Thread by @DonaldWelsh16

Your weekly reminder, we are in the midst of the largest public health blunder in Canadian history. Why do I say that? Lets educate and go through some data. 1/

Large public health campaigns take one of two approaches.

1) Educational. These campaigns work with the public and entail modifying behavior and focused protection. Focus vaccination is viewed as an end point. This is embodied in the Great Barington Declaration (GBD). 2/

2) Coercional. These campaigns use manipulative behavioral techniques (to strike fear) and large scale societal modifications (lockdowns) as a means of population control, with mass vaccination as an end point. 3/

Coercional approaches, especially lockdowns are rarely if ever used. They were considered fringe within the epidemiological field till 2020 when unbeknownst to many, they became central to Canada's C19 response. 4/

Coercional approaches, especially lockdowns were considered fringe because of the huge collateral damage they inflict on society. Let me show you an example plucked from @BenMarten, an excellent data analyst. 5/

Here is a plot of excess death in the US stratefied by age. Note in particular the 25-64 age group where we see persistent excess death through an entire year. This group is at low risk of C19 death, thus something else is going on. 6/

https://twitter.com/BenMarten/status/1386539457101238273?s=19

Here are the same plots for Florida, a state that follows an educational approach and the Great Barington Declaration. Note, the decidedly lower excess death in the 25-64 age group. 7/

https://twitter.com/BenMarten/status/1386539463132663808?s=19

Here are comparable plots from California, a state that used the fringe coercive/lockdown approach. Note that excess death in the 25-64 age group stays elevated for a year. 8/

https://twitter.com/BenMarten/status/1386539903001927682?s=19

What is going on? I believe you are seeing the collateral damage induced by lockdowns when you rip apart social interaction and destroy people's ability to earn a living. These are essential activities. 9/

Similar data is hard to come by in Ontario/Canada as we are seriously slooooow at collecting and disseminating information. But with the data available, Stats Can analysts noted a rise in Ontario/Canada excess death (middle age groups) in Fall 2020. 10/

This is one of many accumulating examples of why coercive/lockdown strategies should been shunned and considered fringe. The collateral damage is huge and this ungrounded experiment should never be repeated. This opinion mirrors those of epidemiological heavy weights. 11/

It is the responsibility of all Ontarians/Canadians to demand a full public inquiry/judical review of the C19 response and the operations of the Ontario Science Table. Fringe academic concepts shouldn't be foisted upon society without serious reflection and deliberation. End.