Wednesday, April 29, 2020

THE SEASONAL FLU OF 2020 THAT CRIPPLED A COUNTRY




I was willing to sit just sit by and watch as my fellow Americans let the Media make marionettes out of them. I was willing to let my fellow Americans isolate themselves out of willful ignorance. But when I heard that neighbors were turning other neighbors in to the police for not following these ridiculous orders set forth by our government, I could no longer stay silent. When I heard fellow Americans were calling the police on businesses that weren’t obeying the mask wearing and social distancing mandates… I could not let them do so without speaking my mind and labeling them for what they are. And so, I produced this article which defends my position concerning this “pandemic.” I believe this virus to be no more  than the Seasonal Flu examined under a microscope. These beliefs of mine are grounded in truth. What I set forth is every argument that has thus far been used against my position, and a rebuttal to each argument and sources for each of my rebuttals. Here is a list of the arguments that I have heard:
  1. “I am a Doctor and this virus is a serious pandemic. You are ignorant of how bad it really is. How much schooling have you had on the subject? … That’s what I thought. Leave viral pandemics to the professionals.”
  2. “The Coronavirus is far different than the seasonal flu in that the symptoms are far worse.”
  3. “People who have the virus can attest to just how severe it really is. They have said that it is much worse than the seasonal flu.”
  4. “This virus has taken the lives of both old and young, healthy and unhealthy alike. You cannot compare this to the seasonal flu that only kills those whose immune systems are compromised.”
  5. “You cannot compare this to the Seasonal Flu because the deaths per infection rate is far greater. The Seasonal Flu death per infection is .1% while the Coronavirus is 1.5%.”
  6. “I see you critiquing all these models and attacking the opposing positions. Do you not know the old saying that, ‘All models are wrong, some are useful?’ Why then do you critique them so? They should simply be taken with a grain of salt.”
  7. “If the Virus isn’t as bad as you say it is, then why are all the hospitals being over run with infected people?”
  8. The Diamond Princess Cruise Ship Model extrapolated across the U.S.
  9. “You cannot compare the Coronavirus to the Seasonal Flu because the Seasonal Flu is measured throughout the whole year.”
  10. “This virus may not be deadly to you, but it could be deadly to someone you know, or don’t know for that matter. Hence, you should be considerate, responsible, social distance, and wear masks.”
  11. “You have attacked the Media, the Government, Doctors and Scientists, and yet throughout this entire paper, you have constantly used these sources to support your rebuttals. Do you not see the contradiction in this?”


Argument #1

“I am a Doctor and this virus is a serious pandemic. You are ignorant of how bad it really is. How much schooling have you had on the subject? … That’s what I thought. Leave viral pandemics to the professionals.”

Rebuttal to Argument #1

Am I not a man such as yourself? Is truth only restricted for only certain men and not for others? Good Doctor, I do give my respect to the knowledge you have acquired and to your experience. I dare not put my own knowledge against yours… and yet, what is a man to do when the very Doctors and Scientists contradict each other? An example of the Scientific community not agreeing is the Article written by Dr.s Bendavid and Bhattacharya where they criticize the World Health Organization and say that their estimates regarding the death rates are “deeply flawed” (1).  I can quote many Scientists and Doctors who agree with my belief that this Virus is not as bad as the Media purposes. At the same time, there are those who believe that this Virus is equivalent to the Plague, and they will find Scientists and Doctors who agree with them. Now, we have to find out who’s Scientists and Doctors are more authoritative and that’s when the debate gets ridiculous. I will not debate the authority of each individual Doctor and Scientist, so we will just have to agree to disagree because I don’t believe anyone debating this has enough information to have an educated opinion on whose scientist knows more. But what we can agree on is that if the Scientists and Doctors disagree then, this means that truth must be sought out by the individual. It shows that the answers are not that easily found and that your side could be wrong. It shows that you can’t just trust everything that a Doctor or a Scientist says.
For yet another example of the Doctors and Scientists disagreeing with each other, consider the article from the Dailywire about Epidemiologist Neil Ferguson who was the creator if the Imperial College London Corona Virus Model saying that he now admits that he was wrong and has had to revise his model. The Media has often cited his model and “it has been instrumental in government policy decision making.” The reason for his revision is, “what has happened is that estimates of the viruses transmissibility have increased—which implies that many more people have already gotten it than we realize—which in turn implies it is less dangerous.” Additionally, an Epidemiologist from Oxford, Sunetra Gupta, criticized Ferguson’s model. “Professor Gupta lead a team of researchers at Oxford in a modeling study which suggests that the virus has been invisibly spreading for at least a month earlier than suspected, concluding that as many as half of the people in the United Kingdom have already been infected by Covid-19. If her model is accurate, fewer than one in a thousand who’ve been infected with Covid-19 become sick enough to need hospitalization, leaving the vast majority with mild cases or free of symptoms” (2).
You see, when you have two truths that contradict each other, both from good, reliable sources, only one can be correct. So one must find more viable sources and dig deeper for the truth. That is the purpose of this article. Read my words and journey with me on the path of discovery. But I ask only one thing…. Be of an open mind and follow the evidence where it leads.

