VIRUS#26: Chapter 7 Was reopening premature?

Chapter 7 “was reopening premature?”

From a medical perspective re-opening the economy repeatedly during the COVIDs was an error of huge magnitude. So much emphasis was placed on “flattening the curve” it blinded a reality check that as effective as social distancing was it simply insulated millions temporarily from being infected.

Out of the protective cocoon they simply became easy meat for the COVIDs. And it was too late to crawl back in the cocoon. Social distancing was fated to fail and its only success was enabling hospitals to deal with serious COVID cases and its biggest failure was social distancing itself as setting up the world for a big fall.

Now I am a medico so my job is to protect lives and social distancing as a mantra initially made good sense to me. But after several months of the first wave as for social distancing anyone could see it was a dilatory tactic as opposed to a long-term effective management tool. So I became more of a proponent of economic realities and their psychological effect of the millions that lost their jobs. The stress and anxiety of job losses took a huge mental toll but as we physicians know all too well stress and anxiety is a killer. There was a dramatic increase in domestic abuse, suicide, substance abuse and a general decline in physical health and therefore to immunity.

Of course there was political expediency in getting the economy running again. Governments were running out of money to financially support the unemployed and failing businesses. Social unrest was growing. Hungry and stressed-out people are a very dangerous political force as we shall see later.

So tossing caution to the wind, as it was becoming unaffordable, we opened up the gates to a decimating second wave of COVID-19. Decimating as it was it did help establish herd immunity rendering the third and fourth waves of COVID-19 very weak.

The propaganda machines particularly the government and their medicos endlessly shoving social distancing down everyone’s throat realized the governments of the world could no longer afford social distancing so the new mantra was a “cure”. That cure never arrived but a partially effective vaccine did sickening thousands along the way with its side effects that sometimes took many month to manifest themselves.

“Ashes To Ashes”: Lynching in America

This documentary may help us understand the flare up of racial tensions in the United States.

Winfred Rembert is a master leather-work artist working on creating 50 leather worked pieces wherein he is trying to explain his life. He worked in the cotton fields until he ran away at 14 from his rural hometown in Georgia as he says you get to know something is wrong about picking cotton all day.

He has spent time in jail a victim a racial discrimination including being held in jail for a year without any charges being laid. Rembert says that being involved in the civil rights movement at 14 meant that white people would be coming after you and they did hanging him up in a tree with a noose around his neck until one the whites in the mob said cut him down as “We got better things to do with niggers”. Can you imagine the horror and psychological damage caused! And indeed Rembert has PTSD and has a terrible time sleeping.

His physician and fellow artist Dr. Shirley Jackson and symbolically holds a funeral for the 4,000 victims of lynching in the United States many whose bodies were never recovered. Dr. Jackson felt that these victims needed to hear the words “Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust.” To give them peace and dignity was important for Dr. Jackson. A sombre funeral service may leave the viewer outraged or very sad or possibly both. Given the escalation of racial violence in the United States this is a must-see documentary which you can watch by clicking below. This is about American history and lynching is a terribly ugly part of it.

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-documentary/life-after-lynching-in-ashes-to-ashes

https://vimeo.com/channels/staffpicks/438017944 4 AUGUST 2020 ASHES TO ASHES, DR. SHIRLEY JACKSON, LYNCHING, RACISM IN AMERICA, ROBERT K. STEPHEN, WINFRED REMBERT EDIT

The sad tale of the Jews of Thessaloniki Greece

The Decimation of the Jews of Thessaloniki

By Robert K. StephemSpecial to The Suburban
Jun 20, 2018
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I was always vaguely aware of the Jewish population in Thessaloniki Greece after several visits to that city. I became more interested when I heard, mistakenly, that there was a Holocaust Museum newly opened in Thessaloniki. The fact is that the Museum is contemplated but construction is not yet underway. It may be 2021 before it is opened.

However, there is a Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki located at 13 Aghiou Mina which is open Monday to Friday from 10-3 and Sunday 10-2. The Museum was founded to honour Sephardic heritage as it evolved in Thessaloniki after the 15th century. They brought printing, medicinal sciences and knowledge of contemporary weaponry with them when expelled from Spain in 1492.

On the ground floor of the Museum are monumental stones and inscriptions that were once found in the great Jewish necropolis that lay to the east of the city walls. Accompanying these stones are a series of photographs showing the Jewish cemetery as it was in 1914.

Central to the first floor of the Museum is a narrative history of the Jewish presence in Thessaloniki from the third century BC until the Second World War.

There is also a Holocaust Memorial on the waterfront at Elefttherias Square and Nikis & Eleftheriou . Venizelos.

