the truth about covid 19

[rainman]

take the time to watch this from Dr's it is 45 min long but it makes scenes

https://www.facebook.com/lairelightner/videos/2700285300228152/

[..]

FB has deleted it.

[Serk]

Facebook has deleted it.
Twitter has deleted it.
Twitter suspended Donald Trump Jr's Twitter account over it.
Youtube has deleted it.
Vimeo has deleted it.

Personally, I think it's a load of bumpkus, but since I find censorship far more distasteful than false info, here's a place you can still view the video, if you so wish:

https://www.bitchute.com/video/yFYsM0bMYBpR/

And the website for this group I believe is keeping updated links as needed to the video:

https://www.americasfrontlinedoctors.com/

[scooperhsd]

I don't do 45 minute videos...

[carolinarider09]

Funny thing, 

Bitcute still works, however the other website has "expired" 

What don't they want us to know?   Makes me want to watch it, now trying to figure a way to record it so it will have a chance to live forever. 

[Serk]

The Streisand effect in action..... You'd think the big Internet companies would know how that worked by now...

[Jersey mike]

It was worth the time for me to watch it.

I really liked that black lady doctor who was adamant about the use of hydroxychloroquine, zinc and ZPac for treatment as well as the hydroxychloroquine as a preventative measure.

I especially liked the part around the 22 minute mark where she stated 1 pill every other week is all that is needed as a prophylaxis.

[carolinarider09]

Question,

Has anyone spoken to their doctor and asked for access to hydroxychloroquine as a preventative measure?

And if so, what was the response?

It is my intent to ask that question the next time I visit my doctor, just because I want know her answer and if no why.   If yes, I might just fill the prescription. 

[Jersey mike]

Question,

Has anyone spoken to their doctor and asked for access to hydroxychloroquine as a preventative measure?

And if so, what was the response?

It is my intent to ask that question the next time I visit my doctor, just because I want know her answer and if no why.   If yes, I might just fill the prescription. 

Short answer...no.  I haven’t had a reason to see the doctor since a kidney stone issue last summer, just about a year ago. I have been to the chiropractor many times in the last year and do discuss health issues with him and this C-19 issue he’s on board with the hydroxychloroquine, zinc and Zpak as well as Vitamin D and C.

[The emperor has no clothes]

The Streisand effect in action..... You'd think the big Internet companies would know how that worked by now...

I wanna effect named after me ! 

[NewValker]

The Meathead Effect.....

 
Craig

[..]

Question,

Has anyone spoken to their doctor and asked for access to hydroxychloroquine as a preventative measure?

And if so, what was the response?

It is my intent to ask that question the next time I visit my doctor, just because I want know her answer and if no why.   If yes, I might just fill the prescription. 

Short answer...no.  I haven’t had a reason to see the doctor since a kidney stone issue last summer, just about a year ago. I have been to the chiropractor many times in the last year and do discuss health issues with him and this C-19 issue he’s on board with the hydroxychloroquine, zinc and Zpak as well as Vitamin D and C.

I had problems with kidney stones. 2 separate incidents a year apart.

A forum member recommended I start taking magnesium.

Since then (touch wood) no more kidney stones.

I'm not a Dr. and have never slept at a Holiday Inn Express.

[The emperor has no clothes]

The Meathead Effect.....

 
Craig

Now we are talking ! 

[Serk]

I still think the video and the group behind it are almost as bogus as Biden's moral character, but found this amusing just the same...

[The emperor has no clothes]

I still think the video and the group behind it are almost as bogus as Biden's moral character, but found this amusing just the same...

