The Good News.

And, it's mostly good news, folks, though you wouldn't know it watching the news or listening to the public health officials.
 
[Disclaimer:  I am not a doctor, but I can read.  I have a degree in sociology and another one in psychology, both of which taught me to do research, interpret data, and avoid logical fallacies; for example, correlation ≠ causation.  These are my thoughts, and I recommend you also do your own investigating.  I've included links at the end as a place to start.]
 
First, children are not at risk from covid.  I realize this is a controversial thing to say, but by the CDC's own data, it is completely true.  A few hundred children (we're talking about people under 19 years old) have died in the pandemic, and that is tragic. Any death is tragic, especially when the person is young.
 
But look closer at the data:

• About 35% of those came to the hospital because of something else, were tested to see if they had the virus (to separate them from other non-infected patients), tested positive, and then died of that something else, and were counted as a "covid death".  The other 65% had significant health problems such as leukemia and were already very sick.  The flu or a bad cold could have killed them if covid didn't.
• There are TEN causes of death children are more likely to die of....car accidents, drowning, suicide, child abuse, even the flu kills more people under the age of 19.  More kids actually did die of the flu than covid in 2020.
• The infection mortality rate (those who are infected who then die) for 19 and under is something like 3 in 100,000.  That doesn't take into account all the people who had the virus but didn't get tested, and so they aren't counted in the number of infections.

In other words, I don't think we have to protect the kids from this disease any more than we need to protect them from pink eye.  We should be letting them live their lives as normally as possible.  Let them enjoy orchestra and marching band and summer camp and hanging out with friends.
 
Second, there are things we all can do to stay healthy, and I'm not talking about staying home and getting vaccinated.  Yes, getting vaccinated might be a good decision for some people, but it's not the only or maybe even the best way to avoid serious health complications or death.  Here are just a few things we all can and should be doing:

• Eat real food, not junk.  Real food is more satisfying, because your body isn't urging you to eat more when what it needs is more nutrients, not more calories.
• Maintain a healthy weight.  One of the most significant co-morbidities (can you believe we all know what that term means now?) is being overweight or obese.
• Take your vitamins.  I have heard more than one doctor say that we don't really have a "cold and flu season", we have a low vitamin D season.  And by some estimates, 40% of the adult population in the US is deficient in zinc, which appears to be an important nutrient for fighting corona viruses.
• Get outside.  Not just exercise and fresh air, but community exposure to germs will help to keep your immune system strong and healthy, especially after a year of masking, staying home, avoiding other people, and sanitizing everything!
• Do things that bring you pleasure and lower your stress.  Dare I say it?  Social contact, hugs, hobbies, corporate worship, going to a concert or a game together.  As others have said, these are not optional extras, these are the things that make life worth living.

Third, there are effective treatments:

• I already mentioned zinc, which apparently works best when taken with something to help your cells absorb the zinc.  Some doctors use hydroxychloroquine which requires a prescription in the US, but I have read that quercetin + bromelain, available at a vitamin store, also work.  See the links below to start your own research.
• Ivermectin is another drug which some doctors have used for early treatment with covid patients.  Yes, I know, the FDA doesn’t want you to use it.  But the studies from the NIH show it is effective, so follow the money…
• I've also heard and read about other repurposed drugs that might be effective, medications normally used for cancer or asthma.

If these remedies work, and the data looks like they do, it’s pretty exciting news.

It's too bad that our national conversation has been exclusively about case numbers and vaccination and avoiding infection, instead of what else might work and what we can do individually to improve our health.  After all, living – really living – is more than just the avoidance of death.

So let's embrace the good news - it's out there!

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Here are some links that have helped me in my research:
 
www.CDC.gov, covid-19 pandemic planning scenarios, table 1, scenario 5:  current best estimate.  This chart shows the latest infection mortality rates.
 
New England Journal of Medicine, “The Major Causes of Death in Children and Adolescents in the United States”, Dec. 20, 2018.
 
Quercetin and Zinc: Zelenko Treatment Protocol (August 2021) (onedaymd.com)
 
Dr. Zelenko explains how zinc + hydroxychloroquine works against the virus - Dr. Vladimir Zelenko Treats Covid-19 With Hydroxychloroquine & Zinc - Dose Of Dr. Drew - Bing video
 
The importance of Vitamin D for staying healthy - https://www.bitchute.com/video/InH89amCpy7S/?fbclid=IwAR1TXpbgOxo1cwI3hTX8oHP8KXDZ9cHxwgDMc00gqi2vbRL3vHkGrzQg9Ew
 
From the NIH:  Ivermectin is a safe, low-cost, and effective treatment for the virus - Ivermectin for Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19 Infection: A Systematic Review, Meta-analysis, and Trial Sequential Analysis to Inform Clinical Guidelines (nih.gov)
 
Using ivermectin preventively - Human taking horse paste Ivermectin? - Bing video
 
High Intensity Health – articles and videos about health -  Articles - High Intensity Health | Mike Mutzel
 
Viral immunologist demonstrates the effectiveness of masks - Do Masks Work? Viral immunologist Dr. Byram Bridle performs a simple experiment to see. - YouTube
This evidence is backed up by graphs comparing case rates in regions with high mask compliance vs neighboring low mask compliance areas.

My favorite signatory of the Great Barrington Declaration, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a public health policy scientist, talking with journalist Freddie Sayers in the UK - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucfm9LCzLFM. What a kind and thoughtful man.