Is the coronavirus a hoax?

I recently read an article posted on Repr. Heather Scott’s face book page, entitled “The Contagion of Fear” by Chuck Baldwin, in which he outlines that the Coronavirus is a hoax created by those who seek profit from the resulting panic, leading to tyranny with more government and loss of First Amendment liberties. I was curious to learn more and decided to listen to another posted video by Dr. V.A Shiva.

He holds a Ph.D. in biological engineering from MIT in systems biology and claims that neither the Covid 19 virus nor any other virus can harm or kill anyone, but rather that immune systems weakened by pollution are the cause of death. He claims the deep state is creating epidemic fear to intentionally suppress the economy while profiting big industries and government at the expense of addressing pollution.

In these times of misinformation it is crucial to understand when science denial techniques are being used to promote a particular ideology, which during this epidemic could have disastrous impacts on our wellbeing as a whole. Conspiracy theories have a strong influence on policy makers who are inclined to not base their decisions on science-based evidence. This undermines scientists, health officials, and providers, who, globally are doing their utmost best to understand this brand new virus and stop it from overwhelming the health systems as it has already in Italy, New York and elsewhere. This is real life and death folks, and not just for the old and sick and elsewhere! Bergamo in Italy is very similar to Sandpoint.

The interesting thing about conspiracy theories is that there is always an important underlying value as well as a kernel of truth. Mr. Baldwin is afraid of loss of first amendment rights. The value of freedom is a global human value but also a uniquely American one, which is currently threatened by sweeping government actions. This is partly why I live here instead of in Germany. However, my sister oncologist in Germany just shared how currently patients there have been amazingly grateful and considerably less demanding when able to see their doctor in a safe environment. There seems to be more of a willingness to give up one’s freedom in exchange for public health measures that save lives.

The kernel of truth in this current American conspiracy theory is the profiteering of big Pharma. This is indeed a big problem as we have seen with the opioid crisis. However, to take this as a rationale to decry the epidemic as a hoax is a classic example of misrepresenting true facts to validate and protect a particular viewpoint. The conspiracy theory in this case consists of using the fact of Pharma profiteering from this epidemic as evidence for the CDC etc. deliberately attacking our freedom by fear mongering.

Dr. V.A Shiva reflects a similar conspiracy theory, though more oriented towards the underlying value of the sanctity of our bodies and planet. As a naturopathic physician, I support this sanctity. I also wholeheartedly agree with the kernel of truth that the CDC, the FDA, and our appointed government officials are under way too much influence of the petroleum and pharmaceutical industries, leading to a focus on profiteering rather than pollution reduction. However, using those to decry the epidemic as a hoax is unconscionable.

Dr. Shiva also uses a logical fallacy called false dichotomy for his own personal purpose, which very clearly appears to be the desire to get elected to the Senate so that he can fix all these problems. His inflammatory use of language is designed to appeal to people’s emotions - exactly what he is accusing above agencies of doing, i.e. fear mongering.

A false dichotomy incorrectly assumes that there are only two possibilities. By proving one right, one assumes the other one to be proved wrong or vice versa. Asserting that pollution is the cause of a weakened immune system, and then claiming that focusing on healthy living will keep us from getting killed by Covid 19 is a false dichotomy. He neglects to mention that there is another possibility - clear evidence that different microbes have different virulence (ability to infect and kill), and that this virus is a new Corona virus (not the regular flu/cold virus) that is currently killing or long-term disabling an as of now unknown percentage of people. To claim that improving one’s thyroid, digestion, and micro-biome is going to make one immune to the virus is an outright misrepresentation of scientific facts.

Naturopathic medicine has for centuries addressed what we call the terrain with patients – without denying the impact of microbes! A new strain can have disastrous impacts (e.g. Measles in New World, Spanish Flu, Ebola). Remember how Louis Pasteur discovered how hand washing prevented infections and deaths? There is an interconnection between the terrain and the disease agent, which needs to be supported by strong and good community health policies in an epidemic.

Dr. Shiva points out that big industry and agencies, in order to make money, have failed to reduce pollution and to educate people to live a healthy lifestyle. By default then he claims that the whole epidemic is a hoax meant to feed the pockets of industries - another example of a false dichotomy. Big corporations by nature are profit oriented, but that does not mean they are intent on destroying the economy or the health of our bodies or the planet by inventing an epidemic.

While his explanation of the immune system being way more complex than just antibodies is accurate and while I sympathize with his frustration with the pharmaceutical industry focusing primarily on antibody producing vaccines and anti-viral drugs, he is not accurate with claiming that cytokine storms like the ones of Covid 19 are the inevitable outcome only in dysfunctional immune systems – this is a false conclusion, another science denial technique.

As a naturopathic physician I have always educated my patients to nurture their terrain but not at the expense of addressing virulent microbes and public health measures such as social distancing and hand washing. I would hope that our Repr. Heather Scott would be supportive of such a view.

Dr. Gabrielle is a concerned citizen and licensed naturopathic physician.

Editor’s note: Unfortunately, there was a delay in printing the letter, “The Novel Coronavirus and the Middle Way” by Dr. Gabrielle Duebendorfer, which resulted in outdated COVID-19 epidemic hygiene and social distancing information.