I've been remodeling a motorhome in 115* temps, and I haven't been keeping up as well. I had no idea what you guys were talking about yesterday. After hearing about aliens, demons, secret miracle cures, I think the president would be wise to not retweet ANYBODY in the future. (I'm pretty sure that's hopeless)

[Valkorado]

I still think the video and the group behind it are almost as bogus as Biden's moral character

+1

[rocketray]

google "citizen free press"..it is the #3 internet news site...scroll down aways and you will find the video-you can get further on a different search engine than google like DUCKDUCK GO-try entering Plaquenil there--there was a great video from Brazil a week or so ago---put in FAUCIGATESSOROS for a nice chummy picture from 20 years ago with the bad doctor Fauci posing with a globalist crowd

[Jersey mike]

I still think the video and the group behind it are almost as bogus as Biden's moral character

+1

Ok I’ll bite..why?

Do you both believe them all to be quacks or not real doctors?

Is it the hydroxychloroquine, promotion of it actually does work as a cure as well as a prophylaxis?

Did they not provide enough raw data or confirmed reports of their results?

Is it the fact they didn’t go by Dr.Fauci’s opinion or the WHO.

Was it that their concept was just too simple a solution and C-19 is too complicated for all those doctors to understand and deal with on a daily basis?

Is it that the fact they claim the Zinc, ZPac, and hydroxychloroquine is still a viable solution to curing people and that the 1 pill every other week of hydroxychloroquine is enough to help fight it off and move on with life?

I’m curious as to why, with the exception of no mainstream media covered it, these doctors would be considered “bogus” in your opinions.

[Valkorado]

https://www.factcheck.org/2020/07/in-viral-video-doctor-falsely-touts-hydroxychloroquine-as-covid-19-cure/

https://www.menshealth.com/health/a33446053/breitbart-stella-immanuel-video-fact-check/

Not saying it's snake oil but "cure" is a very strong word.

As far as demon sperm, not gonna go there. 

[Jersey mike]

https://www.factcheck.org/2020/07/in-viral-video-doctor-falsely-touts-hydroxychloroquine-as-covid-19-cure/

https://www.menshealth.com/health/a33446053/breitbart-stella-immanuel-video-fact-check/

As far as demon sperm, not gonna go there.   

https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/coronavirus/yale-epidemiologist-says-hydroxychloroquine-key-defeating-covid-19

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dXC6PVGHJzA   5min...audio not too great.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vfF4_peyG1I    3min,40sec

[carolinarider09]

Here is a link to a website that lists the approved uses of Hydroxychloroquine and its limitations and side effects. 

As with most drugs, it does have some side effects that must be taken into account. 

The question one has to ask is, given the drug is over 50 years old and is routinely used for treatment or prevention of malaria and rheumatoid arthritis and discoid or systemic lupus erythematosus why is the push back for its "off label" use so vehement? 

It is not unusual, at least as I understand the process, for doctors to make a decision to use a drug they think will help a patent even if the drug was not specifically intended and labeled/marketed for that use.

So why????????  Why are there so many people, doctors, lawyers, Indian Chiefs, and Facebook and Twitter CEOs trying to ensure that no one uses Hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of COVID19???????

There are only two possible answers. 

One, the use of Hydroxychloroquine is so dangerous that it needs to be avoided at all costs.   This is illogical since it is routinely used for malaria and rheumatoid arthritis and discoid or systemic lupus erythematosus. 

Therefore, there is only one other answer.  That answer is that there can be no drug, or other current treatment method that can be allowed to be used to treat patients with COVID19 or exposure to COVID19  that will mitigate the virus.  COVID19 viral mitigation cannot take place until after November 3, 2020.

I believe this to be true.  If you listened to the question that was asked of Zukerberg today at the hearings, he was asked about why he felt that he had the necessary training to make the decisions to pull down the video supporting the use of Hydroxychloroquine.  What he basically said was all the news outlets and other people said it was bad therefore it was.   

We ladies and gentlemen are being played and have been for the past several months.  It is all about the election in November. 


https://www.drugs.com/hydroxychloroquine.html

One more thing, the case count for COVID19 and the deaths recorded from COVID19 for the US when compared to other major countries (by population).  Here it is.   


