Freedom of Expression Has Never Been More Important and Endangered. It’s Everyone’s Duty to Make It Their Own – Debrief with Jay Bhattacharya

DEBRIEFING - Jay Bhattacharya, a physician and economist, is a professor at the famous Stanford University in California. In October 2020, he spoke out against the management of the health crisis by being one of the authors of the Great Barrington Declaration with professors Martin Kulldorff (biostatistician, Harvard) and Sunetra Gupta (epidemiologist, Oxford). This declaration was signed by nearly a million people.

She brought the wrath of the media and the scientific community upon these three people.

Jay Bhattacharya returns in this essential interview to the declaration and its consequences. He ended up nicknamed  “fringe scientist” (scientist on the fringe or marginal) while he was, before the Covid episode, a recognized professor and researcher. Today, with the revival of X (formerly Twitter), freedom of expression seems to be a little more protected despite calls from some to censor this platform. He also mentions the ongoing trials (in Missouri in particular) which have revealed the influence and interference of the authorities on social networks.

The Great Barrington Declaration can be viewed and signed at https://gbdeclaration.org/

The Barrington Declaration launched from the United States on October 4, 2020, in French version: 

“As infectious disease epidemiologists and public health scientists, we are concerned about the physical and mental impacts of current Covid-19 policies and recommend an alternative approach we call 'Focused Protection ' .

Whether we are left or right, and whatever our country of origin, we have dedicated our careers to protecting populations. Current containment policies are producing disastrous effects on public health in the short, medium and long term. Among the consequences, we can cite, among others, a drop in vaccination rates among children, an aggravation of cases of cardiovascular diseases, a drop in examinations for possible cancers or even a deterioration in mental health in general. This will lead to large excess mortality in the years to come, particularly among the working class and among the youngest. Keeping schoolchildren out of school is a great injustice. 

Maintaining these measures until a vaccine is available will cause irreparable damage. The least advantaged social classes will be the most affected. 

Fortunately, our understanding of the virus is improving. We know that vulnerability to death from Covid-19 is more than a thousand times higher among the elderly and infirm than among the young. Indeed, for children, Covid-19 is less dangerous than many other illnesses, including influenza. 

As immunity grows in the population, the risk of infection decreases for everyone, including the most vulnerable. We know that all populations will eventually reach herd immunity, the point at which the number of new infections is stable, and that this process can be accompanied by (but does not depend on) the availability of a vaccine. Therefore, our goal should be to minimize mortality and harm to society until we reach herd immunity. 

A compassionate and risk-benefit approach is to allow those at least at risk of dying from the virus to live their lives normally so they can build immunity through natural infections while protecting those at greatest risk of dying. We call this 'Focused Protection'. 

Adopting measures to protect the most vulnerable should be the central aim of public health responses to COVID-19. For example, care homes should be staffed with staff who have acquired immunity and who frequently test other staff and visitors. Staff turnover should be kept to a minimum. Retired people living at home should have their groceries delivered to their homes. Where possible, they should meet with loved ones outdoors rather than indoors. A comprehensive and detailed list of measures, including approaches for multi-generational households, can be implemented. This is well within the capacity and prerogative of public health professionals. 

Those who are not vulnerable should be allowed to return to normal life immediately. Simple hygiene measures, such as washing hands and staying home if sick, should be practiced by everyone to reduce the threshold of herd immunity. Schools and universities should reopen for in-person learning. Extracurricular activities such as sports should resume. Young adults who are at low risk should work as normal rather than from home. Restaurants and shops should open. Arts, music, sports and other cultural activities should resume. Those who are at higher risk can participate in this process if they wish, while society as a whole benefits from the protection afforded to the most vulnerable by those who have built up herd immunity.”