It is thought the first Jews arrived as early as 140 B.C. from Alexandria, Egypt. In 1492 Spain exiled some 20,000 Sephardic Jews and the Ottomans who controlled Thessaloniki accepted them. At one point the Jewish population reached close to 70,000. Further influxes of persecuted Jews from Portugal and Italy added to the Jewish population in Thessaloniki.

According to the 1913 census the population of Thessaloniki was 157,889 comprising 61,349 Jews, 39,956 Orthodox Greeks, 45,867 Turks 6,263 Bulgarians and 4,364 “foreigners”.

By 1940 there were some 500,000 tombs in the Jewish cemetery.

The first blow to the Jewish Community struck in 1917 with The Great Fire of Thessaloniki that left more than 50,000 Jews homeless and virtually destroyed the entire Jewish quarter. The fire destroyed the office of the Chief Rabbinate, sixteen synagogues, administrative offices, welfare offices and 11 schools including the Alliance Israelite University. This caused many Thessaloniki Jews to immigrate to Paris. In fact, the former President of France Nicolas Sarkozy is a descendant of the Thessaloniki Jewish immigrants.

The beginning of the end started with the entry of the Germans in 1941. In July of 1942 just about the entire population of 50,000 Jews were assembled in the main square and publicly forced to undergo humiliating acts. In March of 1943 the transport of Thessaloniki Jews to Auschwitz/Birkenau began. Some 50,000 Jews were transported to the camps. The Greek train engineers driving the trains were forced by the Nazis on pain of death to drive the transport trains. One person I met explained how his relative never recovered from driving those trains. Some 50,000 Jews from Thessaloniki were transported with most being exterminated. 96.5% of Thessaloniki Jews died in the death camps in Poland.

Thessaloniki was liberated in 1944. Today there remains a synagogue serving an estimated population of 1,000 Jews.

Big Box Stores and online shopping at Amazon during these COVID Times in Canada; Good or Bad?

Yes this can most likely cause a debate that may never end. Here in Ontario big box stores remain open in the face of an emergency ordered lockdown These big box stores, like Costco are free in Ontario to sell what you might refer to as non essential merchandise in addition to essential items such as drugs and food. In the Province of Quebec stores such as Costco, have to cordon off non-essential items so that they are not available for purchase. This makes small retailers jump for joy as it eliminates for many of them a ferocious competitor.

Let’s say I have a shopping list that includes;

computer paper
socks
books
chair for work desk
windshield wiper fluid

I can make a one stop trip at Costco here in Ontario but if I were living in Quebec whike I could purchase my groceries in Costco but conceivably have to make 5 more trips to complete my shopping list. Does this make sense given the politico-medico message is “stay at home” unless absolutely essential. Of course let’s not delve into a discussion about what is “essential”! But you see what what might be one shopping trip could turn into six increasing my exposure to infection. On the other hand while my local Costco appears to be doing a good job in controlling numbers of shoppers and in social distancing at cash registers. Once you are in it is very difficult to social distance with people whizzing all over the place so could it be big box stores are in fact more dangerous than small retailers?

Of course, and perhaps regrettably so for our small businesses, is the safest option to order from Amazon, Walmart and other online retailers? Given the huge amount of Amazon boxes being delivered in my neighbourhood many neighbours are taking the “safest route”. Some of them even have their food delivered.

I would say as a small retailer barely hanging on with a rather token ability for curbside pick up I would look at a Costco parking lot and the streams of people flowing into the store I’d be mad as hell. If I can control numbers and have the right protocols why am I closed because I sell non-essential goods. We need small retailers as a driver of growth in our economy instead it all has the appearance of some orchestrated plot to wipe out the small retailers while Amazon and Costco are choking on their profits. Yes the sickening (no pun intended) side of COVID!

As a tourist is Vietnam for you?

Ten things to consider if Vietnam is for you

By Robert K. StephenThe Suburban
Oct 24, 2018
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Vietnam has hit the top ten for exotic travel. But here are some things to remember having been there.

1. Vietnam is unlike Europe and North America

Europe and North America are very orderly and uptight. Vietnam is chaotic yet it still functions. Scooters zip to and fro, Petty crime is a problem and the food is so deliciously different. I love a hot bowl of Pho for breakfast and dumplings and noodles too! Bacon, sausages and French Toast! Certainly available but if you are the type that insists upon such a breakfast then really Vietnam is not for you.

2. Speak softly and be gentle

Vietnam defeated both the French and the Americans so you might expect a brash ad tough as nails personality. The truth is that Vietnamese are extremely quite and soft spoken. They often find that Westerners are very loud. Dial it down!

