Several Alaska medical doctors have reached out to Must Read Alaska with grave concerns about the long-range effects of the national, state, and municipal COVID-19 health mandates. They were responding to a column linked at the bottom of this story.
The doctors who responded said they are concerned about the health of their patients, the health impacts of the generational poverty that current policies are creating, and the very civil liberties of Americans.
But they can’t speak out, because the State can take retaliatory measures against them and their license to practice in the state. Must Read Alaska obtained permission to quote them anonymously.
“This is the largest abuse of power I have ever witnessed in my lifetime,” wrote one Anchorage physician, expressing the sentiments of others in his practice. “And I believe the largest ever in our modern history. Emergency health and safety powers have never been used so broadly or for so long. How dare my government order me not to work indefinitely, or order me not to associate with others out of fear of something I may never have. Many are beginning to talk of class action suits and legal challenges. I pray they go forward.”
“We are destroying our state and our nation for generations. The federal government is focused on propping up the stock market with trillions in fake money, money that didn’t even exist yesterday,” that physician wrote.
Another doctor wrote to Must Read Alaska that breast cancer patients are staying away from needed appointments, and that there could be grave consequences months from now, as Stage 1 cancers become Stage 2 or higher:
“I do a lot of breast cancer surgery, and patients aren’t even coming to my office because they believe they won’t even be considered for surgery, and they’re in fear of getting the virus because of the media generated hysteria. I also have had conversations with some of my internal medicine colleagues who’s patients have presented to the ED with advanced complicated disease because they have been in fear of leaving their homes to seek care for their diabetes and other chronic illnesses. Hospitals are closing, healthcare providers are being laid off or furloughed, nurses are in tears because their hours are being cut. Private practice physicians are going out of business. My hospital is only 30% full,” the doctor wrote.
Still another physician wrote that although the coronavirus is serious, it likely has a mortality rate of under 1 percent, and the current mandates prevent herd immunity.
“The vast majority of people who get this will survive, and may even have minimal to no symptoms. We are hundreds of physicians who, although we have been team players contributing to COVID readiness, adamantly disagree with the current governmental mitigation strategy,” the doctor wrote.
“This strategy is based on the most flawed and false data and prediction models. These projections have changed on a daily basis, and before you say, “well, that’s because social distancing works,” we will remind you that the models touted by experts like Dr. Fauci 1-2 weeks ago suggesting the US would have over a million deaths with strict social distancing were absurd overestimates. Then the experts told us we would suffer 100,000-200,000 deaths from this, and now they say it will probably be around 60,000,” one doctor wrote.
“In fact, the longer term mortality rate that accompanies poverty and despair will be much higher. For every one percent increase in unemployment, there is a mortality rate of 10,000. With this new found government imposed poverty comes higher rates of suicide, domestic and child abuse, suicide, and general poor health and lack of health maintenance.” – Anchorage physician.
“There’s also the psychological effects of a hard working person being told you are a non essential worker, and the only thing you can contribute to this crisis, is to stay at home…how demoralizing. Individuals can and will find ways of keeping their businesses going while protecting the public without a distant government telling them how to. You have robbed them of their ability to do so with these mandates,” the doctor wrote.
While this is just a handful of comments, it’s evident that not all doctors are aligned with the state health mandates that prevent them from practicing medicine during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The opinion column that prompted the responses is linked here:
Thank you for giving these doctors a voice. When I work at Alaska Regional to repair machines, I have my temperature checked each time…by…surgeons! But hey, it’s employment, right? I know their skills could be better used on folks who need them more than ever. Halls are empty. Beds are empty. Surgery rooms are empty. It’s eerily quiet.
Nope! Not once has a surgeon checked anyone’s temperature at ARH. Read the badge closer next time. It’s either an RN or a Surgical Tech. Let me be honest, it was probably me, my badge reads: Certified Surgical Technologist
I tend to agree with this article. I wish someone would remind our state and federal government of the devastation of the Great Depression and the horrible effect it had on families and the unbelievable number of suicides. Yes, use precautions, but for goodness sake, let the doctors and nurses do their thing! They know very well how to protect themselves and their patients…they aren’t going to let them be exposed to the virus!
And yet, doctors and nurses have died from this. Guess they were sick the day the taught viruses in virus class.