Argument #2

“The Coronavirus is far different than the seasonal flu in that the symptoms are far more worse.”

Rebuttal to Argument #2
The Media is quite vocal regarding the effects of this virus. The CDC gives full account to the symptoms of the Coronavirus and the Seasonal Flu. The symptoms for the seasonal flu range from a headache, congestion, sore throat, fatigue, body aches, fever, vomiting, shortness of breath, diarrhea, and yes… even death. It can also lead to pneumonia as I can personally attest to when my 2-year-old’s flu grew worse and lead to pneumonia. The symptoms of the Coronavirus are shortness of breath, cough, fatigue, fever, and even death.
            For the seasonal flu, those who are most affected are children, the elderly, and the immune compromised. For the Coronavirus, those most affected are the elderly and the immune compromised.
            Consider the testimonies from those who suffered from the Coronavirus and compare it to the Seasonal Flu:. I can give examples of those who had a fever for a week’s time, others who suffered from a cough and shortness of breath, or people who have been admitted to the ICU and fitted with ventilators, and even some who were crippled by pneumonia. A debate can go on for days. We must therefor agree that when looked with unbiased eyes… looking at the symptoms…with no tests given… you cannot tell the difference between the two.

Argument #3

“People who have the virus can attest to just how severe it really is. They have said that it is much worse than the seasonal flu.”

Rebuttal to Argument #3

I have touched on this argument slightly in my rebuttal to Argument #2. Each side of the debate can give examples of individuals who have suffered from the virus. 80% of people with the virus have mild to moderate symptoms (3). And if you refer to my rebuttal of argument number 2, you will see the similarities between the virus and the flu in that the elderly and those with underlying health conditions are at a higher risk for problems.
            For arguments sake, allow me to give a few testimonies from individuals who have suffered from the virus. On February 22, Mr. Marc Thibault felt like something was amiss and checked himself into a clinic but because he didn’t have any of the major symptoms like a fever and shortness of breath, they sent him away. A week later, the virus “hit him like a hurricane” and he ended up going to the hospital and got tubes shoved down his throat because his breathing was compromised and he had developed pneumonia in his lungs. He felt as though he was going to die, but then slowly, started to recover. “It almost killed me… it’s alarming when I hear people minimize it as a simple cold. It was no simple cold for me.” He’s 48 years old and suffered from asthma before he got the virus” (3).
            Another case is of a woman in Chicago was diagnosed with the virus. She didn’t have a fever. She had some body aches and lost her sense of taste for a while. She doubted that she even had the virus until she got tested (4).
            Another man was diagnosed with the virus after his small cough started  to spiral out of control. On March 11 he tested positive and was hospitalized. He is 55 years old (5).
            A college student in Illinois said he wasn’t feeling too well and suspected he had the virus, so his parents took him to go get tested, and it came back positive. His symptoms were very mild: “runny nose, headache, cough, difficult breathing but no high fever” (6).
            A Seattle resident, Elizabeth Schneider, said that her symptoms were a “headache, fever, (for the first 3 days consistently and then on and off after 3 days) severe body aches, joint pain, and severe fatigue… She is in her mid-30s (7).
            On a more personal note, one of my co-workers wasn’t feeling too well, so he decided to stay home from work. After hearing his symptoms, I urged him to go get tested. He had a headache, congestion, a cough, shortness of breath, a fever, chills, body aches, and fatigue. When he went to get tested the first time, the Doctors said they wouldn’t test him because he wasn’t high-risk, but then his symptoms became worse. He went back to get tested and they finally agreed. The test came back negative. His symptoms lasted over 2 weeks. He’s 22 years old with pre-existing conditions.
            Many of us are waiting for the antibody tests to become more accessible because many people believe they have already gotten this virus back in November and December because they had identical symptoms to what the Coronavirus survivors and the CDC say.
            In conclusion, we cannot rule out that the virus is worse than the seasonal flu just based on personal experience because, as you can see, some people suffered from worse symptoms and only had the regular flu, while others never knew they had the virus until they were tested. And unless you have the medical record of each individual who suffers from a virus, you cannot tell if they fall into the “underlying health conditions category.”
           
