Thread by @DonaldWelsh16

So who won the C19 Olympics? Its seems Denmark, Sweden and Norway have captured gold, silver and bronze. Meanwhile Canada is looking for a participation medal if it can figure a way across the finish line. How did it go all so wrong in this seemingly advanced nation? 1/

https://twitter.com/ajlamesa/status/1440357436276105223

Simply speaking, it all comes down to approach, experience and the guiding principles. The Scandinavian countries adopted a voluntary "mitigation" strategy (tried and true) whereas Canada employed a centrally planned "general suppression" model (new and radical). 2/

Scandinavia's mitigation strategy highlighted transparency, honesty and the gentle art of persuasion. They valued an informed public, openly admitted mistakes and acknowledged that public health measures were limited in efficacy. It valued the concept that "less is better". 3/

It was a mature approach which leveraged its strength in public health. It takes skill to achieve social mobility/distancing goals with a light regulatory touch and voluntarily adherence. Their skill also kept schools open during the emergence of a new viral strain. 4/

Cleverness, experience and scientific knowledge underpinned their actions. Those same attributes informed vaccine deployment. Natural immunity exists in Scandinavia and they acknowledge age stratefied risk. There is no vaccine drama, just calculations of risk and benefit. 5/

More impressive was the open discussion of failure by public health. Consider Sweden's LTC problems investigated in summer 2020 and recommendations implemented soon after. The swiftness of action is commendable and indicative of responsible govermental action. 6/

There is a subtle ease and flexibility to the Scandinavian approach. It is low tech, respectful of the public and cost efficient. Scandinavia is finished with C19 and their society is no worse for wear. Their professionalism is a teachable moment for the rest of us. 7/

Canada adopted a general suppression model, heavy on top down intervention. It asserted that bureaucratic mechanisms could control viral spread and that these actions were critical irrespective of the societial cost. Vaccines would of course render the population C19 free. 8/

Canada wasn't alone in this endeavor, several countries worked in lockstep with guidance provided by the WHO. It was an aloft technocratic approach, reliant on "expert views" and shaped by the fringe academic movement of Covid zero. 9/

Unfortunately, Covid zero turned out to be a self-indulgent fantasy land of rainbows, lollipops and unicorns. It shunned reality, spurned evidence based medicine and wrapped mysticism around pronouncements. This cult-like phenomenon drove policy failure after policy failure. 10/

The reasoning underpinning Covid zero has been immensely destructive and we have just begun to calculate the costs, it's horrifying. Never has this country sacrifed so much and achieved so little. That's what happens when ideology trumps reason. 11/

Embarrassingly, there is no evidence that Covid Zero saved a single life. The immense destruction to health care, education, culture and small business is, however, remarkably clear. It will take a decade to recover. 12/

Make no mistake, Covid zero lies at the heart of Canada's C19 debacle. Politicians and health officials alike remain captive to its simplistic reasoning and glorified use of force and propaganda to achieve societal ends. 13/

A decade ago, Donald Henderson, a renowned epidemiologist, predicted that Covid zero reasoning would drive repetitive policy failures and squander public resources. He also rationalized that gov't would have difficulty ending its own crisis. 14/

While Canada was captive to Covid zero, it never fully surrender to this ideology, in contrast to parts of Australia where violence now rises. Comparables like Florida and Scandinavia ended up being important counterweights to this cult like thinking.
15/

But for a time, Canada danced with fanaticism. Its influence still lingers and one needn't look further than socially destructive policies like vaccine mandates. The loss of health care workers can be directly traced to Covid zero puritanism.
16/

Covid zero policies and the people that peddled them should find no home in Canada's public health/academic structures. They have delivered the largest policy failure in Canadian history. A public inquiry is essential if we are to rite our ship.
17/

So that is the task ahead of us. Its time to rid ourselves of vacuous ideology and to plant the sound reasoning of Scandinavia's approach within our public health community. Perhaps Anders Tegnell is available for consultation. End.