The thing is, is that never has ONE virus been tested for in the case of a death. When people had went in before to the ER, with what started as flu like symptons and later died, they didn’t check for ONE virus, they would declare case of death maybe as a respitory infection. So who knows the numbers on all the other viruses, no one cause they never were tested like this!
Mutiny. I’m in!
it has sure seemed strange to me that all medical facilities and services were treated as they were…now that we have the means of testing for the virus with result within minutes…surely this whole shut down needs to be reviews and changed quickly….
OK, IF the 1% deaths goes into the villages and wipes out the elders who are frail and with other health problems what then? Are you willing to lose a culture? What then, rename the mountain back to McKinley? That isn’t being very responsible with native culture is it? Are you saying that loosing our elders is acceptable collateral damage? Really? Lose our culture and Alaska turns into Seattle north with no identity. It is important to realize that some doctors, not all, do not agree with the top doctors advising our Governor or our President. Do not become complacent or distracted. Stay the course.
GF, it is each persons, each families, and each tribe/villages responsibility to safe guard each other. In no way should it be an entire states, entire countries, responsibility to 100% sacrifice their future economic and physical health (the 2 are connected) to supposedly guarantee small groups of other people’s health!
You are a selfish person, assuredly on a guaranteed income.
Actually no, I am not on both of you assumptions. I just have old-school common sense.
Today I delivered school lunches and hundreds of masks. What did you do to be part of the solution?
That is your 1st amendment opinion. Whatever. You are wrong however. The government has responsibility to protect it’s citizens. Because I don’t want a whole culture to vanish makes me selfish? I’m good with that.
Greg we could wipe out every last traffic fatality, literally bring it to zero, if we mandate that expensive measures are added to each vehicle doubling its price. Then for good measure we drop the speed limit to 10 mph, even on interstates, crushing commerce in the process. Would you be in support of this mandate if it saved every last life? Or do we understand that putting mass into motion poses an acceptable risk and we do our best to mitigate that risk within our economic means?
I delivered masks to save lives. Food…..to feed the children.
Better yet, let’s just disallow driving altogether since we know there is a high likelihood that traffic accident fatalities will occur. No. We have been a cooperative bunch for weeks and, so far, not even an “exit plan” to reintegrate back into normalcy. Politicians have had their chance.
Again,Greg, the responsibility to “save” a culture lies with those in that culture. It does not lie with the other hundreds of thousands in this state, or anywhere else. Driving thousands in to poverty is disgraceful. This particular article gives evidence that our suffering was not necessary. The fact you want to continue our suffering to “save” culture is rediculous and selfish. You sit from a position of strength (govt income) and tell others to remain impoverished. To quote a now famous person, “How dare you!”
Delivering food and masks does nothing to change the long term pain the people you delivered to are, and will for a long time.
What did I do? I went out and got a new private sector job to replace the private sector job I lost on Sunday.
I guess your “thousands” haven’t heard of unemployment insurance. They should, because their employers have been taking it out of their checks. The folks I helped are fine. Well, as fine as they can be after being robbed of their permanent fund money. Now, the kids are fed and everyone can stay healthy.
Enough with these garbage models, and their garbage projections. Gov Dunleavy needs to man up and take responsibility for his unconstitutional mandates, and change course while we can still salvage the state. If not this is grounds for a Recall. President Trump needs to fire Dr. Fauci and his ridiculous comments about needing immunity papers to leave your home. The answer to 1984 is 1776!
The state was already toast when you let the socialist take over the house
You just didn’t know it yet.
Serious question Mongo; what is 1776 going to do about Conoco Phillips pulling their rigs off the slope and the inevitable furlough of field workers as oil is pushing record nominal lows? What is it going to do about the tourists not showing up this season? A little civil unrest will make both of those situations MONUMENTALLY worse.
.
Our economy has worse problems than stay at home orders. The State is going to get a lot less populated by baristas and restaurateurs. The markets not the doctors will be what tells us is essential and what is not. Americans have lost track of what a market is with all this money printing. That season is coming to and end. Anarcho-capitalists rejoice!
Word soup. When do you all go back to work?
After the 21st.
Stay at home, wear that mask, keep distant, do yoga, and laugh. Government’s orders.
My daughter, the yoga instructor, taught me this Sun Salutation thingy. I do it every morning, have been for 4 days straight. As tight as I am, it’s a miserable way to start the day. But each day is an improvement. I’m staying in the ring because I told her I would. Hoping the komissar unleashes the economy soon. I have taxes to pay!