Country      2020 Population      Covid19 Cases   Covide19 Deaths
China      1,439,323,776         83,959         4,634
India         1,380,004,385      1,529,653        34,223
United States      331,002,651      4,452,709      151,493
Indonesia         273,523,615         102,501          4,901
Pakistan         220,892,340         275,225          5,865
Brazil              212,559,417      2,455,905        88,017
Nigeria         206,139,589           41,180            860
Bangladesh      164,689,383         229,185         3,000
Russia        145,934,462         823,515       13,504
Mexico        128,932,753         395,489       44,022
Japan        126,476,461           29,989            996

[The emperor has no clothes]

Here is a link to a website that lists the approved uses of Hydroxychloroquine and its limitations and side effects. 

As with most drugs, it does have some side effects that must be taken into account. 

The question one has to ask is, given the drug is over 50 years old and is routinely used for treatment or prevention of malaria and rheumatoid arthritis and discoid or systemic lupus erythematosus why is the push back for its "off label" use so vehement? 

It is not unusual, at least as I understand the process, for doctors to make a decision to use a drug they think will help a patent even if the drug was not specifically intended and labeled/marketed for that use.

So why????????  Why are there so many people, doctors, lawyers, Indian Chiefs, and Facebook and Twitter CEOs trying to ensure that no one uses Hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of COVID19???????

There are only two possible answers. 

One, the use of Hydroxychloroquine is so dangerous that it needs to be avoided at all costs.   This is illogical since it is routinely used for malaria and rheumatoid arthritis and discoid or systemic lupus erythematosus. 

Therefore, there is only one other answer.  That answer is that there can be no drug, or other current treatment method that can be allowed to be used to treat patients with COVID19 or exposure to COVID19  that will mitigate the virus.  COVID19 viral mitigation cannot take place until after November 3, 2020.

No, there are other answers.
1) the benefits of its use in treating malaria and R/A outweigh the risks of heart related issues.
2) the blind tests in its use against Covid have shown no effectiveness. Therefore the risks of heart issues are not rational.
3) the conspiracy theorists would be deprived were it used.

[Oss]

blind, double blind  I call bullshit

A dr near me went public early that he was treating his patients with the 3 prong rx and no deaths
These real doctors report their real findings
They have no horse in the race unlike Fuccchi who gains by vaccine and death

That is the whole job of dr  no death  # of cases is irrelevant only death matters

Our shithead governor kept me from accessing the combo and my wife as well

He can die a slow death and I would not mourn his sorry a$$ for this and killing thousands of old people
who had to die ALONE

And pharmacists can decline to fill the rx

This is insane  

A doctor should be able to rx anything if in her opinion it will work  Government has zero business interfering with a legal drug when rx by a dr PERIOD

Oss
Yet a woman can go and have her fetus killed up to birth  What a screwed up country

[Willow]

...
Therefore, there is only one other answer.  That answer is that there can be no drug, or other current treatment method that can be allowed to be used to treat patients with COVID19 or exposure to COVID19  that will mitigate the virus.  COVID19 viral mitigation cannot take place until after November 3, 2020.
...

There was no strong outcry against the use of hydroxychloroquine until the President commented that its use looked promising.  Suddenly immediately after that there was a lot of noise from politicians and some doctors about the risks and there being no chance that it could help.  Make of that what you will.

[carolinarider09]

Willow, It is a sad state of affairs when I believe what you say is not only correct but the reason. 

As of today (if you believe what is on the CDC website and I no longer do), 148,855 people have died in the US and those deaths have been assigned to COVID19. 

And just now, there are several on this board who have openly stated that the use of Hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID19 is dangerous. 

This is not up to a politician, nor the press, nor Zuckerberg, nor you nor it,  its up to the doctor and his patient. 

But no, there are those that do not want it used at all, even if it might help. 

It has been used for the diseases I listed above for 50 years, but now its all of a sudden restricted for using to fight COVID19. 

WHY?    Because it might work. 

If it saves ONE LIFE, is it not worth it to allow the doctor and patient to make that decision?  Not politicians, nor news outlets, or others with no skin in the game of life and death. 

