SE Grand Rapids News

A group of three epidemiologists is gathering support with a declaration they authored and posted online, expressing concern over lockdowns and other restrictions they feel are making the COVID-19 pandemic worse.

So far, the Great Barrington Declaration has gathered the signatures of over 12,000 medical and public health scientists, as well as more than 37,000 medical practitioners, according to its online signature count.

Among their concerns are mental health impacts, as well as the impact that lockdowns have on the diagnosis and treatment of other diseases.

“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,” the declaration reads. “Keeping students out of school is a grave injustice.”

In contrast to current policies, the originators and signers of the declaration are instead calling for “focused protection” as the best way to combat the coronavirus. They argue that the greatest good will come from focusing on protecting the most vulnerable.

“We know that vulnerability to death from COVID-19 is more than a thousand-fold higher in the old and infirm than the young. Indeed, for children, COVID-19 is less dangerous than many other harms, including influenza,” the declaration reads.

Primarily, the Great Barrington Declaration advocates for precautions, such as nursing homes seeking to use mostly staff who have acquired immunity to COVID-19, as well as minimizing the rotation of staff and regularly testing anyone who doesn’t have immunity yet.

The declaration also advocates for the elderly living at home to take additional precautions, such as having groceries and meals delivered or meeting family members outdoors rather than indoors.

“Those who are not vulnerable should immediately be allowed to resume life as normal. Simple hygiene measures, such as hand washing and staying home when sick should be practiced by everyone to reduce the herd-immunity threshold,” the declaration states. “Schools and universities should be open for in-person teaching. Extracurricular activities, such as sports, should be resumed. Young, low-risk adults should work normally, rather than from home. Restaurants and other businesses should open. Arts, music, sports and other cultural activities should resume.”