Richard Horton's current view is here:
https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0140-6736%2820%2930727-3

Greg

> Alternative views on the potency and impact of the COVID-19
>
>
> 1. Twitter from the Editor of The Lancet:
>
> richard horton@richardhorton1
>
> A call for caution please. Media are escalating anxiety by talking of a
> “killer virus” + “growing fears”. In truth, from what we currently know,
> 2019-nCoV has moderate transmissibility and relatively low pathogenicity.
> There is no reason to foster panic with exaggerated language.
>
>  https://twitter.com/richardhorton1/status/1220606842449072128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
> (That was on 24 January 2020.  He appears to have changed tack lately!)
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> 2. Translated interview with Professor Dr Sucharit Bhakdi, an infectious
> medicine specialist and former head of the Institute for Medical
> Microbiology at the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany and
> said to be "one of the most cited research scientists in German history".
>
> Date of interview 19 March 2020(?)
>
> Prof Bhakdi:  The new COVID-19 originated in China and spread rapidly. It
> appeared to be accompanied by an unexpectedly high number of deaths.
> Alarming reports followed from Northern Italy that concurred with the
> Chinese experience. It must however be pointed out that the large majority
> of other outbreaks in other parts of the world appeared to display lower
> apparent mortality rates, and such high numbers of 4%, 5% or 6% were not
> reached. For example in South Korea the apparent mortality rate was 1%.
>
> Q: Why do you say “apparent” mortality rate?
>
> Prof Bhakdi: When patients concurrently have other illnesses, an
> infectious agent must not be held solely responsible for a lethal outcome.
> This happens for COVID- 19 but such a conclusion is false and gives rise
> to the danger that other important factors are overlooked. Different
> mortality rates may well be due to different local situations. For
> example, what does Northern Italy have in common with China? Answer:
> Horrific air pollution, the highest in the world. Northern Italy is the
> China of Europe. The lungs of inhabitants there have been chronically
> injured over decades. And for this simple reason the situation may not be
> comparable to elsewhere.
>
> Q: What about Germany?
>
> Prof Bhakdi : The virus has also spread to us. It is spreading in Germany.
> One most important consequence being that we now have sufficient data to
> gauge the true nature of the virus in our country.The highest alert level
> has been proclaimed and extreme preventive measures have been installed in
> the desperate attempt to retard spread of the virus. Yes and this is the
> incredible tragedy. Because all these adopted measures are actually
> senseless. Namely, the pressing questions are answered.
>
> The first one: Does the virus generally cause more serious illness in
> young people and kill patients who have no concurring illness? This would
> make them different from other everyday Corona viruses of the world. The
> answer is clearly: NO.
>
> We have 10,000 infections reported (18th March 2020). 99.5% have no or
> only mild symptoms. Here we already see that it is false and dangerous to
> talk about 10,000 “patients”. They are not seriously ill. ‘Infection’ is
> not identical with ‘disease’ Of the 10,000 infected people, only 50-60
> were severely ill. And 30 died to the present day. So we have an apparent
> mortality rate of 1 COVID-19 positive case per day. Up to now. The looming
> worst case scenario that must be prevented according to the authorities is
> that we would have 1 million cases and maybe 3,000 deaths in 100 days.
> This would mean 30 deaths a day.
>
> Q: The aim is to prevent this “worst case scenario”? All current emergency
> measures aim to slow down virus spread to save lives.
>
> Prof Bhakdi: Yes. But we are looking already at the worst case scenario –
> with 30 deaths a day. 30 deaths a day may sound like very much. Keep in
> mind that every day, 2,200 over 65 year olds depart from us, here in
> Germany. How many are not known, so let us just assume 1% (which is surely
> too low). This would translate to 22 a day. And these die every day. The
> only difference is that we do not talk about “Corona-deaths".  Because we
> know that these viruses are normally not the major cause of death. So what
> we are doing in the moment is to prevent these these 22 being replaced by
> 30 COVID-19 positive patients. This is what is happening.
>
> We are afraid that 1,000,000 infections with the new virus will lead to 30
> deaths a day over the next 100 days. But we do not realise that 20, 30 or
> 40 or 100 patients positive for normal Corona viruses are already dying
> every day.
> To avoid COVID-19 entering the scene instead of the other Corona viruses,
> extreme measures are installed.
>
> Q: So what do you think about them?
>
> Prof Bhakdi: They are grotesque, absurd and very dangerous. Our elderly
> citizens have every right to make efforts not to belong to the 2200 who
> daily embark on their last journey. Social contacts and social events,
> theatre and music, travel and holiday recreation, sports and hobbies ,
> etc, etc, all help to prolong their stay on earth.
>
> The life expectancy of millions is being shortened. The horrifying impact
> on world economy threatens the existence of countless people. The
> consequences on medical care are profound. Already services to patients
> who are in need are reduced, operations cancelled, practices empty,
> hospital personnel dwindling.
>
> All this will impact profoundly on our whole society. I can only say that
> all these measures are leading to self-destruction and collective suicide
> because of nothing but a spook.
>
> END
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBB9bA-gXL4&feature=youtu.be
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Paul Ashton
> http://pasheast.wix.com/paul-ashton
>
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