to divert attention from their mistakes. The Government rejected good advice, resulting in our low economic growth, and a record number of COVID-19 cases. You, the unVaxxed, are simply a convenient target.
THE DIVISION IS COMPLETE.
Historically, politicians targeted persons with different ethnicities, religions, and political views. It would normally take years to coach political supporters to oppress the targeted group. The rate at which the current oppression is being achieved is alarming. The Government’s massive public relations efforts cannot explain this unprecedented rapidity.
We are now dangerously divided into the Vaxxed and the unVaxxed. People of all ethnicities, religions, ages, sexes and political views comprise both groups. The main thing that separates the two groups, is the threshold of knowledge required before a critical decision is made.
TWO TYPES OF QUESTIONS.
Two types of questions have been asked by Barbadians. The first type was in the category of, “will it hurt?”. The Government’s public relations response was, “Are you afraid of a little juck?” That answer was sufficient to convince many Barbadians to be injected.
The second type was, “is it safe?” The Government’s public relations response was to claim that the mRNA and DNA type injections were the same as what Barbadians were given as children, and willingly took as adults. Tragically, that answer was the lie that deceived many into getting injected.
THE TRUTH AND THE LIE.
The truth is that the mRNA and DNA injections are new technology. The rapid spread of COVID-19 meant that the normal long-term clinical trials, which are necessary to identify long-term side effects, were never done. The injections were approved for emergency use only. That is completely understandable.
The Government’s responsibility was to simply tell the public the truth. Each person could then decide whether they wanted to risk the known consequences of getting COVID-19, or the unknown consequences of taking the injections. There is no deception with that approach.
RADICAL AND THE RADICALS.
The secret agreement with Radical Investments Ltd, which even the Minister of Health and Wellness claimed that he did not know, is alarming. Radical claims that it was a US$10M scam, while the alleged scammers claim otherwise. What the Government appears to have confirmed, is an agreement to pay Radical US$24 for each injection. Do these injections not cost US$3 each?
The Government keeps reminding Barbadians that procuring injections is like the “wild west” – an unregulated environment where we must go outside of normal channels. All radicals embrace an end-justifies-the-means philosophy. That is a reckless philosophy, where the normal collateral damage is safety.
MORE SCRUTINY OR LESS?
Given the Radical fiasco, is it not entirely reasonable to request at least basic scrutiny on the manufacturing quality of the injections? This is the great divide. Expectedly, the unVaxxed say yes. Interestingly, the Vaxxed generally say no.
I wrote an open letter to Mr David Ellis, requesting the basis on which the imported injections were declared safe. If they came through COVAX, then COVAX manages a quality inspection of the manufacturing facilities.
DUMPING GARBAGE.
If they did not come through COVAX, then there are independent international agencies that typically certify such manufacturing plants. Manufacturing plants that fail to meet basic quality standards may, in this “wild west” environment, off-load their sub-standard products on countries that do not know any better.
I simply asked whether the Sinopharm injections Barbados obtained, came through COVAX. If they did not, I asked whether the Government received the critical quality certificate from the manufacturing facility. It seems that no one thought to verify whether the manufactured injections were safe – and they have the gall to talk about hesitancy.
GIVE ME HONESTY, OR GIVE ME ….
If they would give me an honest answer, then I would probably take the traditionally developed Sinopharm. I think that it has significantly lower safety risks than the mRNA and DNA types. So why is the Government withholding that critical information that can immediately remove my hesitancy?
The Government’s public relations response to COVID-19 never made any logical sense to me. But this last insult forced me to analyse evidence that was hiding in plain view. Now, for the first time, everything makes perfect sense.
To be continued next week in Part 2.
Grenville Phillips II is a Chartered Structural Engineer. He can be reached at NextParty246@gmail.com
If the blogmaster were Prime Minister of Barbados the following edict would be issued as at 6PM today:
Effective 15 October 2021 all persons entering banks and supermarkets will be required to show proof of being vaccinated for COVID 19 as well as adhering to existing COVID 19 protocols.
Effective 1 November 2021 all medical personnel must be vaccinated as well as to adhere to existing COVID 19 protocols.
The blogmaster is aware the legislative framework will have to be tweaked to support. To manage a public health crisis prioritizing an amendment to existing legislation should command unanimous support in parliament.
It is obvious to all Barbadians community spread of the coronavirus is out of control in Barbados, confirmed by key medical personnel on the frontline. The virus is exerting extreme pressure on healthcare services in Barbados. The mouthings of a seldom seen or heard Minister of Labour should be punished in the context of the ongoing public health crisis on a trajectory to get worse. This is no time for rh political games.
It is times like now real leaders must stand-up for the good of country..
During my second year at Combermere School, a lunch-time game was organised by students, where one boy would chase the other boys in the class around the school. If he caught one, he would lash him once and that boy would join him in hunting the others. If they caught another boy, then both would lash him, and he would join in the hunt.
Eventually, there were only two boys left to be caught. I was the smallest and slowest boy in the class – because I was the youngest by up to 2 years. But I evaded capture by sharply changing direction when chased – a frustrating tactic for the chaser.
LAST BOY STANDING.
I was eventually caught, and my initiation into the hunter group resembled a gang beat-down. Those recently initiated now had an opportunity to be on the giving end – and they did not hold back. Once initiated, I had to join the hunt for the last boy.
Unlike me, he was genuinely fast. He should be rewarded for being the last boy on the run. But instead, he would receive the greatest punishment. He was inevitably caught. As the previous last person caught, I was to deliver the final lash as others held him.
He looked at me. A few minutes ago, we were on the same side. I gently touched his back, and I saw an expression – gratitude, something I was not given the opportunity to express when I was in that position.
THE WAY OF FAIRNESS.
Combermere is the way of fairness. Sometime during that game, I think that many of us understood that the game was unfair. But being caught up in the game, we unthinkingly acted our assigned roles. To my knowledge, that game was never played again during my time at Combermere School. That was 45 years ago.