Argument #4

“This virus has taken the lives of both old and young, healthy and unhealthy alike. You cannot compare this to the seasonal flu that only kills those whose immune systems are compromised.”

Rebuttal to Argument #4

        This is an interesting argument. It presupposes that every death recorded is viable and accurate and beyond a shadow of a doubt. All I would need to do is shed some doubt on the validity of these causes of death and the premise loses its authority. Thus, I have two examples I wish to use regarding this topic.
            The first is brought to us by Candace Owens, a Conservative political activist and commentator. On the first of April, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont announced “the first pediatric fatality in Connecticut linked to Covid-19.” Candace Owens responded to what the Governor stated by saying, “‘Linked to Covid-19’ What the hell does that mean? Did the newborn have pre-existing conditions – yes or no? Did the infant die of Coronavirus – yes or no? STOP with this political double speak. Scaring mothers of newborns with partial information is SCUM BEHAVIOR.  ‘Complicated by’  ‘Linked to’ has anybody else realized that ALL of these death announcements provide partial information? If you are going to start using the death of infants to scare people into doing what you want, you better start providing Full information, [Gov. Lamont].”
            It turns out, the infant’s death had nothing to do with Covid-19. It was a horrible accident at home (8).
            Another example that should cause doubt regarding the validity of these supposed Covid-19 deaths comes from the mouth of Dr. Deborah Birx. She is the Doctor standing beside  President Trump and Dr. Fauci in the press conferences you have been watching. She said, “The federal government is classifying the deaths of patients infected with the Coronavirus as Covid-19 deaths, regardless of any underlying health issues that could have contributed to the loss of someone’s life” (9). Right here you have a confession from the response coordinator for the White House coronavirus task force—the  same people that give you the number of “Covid” deaths. 
            An even stronger rebuttal to this argument comes from an article published by the San Diego Union Tribune on January 17, 2018, regarding the flu epidemic that year, “younger people have not come through unscathed. An 18-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman, both unvaccinated, but with no other health problems, have died in what county officials and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are now calling a flu epidemic” (10). I know not what else I can say except that it is true that people are dying from this virus, but the same goes for the seasonal flu. The main difference between this Virus and every other Seasonal flu is that we are watching this Virus under a microscope. Every death, every infection, every fever, cough, sneeze is being publicized. It is from this media publicity that so much fear has stemmed. Deaths and infections you would have never heard of are now front page news. This also serves as further evidence for my closing rebuttal to argument #5 because this virus was here in November, but no one noticed.

Argument #5

“You cannot compare this to the Seasonal Flu because the deaths per infection rate is far greater. The Seasonal Flu death per infection is 0.1% while the Coronavirus is 1.5%.”