3. Give some serious thought to a tour

I am a very anti-tour type of person and prefer doing things on my own. While this mentality works well in North America and Europe where mass transit is good and traffic respects pedestrians one should note pedestrians are not very well respected in Vietnam and that public transportation is virtually non-existent in Vietnam. I would recommend you seriously consider a tour where you are picked up and dropped off at airports and given a guide with a van. In this respect, I personally recommend Aurora Travel in Vietnam which organized a super travel programme for me and my Square photographer. Check them out at sale@auroratravel.asia and ask for Vicky Nguyen.

4. See a travel medical specialist at least two months prior to your visit

What injections you need depends in large part upon where you are going and when you are going. As a minimum your tetanus, hepatitis and tetanus shots should be current. You may be recommended malaria meds if you are going inland. Antibiotics may be prescribed “just in case”.

5. Be careful what you eat and drink

This advice depends on the strength of your stomach. I prefer to be very cautious on a short visit. With 5 star hotels and high end restaurants you can take great comfort that food has been prepared with lofty standards. Street food is tantalizing but if you can’t resist make sure there is high volume to ensure some high turnover and freshness. Bathroom facilities are not as prevalent as they might be at home here in Canada so the last thing you need is a bout of the runs in Vietnam. Avoid ice cubes in drinks unless you are in a five-star environment. As my dear departed mother used to say when Europe was more primitive than it now is best stick to soft drinks and beer and make sure they pop the cap in front of you!

6. Petty theft is an issue

Unfortunately pick pocketing and purse snatching is a problem particularly with the slash and grab scooter method. Leave all valuables in your hotel safe. Carry a credit card and anticipated needed cash in your front pocket as a man and as a woman leave all expensive jewelry at home and clutch your purse in public.

7. Be prepared for strange time differences

From Toronto expect an early morning departure just past midnight and an arrival in Taipei/Singapore/Hong Kong equally early morning. 16 hours of flying time to which you should add a layover and connecting flight to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City of 3 or 4 hours. You’ll be frazzled for at least a couple of days. When you return you’ll also be mixed up. If you are on any time sensitive meds such as beta blockers or anti-depressants please do check with your doctors about how to take your meds on your outbound trip. Returning seems easier than going on your body timeclock.

8. Currency Manipulation is a bit difficult

Considering that 22,000 Vietnamese dong per USD dollar is the exchange rate consider that a bottle of wine at dinner may cost 500.000 dong so performing currency calculations are far different than dealing with a Euro!

9. The Vietnamese alphabet is somewhat easier to navigate

European missionaries in the 17th century used the Roman alphabet to record the Vietnamese language and created the Quoc Ngu Script which is now the official national language. Finding yourself around is much easier as a result.

10. You’ll require a visa

Visas are cash grabs and a visa for two with Canada Post delivery was $183. You are pouring your tourist dollars into the Vietnamese economy and are charged this exorbitant fee? UK residents do not require a visa. Are Canadians being penalized for accepting thousands of Vietnamese boat people!

Poetry Corner: “the gentleness of impeachment”

The gentleness of impeachment

So Trump gets impeached
a laughable tap on his knuckles?
as the enemies of America break into chuckles

Would the long list of COVID protocols breached in which the Trumpster basked unmasked
could this constitute a charge of manslaughter some to me asked?
just drink a cup of bleach
and forget social distancing on Memorial Day at the beach

And the faithful puppy Pence chairman of the Corona Task Force
as loyal as a well trained horse
his complicity could lead to the same criminal charge?

As a poet I am afraid I can’t opine on American law
But at least most of us agree if the virus was not so deadly their behavior might be best seen on an episode of “Hee Haw”

Admit it the twins showed little reason
thank goodness the election hopefully be the end of their season
well it could have been worse for the big guy if the charge was treason!
at least he did not build camps to intern enemies in
would his right wing Christian base dare call his behavior a sin
or will they and the rest of his gang
storm the White House with a bang
and noose up Biden and Harris
while Trump plays golf in Paris?

Robert K. Stephen

Virus#26: Chapter 6 why Covid’s nasty success

Chapter 6 “why COVID’s nasty success’

We have discussed the origins of the various waves of COVID. Why then did it enjoy such nasty success?