Last week, I took an antibody test to see whether I unknowingly had COVID-19. The test was negative, so I am still on the run. I follow the sanitary protocols, and they have worked. However, I feel that I am not only being chased by COVIOD-19, but you, the Vaxxed.
OPEN PERSECUTION.
Twice in the past 4 months, I was denied work opportunities – I was told that it was because I was not vaccinated. As a senior Structural Engineer, I am fortunate to have options. But others in this unVaxxed group do not. I see others in this group being threatened with employment termination, having their freedoms restricted, and losing opportunities for career advancement. What gives you the right to do this?
Once you achieve your aim of 70% injected, are the remaining 30% to be permanently unemployed, or undesirable and untouchable outcasts? Have you thought this thing through?
The unVaxxed are now being accused of being unChristian for not getting the injection. They are being accused of not caring about Barbadian children who are too young to be vaccinated. How dare you? I mean HOW DARE YOU!
A TRUCE.
Last week, I wondered what would have happened if those who had not been caught, simply refused to play the game until the rules were changed. Why should those who are doing everything right, be punished for their success? But 45 years ago, we were hunted, scattered, and divided. Last week, I realised that we do not have to be.
I am asking for a truce – an end to: the hostile threats, the denying of work and employment opportunities, the discrimination, and the despicable accusations. I am calling for a truce.
The world is going crazy, and we have little influence on what other countries do. But we can discuss how we can exist together, during this pandemic, on this island we call our home. So far, the rules have been written by the Vaxxed and exclusively for the Vaxxed – is that fair?
SOLUTIONS BARBADOS.
So why should you listen to me? I think that I have some standing. Of the 9 political parties who contested the last General Election, Solutions Barbados got the third highest votes cast, at 5,842. To put that number in context, it represents over 5% of the total votes cast, which proportionally would represent approximately two seats in the House of Assembly on our first outing.
Solutions Barbados candidates generally spent less than 3% of what the BLP or DLP candidates spent. I spent about 2% of what the BLP candidate spent. Despite that, outside of the BLP and DLP, I received the most votes cast of any candidate from the other 7 parties.
LET US REASON TOGETHER.
So, on that basis, I am calling for a truce. Perhaps Mr David Ellis may moderate an honest discussion on how we can move forward united on this matter. To help you empathise, consider the following hypothetical situation.
Suppose the WHO claimed that a new variant made the Vaxxed a danger to society. Would you want the unVaxxed to treat you like how you are treating them? Would you want the unVaxxed to put you in isolation concentration camps? Would you want the unVaxxed to stop you from working, earning, playing, or going to school? Would you want the unVaxxed to take away your unVaxxed children because you were a potential danger to them?
THE RULES.
We are being deceived into treating each other as enemies. We are not. We are your fellow: classmates, workmates, congregants, family members, and citizens. We were recently on the same team where our common enemy was COVID-19. Now, more of you are behaving like hunters – and every week, I am feeling more like the hunted.
I am asking for an honest discussion of the rules. To facilitate this honesty, it should include what should happen if the Vaxxed are later found to be a danger to Barbados. That may seem like an unlikely nightmare scenario – but the unVaxxed are currently living your nightmare.
Grenville Phillips II is a Chartered Structural Engineer. He can be reached at NextParty246@gmail.com
Back in February 2021, according to Acting Prime Minister, Santia Bradshaw, a regional company tried to secure one million “non-existent” AstraZeneca vaccine doses through a Florida-based company for $10.2 million US dollars from a legitimate manufacturer for the government of Barbados, in a deal that did not include Barbados taxpayers money. Acting Prime Minister, Santia Bradshaw briefly outlined the government of Barbados’s private business Covid vaccine procurement deal during her press conference on Wednesday September 22 2021.
“Bradshaw said the deal was struck this past February when vaccines were not readily available, and the government was using any means necessary to secure them for Barbados.”
“We agreed to facilitate one million vaccines because for those who understand the process they would realise it is not something that you can just say, ‘I want 50, I want 100, I want 2 000’”, she said.
However by February 2021, India donated 100,000 doses of AstraZeneca with an expiry date of May 29 2021 to the government of Barbados.
Then on May 24 2021, during the COVID Communications Unit’s ‘COVID Queries’ series press conference, Co-Coordinator of the Barbados National Vaccination Program, Major David Clarke discussed the Covid vaccine supplies and expiry issues:
“Major David Clarke, outlined that unlike some other countries, including Malawi, which recently destroyed almost 20,000 expired vaccines due to a slow uptake of persons interested in receiving the jab against COVID-19, Barbados will not have any expired shots”
“I can assure you that Barbados will not be throwing away any of its vaccine. We will finish two weeks before the expiry date,” he stressed.
Many months passed and the situation regarding Covid vaccine supplies in Barbados changed significantly.
On September 20 2021, newly appointed COVID-19 Public Advisor David Ellis and the co-coordinator of the National Vaccination Programme, Dr Elizabeth Ferdinand hosted a press conference.
During this meeting, Dr. Elizabeth Ferdinand revealed and stressed that AstraZeneca doses in Barbados remain unused and expire some time near October 31 2021:
“Barbados is dangerously close to losing out on precious doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Thousands of doses of a third tranche the country received to fight the COVID-19 virus expire next month, and the current uptake of the drug [in Barbados] may not be enough to see each dose being administered before October 31 2021.”
“Pfizer vaccine became available five weeks ago, [in Barbados] but should the AstraZeneca not be used, meetings might have to be held with the Prime Minister to decide the future of the unused drug.”
Since then, retired broadcast journalist, David Ellis was recently hired by the government of Barbados as a Covid-19 Public Advisor to encourage the nation’s residents to get covid-19 vaccinated by using the media to build the public’s trust. In the week of September 20 2021, media advisor David Ellis stated:
“We are examining initiatives aimed at trying to address exactly that,” said Ellis. “There are different methods that have to be used, such as community engagement, influencers, all forms of media and all of this is under active consideration.
Whether or not public trust can be rebuilt by the government of Barbados, the media and public advisors, thousands of doses of AstraZeneca sit stored in Barbados that will expiry some time near October 31 2021.