Rebuttal to Argument #5

My rebuttal to this argument is some of the greatest evidence I have for my position on the virus. This argument from my opponent holds no authority because their numbers cannot be trusted. To show you why they cannot be trusted, we must start at the beginning. When and where did the virus start?
            It was on November 17, 2019 in China that the first Covid-19 case was confirmed (11). Hear me when I say this because that was the first confirmed case does not mean that November 17, 2019 was the start date of the Virus. He was not patient zero. My opponents wish to claim that the virus is more dangerous then the seasonal flu because of how insanely fast the virus spreads, and yet, the Chinese government wants us to believe that from November 17 to the first day of 2020, there were only 38 cases. Common sense and logic would say otherwise. (11).
             Another point to be made is that Doctors were not able to accurately test in the beginning. On January 17, 2020, there was a press briefing with the CDC where a reporter, Mike Stable, stated and asked, the “CDC is trying to develop the diagnostic test to determine the virus, but when you all will be screening people, you’ll be looking at symptoms. You wont be able to actually test for the virus, is that correct?”
            Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease, responded with, “We actually do have a laboratory diagnostics here at CDC that are stood up. The first diagnostic that we’d be relying on is based on sequence. Our colleagues in China…identified this pathogen and put that sequence up where it’s publicly available to all scientists. That is how our colleagues in Japan and Thailand identified cases. They compared the sequences that they found in their patients to the sequence that the Chinese collaborators posted. So we at the CDC also have the ability to do that today, but we are working on a more specific diagnostic” (12).
            As you can see, our tests were not accurate until February (13). This tells us that whatever numbers we had until accurate tests arose cannot be fully trusted. It is by these very numbers that the models distinguishing the deaths per infection, but now you have seen reason to CONSIDER questioning these models.
            Allow me to give you more evidence for why I find myself, and many others for that matter, believing that the mortality rate for the Coronavirus is .01%.
            Two professors of medicine at Stanford, Dr. Bendavid and Dr. Bhattacharya have critiqued the proposed models that so many have followed and instead offer their own. “The epidemic started sometime in November…the first confirmed U.S. case included a person who traveled from Wuhan on January 15th, but it is likely that the virus entered before that: tens of thousands of people traveled from Wuhan to the U.S. in December. Existing evidence suggests that the virus is highly transmissible and that the number of infections doubles roughly every three days. An epidemic seed on January1st implies that by March 9 about 6 million people in the U.S. would have been infected. As of March 23 according to the CDC, there were 499 Covid-19 deaths in the U.S. If our surmise of 6 million cases is accurate, that’s a mortality rate of .01% assuming a two-week lag between infection and death. This is one-tenth of the flu mortality rate of 0.1%.”
            Another critique of the popular models that so much fear has been based upon comes from Professor of Theoretical Epidemiology Sunatra Gupta and her team from Oxford University on March 24th.  They suggest that “up to 68% of the population may have already been infected with the virus – many without knowing it. Professor Gupta…has suggested that… only through testing for antibodies can real certainty about rates of infections be obtained” (14). As I write this article on April 24th the antibody tests have already begun. Researchers at Stanford Medicine tested 3,200 people in the Bay Area.
Victor Davis Hanson with the Stanfords Hoover Institute said, “When you add it all up it would be naïve to think that California did not have some exposure.” Hanson went onto say that “the Chinese government has been disingenuous about the timing of their initial outbreak of Covid-19. ‘They originally said it was in early January, then it got backdated to December and then early December and now they are saying as early as November 17’” (15).
            On April 22, 2020 Buzzfeed released an article titled, “Two Antibody Studies Say Coronavirus Infections Are More Common than We Think. Scientists Are Mad.” “In Silicon Valley, the true number of coronavirus infections could be 50 to 85% times higher than the number of reported ones. And in Los Angeles County, there might be 28 to 55 times more people infected then the official count.
            “The numbers, covered in the national press and shared widely across social media, suggested that far more people than previously realized have ‘hidden’ infections. If that many people have already gotten sick, it also changes the calculation about how frequently the virus can lead to death. In the U.S., death rates number driven in part by ‘lack of diagnostic testing.’
            “But the new numbers out of Northern California suggests the virus may kill a much smaller position of the wider pool of diagnosed and undiagnosed cases, in this case around .12% to 0.2%. That would be closer to the death rate for the flu, which is about 0.1%” (16).
            My last piece of evidence in support of my rebuttal was recently released accidently. There was a “hot mic” on the press conference floor before the press conference began.  The following is the dialogue between two individuals (a reporter and photographer) discussing the number of cases in California. “USC and LA County public health came out with a study that found that there are 7,000 cases in CA but they really believe there are anywhere from 210,000 to 442,000 people who were infected” (17).
            In conclusion, you had said the Coronavirus death per infection is 1.5%. That is incorrect for 4 reasons.
  1.        The models can’t be trusted because they didn’t consider those who were infected prior to testing.
  2.        The number of deaths are incorrect and were manipulated
  3.        The antibody tests have revealed that more people had the virus than previously calculated
  4.        The press was talking about the numbers of infections being manipulated to bring up the deaths per infections

Conclusion, you cannot deny these findings. If you cannot admit that the death rate per infection is inaccurate, then you are willingly lost.

