Abstract:

Building upon a recent editorial that emphasized the importance of medical researchers entertaining contrarian ideology, we felt it might be illustrative to highlight and review the recently released final report of the United States House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, which significantly vindicated many previously taboo and widely censored perspectives – and also to consider the reporting on this report. During the height of the pandemic public health authorities and a complicit news media enforced government approved messaging concerning COVID-19’s origins, social distancing, masking, lockdowns, and the need for vaccine mandates. The US House committee report concludes that many of these promoted narratives were significantly erroneous. Throughout that period, contrarian voices were repeatedly dismissed as spreading medical misinformation and identified authors subjected to various forms of statesponsored or facilitated retaliation. A retrospective examination such as the Select Subcommittees’ analysis and report can be a useful instrument for approaching future public health situations associated with panic and a desire to censor dissenting voices.

Keywords: COVID-19, COVID-19 vaccines, lockdowns, face masks, policy, risk-benefit analysis