TUCSON, Ariz., July 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Most jurisdictions are easing pandemic mitigation measures. In Arizona, for example, Gov. Ducey has lifted the state-wide mask mandate for schools and stated that requiring unvaccinated students exposed to COVID-19 to quarantine is against state law. Some express concern that relaxation of measures in schools will trigger new outbreaks.
The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) agrees that policy should be based on valid evidence, and makes the following statements:
- Science is a method for discovering truth, based on observation, measurement, open inquiry, and hypothesis testing. “The Science” is not equivalent to the opinion of a government official or bureaucracy.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) “takeaways” may be contradictory and not evidence-based. As of July 19, CDC recommends 3-foot distancing, no longer 6 ft. Neither number is evidence-based, and if the virus is air-borne, ventilation and air disinfection are helpful measures.
- The definitions of both “exposure” and “case” are unclear. If the PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test is used, does the cycle threshold exceed the new CDC guideline of 28, beyond which “sequencing is not feasible” according to the CDC? If so, the result likely indicates a non-infectious patient.
- Quarantining nonvaccinated students is discriminatory and coercive, and violates principles of informed consent. Vaccination does not necessarily prevent transmission.
- There is little evidence that asymptomatic persons cause disease outbreaks.
- New cases of COVID-19 infection in children have been steadily declining since the week of April 15 and have been very low since the week of June 3 and have made up an increasingly smaller percentage of all new U.S. reported cases. Despite the many variants in the US, rates of pediatric hospitalization and deaths from COVID-19 have remained at a very low stable rate.
- Research on COVID-19 vaccines for children under age 12 is just beginning. Long-term effects such as autoimmune conditions or infertility cannot be known without studies lasting for years.
- Masking children has harmful effects, both physical and psychological.
- Social isolation is having devastating effects on children’s mental health.
- Methods for tracking adverse vaccine reactions are limited. As of July 9, the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) had reports of nearly 11,000 vaccine-associated deaths. A causal link is not established, but the number is vastly higher than reports related to all previous vaccines combined.
AAPS concludes that COVID-19 mitigation measures have harms that must be balanced against benefits in each particular circumstance. Top-down imposition of society-wide governmental restrictions is not scientific or evidence-based, and may cause devastating unintended consequences.
The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons has represented physicians in all specialties since 1943. Its motto is omnia pro aegroto, everything for the patient.
Contact: Jane M. Orient, M.D., (520) 323-3110, janeorientmd@gmail.com