Scary: the “evidence-based ignorance” of the idiots in charge

The idiots-in-charge of the UK pandemic response can’t follow science and know nothing about nutrition. Every day they make up numbers. They have no evidence to allow them to pronounce on numbers infected, rate of transmission or even lethality. But they do. They’re confused about masks.

And they’re obsessed with stopping people sunbathing.

The daily pronouncements and social media propaganda are beginning to sound very reminiscent of George Orwell’s 1984, where one of Big Brother’s main slogans was “Ignorance is Strength”. In that sense, UK “health” authorities are looking “strong”.
Take vitamin D, “the sunshine vitamin” that we’d be getting enough of if the police would allow people to soak up up the rays while socially-distancing. You can read (starting page 10) Ben Brown’s comprehensive review of why adequate D is absolutely essential right now. Public Health England (PHE) does not acknowledge the role of this vitamin-hormone in infection-fighting, but instead recommends a daily supplement of 10mcg (400iu) “to keep your bones and muscles healthy”. As Ben points out, published evidence shows “a 400iu dose is inadequate to raise blood levels to sufficiency in deficient, vulnerable people, and it is arguable that a deliberate failure to acknowledge potential benefit related to COVID-19 not only misses, but dismisses an important opportunity to improve public health”. Dr Alison Tedstone, chief nutritionist at Public Health England, has stated: “There is not sufficient evidence to support recommending vitamin D for reducing the risk of Covid-19”. PHE is not up with the science. Take vitamin C. Doctors worldwide are starting to include vitamin C in their treatment protocols. It has been used successfully in China and New York, and clinical trials are under way to establish dosages. The MATH+ protocol developed by five US critical care specialists (https://covid19criticalcare.com) includes a combination of corticosteroids, high-dose intravenous ascorbic acid and anticoagulants. This, they say, “If given early in the ER or hospital wards, can prevent the progression of the disease and significantly reduce the need for mechanical ventilators”. Patrick Holford delves more into vitamin C, starting on page 24. “The UK’s Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre report on April 10 shows that, of those receiving advanced respiratory support 33.7% leave alive and 66.3% leave dead”, Patrick says. “The Zhongnan Hospital group receiving intravenous vitamin C, who were on advanced respiratory support, had 76% alive, 24% dead”. Patrick is one of the movers behind the petition at www.change.org/vitaminC4UK, and has been confronting UK health ministers with the basic facts on C (which they should already know). Take zinc. Deficiency is associated with loss of taste and smell. Kings College London say that 60% of COVID-19 patients (including health minister Matt Hancock) report the symptom. Low levels are common in the UK and worldwide. UK response? Prof Jonathan Van-Tam, deputy chief medical officer for England, said loss of taste and smell would “absolutely not” be added to the list of symptoms. The USA’s CDC have added it. (See story page
7.) Following an earlier study that validated the loss of smell and taste as indicators of SARS-CoV-2 infection, researchers at UC San Diego Health now report the impairment suggests the resulting disease is more likely to be mild to moderate.

We deserve better, rather than having nutrition – and evidence, and basic science – routinely ignored.

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Simon Martin
Editor