Well folks, here we are.
Sorry -- I know I've been silent on the issue of COVID-19 (I'll also call it "coronavirus" interchangeably throughout this article). The main reason behind this silence is that I myself have been feeling quite overwhelmed by the whole situation.
Truth is… I'm someone prone to feeling anxious when there are situations I feel can be potentially disastrous (like our global exposure to EMFs/Electrosmog), and when at the exact same time the more I read to try and find clarify, the more confused I get.
This is what happened for me in 2016, when I first started reading about EMFs. On Monday, I was convinced the world was doomed, and on Tuesday, I was second-guessing myself and had already started leaning towards the idea that it was a non-issue… only to find myself completely convinced that we were in a very troubling situation on Wednesday morning. What a mental ride...
The same has been happening with the coronavirus, except that I'm still currently in the "confused phase", and haven't done enough research to be able to write an entire book on the topic. (I don't plan to either -- please don't make me do this!!!)
I've explored so many angles, heard so many claims, and looked at so many facets of this global crisis -- that I'm not even sure where to start.
I know... a numbered list! I love numbered lists.
In today's article, I won't be able to present a deep, efficient, magnificent exposé on the coronavirus… but I'll tell you the few things that are clear to me by now, and the several things that are unclear. I think it'll help you advance your own research, and maybe even calm down your nerves? Hopefully.
1) THE WORLD IS NOT ENDING
A good reminder, hence the decision to hit "caps lock" for the above title.
Rentals of apocalyptic pandemic movies such as "Pandemic" (2011) have been on the rise since this whole saga started, (1) and I think this appropriately reflects how a lot of people think these days.
In the face of uncertainty, people start piling up toilet paper, of all things (what the heck???!!!!), and from what my mom told me in a recent Skype conversation, a LOT of people are literally "freaking out" back in my home Province of Quebec.
The truth is that while the coronavirus does seem more dangerous than the seasonal flu we're normally facing every single year -- this is not an extinction-level event by any means.
Stay calm, civilized, and remember that people who decided to streak naked as the world was "right about to end" in December of 2012 (2) probably still have regrets :)
2) The Coronavirus seems more dangerous than the "normal" flu
The US mortality rate for the seasonal flu is around 0.1% (3), while the mortality rate for the coronavirus might be as high as 3% (4) (WHO, March 3rd 2020), or even as high as 15% (5) (The Lancet, March 12th 2020). I have no idea what number is right.
A lot of what is being published is speculation at this point. A lot of people have a lot of different opinions, and scientists are doing their best to "predict" how deadly this coronavirus really is, but it's important to remember that it's impossible to know the real lethality of a pandemic before it has ended completely.
"At present, it is tempting to estimate the case fatality rate by dividing the number of known deaths by the number of confirmed cases. The resulting number, however, does not represent the true case fatality rate and might be off by orders of magnitude." (6)
There are a few reasons the coronavirus seems more dangerous than the seasonal flu:
- It might be spread more easily than the seasonal flu (7) [The flu as R0 (pronounced R-nought) of around 1.3 while the coronavirus might have an R0 of 2 to 3. The higher the R0, the faster the virus spreads. At least this is my very shallow understanding at the moment.]
- Some claim that the coronavirus survives on surfaces for a longer time compared to the seasonal flu, but I haven't seem solid sources to back that idea up
3) Masks are not very effective
In a recent webinar on the topic, Dr. Klinghardt (8) emitted the recommendation to NOT wear a mask unless you have been diagnosed or are presently symptomatic/coughing.
He said (loose quote): "Wear a mask to protect others from you, not to protect you from others." He explained that many of his colleagues agree that wearing a mask can in fact put you at more risk since it can become a breeding ground for bad bugs.
Again, I'm not sure who to believe here.
The fact is that masks have an extremely limited efficiency -- unless you happen to wear a N95 respirator. 99% of people I see here in Japan wear simple surgical masks, and their efficacy is extremely limited. (8)
4) Good hygiene is key
What pretty much everyone agrees with is that you should:
- Avoid touching your nose, eyes and mouth with unwashed hands
- Wash your hands often using common soap -- this is the first thing you do when you come back home
- Wash surfaces you often touch, including your smartphone (that is hopefully in Airplane mode most of the time!)
These simple measures can make a world of difference.
5) Older people and people with pre-existing conditions are more at risk
It's clear that people above 60 years old and those who have multiple pre-existing conditions face a way bigger risk from the coronavirus than young folks like me. Nothing surprising here.