If you support and approve of the restricting the use Hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID19 without any caveats, they you are complicit in the death that might follow.  It should be a doctor patient decision until we have other ways.

Remember the notion of "The Rights To Try".  It is the same here. 

[Serk]

For the record, I didn't say usage of Hydroxychloroquine (With or without the other adjunct medicines) wasn't promising, I just said that the "America's Frontline Doctors" astroturf group and video is bogus...

As far as the usage of Hydroxychloroquine, my friend that got the Wuhan Flu early in this adventure was in the hospital close to being put on a respirator when they treated him with it and he made an almost instantaneous recovery.

He also has TDS nearly as badly at Baldo, but he fully credits that drug with helping him.

(Of course, this was before your choice of drug to treat a plague somehow became political...)

[Valkorado]

If it saves ONE LIFE, is it not worth it to allow the doctor and patient to make that decision?  Not politicians, nor news outlets, or others with no skin in the game of life and death.  

If you support and approve of the restricting the use Hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID19 without any caveats, they you are complicit in the death that might follow.  It should be a doctor patient decision until we have other ways.

I said it it's not snake oil but I don't think it's the magic bullet that'll get our economy rolling full blast.  I also believe at least 148,855 people have died from the virus in our country.  But I don't want to argue numbers...

Dr. Immanuel used the word cure.  That's the bone I was pickin', and it's probably a big part of why the video was pulled.  There is no known cure for C-19 as of yet.



I'm also all about saving lives.

So if this drug saves lives and you support that, why not support voluntary masking in public (by doing it), which the overwhelming majority of virologists and physicians say also saves lives?

Even if they only save ONE LIFE!

I heard President Trump praising the potential of Remdesivir for therapeutic use just today.  He didn't mention hydroxychloroquine once.  Maybe he knows something we don't.    ???

[scooperhsd]

Trump wouldn't admit it either way - it's all about HIM. For all his proclaiming "I'm a stable genius" or "I'm the smartest person in the room" - he has sure pulled some First Class Boners. And it's the WAY he goes about it - I find it tremendously offputting and not very complimentary of a President.
My $.02 worth.

[Moonshot_1]

Been on the Hydroxychloriquine train well before Trump was. Early on there were many reports, from Doctors, of treating patients early on when symptoms developed or testing was positive. These reports were international cases and doctors. It seemed like a slam dunk on treating this virus.

Then Trump came out in support of it and the medical world treated the drug as if it was deathly poison.

Think of this.
A drug, with a 5 decade old record of safe usage, used at minimal dosing, having multiple, doctor supported, reports of success when used early on the on-set of Co-vid symptoms, internationally supported, in one poll, by over 6000 doctors, and with a price point that makes this available to nearly everyone, and we are going to scuttle this approach because???

I mean even if we were to try this approach, throw everything behind it and let's say it fails miserably.
What would we have lost?

We are not going to have more people die. They would have died regardless.
We wouldn't be out of significant resources. The Drug is cheap.

But we didn't try this approach. So far nearly 150,000 have died. Needlessly if this would have been tried en masse and it worked.

[Serk]

Not saying our elderly aren't precious and worth preserving, but.... The vast majority of those 150k would have died from something other than Covid in the next 6-12 months regardless....

As I said.... Every life is precious and should be defended as long as the owner of said life wants it defended....

But.....

[Valkorado]

I just saw Louie Gohmert is going to start on the Hydroxychloriquine cocktail soon.  I honestly hope it helps him like it seemingly helped Serk's friend and many others.

Herman Cain is still hospitalized after three weeks, I wonder if they've given it to him and if not, why?

Like I said, I'm all for anything that helps attack C-19.  On all fronts.  Including preventative fronts.

If (big bold if) they announced tomorrow that Hydroxychloriquine is a definite and proven safe prophylactic, I'd probably be all over it like white on rice.

