Editorial biased
I have found a number of errors and omissions in the editorial dated March 18 , that I would like to bring to the attention of the editor and readers. As far as I can tell, there is no such placed called “Imperial War College” in London as was mentioned; however, there is a research group from Imperial College London that issued a report from about potential deaths from COVID-19. That report, led by Neil M. Ferguson, projected 2.2 million deaths (not “hundreds of millions,” as you state) in the US by August 2020 if no control measures or changes in behavior occurred, which is a scenario that no sane person would ever promote. Professor Ferguson did not lose his position due to his projections; he resigned only as a government advisor after exploiting a loophole in social distancing rules of the UK.
You also mention Dr. Anthony Fauci, a long-time civil servant and expert who earned his stripes during the AIDS epidemic of the early 1980s. As you only mention that Fauci told “lies” but did not specifically mention any, I assume you were unable to find or fabricate any. You also seemed to infer that hydroxychloroquine is an effective remedy for COVID-19. A clinical trial funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) found hydroxychloroquine provided no benefit for patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. Despite what you said, the “the professionals” were not right. These data have been known for over 5 months now. The experts who followed the data were proven right. Why are you still harping on this?
Finally, you mention Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel. Governor Lamont’s Reopen Connecticut Advisory Group included Dr. Emanuel. It also included former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, Yale Professor Dr. Albert Ko, and former FDA commissioner Dr. Scott Gott lieb. Does the editor have a problem with these advisors, or does he just like to name drop Democratic boogeymen?
As we can start to see the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, it’s important that people get the facts. Misinformation has been one of the things that has hampered our eff orts to control this virus. I hope you and your readers find these clarifications useful.
Dominic Francese
Ed note: While we admit the error in the death count, Dr. Ferguson’s methodology has been disputed in many forums, and a quick search will show that his methods were in error—and found to be so. His predictions, however, were used to shutdown the industrial world. A May 2020 story in the Telegram of London excoriated his work, saying he would be fired if he were in the private sector.
Dr. Fauci, meanwhile is not the paragon the writer supposes. We are old enough to remember his contradictory statements were a problem back in the AIDS crisis, and he was a media darling back then, telling one group one thing and another something else. In this event it was, masks this week, no masks another, travel here, travel there, don’t travel, wear three masks. This is in addition to his taking credit for the rollout of the vaccines — a total lie. Dr. Fauci is the embodiment of the saying, “Close enough for government work.” In the matter of hydroxychloroquin, the American Medical Association changed its stance on its use, and a January study in New Jersey found it effective.
Dr. Emanuel is a Democratic operative as shown during the Obamacare debate, and spoke or answered questions and showed his stance toward shutting things down – in fact, he wanted to keep things closed for several more months. That was our point. The thrust of the editorial was such that no government should decide who is essential and who is not, and certainly not have the right to shut down an entire civilization. Sorry, we made one error, what you call misinformation is, in fact, opinion based on facts and events.
Thanks WHFD
On March 20, a tragic fire occurred at Williston Enterprises, 711 Savin Ave., Although the fire was devastating and a life was lost, the heroic efforts of the West Haven Fire Department prevented what could have easily become much worse and caused further loss of life. Within minutes firefighters were on the scene not only containing the fi re but also assisting many elderly residents out of the building.
In addition to the fire department, we would like to extend our gratitude to everyone at the West Haven Building Department and the Red Cross for the support they gave and continue to give us. It is very comforting to know we have the support of our community and its services in time of need. We are forever grateful for everything that was done for us.
Marcel Piekarski
Hadley, Inc. Property Manager
Williston Enterprises