Letter to Reps 16 April 2020

I hope you're truly interested in your constituents' opinions - some of us are more educated and more truthful than those in charge of giving us advice regarding this pandemic. We will tell you like it is and most of us are apolitical. I hope you'll listen and have a desire to learn more on your own.

Did you know the UMN also found (many weeks ago) that the COVID-19 virus (SARS-CoV2) hangs in the air from just breathing - one doesn't have to have symptoms to spread it? Think about that for a moment and let it sink in while you contemplate all the people you've encountered who were closer than 6 feet. Did you ever breathe any of the air others exhaled into over the previous hour or so?

Now consider how long an infected person can spread the virus by merely breathing, without knowing it. The COVID-19 virus has a long incubation period (the time between first being infected and first showing symptoms). During that time one can walk around for days (up to 12 days or more) infecting others not knowing they are infected or infecting others. All they have to do is breathe. This is why the Measles (Rubeola) is so contagious. It is also why COVID-19 is so contagious and why social distancing worked for the Measles and why it's working now, for COVID-19. 

Finally, COVID-19 has a higher viral load - the density of viral infection when symptoms start. Its viral load is 1000s times more than the flu, the common cold, and other viral infections like SARS (SARS-CoV). What does this mean? It means a much higher likelihood that its primary means of transmission was through the air from the breaths of infected but asymptomatic persons. 

But something doesn't add up...

The CDC denies this mostly. They claim the main means of transmission is person-to-person through droplets of sneezes and coughs. But those people are asked to stay home so why not just say keep away if you have symptoms? Also, the max distance sneezing and coughing can infect others is 3-4 feet. So why 6 feet social distancing for everyone? Why is that one of the most significant aspects of the shelter-in-place orders? Because that was what worked with the Measles/Rubeola -- because Rubeola's most contagious means of transmission was through the air. 

So why lie to us? Why not tell us? Why not tell us from the beginning to start wearing masks whether we're symptomatic or not? If we knew this early and the advice was to wear masks, we would have figured out how to overproduce masks like we're doing now to keep all of us safe as well as healthcare workers, and not hundreds even thousands of deaths later! In fact, if we all wore masks in public from the beginning, healthcare workers would not have the demand for masks they do now. Regardless, the kind of masks that I'm referring to isn't the expensive one shortage concerns were about.

(I wear a mask my son printed on my $199 3D printer. One mask costs a few dollars to make, and its replaceable filter comes from the $19 largest top-shelf filter at Lowes. So I spent a maximum of $23 for PPE that will outlast this pandemic - and it didn't take one mask away from healthcare workers. And it's FDA approved.)

 The CDC does mention on one webpage that some evidence suggests it may be spread by asymptomatic people. But they are denying that is the primary means and they downplay that evidence (which were found by the real experts - MDs are not the real experts). 

But the advice on social distancing is based on this premise – that COVID-19 is spread through the air from merely breathing. And the fact social distancing is working is evidence of just how much the virus spread this way in the beginning. The washing and sanitizing hands advice didn't do much to stop the spread.

The problem is, in my view, the CDC doesn't want to tell you that because it's a change of advice and they need to save face. Maybe I'm stereotyping, but I remember that was typical of Cold War military medical doctors like the head of the CDC. During that time, most MDs joined the military to avoid the risk of malpractice. Why do I mention this? Because I believe the head of the CDC should be fired, or worse, maybe prosecuted. He failed us all. This is not a Trump thing - he like we had no choice but to trust the CDC. And they failed us!

Bear in mind, the real experts are not doctors, they are the PhDs who specialize in virology and immunology. They are the post-doc researchers who give medical doctors medicine - and any doctor who doesn't say they are the real experts, shouldn't be doctors.

The PhDs will tell you truths medical doctors will not. In fact, most MDs will stand their standard ground even when the evidence suggests otherwise. It is their heritage and that arrogance has cost the world millions of lives. For instance, going back in the record several hundred years ignoring the proof washing their hands saves lives. They - and the ignorant public - believed they were incapable of spreading disease. And those who proved washing hands worked were persecuted, fired and prosecuted. Even though the first observation of bacteria under a microscope was in 1676, it wasn’t until the early 20th century before washing hands became standard practice in medicine.

My point? An MD should not be in charge of the CDC. It should be a PhD accomplished in virology. The others can be MDs but only as advisors on medicine and medical protocol. But changing what the public believes is very hard to do - even if the evidence is overwhelming change should happen.

If I had the resources, I would build a massive class-action lawsuit against both the federal government (specifically the CDC) and the state government for failing to provide valuable information that could have saved lives, reduced the impact on the economy, and minimize what parts of any associated executive order would be indefensible under the U.S. and MN Constitutions.

Dr. Jake Jacobs, author of Mother, Should I Trust the Government?: The Making and Keeping of Our American Republic, accurately stipulates, "America’s Founders realistically concluded that since men were not angels, government comprised of men must be: LIMITED, checked, balanced, separated … and watched like a hawk forever." What we've seen with this pandemic is a testament to this.

Thanks for reading!

Mark