Pandemic panic, 5 G, staying calm – and laughter

I started writing this blog a week ago before going away for a few days. When I got back, panic had set in.

The blog’s purpose had been to point out the coincidence (or maybe it is not a coincidence) that COVID-19 took hold in Wuhan City which has the highest number of 5G antennae per head of population in the world – three times as many as are installed in the USA. And I would still like to point that out.

If you want to investigate this possible coincidence in detail there is a lengthy but extremely informative article here on FreePress by Paul Doyon, a long time researcher into 5G. In it he references the very substantial body of research suggesting that prolonged exposure to the electromagnetic radiation of 2, 3, 4 and especially 5G weakens the immune system. But his main point out is that Wuhan, which had the highest incidence of COVID-19, also has the highest 5G coverage in China. And that South Korea, which recorded the highest number of deaths from coronavirus outside China, has the highest number of 5G antennae outside China.

His conclusion:

1. We have real data that shows that wireless radiation impacts the immune system;
2. We have numerous patients outside of the 5G zone showing no or only mild symptoms,
3. There have recently been 10,000 5G antennas installed and turned on in Wuhan;
4. There are higher numbers of COVID-19 infections in Hangzhou, Wenzhou and South Korea, etc. where they have recently installed numerous 5G antennas;
5. There has been no testing done to find out the biological implications of exposing life forms to this radiation;

He suggests therefore that the real problem may be that 5G electromagnetic radiation has weakened people’s immune systems thus reducing their ability to combat the virus, not to mention possibly making the virus itself more virulent.

Pandemic Panic

But whatever about how this pandemic arose, does it really justify the horrendous disruption and hardship that effectively closing down the world is causing?

I am not suggesting that the virus is not serious, that it will not spread, or that vulnerable population groups (those with existing respiratory conditions or compromised immune systems, the elderly and the frail) are not at serious risk. Indeed, many in these groups may die. But between 15,000 and 20,000 of these groups die from normal ‘flu each year in England without anyone even noticing.

As I write this, the death toll for the coronavirus in the UK has just reached 35 and the number of people infected is 1,372. And that is out of a population of 66 million…. Worldwide, 5,429 have died and 145,369 have been infected – out of a population of 7.7 billion. Surely our response is disproportionate?

And, as Simon Jenkins pointed out in the Guardian last week, this is not the first disaster prediction we might have witnessed that has come to very little. Remember bird flu in 1997, the SARS outbreak in 2003, the swine flu outbreak in 2009? All of those were predicted to kill millions but petered out after affecting a few thousand.

Indeed, even if, as the worst case scenarios are suggesting, 80% of the population were to catch the virus, 80% of that 80% would scarcely be aware that they even had it as the symptoms are those of a fairly mild cold.

What is that compared to the massive economic damage that is being caused, especially to small businesses, the self employed and casual workers, by the almost total shut down of all economic life and social interaction.

Sensible precautions

COVID-19 does not appear to be airborne but does spread easily from person to person so we should certainly all do our utmost to avoid passing it on. So:

1. If you are a member of a vulnerable group, self isolate rigorously and then implement all the measures below.
2. Minimise personal physical contact – don’t hug, kiss, shake hands etc
3. Be sure to cough or sneeze into a tissue, if you have one, or into your arm if no tissue is available. Always throw the tissues away.
4. Avoid touching your face (thus transferring any infection on your hands to your mouth) as much as possible.
5. Wash your hands in hot water with soap thoroughly and frequently: after you have been to the loo, before eating, after coughing or sneezing and after you have been touching surfaces that may have been touched by many others.
6. Avoid, where possible, coming too close to other people – although this may be hard if you still need to use public transport to get to work. (One of the few possible justifications for using a face mask as a preventative although, if you think you have the virus, you should use one to stop it spreading.)

Staying calm – and laughing – the best preventative

Governments may appear to be panicking but that is no reason why you should. Panic causes stress and anxiety which, of themselves, deplete the immune system. So:

1. Rationalise your personal risk and that of your loved ones – look at the figures above.
2. Take sensible precautions – as above.
3. Eat well and take lots of Vitamin C – see my post 10 days ago
4. Reduce your anxiety levels with some guided meditation – Micki Rose suggests listening to the excellent and super calming Deepak Chopra
5. Use your enforced inactivity to do some of the things you are always meaning to do but never have time for – even if that is just reading more books.
6. And laugh!! Laughter is an excellent stress buster and has all kinds of add on benefits (see this article from the Mayo clinic) including boosting your immune system. And it is FUN! So dig out those ancient Dad’s Army or Spitting Image tapes – or anything else which can provoke a giggle, or preferably a guffaw!

Meanwhile, be aware that many people with whom you normally work or interact may soon be in serious financial difficulty because, thanks to the social shut down, they have no work and therefore no pay. Yes, the government is promising help but how long will that take to materialise? And how will many people know how to access it?

How you can or can’t help them – or get help if you are one of them – will depend on everyone’s individual circumstances. But just being aware is a start.