Argument Number #6

“I see you critiquing all these models and attacking the opposing positions. Do you not know the old saying that, ‘All models are wrong, some are useful?’ Why then do you critique them so? They should simply be taken with a grain of salt.”

Rebuttal to Argument #6

         I have heard this argument many times, and it sounds very nice, but when one looks at what is happening today, the person who poses this argument is a hypocrite. It was those who, beyond a shadow of a doubt, believed the models when first set forth, willfully taking in what the government, media, and scientists were saying without questioning any of the data. It wasn’t until the models were scrutinized that I started to hear “All models are wrong, some are useful.” Very convenient. Well, let me tell you something. Your models were not useful at all. In fact, your models were detrimental.
            In my rebuttal to argument number 4, I showed how the models were incorrect as the scientist responsible for the main model has admitted himself. It was based on those incorrect models that we shut down the economy and stripped the American people of their rights. So, I would suggest that you take your own advice and accept the virus for what it really is.

Argument Number#7

“If the Virus isn’t as bad as you say it is, then why are all the hospitals being over run with infected people?”

Rebuttal to Argument #7

        There has been a lot of controversy regarding this argument. The media, the CDC, and the government has scared the American people into thinking that the hospitals are being over-run. But people started to notice that the hospitals weren’t busy at all. Then the story changed to “the hospitals aren’t over run now, but they will be once the peak hits.” Again, the hospitals were not busy during the supposed “peak weeks.” That’s when the government began claiming during the press conferences saying that the peak wasn’t that bad because of social distancing. 
            So were/are the hospitals being overrun? Because of the lack of evidence, a movement emerged #filmyourhospital where people have gone to their local hospitals and filmed showing how empty the hospitals really are.
            There are multiple articles covering this problem. On April 10, an article published by the New York Times, talks about how Governor Cuomo in March was under the impression that there was going to be a huge outbreak. New York anticipated that they would need up to “140,000 hospital beds and as many as 40,000 intensive care units with ventilators. Governor Cuomo is quoted saying, “One of the forecasters said to me we were looking at a freight train coming across the country” (18). This expected apocalypse never actually came to fruition.
            On April 13, foxnews.com published another article that destroys the assumption that the hospitals are overrun. Here are some excerpts from the article:
            “Empty hospitals, closed medical clinics and unemployed surgeons: While America sees images of an overrun health-care system, the reality nationwide is very different.”
            Shawn Martin, a senior vice president of the American Academy of Family Physicians said, “Our physicians are seeing a reduction of 60-75% of in patient visits.”
            Emergency room physicians have seen hours cut. “Nurses at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Woodland Hills, California, said the 260-bed hospital has been nearly empty with zero Covid-19 patients and only 9 of 22 ICU beds in use. Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson said Sunday that hospitals there have been caring for 80 Caronavirus patients but some 8000 beds have gone empty. This past Friday, Los Angeles County had nearly 1800 unoccupied hospital beds and over 1,000 available ventilators” (19).
            I literally have to stop listing evidence because I can’t keep up with all of it. Every day more and more reports come out supporting this position and there is not enough room in this article to list it all.
            And yet, the next piece of evidence that I present is more personal, and may be deemed not authoritative by some, but I believe some credit should be given. On Facebook, a photo from April 13 has been circulating that says the following, “Looking For An Update! Hospital staff or those close to Hospital staff: What state are you in, and what is the current status in your hospital? Are you overburdened due to Covid-positive patients? Did you ever hit “the peak?” Below the picture are thousands of comments detailing persona accounts. I started to read through them and this is what I found:
  • Deborah Gillis: “My husband works at the VA hospital…they are not overwhelmed. Hours    have been cut.”
  •  Julie Jablaley Wilborn: “Husband is an ER doctor in the Atlanta area hospital system. Volume is so low they are cutting shifts in the ED and have closed down a section of it.”
  • Heather Nicki: “Sacramento CA. Meta nurse at the co op last night. All her colleagues say it can be a bad virus, but that this is way overblown and what they see in typical cold and flu season”
  • Eliza Osborne Wagner: My brother is a RN BSN at a Baylor Scott White hospital in Dallas, TX. Not a single active case there.”
  • Sarah Elizabeth Gilmore: RN in Texas. I was furloughed due to low census. Citywide we have over 40% of beds empty.”
  • Amanda Lewis Janowsky: “Hospital worker in upstate New York, furloughs have just been announced after multiple staff getting called off or sent home last month. We’ve all used our PTO, less than 10 pts in our ICU at any given time and less than 10 patients on our covid/rule out covid floor.

