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Rickards: The Narrative Is Collapsing

Rickards: The Narrative Is Collapsing

Authored by James Rickards via DailyReckoning.com,

Let’s face it: The public health policy response to the pandemic has been abysmal. I realize I’m not exactly breaking news here, but it can’t…

Published

2 years ago

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Rickards: The Narrative Is Collapsing

Authored by James Rickards via DailyReckoning.com,

Let’s face it: The public health policy response to the pandemic has been abysmal. I realize I’m not exactly breaking news here, but it can’t be said enough.

Even those on the political left, like Bari Weiss, formerly of The New York Times, and comedian Bill Maher are beginning to publicly question mandates and other anti-COVID measures.

Of course the mainstream media have its dutiful lapdogs who still fawn over Dr. Fauci, but what do you expect?

Let’s start at the beginning…

In January 2020, Dr. Fauci said there was no danger the COVID-19 virus would strike the United States. We were soon overwhelmed with it.

Then Fauci told the public not to wear masks. Then he said wear two masks, indoors and out. Fauci and others favored lockdowns and quarantines.

Then they said the vaccines would prevent infection and stop the spread of the virus. You could throw away your masks and return to normal living.

At the same time, they warned against early treatment with drugs like hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin, despite numerous studies proving that they’re both safe and effective. And the sooner they’re administered, the better.

Killer Medical Advice

But the public health authorities told COVID sufferers to just wait it out at home until they had trouble breathing. Only then should they go to the hospital. But guess what? By the time you’re having trouble breathing, it’s already too late in many cases because the disease process is so advanced.

Besides, if you went to the hospital, there’d be a real chance you’d end up on a ventilator and be treated with remdesivir, a drug that’s shown little effectiveness but that has potentially serious side effects, including heart and kidney damage.

There are a lot of conspiracies surrounding the suppression of early treatment. There’s no need to get into them here, but it’s clear that the public health authorities decided that mass vaccination was the solution, and they knew that effective therapeutics would undermine the rationale for the vaccines.

Remember, the vaccines were granted Emergency Use Authorization, a requirement for which was that no alternate treatments existed. By claiming that there were no effective therapeutics (relying on badly flawed studies a junior high biology student could pick apart), they cleared the way for emergency authorization.

They feared that people wouldn’t take their experimental mRNA vaccines if they knew they could take these safe and effective medicines if they got sick.

So they went all out to discredit the therapeutics and those who promoted them. They said quacks were pushing a “horse dewormer,” which is ridiculous because people have been taking ivermectin for decades.

But the authorities, colluding with Big Tech, wanted it to appear that vaccination was the only legitimate option.

Well, pretty much everything they said was wrong.

You Can’t Vaccinate Your Way out of a Pandemic

The vaccines don’t prevent infection and do not stop the spread. Remember when Fauci and others were calling it a “pandemic of the unvaccinated”? That wasn’t true at all, as statistics from the most highly vaccinated countries like Israel have demonstrated.

The vaccinated are getting sick at very high rates, and it appears that they’re more likely to acquire the Omicron variant than the unvaccinated.

It’s not that the vaccines should have no role whatsoever. But they should be targeted toward the elderly and those with serious comorbidities. They shouldn’t be forced on the population as a whole, especially on children who face practically no risk from COVID whatsoever.

And it’s entirely possible that mass vaccination is actually creating variants because it forces the virus to evolve rapidly in order to perpetuate itself. Many vaccinologists will tell you that you can’t vaccinate your way out of a pandemic because of that strong possibility. It could actually make it worse.

Aside from the vaccines, masks don’t work because the weave is not tight enough and they’re not worn properly. Lockdowns create indoor incubators for the disease. They don’t stop the virus from spreading. Lockdowns also lead to social isolation and so-called diseases of despair, including those produced by drug and alcohol abuse.

A Tale of Three Cities

Needless to say, lockdowns are also economically destructive.

Here’s some dinner reservation data, comparing January 2022 with January 2020:

In Manhattan, reservations are down 64%. In San Francisco, they’re down 66%.

Both New York and San Francisco have vaccine mandates. Here’s one city that doesn’t: Miami. And reservations in Miami are up 14% compared with January 2020.

