We are publishing in full an article by Christopher Snowden in the Tepegraph as we agree with the sentiments-see below

After predicting that 100,000 Covid cases a day were “almost inevitable” if the Government went ahead with “freedom day” in England, Professor Neil Ferguson later admitted that he had got it wrong, but his words were telling. “I’m quite happy to be wrong if it’s wrong in the right direction,” he said.

He must be a happy man because he and his fellow modellers could hardly have been more wrong this year. Time and again, they produce a range of scenarios with such broad margins of error that almost any outcome short of the dead rising from their graves seems to be covered. And yet they still manage to be wrong – and always wrong in the same direction. Always too pessimistic.

Remember when reopening the schools in March was going to lead to a surge in infections? Didn’t happen. Remember the claim that October would see 7,000 Covid-related hospital admissions a day in England unless the Government brought in a “basket of measures”? Admittedly, 7,000 was at the top end of their projections and Sage said it was “highly unlikely”, but even their most optimistic scenario projected 2,000 admissions per day. In the end, October came and went without admissions ever reaching 1,000.

Back in February, modellers at Warwick University projected at least 1,000 deaths a day if the Government removed all restrictions in July. Even their “best we can manage” scenario – in which “freedom day” was delayed until the start of September – led to 750 deaths a day. In reality, there hasn’t been a day since March when it reached 150.

It is not just the modellers. When the infection rate plummeted in July, ITV’s political editor Robert Peston claimed to have been told by a government source that people who are reinfected with the virus are not included in the daily case numbers. This, he said, was “profoundly troubling” and “undermines confidence” in the idea that cases were tumbling. After breezily tweeting this on a Sunday morning, he proceeded to ignore all replies from experts telling him that reinfections make up less than one per cent of the total.

There was no apology because there was no threat of comeuppance. The people who falsely claimed that herd immunity had been reached last summer became laughing stocks, but those who have been consistently “wrong in the right direction” (i.e. pro-lockdown) have lost no status whatsoever. The Today programme still has them on speed dial.

It is not as if pessimism comes without consequences. Ferguson’s prediction led Keir Starmer to oppose the lifting of restrictions in July. So-called Independent Sage called for the reintroduction of Step 2 of the roadmap (no meeting indoors). Thankfully, the Government ignored these demands, but what if it hadn’t? It would have cost the economy billions and ruined what was left of the summer.

With the same people now lobbying to ruin the winter, let’s keep their track record in mind. The “direction” in which they erred isn’t important. What matters is that they were wrong.

Samedaydoctor has been interviewed on GB News and Talk Radio about ongoing health issues including the possibility of a strike by NHS GP’s.

Furthermore a member of the group of scientists advising the government on coronavirus has stepped down from the role. Sir Jeremy Farrar has been part of the independent Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) since the start of the pandemic. He said he had left at the end of October so he could focus on his work as director of medical charity the Wellcome Trust.

Sir Jeremy also said Sage scientists had often had to work “under huge pressure” to provide “vital evidence, and independent, expert, transparent advice”. In his statement confirming he had left Sage, he said: “The Covid-19 crisis is a long way from over, with the global situation deeply troubling.

“The high levels of transmission seen in the UK remain concerning, but I stepped down as a participant of Sage knowing ministers had been provided with most of the key science advice needed over the winter months.”

The UK recorded 33,865 Covid cases on Tuesday, with the total number of cases in the past seven days down 10.4% on the previous week.

Deaths are still rising, with 293 deaths within 28 days of a positive test reported.

This outraged private GP reveals to LBC that government enforced bureaucracy means “putting a swab down someone’s throat” is costing clinics thousands of pounds.

These “totally discriminatory” measures are making it almost impossible for private clinics to operate. Dr Laurence Gerlis from Same Day Doctor, a chain of private GP clinics, said: “Private clinics have been accused of profiteering over this… but the government decided that swabbing for PCR testing had to be regulated by another body called UKAS, and it’s cost us in the region of £30,000 so far because we haven’t been finally approved.

“We applied 7 months ago, and the process is still ongoing and we still haven’t been fully approved. We’re allowed to continue to do it because the legislation doesn’t kick in till August 31st, and it’s made our lives absolute hell.”

Dr Gerlis then called the rules “totally discriminatory”, claiming one of his doctors who also works in the NHS can do swabbing there, but not in their private clinic.