There are many more comments and I am sure there are some who say the opposite but they are hard to find the number of those stating that the hospitals are empty far outnumber the others. In conclusion, it is fake news to say that all the hospitals are over run with Covid patients. There is no evidence to suggest that this virus is worse than the seasonal flu in terms of hospital visits. You may argue that New York is a special case, but again, I really don’t see how any numbers can be trusted by the media, who have been intentionally using the most inflated numbers to keep the story going.

Argument Number #8

The Diamond Princess Cruise Ship Model

“Lets take actual data from possibly the most interesting scientific experiment of the year. The Diamond Princess Cruise Ship that was quarantined off the coast of Japan because it had a single case of Covid-19 on board. 3,700 people were on the ship when it got locked down for 3 weeks. Passengers were quarantined to their rooms. Over 700 people ended up testing positive, 8 people died. So from this not at all modeled, actual real world data, roughly 20% of the population tested positive. Of the patients that tested positive roughly 1% died. Extrapolate that real world data across the US population of 320 million, and you get 64 million cases and 650,000 people die. That's not the 2.4 million that some are predicting, but it’s not the 20,000 equivalent to the seasonal flu either. That is enough to overwhelm the healthcare system and cause collateral death due to lack of beds.”

Rebuttal to Argument Number #8

            This argument looks valid at first look, but is completely fallacious and erroneous. This line of reasoning, when applied to other cases of similarities, is ridiculous. You cannot take this model and extrapolate it across a nation.
            This argument holds no validity because it does not take into account numerous factors.
1.      What were the ages of the passengers?
2.      How many of them were elderly?
3.      How many of the people had underlying health issues?
4.      The air is circulated on the ship
5.      They are quarantined to one specific location
6.      The exposure occurred in a confined space with a higher number of hard surfaces ideal for virus transfer
Let’s give you an example of just how ridiculous this model is by showing you another example. “Imagine a community of 500 people came in contact with Covid-19. Everyone died, therefor the death per infection is 100%.” We see that people do recover from Covid, therefore the model is wrong. Another example, “A community of 500 people came in contact with Covid. 125 people died, therefore the death per infection is 25%.” What I didn’t tell you about this 500 people community is that it was an Elderly Community. If you don’t ask questions, look at the evidence, and critically think for yourself, you will be like the rest of the sheep who believe models like this argument presented with the Diamond Princess Cruise. It is based on these false models that we have made so many of our idiotic decisions to strip us of our rights. Scientists don’t rely on case studies for this very reason. There are other factors that interfere with the results.

Argument Number 9

“You cannot compare the Coronavirus to the Seasonal Flu because the Seasonal Flu is measured throughout the whole year.”

Rebuttal to Argument Number 9

            According to the CDC, the flu season is between Fall and Winter. And the peak is typically between December and February, but can sometimes last as late as May. This information only serves as more evidence between the similarities of that of the flu and this Covid virus. It is called a SEASONAL flu for a reason… not a YEAR LONG flu. And, what a coincidence, this virus is running rampant during flu season and you people don’t want to call it the Seasonal Flu.

Argument Number 10

            “This virus may not be deadly to you, but it could be deadly to someone you know, or don’t know for that matter. Hence, you should be considerate, responsible, social distance, and wear masks.”

