There was a time when the World Health Organization (WHO) was actually dedicated to the health of entire world and not a paid propaganda machine for the communist Chinese government. ICYMI – President Trump said to the WHO, “You’re fired!”
Let’s invite Dr. Donald Ainslie Henderson to make a posthumous housecall on Washington, D.C. Who is he?
Dr. Henderson was a leader of the successful international effort to eradicate smallpox.
From 1966 to 1977, Henderson directed the World Health Organization’s (WHO) successful effort to eradicate smallpox and also was instrumental in initiating the WHO’s poliomyelitis eradication program.
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions Portraits
In 2006, Dr. Henderson was the lead author of an article published on the Penn State University website titled Disease Mitigation Measures in the Control of Pandemic Influenza. “This article reviews what is known about the effectiveness and practical feasibility of a range of actions that might be taken in attempts to lessen the number of cases and deaths resulting from an influenza pandemic.“
The article’s conclusions cover these topics on page 373
- Closure of Schools | widespread closures, sustained throughout the pan-demic, would almost certainly have serious adverse social and economic effects
- Hand-washing and Respiratory Hygiene | Do it and cover coughs and sneezes
- Cancelling or Postponing Meetings or Events Involving Large Numbers of People | While local concerns may result in the closure of particular events for logical reasons, a policy direct-ing communitywide closure of public events seems in-advisable.
- Quarantines | The problems in implementing such measures are formidable, and secondary effects of absenteeism and community disruption as well as possible adverse consequences, such as loss of public trust in government and stigmatization of quarantined people and groups, arelikely to be considerable.
- Screening Passengers at Points of Entry to the Country | Experience has shown that these actions are not ef-fective and could have serious adverse consequences;thus, they are not recommended.
An overriding principle – Experience has shown that communities faced with epidemics or other adverseevents respond best and with the least anxiety when the normal social functioning of the community is least disrupted. Strong political and public health leadership toprovide reassurance and to ensure that needed medicalcare services are provided are critical elements. If either is seen to be less than optimal, a manageable epidemic could move toward catastrophe.
Government guidelines and state-county mandates punishable by fines and imprisonment actually prolong the pandemic. Dr. Henderson’s prescription was to develop immunity either by natural means or by vaccinations.
Government guidelines have been the driving force behind stores spraying down shopping carts with Lysol, wiping clean gasoline pump panels after each use, big ‘X’ marks-the-spots at cashier lines. The virus is an airborne pathogen, not something you catch b touching a surface.
I see some progress in changing the way local governments think about the threat of infection. But it’s a frustrating climb up Mount Factmore.
What experience and history teaches us is that people and governments have never learned anything from history, or acted on principles deduced from it.
We learn from history that we do not learn from history.
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Philosopher
Meanwhile, go back to work!
John White
Rockwall, Texas
John N. White 