Grinches are pursuing the wrong path in war on COVID

I do not expect everyone to agree with me, but I am increasingly concerned that efforts to combat COVID are on the wrong path.

The way our governments try to deal with COVID is hilarious. They urge us to come together to get double doses of vaccines and now booster shots while demanding that we avoid coming together to stop the spread of the virus. We are in this together or not.

Yesterday (Saturday), I received a call from a fellow octogenarian telling me that he would not attend the drop-in card night I host for our seniors’ group. He has a case of sniffles and would not risk passing on a flu virus to his friends.

That is what we have been doing for the past two years. We take care of ourselves, our friends and neighbours. It is the Canadian way. Over time, we have realized that government regulations, vaccine mandates, and moaning over a health care crisis have accomplished nothing. If they were successful, they would not be screaming about the dangers of the Omicron variant.

It is December, and we are entirely into the winter flu season when tens of thousands of us come down with the sickness and have every year. Telling us to throw open the windows for ventilation at minus 20⁰ C to reduce infection risk is silly.

Collectively, we have spent millions of dollars and hours disinfecting surfaces to counter an airborne infection! That is typical government make-work, so it appears we are doing something practical and useful when it is not.

Governments finally and belatedly admit that most of the masks we use are ineffective. However, as usual, there is no effort to make more useful masks readily available to the public at a reasonable cost. Instead, they issue regulations on how many people we can invite to Christmas dinner!

There is a vast difference between successful efforts to combat COVID spread and regulations that intrude on our lives unnecessarily to give to the appearance of doing something worthwhile. Governments have chosen the latter, which is becoming increasingly apparent. Are we protecting health care systems or people?

Medical specialists want to protect their institutions and status more than anything else. They never mention the hundreds of thousands across Canada with cancelled or delayed medical procedures because all medical efforts are aimed at COVID. Many of those people will die prematurely because our health care systems failed them. How do we justify not treating patients who are not COVID infected? No one dares ask.

Governments will eventually do the right thing, but only after trying everything else. Growing numbers of vaccinated people are COVID infected. When young, vaccinated professional athletes in their prime are testing positive for COVID, I ask why, as this does not fit the government narrative. The effectiveness of vaccines is in doubt, but we are told that vaccines are the only way to stop the virus. I am having serious doubts about that.

Beefing up our natural immune systems with vitamins and minerals, trying alternative treatments and quarantining infected people and families rather than the entire population warrant examination, and that is not happening.

Closing or restricting businesses has proven ineffective but has destroyed our economy and employment regime. We don’t need a national income replacement scheme when we can adjust EI rules to allow people thrown out of work to access EI with no waiting period if they are laid off due to COVID regulations.

The ultimate insult is to allow our parliamentarians to hide at home to avoid COVID exposure while the 38.5 million people they govern remain exposed. That puts the regard and respect they have for the people of Canada they are sworn to serve and protect in a clear, unmistakable perspective.