Rebuttal to Argument Number 10

            I will try to make my response to this argument as simple as possible. As you have seen through this entire article, the virus is comparable to that of the seasonal flu—in deaths per infection, in symptoms, in who it does and does not affect. But for arguments sake, here I will say that the Coronavirus is worse than the seasonal flu. So, I ask you, does social distancing and wearing masks really work? If no, then we don’t need to wear them. If yes, then those whose health is compromised should social distance and wear masks. We don’t need to crash the economy, ruin lives, or even cause those who are emotionally and mentally compromised to take their own lives…which many people are doing (23).
            An example of what I am speaking about is somewhat personal. A friend of mine has a young son who has testicular cancer. He’s been through Chemo and Radiation and he is very high risk. I saw the father on April 15, 2020 when he came to my work—no mask and no gloves—I  asked him what he thought about all this. He said that all this mask and glove wearing and disinfecting and cleaning, etc. is how they normally live their lives. This virus is really no big deal because every virus is dangerous for his son.
            A lot of people whose health is compromised know that they are in danger. They know what precautions they need to take because whether it’s Corona or the Measels or just the Seasonal Flu, they always have to be careful. If we are truly trying to protect them, then have them quarantined.

Argument Number 11:

“You have attacked the Media, the Government, Doctors and Scientists, and yet throughout this entire paper, you have constantly used these sources to support your rebuttals. Do you not see the contradiction in this?”

Rebuttal to Argument Number 11:

         I completely understand how this looks contradictory. The reason I use the same source as my opponent is because I know my opponent believes whatever these sources say. In order for my opponent to attack my sources, they would have disregarded their own. No doubt you can say the same for me, but please hear me out. Not every single report is, in fact, a lie. Not every Doctor and Scientist is spouting deception. However, in order to weed through and find out who exactly is a viable source, we would have to spend more time debating the authority of the source rather than the topic at hand. That is not the intent of this article. What I do hope is that I have planted the seed of doubt. I will be content knowing that you will at least consider the other side. Maybe this Coronavirus is just the Seasonal Flu?

POLEMICS

I have allowed my accusers to attack my position this entire time thus far my words have simply been a response to attacks made by many. It is now my turn to attack the position of those who have been deceived by the voices of those with power—those whose voices can reach the furthest.
            It all started mid-January when the “first” case hit the United States. Deaths from the virus were already circulating the news in China. Wuhan was cut off and then, on January 30, the WHO declared a global health emergency. From there, President Trump restricted travel from China. On February 29, the first Coronavirus death occurs in the U.S. and travel was banned to and from Iran. On March 13, President Trump declared a national emergency. It is from here it started going down hill. On March 15, the CDC advised no gatherings of 50 or more people (20).
            On March 19, Governor Gavin Newsom began the lockdown of California. All California residence were ordered to stay at home. Bars, restaurants and public gatherings closed. The San Diego Fair postponed. Museums, the Old Globe Theater, and concerts were closed and suspeneded. Parks and Casinos closed. Schools closed. Sports were suspended. Churches closed…all in one day (21).
            We have been ordered to “social distance” by staying 6ft away from each other. Have you gone to your local supermarket and seen the markings on the floor of where to stand? People aren’t allowed in certain stores without a face mask. Gatherings of more than ten have now been restricted. Businesses have closed for good. A man was fined for paddle boarding all by himself out in the ocean. A woman was recently arrested for taking her three children to a public park. Border patrol has been dispatched to keep people from the beaches. American citizens are barred from peaceful protest. Facebook has been censoring Covid-posts that don’t agree with what mainstream media has been saying. Starting May1, it will be mandatory to wear a mask in public. And worst of all, neighbors have been calling the police to turn in those who are not following these rules.
            I speak as an American. I speak as a free man. You, who call yourself an American but do and say nothing. You, who believe that this is an actual pandemic. You have been led astray by the media. The validity of the Media has been trash since Trump became President, their stock decimated. No one listened to them anymore. Heck, we even came up with the term, “FAKE NEWS” to express how we feel about them. And now this Coronavirus has become the tool for the Media. They, the media, have been given new hope—a voice once again. Everyone is clinging to their every word. Why? Why, my fellow Americans have you willingly accepted these models of the virus? The severity of the symptoms? The projections of peak after peak? The overrunning of the Hospitals? Please, do not call yourself a Republican, a Conservative, an Independent, a Libertarian. Do not claim to be an American who adheres to the Constitution if you believe what the Media has been distributing.
            I have shown you that the Virus was already here in California in November. It was running rampant throughout our state in December and January and yet there was NO chaos. Nothing closed… no restrictions… no hospitals were overrun. People merely thought they had the seasonal flu, spoke with their Doctor, and got a Z-pack like every other year. The Media stirred the American people up, and you continued to wait for the peak that would never come. Instead through our antibodies test, we found out the virus was here longer then we thought. SO WHY DID YOU FREAK OUT! Why did you give ear to the very people we have despised for twisting reality and the truth? In 2017-2018, in San Diego alone there were 342 deaths from the Seasonal Flu (22) and as of today, there are 96 deaths form Covid-19. You can’t attribute this to  Social Distancing because it was already here, running rampant, before February.
            And so, I say this to you. You who willingly gave up your freedom. You who wear the mask out of fear. You who believe this virus to be worse than what it is. And especially you who have turned in business owners and neighbors for not going along in the hysteria and wearing masks and social distancing. I say that you are no better than the generations before us who believed that drinking from the same water fountains as black people was dangerous because they carried different diseases than us because the “experts” and society said so. You are no better than the German citizens who turned over their neighbors for breaking the law by hiding the Jews. You are no better than the communists who dare not question their government or its motives. You are not American!


