Allen West’s Twitter Tirade Epitomizes The Anti-Science combat Being Waged all through The Covid-19 Pandemic

FILE - in this Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021, file picture, Texas gubernatorial hopeful Allen West speaks ... [+] on the Cameron County Conservatives anniversary celebration, in Harlingen, Texas. West, a candidate for the Republican nomination for governor of Texas, spoke of Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021, that he has acquired monoclonal antibody injections after being diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia. (AP photo/Eric gay, File)

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Texas Republican gubernatorial candidate, Allen West, became hospitalized this weekend with Covid-19-connected pneumonia and low blood oxygen levels. As he recovers within the clinic, West took to Twitter to voice criticism of vaccine mandates and the govt’s response to the pandemic.

Unvaccinated, and seemingly happy with it, West railed towards vaccines and vaccine mandates, calling them “unhealthy.” He wrote: “in its place of jabbing americans with a dangerous shot which injects them with these spike proteins ... wager what? I now have herbal immunity and double the antibodies, and that’s science.”

What West is propagating, however, is not science. It’s also untrue.

as an alternative of pushing for vaccinations, West asks, why is the executive now not “promoting protocols equivalent to Regeneron monoclonal antibody infusion therapy? Why now not promote … Hydroxychloroquine, and yes, Ivermectin?”

In medical institution, West has been undergoing monoclonal antibody therapy, and is also taking hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin. whereas a monoclonal antibody therapy has bought emergency use authorization from the food and Drug Administration, hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin don't seem to be accredited as treatments for Covid-19, as evidence doesn't support their use.

Curiously, West inveighs towards the institution with the aid of mentioning that “in its place of enriching the pockets of huge Pharma and corrupt bureaucrats and politicians, we should be advocating the monoclonal antibody infusion therapy.”

This begs the question, who makes the monoclonal antibody in question? Of path, it’s Regeneron, a big pharmaceutical firm. moreover, a Covid-19 vaccine charges about $40 for 2 doses, whereas a monoclonal antibody treatment is $2,one hundred, moreover the Covid-19 clinic reside that may run to tens of hundreds of bucks.

right here, Benjamin Franklin’s adage applies: an oz. of prevention is worth a pound of cure. In all probability, had West been vaccinated, he would have averted getting hospitalized and incurring expensive medical bills. in addition, there’s a chance charge worried, whereby West is unnecessarily using up scarce health center resources, which might have been deployed for other patients.

Does West care? doubtless no longer. He went on to specific his gratitude that “clinical experts [in the hospital] listened to [him] and not some boiler plate CDC, Dr Fauci, or Texas clinical Board mandates.” this means a deep-seated solipsism, however also an irrational aversion to anything connected to the govt.

It’s also a reflection of what public fitness officers and policymakers are up towards. The anti-science movement is insidious. And, West is not an blameless bystander. He’s actively undermining public health by means of declaring that the “govt is running propaganda commercials of individuals who lost household to COVID announcing they wish they had taken the shot. This level of manipulative deception ought to end.”

The implied tips to his followers is detrimental. And, it’s not simply misinformation. It’s disinformation that’s been espoused by a motley crew of influential television and radio personalities, politicians, and anti-executive contrarians.

lengthy before the arrival of the Delta variant, there changed into a number of mis- and disinformation. but, it’s been primarily pernicious when you consider that may additionally of this 12 months and has contributed to the deaths of tens of lots of people.

Why has the Delta wave ravaged the U.S. to a level not considered in any peer nation (equivalent when it comes to gross home product per capita)? smartly, in general it’s as a result of a a whole lot lower vaccination cost. while vaccines aren’t ultimate they are very first rate at fighting severe disorder. They shop lives. by using making this right into a way of life battle, West and his fellow self-proclaimed freethinkers are complicit in the deaths of many americans.

all the way through the pandemic, their pseudo-arguments epitomize the anti-science fight being waged towards public health.

When after being hospitalized with Covid-19, someone as intelligent as West still says vaccines are “bad” and that he’s “much more dedicated to fighting against vaccine mandates,” it suggests an unwillingness to alternate, if simplest for the advantage of fellow residents to evade unnecessary suffering.

possibly West might be taught a aspect or two from other firebrand libertarians who did alternate their tune. as an example, before he died of Covid-19, conservative radio host and vaccine-skeptic Phil Valentine had the humility and decency to concern an announcement advising people to get vaccinated.