[Willow]

...
If (big bold if) they announced tomorrow that Hydroxychloriquine is a definite and proven safe prophylactic, I'd probably be all over it like white on rice.

I'm not certain which "they" you're waiting for.  You'll likely have some problem getting your doctor to prescribe it.

[scooperhsd]

Why - I got my nurse Practioner to prescribe me Gabapenton to help me fall back asleep after I wake up in the middle of the night instead of just laying there for 2-5 hours trying to fall back asleep. It may not be perfect, but it helps.... and this is definately not a normal use of the drug.

[Willow]

Why - I got my nurse Practioner to prescribe me Gabapenton to help me fall back asleep after I wake up in the middle of the night instead of just laying there for 2-5 hours trying to fall back asleep. It may not be perfect, but it helps.... and this is definately not a normal use of the drug.

In some states the political powers have caused prescriptions for hydroxychloroquine to be justified and very limited.  

[Jersey mike]

blind, double blind  I call bullshit

A dr near me went public early that he was treating his patients with the 3 prong rx and no deaths
These real doctors report their real findings
They have no horse in the race unlike Fuccchi who gains by vaccine and death

That is the whole job of dr  no death  # of cases is irrelevant only death matters

Our shithead governor kept me from accessing the combo and my wife as well

He can die a slow death and I would not mourn his sorry a$$ for this and killing thousands of old people
who had to die ALONE

And pharmacists can decline to fill the rx

This is insane  

A doctor should be able to rx anything if in her opinion it will work  Government has zero business interfering with a legal drug when rx by a dr PERIOD

Oss
Yet a woman can go and have her fetus killed up to birth  What a screwed up country

I remember that doctor, very, very early in this whole thing. He sent a video to the president or just posted a video online.

[Jersey mike]

If it saves ONE LIFE, is it not worth it to allow the doctor and patient to make that decision?  Not politicians, nor news outlets, or others with no skin in the game of life and death.  

If you support and approve of the restricting the use Hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID19 without any caveats, they you are complicit in the death that might follow.  It should be a doctor patient decision until we have other ways.

I said it it's not snake oil but I don't think it's the magic bullet that'll get our economy rolling full blast.  I also believe at least 148,855 people have died from the virus in our country.  But I don't want to argue numbers...

Dr. Immanuel used the word cure.  That's the bone I was pickin', and it's probably a big part of why the video was pulled.  There is no known cure for C-19 as of yet.



I'm also all about saving lives.

So if this drug saves lives and you support that, why not support voluntary masking in public (by doing it), which the overwhelming majority of virologists and physicians say also saves lives?

Even if they only save ONE LIFE!

I heard President Trump praising the potential of Remdesivir for therapeutic use just today.  He didn't mention hydroxychloroquine once.  Maybe he knows something we don't.    ???

“ Even if they only save ONE LIFE!”  Saving one life out 325,000,000 isn’t a priority in the general population of everyday America. It a drop in a bucket. Yes that one life may be my wife, one of my daughters or even me but one life is a small price to pay to getting past this whole BS virus.

This virus isn’t the scary monster it is being weaponized as. I’ll admit it sucks if you’re old or obese, have a heart condition, or a compromised immune system, but guess what, that’s life. Suck it up and move on.

Every store, restaurant and business should be open and operating as normal by now. The streets, trains, busses, taxis, and subways of NY, LA, Boston and everywhere else should be packed with the normal flow of commuters hustling and bustling about getting to their jobs. Schools and teachers should be open and every sports team should be functioning at normal operating levels. There should be thousands packed into baseball stadiums, hockey and basketball arenas at every level. NASCAR should be packed with fans in the stands and jammed with campers in the infield.

There shouldn’t be any restrictions on the people at this point, it’s time to move on and move forward because it’s every man for himself out there. Just like it was before this hit. We weren’t all in this together. When push comes to shove we’re all on our own. You do what’s  best for you and yours and I’ll do,what’s best for me and mine.

