TUCSON, Ariz., June 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Based on seriously flawed statistical models, government has seized unprecedented powers, claiming to protect us from the COVID-19 pandemic, writes Ohio endocrinologist David Westbrock, M.D., in the summer issue of the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons. But have these measures done more harm than good, he asks.
The devastating economic impact is not irrelevant to health, Dr. Westbrock writes: “As stated in a Wall Street Journal editorial, ‘No society can safeguard public health for long at the cost of its overall economic health.’”
The medical impact is also being affected by governmental authorities, apparently driven by political forces and media coverage, Dr. Westbrock states. Some treatments, such as the use of plasma from recovered patients or the not-yet-approved remdesivir, are highlighted, while the hydroxychloroquine/azithromycin/zinc regimen and others are ignored or claimed to be dangerous or fraudulent.
Here, there is no “right to try,” and “the media appears to accept that a central authority should make treatment decisions rather than individual, independent physicians.”
“For thousands of years physicians have been deciding what treatment or what drug is necessary,” Dr. Westbrock writes. “This includes the assessment of side effects as well as efficacy of any given treatment. Physicians are also trained to evaluate evidence. Yet one White House adviser presumes to declare that a large body of the best available clinical evidence on HCQ treatment is merely ‘anecdotal.’”
“Who should be in charge?” Dr. Westbrock asks.
And what are the trade-offs? Dr. Westbrock cites Texas lieutenant governor Dan Patrick stating that he would gladly risk his demise to protect the future freedom of his children and grandchildren.
“This is the dilemma we face today,” Dr. Westbrock writes. “Do we give up our natural, God-given freedoms and sacrifice the next generation’s economic well-being as well as family, social, and religious connections based on statistical prognostications?”
The Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons is published by the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), a national organization representing physicians in all specialties since 1943.
Contact: David Westbrock, M.D, d.westbrock@gmail.com, or Jane M. Orient, M.D., (520) 323-3110, janeorientmd@gmail.com