Herd immunity means herd immunity

By Kevin-James Fenech

Kevin is the founder and owner of JOB Search - jobsearch.mt and FENCI Consulting fenci.eu. 

I apologise for stating the bleeding obvious but I get this strange feeling that when we reach herd immunity (June 2021) public health officials will continue to insist on COVID-19 restrictions, the most striking of which is to have to wear a face mask when outside.

To my mind, it is clear as day: As soon as we reach ‘herd immunity’ in this country, most (if not all) public health restrictions should be rescinded and the people given back their freedoms and liberty.

This week in an open letter to the UK’s Prime Minister, 22 scientists including Professor Lisa White, Modelling and Epidemiology, University of Oxford, strongly advocated the ‘… removal of all coronavirus restrictions by no later than June 21…’

The open letter declares that COVID-19 will become ‘…demonstrably less fatal than seasonal influenza viruses…’. In fact the scientists go as far to state that: ‘We can be very confident that they (the vaccines) will reduce Covid deaths by around 98 per cent and serious illness by 80-85 per cent…’

The letter concludes: ‘In short, the level of population immunity we have now achieved by targeted vaccination and natural infection means that the SARS-Cov-2 virus in the UK has become demonstrably less fatal than seasonal influenza viruses’ and ‘…Covid-19 is now a mild endemic infection, likely to recur in seasonal waves which renew immunity without significantly stressing the NHS.…’

Last Sunday, coincidentally, Dr. Antony Fauci stated that he expects the CDC to issue updated guidelines on wearing masks outside since the ‘…the risk is really very low, particularly if you’re vaccinated.’

Whilst this week MIT professors Martin Z. Bazant, specialised in chemical engineering and applied mathematics, and John W.M. Bush, specialised in applied mathematics, both at MIT, published a research paper which stated that social distancing indoors as advocated by WHO is not based on science and is pure ‘fearmongering’, claiming that people are as safe at 6 feet as they would be at 60 feet if indoors.’ For further information: https://www.pnas.org/content/118/17/e2018995118

My point being that COVID-19 no longer requires exceptional measures of control of peoples’ lives. Consequently, and logically, the Government must as a bare minimum, lift the nonsensical restriction of having to wear a face mask outside. I don’t want to get into the science of whether or not face masks are effective, since I know this will lead to a futile and circular argument with public health officials. Even though, I have seen raw data which shows that COVID-19 infections still increased when face masks were obligatory. Furthermore, I think wearing a face mask outside especially in temperatures exceeding 30c is pure madness. What I will however point out, is that face mask wearing in reality is a constant comedy of errors, since real people constantly touch their face, wear the mask below their nose (to be able to breath), re-use beyond a face mask’s useful (safe) life, share masks, remove or put on incorrectly, etc, etc, which leads me to the conclusion that face masks could actually be part of the problem given the reality on the ground.

Anyway, I digress, my point is that herd immunity means exactly what it says on the tin: Herd Immunity. So if we are as a population ‘immune’ come June, we should not have to wear face masks especially when outside. Actually, this applies to public health restrictions in general. What we have had to endure throughout 2020 and half of 2021 has been exceptional. Got forbid, if Public Health Authorities assumes that beyond June 2021, it can continue to restriction and control our lives.

Herd immunity means herd immunity and with this important milestone public health restrictions need to be lifted permanently, come June. Since we will as a population no longer be at risk of spreading the virus (given the sterilising impact of immunity) and COVID-19 will not be lethal anymore for virtually 99% of the population (as a minimum no more than seasonal influenza). So yes life can go back to normal and thank you to all the health professionals and doctors that made this possible in the impressive vaccine roll out which has led to herd immunity being reached in June 2021.

#liberty #freedom #democracy #lift the restrictions once we reach herd immunity #thank you !