Pearl Harbor was a total disaster, but as a direct result of our being drawn into WW-2 America became the strongest, wealthiest nation on earth. Then after many years of cold-war, we’re the only super-power left.
This C-19 virus seems to have gob-struck world leadership, who were so absorbed in pushing their various agendas, that they were blind-sided. They’re flailing about like someone drowning, grasping at straws.
As I’ve pointed out before, Trump has blessed Israel as no other American president ever has. God said to Abraham “Whomsoever blesses you, I will bless. Whomsoever curses you, I will curse.” Somewhere in all this C-19 chaos, I believe there is a huge blessing coming America’s way.
I feel a paradigm shift coming. This C-19 has taken on an unmerited power which is disrupting everything everywhere. It’s as if God Himself has magnified the danger in our leader’s minds, to overwhelm them, to force them out of the self-absorbed rut they had fallen into.
In but an instant, our leaders have come face to face with their ignorance of real matters. Suddenly, politics as usual isn’t serving them very well at all. Perhaps it’s a dose of humble for them?
I believe God will keep His word – As trump has blessed Israel, God will bless America. Amen!
And when that blessing becomes visible to all, don’t let any politician take credit for it. No even Trump, for if Trump does bring a blessing to America, it would have to be in ignorance. God has said that He turns the hearts of world leaders in any direction He so chooses.
Yep. When JC and boys come back, they will be pretty pissed if Israel is a thing of the past. We have to have their back.
He made it a thing of the past himself.
Yes indeed, He’s all but destroyed Israel a couple of times, but He’s always saved a remnant, of those who remained faithful to Him, and didn’t fall away.
I recommend that Dr Zink respond to these Docs. I’d like to see what she says.
I think our Governor and President have been persuaded by “experts” to impose the restrictions. Better safe than sorry. However, now that the “experts” have been exposed as liberal tools, pushing the vaccination “papers please” agenda, it’s time to fix the real problem (I don’t think it’s the virus). Time to open Alaska and America back up for business. Enough damage. It can still be fixed but that won’t last much longer. Soon it will be that slippery slope into any number of awful circumstances. The only thing that appeals to me about the entire virus ‘faux pas’, it that the liberals have gone all in and exposed their true selves and agenda. It’s not America. At least not as we know it. You think being short of toilet paper is bad, wait and see what happens should the leftists have their way. Everyone will probably have enough “new money” (the super inflated kind) to use for replacing toilet paper. Americans must stand up and take America back. We need to remove that boot that’s ever closer to our neck and make sure it doesn’t come back.
With mad Bernie quitting the day after swearing he would stay on the ballot in all 50 states, grandpa Joe is the best they can come up with? A competent 3 year old could see through this. Are they for real? You know there’s a really scary scheme waiting in the wings. Waiting for America and Americans to fold over the Wuhan v and loss of income across the board. Then, it will be “government” to the rescue. If we allow that to happen, we might well deserve it. In order for evil to succeed, all that is needed is for “good people to do nothing”.
Odd, don’t you think. Virus has been raging all over the country for a couple of months and no doctor rebellion anywhere in any state but suddenly, Alaska ‘doctors’ are the only ones to supposedly speak out.
And several of them all just happen to come out of the woodwork only after an article runs that primes these doctors to paraphrase the article itself.
Only Alaska ‘doctors’ are
Yep. Being prodded by mongers that sell stories. Almost like fake news.
This is right out of Sun Tzu. Unleash the weapon on your own, knowing you have a top-down culture and your enemy does not. Testing and quarantining are exact. You control global medical device and scale sanitation supplies, such that they are abundant, compared to the West, where they are lacking.
In weeks you vaporize the wealth and economies of the West while the bars are back open in Shanghai. China won phase 1. The US was caught totally unprepared for this attack.
Phase 2 could make Phase 1 look attractive.
Suzanne,
Good reporting and I am glad these doctors have reached out to you.
It is starting to look like a time to reread my copy of “Dr. Zhivago” by Boris Pasternak.
One of the doctors you quoted said: “With this new found government imposed poverty comes higher rates of suicide, domestic and child abuse, suicide, and general poor health and lack of health maintenance.”
I was just reading on the “armytimes” site that 3 military members in South-central were found dead in their homes this last month and C-19 was NOT a factor?