Footnotes
  
   1. https://www.wsj.com/articles/is-the-coronavirus-as-deadly-as-they-say-11585088464

   2. https://conservativedailypost.com/media-blackout-model-predicting-covid-19-deaths-used-by-government-is-vastly-incorrect/

    3. https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-patient-recounts-coming-one-inch-from-death-11583866316
   
    4. https://abc7chicago.com/coronavirus-chicago-patient-covid-19-woman-with/6033993/

    5. https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/video/ohio-man-opens-up-about-living-with-coronavirus/vi-BB11fDcV

    6. https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/fifth-person-to-test-positive-for-coronavirus-in-illinois-speaks-out-from-hospital-bed/2232080/

    7. https://didyouknowfacts.com/this-women-is-sharing-her-personal-experience-having-covid-19/

    8. https://www.dailywire.com/news/scum-behavior-candace-owens-unloads-on-governor-for-tweeting-newborns-death-was-linked-to-covid-19

    9.  https://www.foxnews.com/politics/birx-says-government-is-classifying-all-deaths-of-patients-with-coronavirus-as-covid-19-deaths-regardless-of-cause?fbclid=IwAR3RUSnldvnwJEM_MO2c5woQLpg4iINK_Tx7JDu_UeN0cFvO3FUKrSE6_Mc

    10. https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/health/sd-no-flu-update-20180117-story.html

    11. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3074991/coronavirus-chinas-first-confirmed-covid-19-case-traced-back

    12. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2020/t0117-coronavirus-screening.html

    13. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/testing.html

    14. https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-03-31/what-the-coronavirus-models-are-trying-to-tell-us?fbclid=IwAR3RUSnldvnwJEM_MO2c5woQLpg4iINK_Tx7JDu_UeN0cFvO3FUKrSE6_Mc

    15. https://www.ksbw.com/article/new-study-investigates-californias-possible-herd-immunity-to-covid-19/32073873

    16. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/stephaniemlee/coronavirus-antibody-test-santa-clara-los-angeles-stanford

    17. https://www.mediaite.com/news/white-house-hot-mic-catches-someone-joking-with-foxs-john-roberts-weve-all-been-vaccinated-around-here/

    18. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/10/nyregion/new-york-coronavirus-hospitals.html

    19. https://www.foxnews.com/health/coronavirus-outside-doctors-medical-practices-lack-of-patients

    20. https://www.nytimes.com/article/coronavirus-timeline.html

    21. https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/story/2020-03-13/heres-whats-closed-canceled-or-postponed-in-san-diego-because-of-the-coronavirus

 22.https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/dam/sdc/hhsa/programs/phs/documents/Influenza_SLIDEDECK_2017-18YTD.pdf

  23. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/calls-us-helpline-jump-891-white-house-warned/story?id=70010113&fbclid=IwAR3ZHTynKdEsBpZIbJf34NK8VOqB94tDcirULOOQGCWW8pRzi0M9VwO_v_E

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