The main risks factors are: (9)
- Diabetes
- Cardiovascular disease
- Hypertension
- Cancer
- Chronic respiratory disease
Only 0.9% of all people who died from the coronavirus (at least in the study cited above) had zero pre-existing conditions.
The huge problem humanity is facing right now is that an important fraction of all people in Western countries have at least one of these pre-existing conditions...
Coronavirus or not, it is an established fact that most of us have a compromised immune system, and that the situation is getting worse every year with the increase in various modern stressors our bodies are facing.
6) The virus MIGHT be a biological weapon. Seriously.
In an interview with Dr. Mercola, bioweapons expert Dr. Francis A. Boyle said that he currently thinks that the coronavirus is very likely a genetically modified virus which has possibly leaked from a BSL4 (biosafety level 4) facility in Wuhan, China, one of the multiple facilities in the world where bioweapons are being developed. (10)
"According to Boyle, the U.S. government spent $100 billion on biological warfare programs since September 11, 2011, up until October 2015, which is no small sum. To put it into perspective, the U.S. spent $40 billion (assuming a constant dollar value) on the Manhattan Project, which developed the atomic bomb. Boyle also estimates the U.S. has some 13,000 life scientists working within the biowarfare industry."
That's a rabbit hole I won't go into, but who knows… if the US and multiple other countries are developing nasty viruses which can potentially be used as bioweapons… that's something I want to be aware of, and something I want to publicly oppose.
7) Staying at home in fear is probably silly
The advice to "stay at home" might look sound at first, but it really depends on what the heck you plan to do all day. Italians have been offered a free membership by the porn giant PornHub (11), and I doubt that spending all day blasting their dopamine levels and staring at screens will help them stay healthy.
Getting fresh air is important, and so is getting sunshine and your vitamin D levels up. Staying inside and playing video games or being stuck in a loop on social media until this whole pandemic disappears is definitely not healthy.
You can choose to avoid large gatherings, but I think that enjoying quality time with your close family and friends is still important (if you do not want to do it in person, a video call can go a long way). So is getting regular "grounding" by walking barefoot in nature, exercising, breathing deeply, meditating, and all the activities that can help you wind down in these crazy times.
8) EMFs definitely play a role in disrupting our immune systems
I won't get into the details, but the science is very clear on the fact that our current and increasing exposure to man-made EMFs is affecting our immune system negatively.
Dr. Klinghardt rightfully recommended everyone in his latest webinar to limit their EMF exposure as much as possible -- something you should be actively doing all year long anyway.
9) EMFs & 5G?
I've been down many rabbit holes which highlighted the theory that the coronavirus isn't real, and that what we're currently seeing is an epidemic of symptoms related to EMFs.
At the moment I'm not convinced this theory holds enough ground, and agree with what Austin-based journalist Derrick Broze has published recently on the topic. (12)
Again, 5G or not, EMFs do disrupt our immune systems, and there are good indications that our current exposure is contributing to increased antibiotic-resistance in certain pathogenic bacteria, along with a reactivation of certain viruses. More science needs to be done to confirm these links, but is not likely to be funded rapidly.
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Gen, Elliot and I are still in Japan, and trying to come back to Canada as soon as we can, in face of the lingering possibility that borders might close down.
I've cancelled my entire trip to the US, where I was supposed to participate in an EMF panel discussion next to Dr. Mercola and top EMF mitigation specialist Brian Hoyer at the 2020 Upgrade Labs conference. I also cancelled my trip to Prague in May and June, since the big health event where I had been invited as a keynote speaker was cancelled too.
Everyone is affected in different ways. I had to remind myself that, in order to get out of my own frustration in face of all these unexpected changes of plan.
There are a ton of unknowns when it comes to the coronavirus, that's true. But I do want to remind everyone the following:
It's not the end of the world. Do your own research, but don't spend your day hitting "refresh" to get updates on the cases and deaths around COVID-19.
Take a deep breath, don't forget to continue to be active and stick to your health routines more than ever. Don't buy into the toilet paper Costco Black-Friday-like craziness.
I'll keep you updated as I learn more.
In the meantime, let's hope we can catch an early flight -- if I'm EVER able to talk to an insurance representative, that is. ("Your call is important to us" -- or so they've been telling me for literally 4-5 hours :P)
Take care,
Nick
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