Unless the economy is opened back up & all our civil liberties quickly returned, I believe that these physicians are correct that:
“We are destroying our state and our nation for generations.”
These doctors aren’t in a hot spot location like New York now are they. I bet they would sing a different tune if they had that sort of experience. A handful of liberal doctors should stay out of politics. Go lance a boil or something.
But this isn’t NYC and a one size fits all solution won’t work. Malaria has killed over 200,000 people since this Wuhan virus hit the US. Should we embrace malaria mitigation in Alaska this summer to conform to the needs of Sub-Sahara Africa? How about Tsetse fly precautions for sleeping sickness?
Right now major national decisions are predicated on health modeling … so yes doctors are already in the mix and from the tally so far, the modeling is off big time.
Since our state is tabulating and disseminating incorrect information on the death totals, I sent and email on Monday to the Alaska Infectious Disease Program for clarification on why they are recording OUT of state deaths as Alaskan deaths when the CDC says “Death data, once received and processed by National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), are tabulated by the state or jurisdiction in which the death occurred. Death counts are not tabulated by the decedent’s state of residence.” https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/COVID19/index.htm
.
I’m sure they are busy at the Alaska Infectious Disease Program, but I was told by an automated response that they would respond to my question in 2-3 days, I’m still waiting on their response. If they are falsely tabulating and disseminating the death totals are they doing the same with the confirmed cases? Are they counting people who are not even in our state and in our communities?
Steve O,
Good work.
I thought it was fishy from Day one that out of state deaths were counted as instate?
It seems like the powers that be want Alaska to have an Emergency regardless if one exists or not up here in the North?
Must have something to do with that $100 million dollar Corona handout from the feds?
With a population density of 1 person per square mile, you can see we are in a much better position than the rest of the world to weather out this storm.
Keep on it and I am curious to see the response you get back from the bureaucrats…hopefully these numbers can be adjusted to reflect the reality in AK.
The one person per square mile statistic, while superficially true, is illusory; Alaska is crowded except where it is empty. Especially in rural Alaska people live in very close quarters and have minimal healthcare resources.
Good point Art, a quick search revealed the following population densities:
Homer 421 people per square mile, Anchorage 171 people per square mile, Seldovia 680 people per square mile, Shaktoolik 242 people per square mile, Kodiak 1600 people per square mile, Fairbanks 1006 people per square mile, Shishmaref 243 people per square mile, Dillingham 69 people per square mile, Bethel 143 people per square mile, Ketchikan 2179 people per square mile, Wasilla 724 people per square mile, Nome 296 people per square mile, Cordova 50 people per square mile. Some of the lower numbers are due to having a large unpopulated area, since we both know most of these small communities people are stacked in next to each other. Of course those numbers get no where close to the 26,403 people per square mile in New York City.
“…26,403 people per square mile in New York City.”
Sounds to me that such high density would greatly magnify the virus’ effects…..
Correct. I like the empty where it isn’t full. That’s deep.
The first victim was a St. Petersburg, AK resident without access to the healthcare he needed (for what turned out to be COVID-19) so he was medevaced to Seattle, WA.
From the news:
“When Delbert “Pete” Erickson of Petersburg got sick last month, his family thought it was routine. The 76-year-old had been medevaced from his home in Southeast Alaska to Seattle for treatment so many times during the last few years that he joked about getting frequent flyer miles.
His family was shocked when a COVID-19 test came back positive just hours before Erickson’s death last week, his son said.”
Simon,
There is no place in Alaska called St. Petersburg, there is however a town called Petersburg and that is where the person you are referring to was from. He did not go out of state for medical care related to covid but because he was suffering from heart failure. He contracted covid in Seattle and died there, therefore under CDC guidelines his death should not be counted by as a death in Alaska, common sense tells us that if you die in one place your death is not transferred to another.
O—Unless you have documentation indicating otherwise, what was reported was although Mr. Erickson regularly rec’d treatment in Seattle for his chronic health issues, his last medivac turned out to be for COVID19.
I guess you’ve never been a victim of autocorrect; good for you. You knew what (where) I meant. Unfortunately, I had several unintended corrections while typing this response.
Found another article. You are correct; I was wrong. “St.” Was an involuntary autocorrect. Peace.
Steve-O, thought you might like this:
.