The SARs-CoV-2 virus has moved from epidemic (outbreak in Wuhan, China) to pandemic (spread across several countries) to possible endemic (in simple explanation, the virus will constantly exist like the common flu). Some on BU have been advocating priority must be given by public health officials in through reminders to the public – see Dr. Doughlin’s excellent video – Dr Elliot Doughlin – Assisting the Body to Fight Coronavirus.
Along with the mitigation measures individuals constantly have been urged to to adopt by public health officials, it should be obvious equal focus must be given to practising healthy lifestyle choices. Some suggest an advantage baby boomers have compared to others are decisions made around nutrition specifically taking omega e fatty acids.. Individuals from the baby boomer period constantly share stories about being forced as children to take cod liver oil, shark oil and a host of related compounds which continued into adulthood. The promotion of Omega-3 fatty acids is now big business.
The attached presentation titled Benefits of Fish Oil in the Diet is a timely reminder about the importance of fish oil in the human diet essential for maintaining a healthy state in the prevailing climate.
Source: Dr. GP
The blogmaster urges the BU community to ignore a lot of the ignorance being spewed on social media and listen to your doctors. Many persons are recovering BUT with lingering side effects casued by the virus, many people contracting the virus have also died. The full blown effect of the epidemic, pandemic possibly morphing to endemic is the stress it continues to place on healthcare facilities and scarce financial resources especially for small developing states like Barbados not to forger mental health.
hLet us be sensible, there is a reason millions have died or have become chronically sick or psychologically scared.
The following was posted @10:05PM on the 13 September 2021by Disgusting Lies & Propaganda TV to blog in reply to GP and JOhn Knox on the Barbados: Following the Science on Covid 19?
Your two posts above make medical sense neither the “virus” or the “vaccines”” are behaving typically.
That is amazing when one of the most common respiratory virus behaves the same way and the vaccine(s) used to combat it has the same level of effectiveness.
The longer this pandemic progresses the more the “science” is supporting my assessment that COVID-19 will become one of the common respiratory viruses (diseases). These viruses have the common:-
1) the recovery rate eventually being high even without a vaccine.
2) They still takes lives worldwide by the hundred of thousands. This is usually from those that are immuno-compromised and were not vaccinated. This is in comparison to the hundreds of millions that recover.
3) A “one and done” vaccine does not exist. This is due to the fact that these viruses mutate rapidly (in comparison to most viruses). A (major) virus mutation does not necessarily make it significantly more debilitating \ fatal. It may make it more evasive to the immune system and in this way MAY cause more deaths INITIALLY. The immune system has to (re)recognize these mutations as a threat and mount a response. This is how the immune system functions. Through our lives it recognizes MOST pathogens and mounts a response to MOST of them. Vaccinations help reduce the length of time to re-recognise the virus\mutations and for mankind to develop a collective immunity.
My question is why is mankind “reinventing the wheel” when we have been exposed to viruses that behave the same as COVID-19 and are still commonly spread. We have not been able to eliminate these viruses and these viruses have not eliminated mankind. My observation is we have been “blinded” by non scientific fake news, the politicizing of the public health disease prevention measures and the utter nonsense from anti-vaxxers. Also, some of the mixed messaging from the scientific and medical community has only added to the uncertainty in combating this virus. What we must do is to logically assess this virus after a 20 month pandemic against the history of fighting similar viruses\diseases and let modern science help tame this pandemic in the shortest time possible.
As supported by the prevailing science and the data on COVID-19 this is my assessment on the pandemic
1) border closures, lockdowns & curfews will become useless to stop the spread in any meaningful way in the long term. The advent of the delta variant HAS and WILL make this abundantly clear. Those measures were used with the intention of being temporary and that the pandemic would have eventually ground to a halt. This is now wishful thinking. Far from coming to a halt, only more variants have arisen. What these measures may do is to provide a temporary reduction of cases. This is just too costly, unsustainable and ineffective for the purpose of ending this pandemic. More targeted measures are needed.
2) The first measure is to have a deep and rapid vaccination program. Barbados and countries the world over have gone through mass vaccination programs to viruses before (including to viruses that literally have been more crippling). We know from influenza that vaccines and boosters are devised yearly for particular influenza subtypes(variants). They have not been mandated as influenza now has a relatively high recovery rate unaided. My estimation is that countries should have the CAPACITY to immunize 60% – 70% of the population over 6 months for the next 1-2 years. This falls inline with estimates of the length of time particular vaccines are effective. Not strictly getting to this number does not mean failure as this virus has a high recovery rate to begin with . it will only determine how long we will stay in this pandemic. The current vaccines have been given “emergency use authorization” after going trough successful Phase 3 trials. Real world data is supporting the full authorization of these vaccines. This will strengthen the argument of mandating vaccines at least until the pandemic is brought under control. Vaccine mandates are far from unique. In my opinion when these vaccines are fully authorized, there must be a universal mandate of either to become vaccinated or be subjected to 7-14 day testing at least for the next 12-24 months. This mandate can occur when there is enough vaccines\boosters to vaccinate 60-70% of the population
3) Mass isolation \ quarantining will become impractical and basically unnecessary for THIS virus. In Barbados, the data is showing that the majority of cases are in tertiary isolation. Gov’t is now considering monitored home isolation. In my opinion this is essentially supervised sick leave. Doctors authorize SICK LEAVE with intention that people STAY AT HOME to recover on their own. The danger these people with COVID pose to the rest of society is less if we continue to adopt the public health measures of sanitizing, temperature checks and mask wearing for all including the vaccinated. In my opinion this monitored isolation should only be for the unvaccinated. In theory, those vaccinated that develop Covid-19 should pose an even lesser threat when directed to be on “sick leave”
4) Data is revealing that the virus spread is occurring in enclosed areas with poor ventilation and people staying in such areas for a prolonged periods. In certain environments e.g. in bars or restaurants, improper mask wearing occurs for prolonged period without the required social distancing This is an obvious, unwanted and now unacceptable gap in the protocols. The strategy against this is straight forward. Reduce or totally ban the patronizing of such places( environments) if the public health disease prevention measures cannot be adhered to.