If the belief of “Even if they only save ONE LIFE!“ is how we’re going to survive here then we might as well just throw up our arms and surrender to any country that decides to roll up on our shores or attempts an invasion to our country.

[Jersey mike]

Why - I got my nurse Practioner to prescribe me Gabapenton to help me fall back asleep after I wake up in the middle of the night instead of just laying there for 2-5 hours trying to fall back asleep. It may not be perfect, but it helps.... and this is definately not a normal use of the drug.

In some states the political powers have caused prescriptions for hydroxychloroquine to be justified and very limited.  

IMO, the use of HCQ is being restricted because although it may help some, it won’t help all and being as we’ve adapted the “everybody gets a trophy syndrome” it would not be fair for some or the majority of people to use it and be well while others use it and still get sick or die. The belief that only a C-19 shot will be the saving grace is putting more people at risk than necessary.

[Robert]

5,815,836
Currently Infected Patients     
5,749,379 (99%)
in Mild Condition

66,457 (1%)
Serious or Critical


11,397,432
Cases which had an outcome:
10,726,525 (94%)
Recovered / Discharged

670,907 (6%)
Deaths

Not the killer it was predicted to be just like climate change and a whole host of other issues that big money was thrown into that many will be paying for years from now. If you want to get into conspiracies and money the Federal Reserve is the biggest lie foisted on the US that drains our resources.

They mandate a crisis, legislate changes, legislate money, the crisis goes away, like the war on terror and we are left with the financial, political, loss of freedoms that the non crisis generated.


UNICEF nutrition program chief Victor Aguayo noted that the most harm is being done “by having schools closed, by having primary health care services disrupted, by having nutritional programs dysfunctional.”

The officials pointed to a study published in The Lancet that notes “physical distancing, school closures, trade restrictions, and country lockdowns” are worsening global child malnutrition.

The study estimates that an extra 6.7 million children will be at risk, and that lockdowns and other coronavirus responses could lead to more than 10,000 additional child deaths every month.

New Study Predicts Global Population As Low As 6.29 Billion By 2100, Shattering Most Climate-Alarmist Models




https://blog.argonautcapital.co.uk/articles/2020/07/27/the-biggest-fraud-part-1-the-hocus-science-behind-lockdown/

[Valkorado]

Misinformation on coronavirus is proving highly contagious

https://apnews.com/86f61f3ffb6173c29bc7db201c10f141

VERBATIM:

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — As the world races to find a vaccine and a treatment for COVID-19, there is seemingly no antidote in sight for the burgeoning outbreak of coronavirus conspiracy theories, hoaxes, anti-mask myths and sham cures.

The phenomenon, unfolding largely on social media, escalated this week when President Donald Trump retweeted a false video about an anti-malaria drug being a cure for the virus and it was revealed that Russian intelligence is spreading disinformation about the crisis through English-language websites.

Experts worry the torrent of bad information is dangerously undermining efforts to slow the virus, whose death toll in the U.S. hit 150,000 Wednesday, by far the highest in the world, according to the tally kept by Johns Hopkins University. Over a half-million people have died in the rest of the world.

Hard-hit Florida reported 216 deaths, breaking the single-day record it set a day earlier. Texas confirmed 313 additional deaths, pushing its total to 6,190, while South Carolina’s death toll passed 1,500 this week, more than doubling over the past month. In Georgia, hospitalizations have more than doubled since July 1.

“It is a real challenge in terms of trying to get the message to the public about what they can really do to protect themselves and what the facts are behind the problem,” said Michael Osterholm, head of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy.

He said the fear is that “people are putting themselves in harm’s way because they don’t believe the virus is something they have to deal with.”

Rather than fade away in the face of new evidence, the claims have flourished, fed by mixed messages from officials, transmitted by social media, amplified by leaders like Trump and mutating when confronted with contradictory facts.

“You don’t need masks. There is a cure,” Dr. Stella Immanuel promised in a video that promoted hydroxychloroquine. “You don’t need people to be locked down.”