See a pattern here? You might, but the politicians running cities like New York and San Francisco don’t, or they simply won’t admit that they’ve been wrong. I’ll leave that for you to decide.

The best approach is to be outside without a mask, getting exercise and fresh air. Boosting your immune system is probably the best thing you can do.

All of these lies and incompetence have cost lives, ruined economies and destroyed trust in science and public health officials. Real science (as opposed to THE SCIENCE of phonies like Fauci) shows clearly that the best defense against the virus is natural immunity.

Fauci Has Blood on His Hands

If you’ve had COVID, you have natural antibodies that are far more effective in preventing a severe case than the vaccines. In fact, that’s how human populations have always survived pandemics and plagues — by just recovering and relying on herd immunity to eventually shut down the virus.

Independent medical studies show that, as Dr. Marty Makary of Johns Hopkins wrote for The Wall Street Journal, “natural immunity was 27 times as effective as vaccinated immunity in preventing symptomatic illness” from the COVID virus. But because the government ignores natural immunity and insists on ineffective vaccines, thousands of nurses, doctors and emergency workers have been fired from their jobs for not getting the vaccines.

In turn, this depletes hospitals and clinics of much-needed staff, including highly experienced clinicians who have worked with tens of thousands of COVID patients.

Ignoring natural immunity is not just stupid — it’s a death sentence for some sufferers who cannot get the help they need because medical professionals have been fired for no good reason.

Preventing early treatment with repurposed drugs like hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin, among others, is also criminal. Potentially hundreds of thousands of lives could have been saved if early treatment options were made widely available. They weren’t.

For many, waiting around at home until they had trouble breathing, i.e., following Fauci’s advice, cost them their lives.

Fauci and his vax-at-all-costs gang have blood on their hands. Hopefully, one day they’ll be held to account. When they are, I think they’re going to need good lawyers.

Tyler Durden Wed, 02/02/2022 - 13:05

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Low Iron Levels In Blood Could Trigger Long COVID: Study

Low Iron Levels In Blood Could Trigger Long COVID: Study

Authored by Amie Dahnke via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

People with inadequate…

Published

9 hours ago

on

March 9, 2024

By

Low Iron Levels In Blood Could Trigger Long COVID: Study

Authored by Amie Dahnke via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

People with inadequate iron levels in their blood due to a COVID-19 infection could be at greater risk of long COVID.

(Shutterstock)

A new study indicates that problems with iron levels in the bloodstream likely trigger chronic inflammation and other conditions associated with the post-COVID phenomenon. The findings, published on March 1 in Nature Immunology, could offer new ways to treat or prevent the condition.

Long COVID Patients Have Low Iron Levels

Researchers at the University of Cambridge pinpointed low iron as a potential link to long-COVID symptoms thanks to a study they initiated shortly after the start of the pandemic. They recruited people who tested positive for the virus to provide blood samples for analysis over a year, which allowed the researchers to look for post-infection changes in the blood. The researchers looked at 214 samples and found that 45 percent of patients reported symptoms of long COVID that lasted between three and 10 months.

In analyzing the blood samples, the research team noticed that people experiencing long COVID had low iron levels, contributing to anemia and low red blood cell production, just two weeks after they were diagnosed with COVID-19. This was true for patients regardless of age, sex, or the initial severity of their infection.

According to one of the study co-authors, the removal of iron from the bloodstream is a natural process and defense mechanism of the body.

But it can jeopardize a person’s recovery.

“When the body has an infection, it responds by removing iron from the bloodstream. This protects us from potentially lethal bacteria that capture the iron in the bloodstream and grow rapidly. It’s an evolutionary response that redistributes iron in the body, and the blood plasma becomes an iron desert,” University of Oxford professor Hal Drakesmith said in a press release. “However, if this goes on for a long time, there is less iron for red blood cells, so oxygen is transported less efficiently affecting metabolism and energy production, and for white blood cells, which need iron to work properly. The protective mechanism ends up becoming a problem.”