The CMO has stated that sanitizing the work place after the discovery of a single COVID case is not obligatory. I would support the idea that this sanitizing be mandated by the Ministry of Health if such a business has been found to be the source of a significant cluster or has been the destination of several cases. The MOH should perform a specific “COVID-19 audit” of said businesses to modify operations to make them compliant to prevent future COVID-19 spread.
On Saturday September 11/09/2021 as I was leaving Massy Supermarket in Holetown after picking up a few items, I was stopped at the door by the guard and told that the supervisor said that the next time that I come to the store, I cannot wear the mask that I was wearing and would not be allowed to enter.
I asked what was wrong with the mask that I was wearing, he replied that it was not a “real” mask and pointed to the advertising board and said that this is the real mask that I have to wear. I asked to speak to the supervisor and he told someone to call the supervisor.
Meanwhile, while I was waiting outside at the door – I was asked to step outside by the guard – a short guy came outside and asked me what was the problem. I told him and he said to me that I cannot come back in the store with that mask and that if I did, that he would carry me across to the police station. He repeated the same thing to the guard on the inside. I assumed that he was one of their security personnel as he did not identify himself.
A half hour passed and still the supervisor never showed, I enquired of the guard and he said that he sent the message. I had to leave because the ice cream that I went into the store for was starting to break down. When I got home, I contacted the COVID department and was assured that nothing was wrong with my mask.
I am at a loss because my mask is 100% cotton and more than 60% percent of the masks that are worn by the public in the same Massy and other places are homemade from synthetic materials which are not good for the respiratory system in the long run. They do not see anything wrong with those masks but can single me out for the one which I was wearing. I have been wearing that type of mask from the inception and not once has anyone or business had anything to say about it.
As a designer, I blatantly refused to design or make masks because of the materials and the best mask for Wayne Cadogan and his well being was one made from a sock because it made from a natural fibre of 100% cotton.
The recent statement by the representative of the DLP calling on the government to initiate a ‘pause for the cause’ and a response from the current BLP government for the DLP to get on board with the effort to persuade Bajans to be vaccinated has once again highlighted the challenge facing the country with regard to managing the Covid outbreak and protecting the population as best possible.
One mantra that has become synonymous with Covid 19 is the declaration to “follow the science”. But this declaration presents science as a body of knowledge which tells you what to do in any situation. However, what it misses is that more importantly, science is a method which human beings use to try to get a better understanding of how the natural and social worlds work so as to work out what to do. Unfortunately, this understanding of science as method is lacking from the government’s response to the Covid crisis. It is a feature that is common across the Caribbean, where government policies are simply copied from abroad, usually North America and Europe, and are not informed by any scientific studies conducted by Caribbean scientists on the actual impact of Covid 19 in the Caribbean.
But without such an approach, there will be no exit from the Covid crisis. Due to the struggles of our ancestors and Errol Barrow’s government, the descendants of the enslaved Africans in this country were given mass access to secondary education. Today, more than ever, we need to draw on our ability to think critically and question everything, to make sense out of nonsense, to find our bearings in the current situation.
Under pressure from local and global elites, the government has embarked on a policy of persuading Bajans to engage in mass vaccination in the hope that this will lead to an exit from the Covid 19 nightmare. To its credit, it has not succumbed to the pressure to embark on the insane policy of vaccine coercion, which is taking hold in the region and which is exemplified in Guyana, Antigua and St Vincent and the Grenadines. But does the policy of indiscriminate mass vaccination actually make any sense? To date, according to officially provided data, just over 3% of the world’s population have tested positive for Covid. That means that 97% have not. Of that 3%, just over 2% have died as a result of Covid infection. That means that 98% of those infected have survived. As a percentage of the world’s population, 0.064% have died as a result of Covid infection. With regard to hospitalisation as a result of Covid infection, there are no global figures currently available but data from the European Medicines Agency state that around 7% of those infected in Europe and the USA, some of the areas with the worst Covid 19 outcomes, have required hospitalisation.
The question then arises as to whether mass vaccination of everyone you can lay your hands on represents a rational or scientific response to the Covid threat. In the circumstances where Barbados, like other CARICOM countries and unlike Cuba, has no capacity to produce vaccines and so must spend its time trying to get hold of these internationally, the question arises as to whether it makes good sense to use your limited supply of vaccines vaccinating people who had a low risk of developing severe Covid in order to protect them from severe Covid. Isn’t that just a waste of vaccines? Would it not make more sense to focus your limited supply of vaccines on those who actually would benefit from them? But this is where following the science comes in. But here it will require following the science as method and not as a body of knowledge which tells you what to do. According to data published by the Covid Communications Unit, as of 9 September, Barbados has had 5651positive cases and 51 deaths. There is no publicly available data on the numbers who have required hospital care as a result of Covid infection. After over 50 years of independence, isn’t this a large enough data set for those in the Ministry of Health or in the research departments of UWI to apply science as method to identify the common factors among those who have become infected and those who have progressed to serious illness and death so that this information can be used to inform the policy to combat the virus and allow for more targeted use of the vaccines?
There are those who promote mass vaccination as the silver bullet that will allow us to return to normalcy, but is this belief based on science? The data from highly vaccinated countries like Israel and Iceland suggest otherwise. With regard to our own reality, the official data published on 9 September shows that 0.094% of the vaccinated population are currently in tertiary isolation in St Lucy compared to 0.246% of the unvaccinated population. Clearly vaccines are not a silver bullet and we will need to think more widely about prevention and treatment for those who are sick. In china, the health authorities make use of traditional chines medicine along with modern medicine to treat those who are sick and in Cuba they have made use of homeopathic medicine in the same way. We will need to think outside of the box with a focus on saving the lives of the small minority who are seriously threatened by the virus but to find solutions we will need our own scientists to take up their responsibility to society and begin to carry out science as method to provide us with answers to pressing questions rather than simply repeating what they hear from North America and Europe. Then we really can follow the science with regard to Covid 19.