The truth: Federal regulators last month revoked their authorization of the drug as an emergency treatment amid growing evidence it doesn’t work and can have deadly side effects. Even if it were effective, it wouldn’t negate the need for masks and other measures to contain the outbreak.

None of that stopped Trump, who has repeatedly praised the drug, from retweeting the video. Twitter and Facebook began removing the video Monday for violating policies on COVID-19 misinformation, but it had already been seen more than 20 million times.

Many of the claims in Immanuel’s video are widely disputed by medical experts. She has made even more bizarre pronouncements in the past, saying that cysts, fibroids and some other conditions can be caused by having sex with demons, that McDonald’s and Pokemon promote witchcraft, that alien DNA is used in medical treatments, and that half-human “reptilians” work in the government.

Other baseless theories and hoaxes have alleged that the virus isn’t real or that it’s a bioweapon created by the U.S. or its adversaries. One hoax from the outbreak’s early months claimed new 5G towers were spreading the virus through microwaves. Another popular story held that Microsoft founder Bill Gates plans to use COVID-19 vaccines to implant microchips in all 7 billion people on the planet.

Then there are the political theories — that doctors, journalists and federal officials are conspiring to lie about the threat of the virus to hurt Trump politically.

Social media has amplified the claims and helped believers find each other. The flood of misinformation has posed a challenge for Facebook, Twitter and other platforms, which have found themselves accused of censorship for taking down virus misinformation.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was questioned about Immanuel’s video during an often-contentious congressional hearing Wednesday.

“We did take it down because it violates our policies,” Zuckerberg said.

U.S. Rep. David Cicilline, a Rhode Island Democrat leading the hearing, responded by noting that 20 million people saw the video before Facebook acted.

“Doesn’t that suggest that your platform is so big, that even with the right policies in place, you can’t contain deadly content?” Cicilline asked Zuckerberg.

It wasn’t the first video containing misinformation about the virus, and experts say it’s not likely to be the last.

A professionally made 26-minute video that alleges the government’s top infectious-disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, manufactured the virus and shipped it to China was watched more than 8 million times before the platforms took action. The video, titled “Plandemic,” also warned that masks could make you sick — the false claim Facebook cited when it removed the video down from its site.

Judy Mikovits, the discredited doctor behind “Plandemic,” had been set to appear on the show “America This Week” on the Sinclair Broadcast Group. But the company, which operates TV stations in 81 U.S. markets, canned the segment, saying it was “not appropriate” to air.

This week, U.S. government officials speaking on condition of anonymity cited what they said was a clear link between Russian intelligence and websites with stories designed to spread disinformation on the coronavirus in the West. Russian officials rejected the accusations.

Of all the bizarre and myriad claims about the virus, those regarding masks are proving to be among the most stubborn.

New York City resident Carlos Lopez said he wears a mask when required to do so but doesn’t believe it is necessary.

“They’re politicizing it as a tool,” he said. “I think it’s more to try to get Trump to lose. It’s more a scare tactic.”

He is in the minority. A recent AP/NORC poll said 3 in 4 Americans — Democrats and Republicans alike — support a national mask mandate.

Still, mask skeptics are a vocal minority and have come together to create social media pages where many false claims about mask safety are shared. Facebook has removed some of the pages — such as the group Unmasking America!, which had nearly 10,000 members — but others remain.

Early in the pandemic, medical authorities themselves were the source of much confusion regarding masks. In February, officials like the U.S. surgeon general urged Americans not to stockpile masks because they were needed by medical personnel and might not be effective in everyday situations.

Public health officials changed their tune when it became apparent that the virus could spread among people showing no symptoms.

Yet Trump remained reluctant to use a mask, mocked his rival Joe Biden for wearing one and suggested people might be covering their faces just to hurt him politically. He did an abrupt about-face this month, claiming that he had always supported masks — then later retweeted Immanuel’s video against masks.