Nick then replied: “Thousands of mums and dads test their kids before school, but they’re allowed to put swabs in their kids’ mouths, but you have to spend thousands of pounds to do it?” “The company selling them doesn’t have to be registered with UKAS,” Dr Gerlis said.

“It’s only I, as a doctor, putting this swab into someone’s throat – which is something I’ve trained to do and done for years for other conditions.

“I’m now being forced to spend this money to register with UKAS and jump through bureaucratic hoops, the likes of which I’ve never experienced before.”

Dr Gerlis then said ‘Grenfell tower’ was quoted in his conversations with UKAS over the importance of him registering to swab, which he found ‘hugely insulting.’

“It’s more about power than money,” Dr Gerlis said.

“They love being able to regulate and interfere with what’s going on in our lives. I don’t expect anyone to have sympathy for private doctors, we never get any, but really this is horrific.”

We discussed the proposal on TV’s GB News whether sugar and salt should be taxed and vegetables prescribed by the NHS, as an independent review of the food we eat has suggested.

The report, led by businessman Henry Dimbleby, says taxes raised could extend free school meal provision and support better diets among the poorest.

England’s National Food Strategy also wants GPs to try prescribing fruit and vegetables to encourage healthy eating.

The food industry warned new taxes could increase food prices.

Ian Wright, of the Food and Drink Federation, which represents manufacturers, said: “Obesity and food is very much about poverty, and we need measures to tackle poverty and to help people to make choices they need to make.”

The government has promised to respond with proposals for future laws within six months.
The review, commissioned by the government in 2019, says historic reforms of the food system are needed to protect the NHS, improve the health of the nation and save the environment.

The new taxes would be applied to wholesale sugar and salt purchased by manufacturers, which could in turn raise some prices on shelves.

But Mr Dimbleby said: “We do not actually believe that for most things it will hike the price – what it will do is it will reformulate, it will make people take sugar and salt out.”

The review describes the Covid-19 pandemic as a “painful reality check” that has revealed the scale of food-related ill-health.

“Our high obesity rate has been a major factor in the UK’s tragically high death rate,” said Mr Dimbleby, who co-founded the fast food chain Leon.

Samedaydoctor was interviewed on GB News about Long Covid

Common long COVID symptoms include:

extreme tiredness (fatigue)
shortness of breath
chest pain or tightness
problems with memory and concentration (“brain fog”)
difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
heart palpitations
dizziness
pins and needles
joint pain
depression and anxiety
tinnitus, earaches
feeling sick, diarrhoea, stomach aches, loss of appetite
a high temperature, cough, headaches, sore throat, changes to sense of smell or taste
rashes

We have looked after a number of patients with long covid- it is a challenge and most are responding to treatment based on the management of other post viral syndromes.

Scientists say they have detected irregularities in the blood of long Covid patients that could one day pave the way for a test for the condition.

Imperial College London researchers found a pattern of rogue antibodies in the blood of a small number of people with long Covid.

They hope it could lead to a simple blood test within six to 18 months.

Dr Elaine Maxwell, from the National Institute of Health Research, said the early findings were “exciting”.

She said there could be “a number of different things happening after a Covid-19 infection” and an autoimmune response “has been one of the suspected mechanisms”.

But she warned that long Covid was a “complex condition”, saying it was important to continue to research the other causal factors so all different types of post-Covid syndrome could be diagnosed and treated.

Samedaydoctor was interviewed on GB News about the BMA postion outlined blow on lifting Covid restrictions.

Just over two weeks before England is due to lift all coronavirus restrictions, doctors are urging the government to keep targeted measures in place amid an “alarming” rise in cases. All legal restrictions are due to be lifted on 19 July. But the British Medical Association said measures were crucial to protecting the NHS, people’s health, the economy and education. Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA council chair, said the easing of restrictions was not a binary “all or nothing” decision and that “sensible, cautious measures” were still required. See how many cases are in your area. And what’s the roadmap for lifting lockdown?

Our view is that common sense should prevail and people should be allowed to make their own decisions. Some sensible measures such as maks wearing and good ventilation should continue on a voluntary basis.

Samedaydoctor private GP clinics were interviewed on GB news about the future of the Covid virus.

‘I still feel that the virus will mutate but mutate in a way that it eventually disappears and we’ve all got immunity.’

Dr Laurence Gerlis tells McCoy and Philips that he’s ‘an optimist’ about the fight against Covid. The pattern of most viruses is that they become less virulent in time and although they may become more conatagious our vaccination programme will hopefully mean that there is a high level of immunity in the population.