Recent COVID 19 Dashboards reflect a global picture, one of rising infections caused mainly by the Delta variant. Unfortunately because Barbados does not exist in a fishbowl, our tiny island is being ravaged by the the coronavirus. Given the perilous state of the economy before the pandemic struck, Barbadians should expect a period of economic hardship for the next many years, ten, twenty …it is left to be seen. We will probably be told differently very soon with 2023 rapidly approaching.
It is regrettable the one advantage our island has compared to larger countries we continue to squander. Come together, agree to a way forward , inspire residents to rally behind a sensible plan AND EXECUTE. Instead we see the same old, political opportunism, high class ignorance and panic.
Covid 19 Dashboard 1/9/2021
The blogmaster is hopeful this blog can be used to record constructive suggestions to help onlookers negotiate the ongoing Covid 19 challenge, now and in the long-term. To repeat – the blogmaster is hopeful.
One thing is for certain, it is going to be a bleak Christmas.
The COVID 19 virus is wrecking havoc on the Barbados landscape based on the number of infections experienced in recent days. Our worse fears are being realised with 92 reported infections listed in the recent dashboard. During a press conference yesterday authorities advised current trajectory if left unchecked could see 500 cases of Covid 19 infections daily starting as early from next week.
Another interesting revelation from the authorities is that unvaccinated persons AND children are showing high on the infected trendline.
Source: Barbados Government Covid 19 Unit
Here is a simple bit of advice to Barbadians, unvaccinated AND vaccinated people – follow the rh Covid 19 protocols – wear your mask properly (not under your neck or with nose exposed), practice good hygiene by washing your hands and avoid rubbing eyes and nose, and keep your distance (in other words, assume the person standing next to you has the virus, especially if they do not belong to your household bubble).
A look at the Covid 19 charts compiled by BU resource Lyall Small and updated to BU Sidebar to the right of the BU Homepage – the data paints the worrying trend. Unlike all the many armchair experts the BU blogmaster cannot offer definitive advice EXCEPT to follow the guidance of the medical fraternity.
The blogmaster will resist being prolix because of all the writing posted about COVID 19. In summary, our rate of COVID 19 infections is spiking, we need to arrest it because our fragile economy does not have the capacity to withstand the sustain shock given the demands on it. Kudos to the government for building capacity in the healthcare system to manage a large numbers of Covid 19 infected people. We have the Cuban and Ghanaian nurses who will have the opportunity to earn pay.
The fear of the blogmaster is with a general election approaching political rhetoric from all sides will not help to guide the thoughts of a local population caused by COVID 19 and flailing economic fatigue.
The Government, private sector and unions have signalled their intention to move from the optional injection phase to the mandatory. They seem convinced that the injections can only benefit Barbadians, and do not understand why many Barbadians are hesitant.
Both vaccinated and unvaccinated persons deserve an honest evidence-based discussion of COVID-19. To facilitate that discussion, the facts that are publicly known to-date are outlined in this article.
SARS-CoV PANDEMIC
In 2002, there was a pandemic called Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in China. It was caused by the SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV).
In 2004, the US and Chinese Governments funded research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in China, where they identified bats as the source of the SARS coronavirus [1].
CREATING VIRUSES
In 2005, US researchers developed a method of creating a new SARS coronavirus from parts of other viruses. Their method made it impossible to know whether the new virus was developed in a lab or naturally [2]. The method was called “no-see-um”.
In 2007, the Governments of China, Australia and Europe funded research at WIV where new viruses were assembled, by using parts of the SARS-CoV virus. Their new virus was able to infect human cells [3].
CREATING DANGEROUS VIRUSES
In 2015, the US and Chinese governments funded research, where US researchers (who developed the “no-see-um” method) genetically modified virus samples from China. These new viruses efficiently replicated in the human respiratory system, and were resistant to antibodies and vaccines [4].
In 2016, Chinese and US governments funded research at WIV. They developed a method of genetically modifying the virus created by US researchers in 2015. They developed multiple versions of this dangerous coronavirus [5].
CREATING DEADLY VIRUSES
In 2017, Chinese researchers at WIV were developing new coronaviruses using the “no-see-um” method [6]. They also developed different coronaviruses that could better infect, and efficiently replicate in humans [7].
In 2018, the Government of China funded research at the WIV that included replicating and modifying some of the most deadly viruses known to man, including Ebola, and Marburg [8]. This unpublished work was ongoing at the lab during the COVID-19 outbreak.
LAB SECURITY
The purpose of all of this research appears to have been well-intentioned. Researchers assumed that the next pandemic would come from a variant of the bat virus. Therefore, they were trying to develop a variant that could easily infect, and rapidly replicate in humans, so that a vaccine could be developed for it.
The problem is that genetically developing deadly viruses should be done at the highest security level, to prevent their escape. Level 4 provides the highest level of laboratory security. For comparison, the security level in a dentist’s office is Level 2.
The Chinese were developing dangerous viruses in Level 2 conditions [3]. Chernobyl should have taught the world that international level disasters can happen, when people deliberately do not adhere to safety standards specifically designed to prevent such disasters.
THE GAMES
On 12 September 2019, the Wuhan Institute of Virology removed its public database of over 22,000 entries from the Internet. Between 18 to 27 October 2019, China hosted the once-in-four-years Military World Games. It was attended by 9,308 military persons from 109 countries. Barbados sent two persons and won one bronze medal [9]. The host city was Wuhan.
Visiting athletes reported having their temperature checked at the airport [10]. Many visiting athletes became sick with COVID-19 like symptoms in Wuhan, and/or soon after they left [11]. Some countries have confirmed that COVID-19 was present in their countries in November 2019 [12].
THE DESTRUCTION
On 1 January 2020, Chinese labs were ordered to destroy their virus samples. Two days later, Chinese institutions were ordered not to publish any information on the virus, and to destroy all virus samples or give them to authorised Government agencies [13].