On April 7, Dr. Deborah Birx, the response coordinator for the White House coronavirus task force, said anyone who dies and has tested positive with the coronavirus will be labeled as a death resulting from coronavirus, regardless of whether or not the person had any underlying health conditions prior to being diagnosed with the virus.
.
The federal government is classifying the deaths of patients infected with the coronavirus as COVID-19 deaths, regardless of any underlying health issues that could have contributed to the loss of someone’s life.
.
Dr. Birx said the federal government is continuing to count the suspected COVID-19 deaths this way, despite other nations doing the opposite.
.
from the Daily Caller April 7, 2020
Our own Dr. Zink said that if a person that died in a car crash had covid it would be counted as a covid death.
So out of the 1,500 physicians in Alaska you found two (?) who disagree with the state medical officer. Have you asked the rest?
Paul – I appreciate that question. I have spoken to four physicians. – sd
Lol
That speaks volumes.
Those 4 professionals undoubtedly had spoken to many of their peers, before they dared utter an politically incorrect opinion……………..and if I understand correctly, they sought out Suzanne, asking her to publish their viewpoint.
I am pleased that Suzanne did so, knowing she could get some flak over it, not just from her readers, but from the powers that be.
Undoubtedly???? Kind assuming there aren’t you?
Whenever I go to a doctor for treatment for anything, I must assume that they will be professional about it. To assume that they may not be would leave me in a serious quandary, wouldn’t it?
We live our lives with many assumptions. Otherwise we would be trapped in endless “programming loops”.
Good for you.
Makes for a good story. A little less spin please.
Doctors without orders Some don’t support the government mandates
Along with class-action lawsuits, productive Alaskans should be ready to invoke jury nullification when business owners re-open in the face of fines and government retaliation.
.
What do you think’ll happen when every victim of government retaliation demands a trial and every prospective juror informs the judge he’d never vote to convict in these circumstances?
.
May we respectfully ask Governor Dunleavy to re-open Alaska and “clean house” by firing officials and amateur number crunchers whose curves, bad models, false reports, and social-distancing policy didn’t fix anything but did wreck Alaska’s economy, panic the populace, and endanger Alaskan people by denying them the proven benefit of “herd immunity”.
.
The longer this goes on, the more panic becomes a normal state of mind. This state of affairs is not sustainable. This chaos has to stop.
.
What’s worth more, a license or a life?
.
If the State can take retaliatory measures against Doctors Without Orders and their license to practice in the state, DWO better get off their duffs and (respectfully) demand Governor Dunleavy protect them from retaliation while they blow the whistle on what looks like deliberate, reckless malpractice committed against Alaskan people by unelected officials entrusted with their care!
.
Blow the whistle to whom?
.
Doctors Without Orders have a duty to meet with Governor Dunleavy, not some gatekeeper, not Peoples Official State Doctor Zink, and give him a brief, BS-free, Power-Point presentation on the background, problem, and fix that’ll give Governor D. options for leading us out of this chaos.
.
Doctors Without Orders have a duty to meet with the U.S. Attorney and file a complaint if they believe: (a) Medicare and Medicaid funds may have been misused during what appears to be deliberate malpractice against cancer victims and others with similarly life-threatening issues and
.
(b) the –civil rights– of cancer victims and others with similarly life-threatening issues are violated by unelected bureaucrats whose deliberate, reckless, potentially homicidal policies deny them treatment.
.
And, DWO, don’t forget to bring your own court reporter to these meetings!
.
Why not the State Department of Law? After the Great Alaska LeDoux Vote Experiment, failure to enforce legislators’ attendance when Governor D. called the special session, apparent non-responsiveness to North Slope Borough’s illegal seizure of RAVN Air property, and the apparent non-support for Governor D. during his meeting with Chief Justice Bolger, himself an advocate for Governor D’s removal, our confidence in the State Department of Law leadership is minimal, at best.
.
So, Doctors Without Orders, what’s worth more to you lot, a license or a life?
.
You have work to do. Get to it, chop chop!
Without names, this information is meaningless. This could be garbagemen you are quoting—or entirely fictional. You complain about “media hysteria” but this is irresponsible journalism at its most dangerous.
Suzanne’s reputation is well known and well respected – she would not quote garbagemen and say they were doctors.
Correction: They could be doctors who graduated at the bottom of their respective classes. Without names, no credibility—and very dangerous.
Comments are closed.