The research team believes that consistently low iron levels could explain why individuals with long COVID continue to experience fatigue and difficulty exercising. As such, the researchers suggested iron supplementation to help regulate and prevent the often debilitating symptoms associated with long COVID.

“It isn’t necessarily the case that individuals don’t have enough iron in their body, it’s just that it’s trapped in the wrong place,” Aimee Hanson, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Cambridge who worked on the study, said in the press release. “What we need is a way to remobilize the iron and pull it back into the bloodstream, where it becomes more useful to the red blood cells.”

The research team pointed out that iron supplementation isn’t always straightforward. Achieving the right level of iron varies from person to person. Too much iron can cause stomach issues, ranging from constipation, nausea, and abdominal pain to gastritis and gastric lesions.

1 in 5 Still Affected by Long COVID

COVID-19 has affected nearly 40 percent of Americans, with one in five of those still suffering from symptoms of long COVID, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Long COVID is marked by health issues that continue at least four weeks after an individual was initially diagnosed with COVID-19. Symptoms can last for days, weeks, months, or years and may include fatigue, cough or chest pain, headache, brain fog, depression or anxiety, digestive issues, and joint or muscle pain.

Tyler Durden Sat, 03/09/2024 - 12:50

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Walmart joins Costco in sharing key pricing news

The massive retailers have both shared information that some retailers keep very close to the vest.

Published

11 hours ago

on

March 9, 2024

By

As we head toward a presidential election, the presumed candidates for both parties will look for issues that rally undecided voters. 

The economy will be a key issue, with Democrats pointing to job creation and lowering prices while Republicans will cite the layoffs at Big Tech companies, high housing prices, and of course, sticky inflation.

The covid pandemic created a perfect storm for inflation and higher prices. It became harder to get many items because people getting sick slowed down, or even stopped, production at some factories.

Related: Popular mall retailer shuts down abruptly after bankruptcy filing

It was also a period where demand increased while shipping, trucking and delivery systems were all strained or thrown out of whack. The combination led to product shortages and higher prices.

You might have gone to the grocery store and not been able to buy your favorite paper towel brand or find toilet paper at all. That happened partly because of the supply chain and partly due to increased demand, but at the end of the day, it led to higher prices, which some consumers blamed on President Joe Biden's administration.

Biden, of course, was blamed for the price increases, but as inflation has dropped and grocery prices have fallen, few companies have been up front about it. That's probably not a political choice in most cases. Instead, some companies have chosen to lower prices more slowly than they raised them.

However, two major retailers, Walmart (WMT) and Costco, have been very honest about inflation. Walmart Chief Executive Doug McMillon's most recent comments validate what Biden's administration has been saying about the state of the economy. And they contrast with the economic picture being painted by Republicans who support their presumptive nominee, Donald Trump.

Walmart has seen inflation drop in many key areas.

Image source: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Walmart sees lower prices

McMillon does not talk about lower prices to make a political statement. He's communicating with customers and potential customers through the analysts who cover the company's quarterly-earnings calls.

During Walmart's fiscal-fourth-quarter-earnings call, McMillon was clear that prices are going down.

"I'm excited about the omnichannel net promoter score trends the team is driving. Across countries, we continue to see a customer that's resilient but looking for value. As always, we're working hard to deliver that for them, including through our rollbacks on food pricing in Walmart U.S. Those were up significantly in Q4 versus last year, following a big increase in Q3," he said.

He was specific about where the chain has seen prices go down.

"Our general merchandise prices are lower than a year ago and even two years ago in some categories, which means our customers are finding value in areas like apparel and hard lines," he said. "In food, prices are lower than a year ago in places like eggs, apples, and deli snacks, but higher in other places like asparagus and blackberries."

McMillon said that in other areas prices were still up but have been falling.

"Dry grocery and consumables categories like paper goods and cleaning supplies are up mid-single digits versus last year and high teens versus two years ago. Private-brand penetration is up in many of the countries where we operate, including the United States," he said.

Costco sees almost no inflation impact

McMillon avoided the word inflation in his comments. Costco  (COST)  Chief Financial Officer Richard Galanti, who steps down on March 15, has been very transparent on the topic.

