I am beginning to suppose that widespread sense actually just isn't that widespread in any case – we dwell in exceedingly silly occasions. Exhibit 874: US anti-vaxxers at the moment are urging individuals to drink their very own urine to struggle coronavirus. Over the weekend, Christopher Key, the chief of an anti-Covid-19 vaccine group referred to as the “Vaccine Police”, posted movies on-line extolling the well being advantages of what he described as “urine remedy”. In keeping with the wizard of wee, there may be “tons and tons of analysis … [and] peer-reviewed printed papers on urine”; so for those who do your individual pee-search you'll uncover it's God’s personal antidote to Covid-19. “This vaccine is the worst bioweapon I've ever seen,” Key stated. “I drink my very own urine!”
That's not the one questionable factor he does. Key was not too long ago arrested for refusing to put on a masks and filming proceedings throughout a courtroom listening to. The explanation he was in courtroom? He was arrested in April for refusing to put on a masks at a Entire Meals retailer. In August he made headlines for suggesting that pharmacists needs to be executed for administering coronavirus vaccines; in December he additionally set off on a highway journey throughout the US with a faux badge and firearms, in a mission to arrest a Democratic governor over vaccine mandates. Very busy man, our Mr Key! I can't assist considering that if his identify was Mohammed his shenanigans would have had him locked up in Guantánamo Bay by now.
Key’s “urine remedy” is way from the one experimental – and extremely doubtful – Covid “remedy” to be promoted in the course of the pandemic. All of us keep in mind the previous US president’s feedback on the advantages of injecting bleach. Final yr noticed a chronic bout of Ivermectin-mania. Now, together with urine, the best appears to be fixated on Viagra and colloidal silver. Fox Information’s Tucker Carlson, who has repeatedly questioned the efficacy and security of Covid vaccines, not too long ago devoted a portion of his present to hyping the potential of Viagra as a possible remedy. Carlson seized on the story of a British nurse reportedly recovering from a Covid-19 coma, after being given a dose of Viagra, to sing the little blue capsule’s praises. “Is there something [Viagra] doesn’t remedy?” Carlson joked. Sure, I'm afraid it doesn't seem to remedy stupidity.
Talking of which, the conservative media character Candace Owens not too long ago advised her social media followers that she takes a “teaspoon a day” of colloidal silver, a product that has additionally been touted as a Covid remedy by the likes of Infowars founder Alex Jones. I'm certain I don't have to let you know this however there may be zero proof that colloidal silver might help with Covid. Quite the opposite, taking an excessive amount of can flip your pores and skin blue completely and, in uncommon circumstances, may even kill you. (I can by no means resist a possibility to big-up my hero Wilkie Collins, so I urge you to learn his underrated novel Poor Miss Finch, a couple of blind lady who falls in love with an identical twins, one among whom turns blue after making an attempt to remedy his epilepsy with silver. The novel received’t remedy Covid however it could present non permanent reprieve from existential ennui.)
The quantity of misinformation about Covid cures is extremely miserable, and it's important that we maintain to account the individuals spreading harmful falsehoods, and undermining belief within the vaccine. Nonetheless, allow us to be clear: the largest impediment in the direction of ending this pandemic just isn't kooks resembling Key and Owens. The impediment is the wealthy nations which have been hoarding vaccines, and the likes of Pfizer and Moderna, who've been gradual to license their vaccine expertise (developed with taxpayer cash) to poor nations. The truth that huge pharma is making billions from a public well being disaster is unconscionable. I'm very pro-vaccine however I'm working out of enthusiasm for boosters. The thought of doubtless having to get a fourth shot quickly, whereas a lot of the world nonetheless can't entry a primary dose, makes me sick. If solely we had a vaccine for greed.
Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian columnist
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