The World Health Organization (WHO) has changed its position on government lockdowns as a measure for combating the Wuhan coronavirus. The WHO now believes that lockdowns have unintended consequences and should be avoided.
"We in the World Health Organization do not advocate lockdowns as the primary means of control of this virus,” Dr. David Nabarro, the WHO's Special Envoy on Covid-19 told The Spectator.
Dr. Nabarro then cited some of the harmful negative consequences of prolonged lockdowns that conservatives and President Trump have been warning about for months.
"Lockdowns just have one consequence that you must never ever belittle, and that is making poor people an awful lot poorer," Dr. Nabarro warned.
According to Dr. Nabarro, the only time the WHO believes a lockdown is justified is when a short time is needed "to reorganize, regroup, rebalance your resources, protect your health workers who are exhausted."
"But by and large, we'd rather not do it," admitted Dr. Nabarro.
The WHO official forecasted a possible doubling of world poverty next year and "at least a doubling of child malnutrition" as a result of the lockdowns.
Instead of closing economies, WHO is now calling on world leaders to develop better systems and learn from one another. The reversal comes after more than 3,500 doctors signed the Great Barrington Declaration, an open letter calling on world leaders to end the harmful lockdowns and adopt a new approach that scientists are calling "focused protection."
"As infectious disease epidemiologists and public health scientists we have grave concerns about the damaging physical and mental health impacts of the prevailing COVID-19 policies, and recommend an approach we call Focused Protection," reads the open letter.
"Coming from both the left and right, and around the world, we have devoted our careers to protecting people," the letter continues. "Current lockdown policies are producing devastating effects on short and long-term public health. The results (to name a few) include lower childhood vaccination rates, worsening cardiovascular disease outcomes, fewer cancer screenings and deteriorating mental health – leading to greater excess mortality in years to come, with the working class and younger members of society carrying the heaviest burden. Keeping students out of school is a grave injustice. Keeping these measures in place until a vaccine is available will cause irreparable damage, with the underprivileged disproportionately harmed."
Luckily Trump has prioritized the development of a vaccine. But will he get any credit for that? Of course not.
The scientists' "focused approach" includes a focus on protecting the most vulnerable while allowing most Americans who are not at risk of severe illness to go about their daily lives and develop herd immunity. In other words, the exact opposite approach taken by Gov. Cuomo (D-NY).
And will Trump or conservatives get any credit for being ahead of the scientists on the lockdowns? Of course not.