The CFO commented on inflation during his company's fiscal-first-quarter-earnings call.

"Most recently, in the last fourth-quarter discussion, we had estimated that year-over-year inflation was in the 1% to 2% range. Our estimate for the quarter just ended, that inflation was in the 0% to 1% range," he said.

Galanti made clear that inflation (and even deflation) varied by category.

"A bigger deflation in some big and bulky items like furniture sets due to lower freight costs year over year, as well as on things like domestics, bulky lower-priced items, again, where the freight cost is significant. Some deflationary items were as much as 20% to 30% and, again, mostly freight-related," he added.

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Walmart has really good news for shoppers (and Joe Biden)

The giant retailer joins Costco in making a statement that has political overtones, even if that’s not the intent.

Published

12 hours ago

on

March 9, 2024

By

As we head toward a presidential election, the presumed candidates for both parties will look for issues that rally undecided voters. 

The economy will be a key issue, with Democrats pointing to job creation and lowering prices while Republicans will cite the layoffs at Big Tech companies, high housing prices, and of course, sticky inflation.

The covid pandemic created a perfect storm for inflation and higher prices. It became harder to get many items because people getting sick slowed down, or even stopped, production at some factories.

Related: Popular mall retailer shuts down abruptly after bankruptcy filing

It was also a period where demand increased while shipping, trucking and delivery systems were all strained or thrown out of whack. The combination led to product shortages and higher prices.

You might have gone to the grocery store and not been able to buy your favorite paper towel brand or find toilet paper at all. That happened partly because of the supply chain and partly due to increased demand, but at the end of the day, it led to higher prices, which some consumers blamed on President Joe Biden's administration.

Biden, of course, was blamed for the price increases, but as inflation has dropped and grocery prices have fallen, few companies have been up front about it. That's probably not a political choice in most cases. Instead, some companies have chosen to lower prices more slowly than they raised them.

However, two major retailers, Walmart (WMT) and Costco, have been very honest about inflation. Walmart Chief Executive Doug McMillon's most recent comments validate what Biden's administration has been saying about the state of the economy. And they contrast with the economic picture being painted by Republicans who support their presumptive nominee, Donald Trump.

Walmart has seen inflation drop in many key areas.

Image source: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Walmart sees lower prices

McMillon does not talk about lower prices to make a political statement. He's communicating with customers and potential customers through the analysts who cover the company's quarterly-earnings calls.

During Walmart's fiscal-fourth-quarter-earnings call, McMillon was clear that prices are going down.

"I'm excited about the omnichannel net promoter score trends the team is driving. Across countries, we continue to see a customer that's resilient but looking for value. As always, we're working hard to deliver that for them, including through our rollbacks on food pricing in Walmart U.S. Those were up significantly in Q4 versus last year, following a big increase in Q3," he said.

He was specific about where the chain has seen prices go down.

"Our general merchandise prices are lower than a year ago and even two years ago in some categories, which means our customers are finding value in areas like apparel and hard lines," he said. "In food, prices are lower than a year ago in places like eggs, apples, and deli snacks, but higher in other places like asparagus and blackberries."

McMillon said that in other areas prices were still up but have been falling.

"Dry grocery and consumables categories like paper goods and cleaning supplies are up mid-single digits versus last year and high teens versus two years ago. Private-brand penetration is up in many of the countries where we operate, including the United States," he said.

Costco sees almost no inflation impact

McMillon avoided the word inflation in his comments. Costco  (COST)  Chief Financial Officer Richard Galanti, who steps down on March 15, has been very transparent on the topic.

The CFO commented on inflation during his company's fiscal-first-quarter-earnings call.

"Most recently, in the last fourth-quarter discussion, we had estimated that year-over-year inflation was in the 1% to 2% range. Our estimate for the quarter just ended, that inflation was in the 0% to 1% range," he said.

Galanti made clear that inflation (and even deflation) varied by category.

"A bigger deflation in some big and bulky items like furniture sets due to lower freight costs year over year, as well as on things like domestics, bulky lower-priced items, again, where the freight cost is significant. Some deflationary items were as much as 20% to 30% and, again, mostly freight-related," he added.

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