“There is more wisdom in your body than in your deepest philosophy”.
Frederick Nietzsche
“Greg, are we going to die from Coronavirus?” was the question asked of me early this morning by our nine-year old neighbor, as I spoke with his mother. I took them into my consultation rooms and showed them a life-sized model of the human body, with dismountable organs, reassuring him that his body was a very strong and wonderful creation, and that no, he wasn’t going to die. Healthy people don’t just die of a virus, I reassured him, despite what the medical profession, the government and the media say!
What has happened to our society that a little boy can be so indoctrinated by irrational media-and medical -driven fear that he thinks this way? More about that later.
The past few weeks I have had numerous phone calls, emails and posts asking me my views about Covid-19 (Corona Virus Disease–2019), and what I would do in this time of pandemic panic, and perhaps to elaborate on my original article: If I Get Corona, Leave Me Alona. Read that here: https://healthforlife.com.au/if-i-get-corona-leave-me-alona/.
Because I have been on my annual water fast, I have not taken these calls personally, preferring to let my written words do the talking now that I have broken the fast and resumed eating. Here is my take on the situation:
I am angry, scared anddeeply saddened.
Angry because this situation has been created by an out-of-control, irresponsible media. Invoking fear and panic at every turn, they have whipped the public up into a near- frenzy, over “what is essentially a cold-like illness”. Read that again.
Why have I put quotation marks around that sentence above? PLEASE, PLEASE read the link below by Dr Joe Kosterich, a medical doctor not afraid to speak the truth in this must-read short article, and all will be revealed:
Having just recently broken my fast, I ventured out for the first time to Westfield, Miranda (a huge, bustling shopping complex for those reading this overseas) for the first time to buy some sushi, fruits and vegetables. The sushi shop owner said business had “plummeted” and his voice quavered with deep disquietude. I tried to encourage him as best I could. The place was frighteningly quiet.
It is distressing, sad and shocking to see how how the whole world seems to be grinding to a halt and unraveling day by day, all over what is a “cold-like illness”.
I am also scared!
Not of the virus at all, no way, nor for my self, but of the trending devastation of our economy and our workforce, I repeat, all totally unnecessarily. As I speak, our world economy is being ravaged by economic disruption, job losses, businesses failing and manic-depressive world markets.
I am deeply saddened because hard-working people like the Sushi owner are suffering. Families are suffering. The personal cost of loss of incomes, and all that comes with that, such as loss of dignity, loss of self-esteem, loss of relationships and loss of meaning cannot be quantified. Even those with assured incomes are not immune. I know that everyone in their own way is feeling sad, irrespective of their station in life. It is part of the wonderful human condition to feel empathy for those who are suffering.
People in Australia have just been through our worst drought and bush fires, ever. Now we have our PM today telling us his government has invoked Level Four travel restrictions- no-one is to leave the country- another first in Australia’s 200 -plus year history.
Australian’s are already suffering cumulative, psychic scarring, alluded to in this post from my friend Dr Ian Gawler, in his latest newsletter Out on a Limb. Read it here:
The Irresponsible Media Promotes and Sells Fear!
When the ABC news opens every night at 7pm with a large graphic of the virus with its red color (think blood) and protein spikes moving ominously, threateningly across the screen behind the stern-voiced presenter, with the highlighted word OUTBREAK in bold also behind her, is it little wonder the public are incited to fear.
And the commercial channels are even worse.
It is a similar story with newspapers.
Add to that the words of the presenter: ‘killer’… ‘deadly’ …. ‘lethal’ virus – alarming language which commenced in the first week when only a few people had died in Wuhan. It doesn’t take the media long before Operation Fear is underway!
There is no better modulator of public emotion, including fear and panic, than MSM (Main Stream Media).
No wonder the public are poly-saturated with cynicism, gloom and doom. Hear Dr Drew Pinsky, another frank-speaking medical doctor, this time from the USA, tell it like it is here:
Dr Pinsky also stated on CBS: “the panic must stop! And the press, they really need to be made accountable because they are hurting people!”
In addition to the media frenzy, the dire prognostications of some health authorities and politicians (“this is life and death!”- NSW Premier) and that a minimum of 50,000 and up to 150,000 could die in Australia (stated by Paul Kelly- Deputy Chief Medical Officer), has only exacerbated, fueled and stoked community panic in my opinion.
So far Australia has 5 dead, aged 95, 90, 82, 77 and 75, at time of writing the 18th of March, it being a given that any death from any illness is a tragedy.
According to the ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics), 3,500 people die each year on average since 2010 in Australia from influenza. No word about that….yet!
But rest, assured Operation Fear will again commence once our 5th season hits- the Flu Season!
If Paul Kelly is correct, we have possibly another 149, 995 on death row in Australia alone.
I realize these estimates are based on mathematical modeling only. But humans are not statistics from which to draw frightening models of the future. He obviously hopes the forecast is wrong. However, in light of the fact that this is a Novel strain, with no real history of its evolution to predict upon, and the present sensitive psyche of the Australian people added to the economic woes felt by millions, I see the statements as inflammatory.
Today, the 18th March, 2020, the PM, Mr Scott Morrison, said this situation was likely to last at least 6 months. After outlining austere measures, he then chastised people for panic buying, and asked them to remain calm. Really?
I would like to respectfully remind our politicians and medical fraternity: No-one is Nostradamus.
Tomorrow I cover the health angle of Covid-19 and how my Natural Hygienic perspective would see it and approach it.
And lastly, please give me any feedback, positive or negative. It would be appreciated.