Dr Gerlis also suggested that the priorities for the NHS should include dealing with the waiting lists and addrssing the problems of mental health as a result of the pandemic. In addition we need to improve the diagnostic and treatment procedures for cancer patients to catch up with the backlog.

There has been considerable speculation in the press that following the COVID-19 pandemic with people isolating that we have left the population vulnerable to a flu epidemic next winter.

It is difficult to predict whether this will come true or not. We have not had a severe flu epidemic for several years but Covid has changed the immune levels and demographics considerably.

We should definitely prepare for a large-scale flu vaccination program starting around September 2021. That should include as many vulnerable people, older people and as many adults as possible. In addition flu vaccines are available for children.

Following the success of the vaccine roll out for Covid to all age groups, we can now use this information to extend the flu vaccination program to virtually the entire population rather just limit it to a few specific groups. In this way we should get a successful and wide ranging flu vaccination program

Samedaydoctor has been interviewed on several occasions by the brand new TV channel GB news. We have been asked our opinions about the likelihood of a flu epidemic next winter and also whether travel restrictions are too draconian for UK vaccinated poeple travelling in and out of the UK.

We believe that although there is a third wave of the delta variant of Covid 19 in the UK, as 80% of the population have antibodies from previous infecton or vaccination, we should be able to rmeove the requirement for vaccinated and immune people to do PCR tests for traval. At present, if one is travelling to and from an Amber List country, 5 PCR tests are required per person travelling which requires a great deal of organisation and some considerable cost.

Furthermore, there is no evidence that a flu epidemic is likley next winter. Although people have been isolating more, the roll out of the vaccinations has created a high degreee of general immunity in the population, and this should protect us over the next year. No booster Covid vaccines should be necessary although the ususal flu vaccines are advised next autumn.

GB News has reported this as below on their website:

Reports of a “doom-laden” winter where Britain could be hit hard by an outbreak of flu and Covid-19 are overblown, a top doctor has told GB News.

Dr Laurence Gerlis from Same Day Doctor said the UK would benefit from boosted immune systems, thanks to Covid jabs, which help provide protection against other similar diseases.

He said: “I don’t think there’s going to be a flu epidemic this winter, and I think that doom-laden prediction is wrong.

“We’ve all got very good immunity now. If 80% have immunity against Covid now, that would work as a non-specific immune boost against other viruses of a similar nature.

“We will do a flu rollout in September of course. I’m quite sure with Covid on the way out, and no flu epidemic this winter, I’m sure we can have a good Christmas.”

It comes after Professor Anthony Harnden, deputy chairman of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, said flu could be a “bigger problem” than Covid-19 this winter.

Samedaydoctor has recently been able to offer advice and management for this chronic condition.

DSAP mainly affects the lower arms and legs bilaterally and arises more frequently on the lower legs. There may be few or innumerable lesions. The forehead and cheeks are affected in less than 10% of individuals and DSAP almost never occurs on the scalp, palms or soles. It tends to be more prominent in the summer and may appear less prominent in winter. New lesions have been provoked by ultraviolet light in sun lamps.

The lesions are composed of multiple irregular roundish, annular or polycyclic plaques, each of which has an elevated horny rim. The visibility of this rim is markedly accentuated by the application of an artificial tanning solution (dihydroxyacetone).

The smallest DSAP lesion is a 1–3 mm conical papule, skin coloured, brownish-red or brown in colour. It is based around a hair follicle containing a keratotic (scaly) plug. Larger plaques have a sharp, slightly raised, keratotic ring, a fraction of a millimetre thick, with a diameter of 10 mm or more. The skin within the ring is thinned and mildly reddened or slightly brown, and a pale ring may be seen just within the ridge. The ridge itself is often a darker brown than the rest of the lesion. The central area is most often pale and smooth, but it may be red, scaly, dry, or have scaly follicular plugs.

Sweating is absent within the lesions. Although most often asymptomatic, sun exposure or heat may cause them to itch or sting.

What are the complications of DSAP?

The development of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) within a DSAP lesion is the main concern. This is uncommon (< 10% of individuals with DSAP develop SCC). However, many patients with DSAP have had significant exposure to the sun and may also have actinic keratoses and other forms of skin cancer (particularly basal cell carcinoma). SCC presents as a solitary tender enlarging scaly or ulcerated plaque or nodule.

We can help people with this condition and a facebook forum has been organised so patients can communicate with each other about their experiences.