By Dr. Harold A. Black

blackh@knoxfocus.com

haroldblackphd.com

Happy New Year.

Joe Biden just punted on COVID. After campaigning blaming Donald Trump for every death and stating that only he could fix the problem, he has now given up. The COVID deaths on his watch have exceeded that on Trump’s. Remember when he said that he would “immediately put in place a national strategy that will position our country to finally get ahead of this virus and get back our lives?” Well, whatever was the strategy obviously failed. Realizing that he could not stop the virus and knowing that his allies in the media would have short memories, Biden said “Look, there is no federal solution. This gets solved on the state level.” Huh? I thought that Greg Abbott of Texas and Ron DeSantis of Florida were Neanderthals because they were ignoring the federal government and seeking local solutions. Didn’t the media skewer them and Trump for saying that the solution lay with the states? Hasn’t the media been painting DeSantis as a messenger of death – despite hard data showing otherwise? Of course, the media assumes that most of us are shallow with limited memories and can keep lying to us. I guess that this must be true for those who continue to rely on the mainstream media for news.

Another media challenge is the sainted Dr. Fauci who seems to also have difficulty with the truth. I am confident that Fauci consulted with Biden in proclaiming that Christmas would be the season that “for the unvaccinated, you’re looking at a winter of severe illness and death for yourselves, your families and the hospitals you may soon overwhelm.” What are the odds that this is true? Even though the omicron variant is now predominant, all data point to it being relatively mild. We are now being told that if you have a cold, it’s probably COVID. What I think is hilarious is the report that in the socialist republic of Vermont, the hospitals are being overwhelmed, not by the unvaccinated but by the vaccinated who have tested positive for COVID despite having no or mild symptoms. The government has gotten people so scared that they will run to the hospital even when there is no need. Fauci, in addition to being the grinch that stole Christmas, is also proclaiming that we should cancel New Year’s parties due to the spread of the omicron variant. I am surprised that he didn’t advise the canceling of all the bowl games and any sporting event (super spreaders anyone?). This is in addition to all the government officials advising “Americans that they should shun unvaccinated family members for Christmas, mask up around family members from other households or even cancel their Christmas gathering altogether for the second straight year.”

Pardon me if I ignore all the doom and gloomers. It has gotten to the point where I do not believe anyone associated with any government on the subject of COVID. It is apparent that in the face of decreasing deaths that they are trying to keep instilling fear in the population. If the data are to be believed, we need to add natural immunity to those vaccinated. We need to question why any child should wear a mask and be vaccinated. We need to know that the chance of dying from COVID for those under 45 is minuscule (yes, I know that we need studies on any lingering aftereffects). Given what we know, our efforts should be concentrated on the truly vulnerable – those over 65 with a co-condition rather than trying to scare the bejesus out of everyone else – as apparently what has happened in Vermont.