"Here's a graph that doesn't get shown in the mass media, and that I'm sure all those who want you to stay fearful of covid don't want you to see. It shows the share of the tested population with antibodies to covid in Sweden"
Gary:
We can learn a lot from Sweden's experience, especially now there is a vaccine and we know so much now about this virus. This includes, as Sweden shows, the virus is more prolific during Winter a time of year when immune systems weaken due to low vitamin D levels.
There is a way to return our lives to normal, including opening our borders. But this requires actively investing in the health of all New Zealanders, so that contracting COVID-19 is mild for most of us (I'm sure I've already had the infection and it was done and dusted after three days). At the same time we need to put in place better measures to protect our most vulnerable, the elderly and the immune-compromised, from not just this, but all infections. This will include an ongoing vaccination programme for these at-risk people if they want it. Once there is herd immunity, the virus will not be a problem.
Paul, thanks for the additional information. Most appreciated.
In addition to current measures, there must be an aggressive programme to address the nutritional and environmental factors that weaken health, such as low vitamin D, low zinc and poverty. Our love of junk food. etc.
Good article circulated here Gary and Taiwan scientists did a similar graph that are consistent with your timely, brief analysis. We dealt with the Sars virus in 2003 on our long trip to the Republic of Ireland for the World Special Olympic Games. We travelled via Hong Kong and were helped by a New Zealand doctor before we left and the NZ Team doctor was always available. To do NOTHING is not an option. I think ongoing education for everyone is needed and to be sustained. Like Richard, your correspondent pointed out, we need to improve our thinking, diet, exercise et al. Somehow by taking actions as you say to prevent the vaccine response from being embedded and proliferating and…
Excellent ideas as usual, Richard.
I think I wrote in an earlier article that vaccines do not confer total immunity Nothing does as far as I know. What they do is quicken and improve the immune response, to the pathogen if and when it infects a person. Hopefully the response is fast and strong enough to prevent the infection from becoming embedded and proliferating.
Sorry Gary this does not totally line up with the topic, but the page I had intended to post this was partly a repeat of a earlier posting , then I lost my internet connection last night and after wasting a few hours, resetting the computer a few times just got back on.
Very interesting as I heard on the radio news, 6am yesterday, Monday 25th January “ THOSE WHO HAVE HAD THE COVID VACCINE CAN PASS THE VIRUS ONTO OTHERS” So as I have said, why should vaccines be compulsory? Would it be better and safer if the person standing next to you had cold, flu or covid-19 if it came to that, then you can keep your distanc…