The following is a 1-hour 47-minute talk given by Dr. John P.A. Ioannidis to the University of Salzburg last June 26, 2021. He is a Professor of Medicine, Epidemiology and Population Health, and (by courtesy) of Biomedical Data Science, Statistics, and Co-Director of the Meta-Research Innovation Center at the University of Stanford (METRICS). Prof. Ioannidis is one of the 10 currently most cited scientists across all disciplines, receiving more than 6,000 per month. He has published extensively on the COVID-19 pandemic and was one of the first experts to speak against school closures, social distancing measures, and lockdowns.

Here are some of the most important points discussed by Dr. Ioannidis:

• Zero COVID is not possible.
• COVID has become endemic.
• COVID has led to many deaths, but it is not the “apocalyptic” predictions made by the early models. Infection fatality rate (IFR) of COVID varies from region to region, but Global IFR is at 0.15%
• If we utilize precision shielding and prevent the infection and death of those who are highly vulnerable to the disease, then endemicity means that SARS-CoV-2 may not be more virulent than the seasonal flu.
• 40-70% of people would do better if infected with SARS-CoV-2 than with influenza.
• We need to look more carefully at the adverse events caused by vaccines because these are new technology, new vaccines, and is only on emergency use authority.
• Very few countries have benefited from the vaccines. The waves of the pandemic were mostly complete in many countries before the vaccines were rolled out.
• Vaccines can be a key modifier for future pandemics but it will all depend on their efficacy against emerging variants and risk compensation.
• Social inequality, inequity, poverty, and racism is at the center of the pandemic. If we deal with them, we will be able to deal with the pandemic (and many other health issues) in a very effective way.
• Other factors that can be addressed include: modifiable risk factors, poor adoption of effective public health measures, adoption of pro-contagion public health measures, suboptimal and harmful treatments and medical care, among others.
• Imperial College published two models with two different assertions. The model which had the best fit in the analysis showed that lockdowns had no benefit, but Nature journal chose to publish the less robust model showing that lockdowns had a benefit.
• Compared to Sweden and South Korea which did not utilize draconian measures, other countries which locked down did worse.
• Forecast models have been proven to be are flawed.
• Non-pharmaceutical interventions (lockdowns, face masks, social distancing) should have been tested with randomized control trials to see its effectiveness, but governments relied only on models.
• The coronavirus measures implemented by governments led to massive deaths and the rise of other health outcomes.
• We have many effective treatments for COVID-19.

Editor’s Note: This video summarizes some of the most important information we know about COVID-19 today. It highlights the reality that countries have not utilized the proper pandemic measures, and that instead of protecting their citizens, they have actually caused long-term harm.

This video also shows us the illogicality in many of the policies being made by governments today. For example, why is there a push for universal vaccination, when health experts already knew that there was a high age-stratification of COVID risk? Why are adverse effects not being closely monitored, when these vaccines are still experimental? Why are healthy people being forced to take the vaccines when they are in no danger of the virus?

In the Philippines, the aggressive marketing of vaccines without the necessary improvement in other aspects of our health care system shows that our government does not understand what it is doing and is simply relying on one strategy. We think that this is also the reason why the government cannot remove lockdowns, masking, and face shields even when there are already numerous evidences showing that these are unnecessary and harmful [also see THE VACCINE DELUSION, PART 1: CBCP Pro-Vaccine Decision Huge Mistake. Vaccines will Not Remove Lockdowns. Ignores Reports of Thousands of COVID-19 Vaccine Serious Injuries Including Death, Doctors around the world say vaccine passports unnecessary, ineffective, and unsafe, Dr. Peter McCullough: Successful early treatment for COVID makes vaccines unnecessary]. They want people to see that they are doing something.

Now that millions of people have received the vaccines, coronavirus restrictions continue. Instead of precision shielding and addressing the root cause of COVID deaths (really, deaths due to avoidable diseases), the government has made the unvaccinated the enemy. They want homogeneity to the point of eroding our personal liberties. Why? There is no logic to all these. Is the government still controlling our policies, or are they mere puppets to a power that is anti-human?

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