ANALYSING THE EVIDENCE
The evidence points to an accidental leak of different genetically modified viruses from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, before the military games. It was then spread throughout the world by the soldier athletes, when they completed their deployments. This may explain the relatively rapid global spread, and the diverse (now 15) variants.
The latest research suggests that a variant like MERS (with a one-in-three fatality rate) is a realistic possibility. The possibility that a new variant would evade current vaccines, and become difficult to revaccinate against, is almost certain [14].
WHY THE HESITANCY?
Why is there such hesitancy in discussing the possibility that COVID-19 was created in a lab?
The mountain of credible publicly available scientific evidence, suggests that COVID-19 was created in a lab. There is no similar evidence that it developed naturally. Why are those on the side of the overwhelming supporting evidence labelled conspiracy theorists?
VACCINE DEVELOPMENT ASSUMPTION
The development of the COVID-19 vaccines is founded on the unverified, and likely false assumption that COVID-19 developed naturally. Why is there hesitancy in critically examining the vaccines, given that the foundation on which they were developed is questionable?
Barbadians are not anti-vax. Barbadians normally take vaccinations to protect themselves against natural diseases. If COVID-19 is not a naturally occurring virus, Barbadians are justified in being hesitant. That hesitancy can be addressed with an honest evidence-based discussion – or by force.
Grenville Phillips II is a Chartered Structural Engineer. He can be reached at NextParty246@gmail.com
REFERENCES
[1] Li, W et al. Bats are natural reservoirs of SARS-like coronaviruses. Science, 2005.
[2] Baric R, Sims C. Development of Mouse Hepatitis Virus and SARS-CoV Infectious cDNA Constructs. Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology, 2005.
[3] Ren, W. Difference in receptor usage between severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus and SARS-like coronavirus of bat origin. Journal of Virology. 2008.
[4] Menachery, V et al. A SARS-like cluster of circulating bat coronaviruses shows potential for human emergence. Nature Medicine, 2015.
[5] Zeng, L et al. Bat Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Like Coronavirus WIV1 Encodes an Extra Accessory Protein, ORFX, Involved in Modulation of the Host Immune Response. Journal of Virology, 2016.
[6] Leiping, Z. Reverse Genetic System of Bat SARS-like Coronaviruses and Function of ORFX. The University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2017.
[7] Hu, B et al. Discovery of a rich gene pool of bat SARS-related coronaviruses provides new insights into the origin of SARS coronavirus. PLOS Pathogens, 2017.
[8] Pathogen Host Adaptation and Immune Intervention. The Chinese Academy of Science (Implementation 2018-2022).
[9] 2019 Yearbook. 7th CISM World Summer Games. International Military Sports Council, 2020.
[10] Houston, M. “More athletes claim they contracted COVID-19 at Military World Games in Wuhan.” Inside the Games, 17 May 2020.
[11] Francis, D. “Canadian Forces Have Right to Know If They Got COVID at the 2019 Military World Games in Wuhan.” Financial Post, 25 June 2021.
[12] Fongaro, G et al. The presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in human sewage in Santa Catarina, Brazil, November 2019. The Science of the Total Environment, July 2021.
[13] Pingui, Z. China confirms unauthorised labs were told to destroy early coronavirus samples. South China Morning Post, 15 May 2020.
[14] Long term evolution of SARS-CoV-2. Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE). 26 July 2021.
The report coming out of St. Vincent that a citizen felt emboldened to pelt an object at Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves and in the process endanger his life and destabilize the country is reprehensible. We may have contrary political views but it does not mean we should disregard the fact Gonsalves’s Unity Labour Party (ULP) is a democratically elected government. What example are we setting for our children? Increasingly in the Caribbean we are witnessing behaviours associated with TV scenes depicting public disturbances from over in away. Another example of our small open societies in the Caribbean susceptible to external influences. The English speaking Caribbean has earned a reputation through the years as an area of peace (comparatively speaking) with Grenada the outlier. What happened in St. Vincent this week is an ominous sign for the region given we are battling similar issues. The lyrics of the great calypso Caribbean Man penned in 1979 should serve as a reminder.
One race (de Caribbean man) From de same place (de Caribbean man) Dat make de same trip (de Caribbean man) On de same ship (de Caribbean man) So we must push one common intention Is for a better life in de region For we woman, and we children Dat must be de ambition of de Caribbean man De Caribbean man, de Caribbean man
Songwriter: Sawandi Cassell
The world is struggling to protect citizens during the pandemic. It is reported over 4 million people have died since the outbreak of Covid 19. The virus has had the effect of stalling the global economy and in the process crippled Small Island Developing States (SIDs) like St. Vincent, Barbados and others. Before the pandemic our economic and social landscape was under stress. As developed and undeveloped countries respond to outbreak after outbreak of Covid 19, public health policy to fight the virus has not earned the trust of some members of the public. The issue has escalated to a point where the rights of individuals are challenging government’s obligation to enforce an effective national health policy. Members of the medical fraternity are divided, governments have been administering different approaches, individuals are conflicted on the best options to take to fight Covid 19. Unfortunately the matter has been politicised and the voice of the scientists have been trivialized. There will always be those who are anti this and anti that- this has been the case from time immemorial.
To ask for calm at a time various interest groups (including political parties) prefer to engage in rambunctious behaviour will be a struggle. One suspects it will get worse before it gets better. Many of our islands support service economies and will be directly impacted based on our ability to curb Covid 19 infections and in the process prevent failed state status. How long can our governments continue to pay the salaries of bloated public service employees. How long will private sector companies draw down on reserves and declining rate of returns on equity? Is the proverbial crap is about to hit the fan?
The Barbados government is currently working on a legal document to consider mandatory vaccinations that was promised to key stakeholders yesterday. Yesterday CNN in the USA fired 3 unvaccinated employees who entered the workplace violating policy. Buckle up!
The blogmaster thought the following read a useful exercise, a break from the vitriol.