The highest kill rate per capita was in just about any country without a socialized medical system or a system that had simply crumbled over the years. Africa, South America, India and Pakistan are prime examples of this. And let’s not forget the United States but the kill rate there may be attributable to poor political leadership bordering on manslaughter until Trump was sent packing with his tail between his legs in early 2021 Vice President Pence as chair of the Corona Task force. Without complete access to a medical system by a country’s population to preventative care and management of COVID waves the population was at risk. Even in the United States Latino’s and African Americans were twice as likely to die from the COVIDs than the privately medically insured. In Canada, Australia, Brazil and the United States it was the aboriginal population that suffered serious kills.

Many of us physicians had been sending warning signs for years about the poor state of immune systems of the world’s population. A healthy immune system could combat COVID quite well and that is why the kill rate without those having comorbidities was low. The widespread nature of air and water pollution, a toxic soup of glyphosate on crops, indiscriminate use of mercury in dental amalgams, and the destructive effect of electromagnetic fields caused primarily by the new 5G networks seriously compromised the immune system of millions. Research has established that the upper middle class and above fared the best against COVID and many of us point to their healthy plant based organic diet and use of key supplements.

Speaking of food, poverty begets a poor diet particularly in the United States and Canada with the prevalence of fast food, processed foods and far too much sugar which seriously compromised the immune system. Of all COVID-19 cases in the First World research shows that 66% of COVID ICU patients were obese. Even the Trumpster fell into that category with his penchant for Kentucky Fried Chicken!

There are many that say the clean out of long-term care residents in the First World was an expected Darwinian cull. Perhaps there is some truth to that as modern medicine was very efficient in keeping alive those who would be dead a couple of decades ago. However why were some long-term care facilities decimated and others untouched? As various commissions were established in First World countries to investigate the high kill rate of long-term care residents the findings were that the low wages paid to long-term care workers forced them to take multiple jobs increasing their possibility of infection spread this putting long-term care residents at risk. The lack of inspections and decreased regulation of these facilities was another factor in the COID vulnerability of residents. And the design of these overcrowded facilities was another factor. The heaps of prescriptive medications taken by these long-term care residents did not do anything much except make Big Pharma obscenely enriched.

In some countries such as the United States political infighting and political incompetence can be blamed for failure to have personal protective equipment and ventilators in sufficient supply. The shocking terminations of nurses and doctors in the privatized U.S. medical system allegedly because these hospitals were not turning a big profit on elective surgeries was scandalous.

“Pandemic 19”: You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet: What Awful Shape Our Front-line Doctors Must Be In!

“Pandemic 19” is a documentary about three doctors that made video recordings of their professional life during the first wave of the pandemic in the United States. The physicians are Dr. Virginia Brady who is a Pulmonary and Critical Care Physician in Boston. Dr. Brian Chang starts in Northern California as an Emergency Physician and so interested he moves to be in the midst of the action in New York City. Dr Poya Aysola is a Canadian trained physician specializing in Emergency Medicine working in several Boston area hospitals.

If I can generalize amongst these physicians early on the COVID game there is a sense of confidence but by the end of the documentary there is fear, apprehension and exhaustion. In some cases you’ll see the emotional turmoil they are enduring where the awful must be ignored but even there they experience both moments of anguish and joy with a rare patient recovery.

Dr. Brady does admit early on there is some fear and apprehension amongst doctors because they have no idea how things are going to turn out. She admits as physicians they connect so just to have enough empathy but take each death to heart it will destroy you but even when you are trying to be hard and steely for some reason you make a connection with that patient and their death greatly affects you. For example she was treating a patient in the ER and the nurse going through her bag saw a sandwich in a bag which caused Dr. Brady to really see her as a human. She recounts another story where a mother wanted to see her son so badly she had to take hey oxygen mask off being warned it could be fatal to do so. She did saying good-bye to her son and died. As the documentary progresses, she looks more burnt out.

Dr. Chang starts off with a low case load in Northern California and moves to New York City to catch the COVID action ending up working 80 hour shifts and by the end of the documentary he appears very burnt out and disjointed admitting he is becoming more nervous about contracting the disease. He notes that he has hardly treated any Caucasians but many Latinos who live in multi-generational homes and do not have the luxury of working from home. He expresses gratitude that he is helping and that his family is safe.

Dr Aysola is working part time as an ER Physician while pursuing her MBA and her hospital is cutting the hours of nurses and doctors! Why? They are not making enough money on elective surgeries! She now worries about being able to pay the rent as she is being laid off. Incredulously she files for unemployment. She is desperately needed but the profit motive for American hospitals appears to lead to a conclusion it is causing a higher death count.

The frightening aspect of the documentary is that it is historical. It covers the first wave. If these physicians were worn and battered by the first wave by God what about the second and third wave?

Now is no time to be in a hospital with COVID-19. The way matters are progressing according to our Canadian doctors and politicos it maybe now you’ll just have to die at home.