The mixed signals hurt, Fauci acknowledged in an interview with NPR this month.

“The message early on became confusing,” he said.

Many of the claims around masks allege harmful effects, such as blocked oxygen flow or even a greater chance of infection. The claims have been widely debunked by doctors.

Dr. Maitiu O Tuathail of Ireland grew so concerned about mask misinformation he posted an online video of himself comfortably wearing a mask while measuring his oxygen levels. The video has been viewed more than 20 million times.

“While face masks don’t lower your oxygen levels. COVID definitely does,” he warned.

Yet trusted medical authorities are often being dismissed by those who say requiring people to wear masks is a step toward authoritarianism.

“Unless you make a stand, you will be wearing a mask for the rest of your life,” tweeted Simon Dolan, a British businessman who has sued the government over its COVID-19 restrictions.

Trump’s reluctant, ambivalent and late embrace of masks hasn’t convinced some of his strongest supporters, who have concocted ever more elaborate theories to explain his change of heart. Some say he was actually speaking in code and doesn’t really support masks.

O Tuathail witnessed just how unshakable COVID-19 misinformation can be when, after broadcasting his video, he received emails from people who said he cheated or didn’t wear the mask long enough to feel the negative effects.

That’s not surprising, according to University of Central Florida psychology professor Chrysalis Wright, who studies misinformation. She said conspiracy theory believers often engage in mental gymnastics to make their beliefs conform with reality.

“People only want to hear what they already think they know,” she said.

___

Associated Press writers Beatrice Dupuy in New York, Eric Tucker in Washington, and Amy Forliti in Minneapolis contributed to this report.

[Jersey mike]

If it saves ONE LIFE, is it not worth it to allow the doctor and patient to make that decision?  Not politicians, nor news outlets, or others with no skin in the game of life and death.  

If you support and approve of the restricting the use Hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID19 without any caveats, they you are complicit in the death that might follow.  It should be a doctor patient decision until we have other ways.

I said it it's not snake oil but I don't think it's the magic bullet that'll get our economy rolling full blast.  I also believe at least 148,855 people have died from the virus in our country.  But I don't want to argue numbers...

Dr. Immanuel used the word cure.  That's the bone I was pickin', and it's probably a big part of why the video was pulled.  There is no known cure for C-19 as of yet.


I'm also all about saving lives.

So if this drug saves lives and you support that, why not support voluntary masking in public (by doing it), which the overwhelming majority of virologists and physicians say also saves lives?

Even if they only save ONE LIFE!

I heard President Trump praising the potential of Remdesivir for therapeutic use just today.  He didn't mention hydroxychloroquine once.  Maybe he knows something we don't.    ???

They say the cure for the common cold is chicken soup, Vitamin C and rest..should that be silenced and frowned upon now? How about taking your vitamins every day to stay healthy?

You say if it only saves one life. What about the lives that may or will be lost from a vaccine for C-19 because it won’t work for everyone, no vaccine does, just like kids who have adverse reactions to childhood inoculations. My son was one who did, he had a severe reaction to the MMR shot. Spiked a fever of 104 and a severe rash within hours of getting it. Turns out he had an allergic reaction to the chicken embryo used in the serum. Called the doctor and he accused us of bringing in a sick baby for a vaccine shot. We switched to a different pediatrician after that.

Not every vaccine or medication on the market is safe for everyone, people die or have adverse reactions to all types of medicine even under the watchful eye of a doctor.

HCQ could be helping millions of people right now, but we’ll never know it because if it doesn’t work the number of lawsuits that would be filed would be astronomical and in courts for decades. A medication in use for about 65 years and probably billions of doses later with documentation of results against C19 and it’s being withheld from the general population because this wasn’t what it “was made for”. It’s too simple a solution. Leave it to the government to over complicate a small issue with the lack of some common sense. They pushing as hard as possible for a fast response for a vaccine, sidestepping usual protocol for the sake of being first as well as pushing the mass inoculation of the people.