Mandatory vaccination, including for COVID-19, can be ethically justified if the threat to public health is grave, the confidence in safety and effectiveness is high, the expected utility of mandatory vaccination is greater than the alternatives, and the penalties or costs for non-compliance are proportionate. I describe an algorithm for justified mandatory vaccination. Penalties or costs could include withholding of benefits, imposition of fines, provision of community service or loss of freedoms. I argue that under conditions of risk or perceived risk of a novel vaccination, a system of payment for risk in vaccination may be superior. I defend a payment model against various objections, including that it constitutes coercion and undermines solidarity. I argue that payment can be in cash or in kind, and opportunity for altruistic vaccinations can be preserved by offering people who have been vaccinated the opportunity to donate any cash payment back to the health service.
The following is a short discussion with President of the Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP) Dr. Linda Williams (Epidemiologist). Dr. Natasha Sobers ( Epidemiologist) from the UWI, Cave Hill and Senior Economic Advisor to the government Dr. Kevin Greenidge – Head of the CBC TV 8 Sanka Price lead the discussion supported by Head of News at Voice of Barbados Stetson Babb.
COVID-19 Discussion: Interview with BAMP Representatives
Addressing the country on 27 July 2021, following a meeting of the Social partnership to discuss the issue of mandatory Covid vaccination and testing, Prime Minister Mottley stated, among other things, that her government is convinced that Covid 19 vaccines reduce virus transmission. As the prime minister did not present the evidence on the basis of which the government has formed this conclusion, it was not clear how this opinion was arrived at. A search of the scientific literature on the impact of Covid vaccines on virus transmission produced not a single study that has been conducted on this issue in Barbados or the wider Caribbean region. In fact, globally, there is a significant lack of scientific studies on this matter.
To date, there appears to be one well designed scientific study which specifically sought to determine whether vaccination reduces virus transmission. This study by Harris et al. (2021) investigated the impact of AstraZeneca and Pfizer’s vaccines on virus transmission within households in England. It found evidence of reduced virus transmission in households where the individual had been vaccinated. Although, this is an important study, it’s essential to bear in mind that this is a single study and its results will need to be replicated by future studies to provide solid scientific grounds for the claim that the Covid vaccines reduce virus transmission. Secondly, this study looked only at transmission within households and so its findings are limited to that particular area. Finally, this study collected its data in England between 4 January and 14 March. Anyone familiar with life in England understands that this is one of the coldest times of the year which leads to people spending more time indoors and keeping windows and doors closed to keep in warmth. Poorly ventilated indoor spaces are generally regarded as high risks areas for the spread of Covid 19. Therefore it cannot be assumed that the findings from this study are applicable to Barbados, where people spend a lot more time outdoors all year round and windows and doors are generally kept open to ‘let breeze in the house’. The statement from Dr Corey Forde, Isolation Facilities Manager, on 27 July that 40% of those currently in tertiary Covid isolation in the country have been doubly vaccinated, while the doubly vaccinated represent only 27% of the Barbados population is further evidence that there is lot still to understand about these vaccines and their impact. Therefore, there is an urgent need for scientific studies of the impact of vaccines on virus transmission in the concrete conditions of Barbados before the government can make pronouncements on this issue which have a scientific basis.
When considering the issue of mandatory vaccination, the other question that has to be taken account of is the scale of the public health threat that Covid 19 poses in Barbados. According to the official government statistics, as of 27 July 2021, the government has conducted 212,640 Covid tests, of which 4359 returned positive. In other words 98% of tests returned negative results while 2% were positive. Of Barbados’ population of 287,025 (World Bank estimate for 2019), the positive Covid tests represent 1.5% of the population. Since March 2020, the government statistics report 48 deaths from Covid 19. This amounts to 3 deaths per month for the last 16 months. This compares with a total of 2602 deaths in Barbados in 2019 or 216 deaths per month. Based on this data, a realistic assessment of the public health threat posed to Barbados by Covid 19 can be made and the proportionality of any proposed response can be evaluated.
There is a growing concern that the push towards mandatory vaccination of the population is being driven by the private sector and in particular, the hotel owners who think that describing their properties as fully vaccinated will make it easier to market them in this new Covid era. However, given that the vaccines themselves are not risk free and are associated with vaccine induced injuries and in some cases, deaths, it’s obvious that the decision to accept or refuse vaccination must be the personal choice of each individual once they have been provided with all the relevant information to make an informed decision. Any move to coerce individuals into being vaccinated, either through the law or through threatening them with the loss of their livelihood would represent a direct assault on the fundamental human right to make decisions about the medical procedures that are carried out on their body.
It is also clear that if employers decide to make it a requirement that employees undergo regular Covid testing, then the cost of this cannot be passed to the individual worker since this would in itself represent indirect coercion to be vaccinated.
In her press conference, the prime minister stated that once the Attorney General has presented his legal opinion, the government will consult with Bajans on how to proceed with regard to mandatory vaccination and testing. It is hoped that Bajans will take an active part in these consultations and vigorously defend their fundamental human right to be the ones who decide what happens to their bodies.
Reference
Harris, R., Hall, J., Zaidi, A., Andrews, N., Dunbar, K. and Dabrera, G. (2021) Impact of vaccination on household transmission of SARS-COV-2 in England, London, Public Health England.
The fight against COVID 19 by countries across the globe is real. Barbados given its heavy dependence on tourism (services) is exposed more than some other countries. We are here now and we have to do all that we can to survive. The blogmaster predicted months ago the conversations will shift to finding ways to enforce mandatory vaccinations. It is a conversation currently taking place across the globe, including Barbados.
This week’s charts suggest that we might be at the start of a new wave that could last for months as was the case of the earlier 2021 waves in Jamaica, Guyana, T&T and St Lucia and with the added complication of the presence of the very virulent delta variant in the region. The signs that suggest otherwise are that the daily positivity charts are all at less than 5% over the past 3 weeks and that the Covid-19 teams are continuing their good work and that, despite the very high odds against, the aggressive work by the Authorities have so far resulted in fairly significant levels of vaccination take up. The ride will still be a rough one but everyone needs to do their part to conquer this insidious foe
My name is Nathan ‘Jolly” Green; I am a Caribbean journalist, and a freelance acting on the instructions of a well-known international TV company.