This is a very personal and touching documentary that gives us a taste of what is coming.If you are getting tired of all the government propaganda (public health messages) save yourself some aggravation and watch this documentary. It speaks louder than some sappy media story or another incessant piece of government propaganda….which is of course for your own good?

At the time of writing this review it will be showing on the World Channel on February 1^st but may have expanded availability. If so I’ll let you know.

A film by Yung Chang and Annie Katsura Rollins. I would think a Part two and three may be required to make this a complete historical anthology. By the way the word “vaccine” was not mentioned once.

The Futility of Virtual Wine Tastings

Prior to COVID-19 life for a wine writer in Toronto was a busy one. Wine shows, tutored tastings, lunches and dinners with winemakers and trips abroad.

First let me dispel a myth that all these events are a glorious fun filled romp. Not so. It takes time to get to and from your destination. You have to be sharp and alert during your tastings if you plan to report your findings to your readers. Media trips to Europe are exhausting particularly for North Americans having to deal with jet lag. Add on big lunches and dinner with producers dangling wines for you to try and then visiting wine producers from 9-6 trying upwards of 40 wines a day. And since its not a good idea to swallow (except of course for an 1867 Port) extra concentration is required to evaluate the wine.

No I am not complaining. All these events add layers of appreciation and education not only for the wines but for those who make them and the terroir in which they are grown. The key factor is there is real wine in a real glass that you are tasting. You look at it, you smell it and you swirl it around in your mouth and spit it out.

In today’s COVID-19 world my sum total of winery visits has been two in Niagara one being Flat Rock Cellars which is one of my favourite Niagara producers and another winery I’d rather not say as I had the worst possible glass of Viognier there.

Many government consulates here in Toronto have simply given up hosting events as how can they! However of late I am seeing a growing trend for virtual wine tastings. That is a great idea if you have the wine that is being tasted in your glass. Frankly I find it boring and a waste of time to attend these virtual wine tastings. I mean how can you buy a car virtually without test driving it. In my world it has only been the Chileans who supplied wine to the invited wine writers attending the virtual tastings. I received an invitation this week to attend a New Zealand wine virtual tasting. I will not be attending and have no regrets about that. Remember that 1957-63 American television show, “Have Gun-Will Travel”. In my case it is “have wine will then taste virtually”!

Virus #26: Chapter 5 welcome to COVID-19 Plus

Chapter 5 “welcome to COVID-19 Plus”

COVID-19 Plus appeared in 2025. It originated near a pork processing plant in the state of Virginia so it can be honestly said to be an American virus. It was not in the slaughterhouse that it was born but rather from a pork feces holding tank near the pork processing plant.

A slaughterhouse must dispose of swine feces and in the United States transport of liquified animal feces across state lines was illegal due to the widespread understanding of the toxicity of such feces.

So the feces were stored in huge tanks. These are the same tanks you see at oil refineries. Hundreds of thousands of litres of pig shit with no place to go. They were a powerful breeding ground for bacteria and viruses. And some of the feces were affected by COVID-19 virus and in a toxic cesspool a mutation developed which wouldn’t be a problem if the feces were contained in their storage tanks.

Well Mother Nature doesn’t always co-operate and often strikes back at the abuse humans have done to the eco-system and will strike back whether it be through a virus that kills off some of the population or through huge forest fires like the ones in Australia in 2019 and 2020.or massive tsunamis or hurricanes. In this case it was an earthquake that cracked one storage tank sending thousands of litres of sewage spewing out all over the fields by the storage tanks and into the nearby river.

You can guess what happens next. Human ingestion through contaminated water. The COVID-19 Plus virus, as we called this new brute, was coated in a protein shield and that prevented water from killing it. And it prevented chlorine and fluoride from killing it.COVID-19 Plus sickened its victims almost identically to its predecessor COVID-19.

Humankind was spared the devastation cased by the earlier COVID-19 virus. We leant that the protein shield of the virus made this a very hearty virus and it bound itself to carbon particulate so it could latch on for a ride as did COVID-19. Some of us physicians believe it entirely possible the Sino-American COVID-19 virus might have originated in the heavily polluted Beijing area with so much carbon particulates it could easily latch on and virtually travel the world. It was perhaps a coincidence that when Wuhan was initially hit with the COVID-19 virus prevailing winds were coming from Beijing?

The global death toll from the short lived COVID-19 Plus was approximately 17,068,798 globally in 2025 which was not far off from he “regular influenza”. It has been estimated the Corona Virus has been with humanity for over 1,200 years. The issue was what was going to be the next mutation?