Between August and December, my five-person team will begin surveying and inspecting a mixture of 150 hotels and cruise ships to test for sterilization or non-sterilization of bedrooms and bathrooms. We will be specifically inspecting bedding, linens, including pillow covers, pillows, blankets, bedspreads, and sheets. We are not only looking for laundering evidence; we are looking for sterilization.
Many Caribbean hotels will be part of our scheme, and we will book in as clients and carry out forensic tests to see if you are both laundering and sterilizing the bedding between each new guest at your hotel. If we have a severely negative result, we will notify the hotel management, and in every case, our findings will become part of an international TV program.
The above YouTube video shows a past survey. Besides UV black lights, we now also have much more scientific test equipment to detect bacteria and virus. The sophisticated equipment will not fail to detect any existing failures in duty of care to clients of hotels.
Seventy per cent of our tests will be carried out on major hotel group properties, twenty per cent on privately owned hotels, and ten per cent on cruise ships. Next year [2022] we will be conducting tests for a second linked program on bed and breakfast establishments.
I write to you to give you a fair warning of what we intend to do, which is a better warning than many hotels provide to their clients who are being cheated on and whose health is being put at severe risk from many kinds of pathogens.
In the worst of cases, we intend to supply certified videos to government departments and prosecution attorneys. We will also be willing to appear as witnesses in subsequent court cases arising from our findings. Every course of action and procedure will be videoed and will together with the inspection form part of the same TV program.
A federal judge on Sunday denied a request to stop Indiana University from requiring students to receive Covid-19 vaccinations before returning to campus for the fall semester.
“Recognizing the students’ significant liberty to refuse unwanted medical treatment, the Fourteenth Amendment permits Indiana University to pursue a reasonable and due process of vaccination in the legitimate interest of public health for its students, faculty, and staff,” Judge Damon Leichty wrote in the 101-page ruling.
The blogmaster has waited patiently until the discussion reached what is currently being debated, should vaccinations be mandatory for certain jobs, should being vaccinated be mandatory to attend certain functions AND should the wearing of a mask in public spaces be mandatory.
The business class in Barbados has started the lobby to make being vaccinated mandatory because the stop start approach after 18 months of businesses being batten down is now deemed to be unsustainable. It is now a case where the right of the collective is greater than observing the personal liberty of the few.
In is already happening in the USA and UK, why not here?
In a related matter the following was submitted by social commentator Kammie Holder:
This is so damn true as the virus size and the cloth mask unless thick and well woven will allow the virus to freely pass through. You can google independent research on virus size and cotton and polyester fibre size to come to your own conclusion. Many of the masks sold in Barbados are knockoffs. I wear a respirator and many laugh but it filters down to particulate matter as small as 2.5 microns.
The N95 mask filters out 95% of particles greater than 0.3 microns in diameter. On the other hand, the PM2. 5 masks filter out particles measuring 2.5 micrometers (2.5 microns) or larger. Hope you can use info to help persons make informed decisions as to blindly follow the experts may lead to doom, I trust the science but not all the scientists. The WHO has a credibility issue in the way they have handled this outbreak and failure to mitigate risk
When the Russian built Sputnik became the first artificial satellite to enter space on Oct. 4, 1957, its alien beeping shocked America. Its signal stopped after just three weeks, and three months later, sky gazers could no longer see a little moving dot. It was the sputnik failure. Now there is another Sputnik failure.
An announcement appeared in the Russian publication ‘Tass’ and most regional press and online media sites. “Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was the first island nation of the Caribbean to register Sputnik V,” the statement said. “The vaccine was approved in Montenegro, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines under the emergency use authorization procedure without any additional local clinical trials.” They accepted it face value and commenced dishing it out.
Remember how the SVGs PM rushed to have his virus shots, said he was setting an example, hoping Vincentians would follow his example.
He chose to import the Russian ‘Sputnik V Vaccine’, which many, including myself, said was the worst of the batch. It was said initially at the time, it was only 50% effective. The Russians changed that, later announcing it was 80% effective.
Well, now it turns out it is hardly effective at all against the new variation of the virus, as Russia battles the surging Delta variant.
Vaccinated Russians are catching the Delta virus as Russia reported 24,353 new coronavirus cases on Monday, the third-highest number of daily infections since early January.
Moscow will start offering booster shots of the Sputnik V vaccine for individuals vaccinated more than six months ago, Moscow’s Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced last Thursday.
Germany started to close its borders to Russians starting Tuesday to prevent the importation of mutated Covid-19 strains, the German Embassy in Moscow announced.
Russia has confirmed the first Delta Plus coronavirus variant infections within its borders days after media sounded the alarm about the presence of the potentially more dangerous new strain.
Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said Tuesday that 151,000 people in Russia are currently in hospital with the coronavirus.
Vincentians who have had the Sputnik Vaccine should ask him/it when they get the required booster shot. Let us hope this is not left until it is too late. Venezuela has lots; it was their leading choice because it was free, a gift from Russia.
At this very moment, it is probably more important than ever to seal SVGs borders, yes right now, follow the science, follow Germany’s lead, who closed her borders yesterday. Every Vincentian is at risk again due to a wrong choice by him/it.
Germany partially closed its borders with the Czech Republic and Austria’s Tyrol on Sunday over a troubling surge in coronavirus mutations. A thousand police officers have been mobilized to ensure strict border checks, which recall the much-criticized early days of the pandemic when EU countries hastily closed their frontiers to each other. That action has since been proven to be the correct procedure. When in doubt keep them out.
Every choice made by him/it has been the wrong choice, just as Vincentians’ wrong choice was in choosing a know all no nothing, such a fat liability. Now it is time to follow the science and make the right choice. Lock down the borders and give all those Vincentians previously vaccinated with the Sputnik V vaccine a booster shot.
The government has deliberately stoked fear over coronavirus while behaving like an authoritarian regime relying on police state tactics, according to the former supreme court justice Jonathan Sumption.
