If somebody told you about a cure for Covid, what would you do with it? Assuming you’re like me, not a doctor – someone with no authority on the issue. Would you sit on the information or share it?
This is not an abstract issue. I actually have a story about an isolated city (in a country where we work) of half a million people that had perhaps a 70% infection rate. 100 people a day were dying in June. And then someone noticed that a common drug normally used for other purposes stopped Covid dead in its tracks. Virtually everyone (95-98%) who took it was cured within two days.
This story is unfolding in real time and hasn’t been shared yet. I know about it because I know the people who discovered the drug’s use. My contacts in this country are reliable. I have known them for over 20 years. I have spent time interviewing them about the particulars of the story.
You may be thinking, “It’s hydroxychloroquine.” It’s not. And it’s cheap, available everywhere and is safe. Even when large doses are taken, the worst symptom that people experience is blurry vision. What’s more, it has gone through some preliminary studies in Australia that have shown its effectiveness against Covid. It just needs to be validated with controlled human trials. And of course, this is the kind of experience I know about because of my contacts.
In the mean time, hundreds of thousands of old people are dying. We don’t want to give them medicine that hasn’t been validated by clinical trials yet, so we put them on ventilators and they die.
What would you do if you were me?
I thought, “I have an obligation to research this and share it with the world.” Then I asked some people I respect and they said, “Don’t share that story. You will just cause more trouble than it’s worth. You will actually be negligent because people will take what you’ve learned and misapply it.”
There’s always the possibility that my reports are false. I think that’s improbable because I’ve known these people so long and have found them to be reliable.
And those are valid points. After all, the medical establishment is not going to approve anything that has not had good science applied to it. Big Pharma is working to produce vaccines, has spent billions, and will make billions when their vaccines are ready. They are incentivized to oppose something like this.
I also people I respect, “Yes, get this information out as soon as possible so that people can make their own decisions.”
So I ask you again, what would you do?
Of course this isn’t just about the virus. It’s also about the question, “What do we do with truth?” Nearly half of young people in a recent Barna survey feel that “evangelism is wrong.” It’s safer to keep quiet.
I actually am looking for counsel here – I’m praying about what to do and hope to make a decision today. Yes, I have researched the story and have written it. But why not wait a month until others who are more authoritative share it? Or am I just too worried about cancel culture and need to be courageous? What do I do with the knowledge that every day that passes, people could be saved?
While we in the medical profession prefer double blinded controlled studies, there is much we do that does not have that kind of data and research. We cannot do those kinds of studies on every aspect of human biology. We take what we’ve learned and apply the wisdom that God has endowed us with (along with a lot of prayer) to make the best recommendations for our patients.
Even without the dramatic results you mention, the information on a potential treatment should be made available. Waiting for someone to officially approve something often delays things needlessly. Look at convalescent plasma treatment – this administration just now made it “official” – we’ve been using this to good effect since April. How many lives of patients we’ve taken care of would be different if we had waited until the government and the medical establishment said, “okay”? I recognize that the opposite could have been true (using convalescent plasma could have worsened things). However, when dealing with a novel virus, it is important for all potential treatments to be at the disposal of a treatment team.
Be glad to talk more, Seth.
Share it! I’d get testimonials from the patients that took this drug as added evidence if that is available. The heck with culture. I’m tired of it.
Wow! Tough decision. Just wonder if you have a reliable set of contacts on this side with whom you could share it and let them disseminate it and they to their contacts. Let it go “viral” so to speak. Grass roots is the new wine skin anyway.
Vital discussion. Love you.
I say share it and let people make a decision to use it or not. For years I worked in the natural health field where there were not double blind placebo studies on many herbs, homeopathics b/c they are not able to get profitable patents. Yet, most are plant based and Scripture tells us that God made the plants for food their leaves for healing. Healing with medicinals outside of controlled studied pharmaceuticals has been going on for centuries.
If you could save one life, would it be worth it? What if that life were someone you knew? My “vote” would be to share it like Michael said with testimonials. I mean we had many Dr’s stand up to say hydroxychloroquine works and almost everything they said was stripped from social media. Hopefully, they were able to help someone though. If not in the U.S. in other countries.
I love this Seth. I thought that was where your title was headed:) Thinking of Pilate staring into the face of the Way, the Truth and the Life and asking “What is truth?” and then walking away.
I feel.if you share it you have done your part.samevwith evangelism.what people do with what you say is their responsibility.you will have fullfilled your responsibility by sharing
Seth,
I remember receiving wise guidance regarding prophecy when we were on The World Race: Instead of declaring, “God says…”, say, “After prayer and consideration, I think the Spirit is speaking…”.
That wise advice can apply here. Being a physician, I am skeptical of “miracle cures.” Miracle cures for wrinkles, weight gain, cancer, etc, are hawked widely and refuted when properly studied. That said, word-of-mouth often precedes confirmation by randomized trials, and obviously the world would eagerly recognize anything that may be helpful for COVID! My presentation of the information would not be the typical magazine headline, “Miracle cure for COVID discovered…”, but rather, “Potentially promising treatment for COVID…”. That type of posture in presentation often leads to greater acceptance by the medical community, opening the doors for blinded randomized trials that when adopted broadly have the greatest opportunity for saving lives.
Jake – great to hear from you. I was actually thinking “I need to get Jake’s perspective on this” earlier today.
Yes – this is good. I can’t promise anything. All I can do is try to tell the story in as factual and balanced way as possible. Thanks for the thoughts!
Wow. I’ve typed and erased 4 answers. Great question!. There’s so much “noise” in the media- tossing it there is futile at best, irresponsible at worst. I’m so untrusting of “official channels” without humans attached. That said, I did find this human online. Wasn’t expecting actual contact info.
Director:
Anthony S. Fauci, M.D.
(301) 496-2263 (phone)
(301) 496-4409 (fax)
Email: AF10r@nih.gov
You might also do a search and see if it’s already being used somewhere.
Here’s what’s coming to me:: If God have this info to you specifically then why? He could have put it in the media any number of ways. You are a man of God who listens and responds. You also operate by relationships- not by shouting into the Public abyss. You know a zillion people who know a zillion more. If I wanted info ushered- you’d be a good person to give it to. So usher it. Send it out to a half dozen connected people in medicine and let God move it along from there. If you need to do more- he’ll tell you. That’s all I’ve got.
Thanks, Pat. Great advice. I will call Fauci.
While I see the point you’re trying to make, Seth, if someone told me “hey, I know the secret for eternal life” and then didn’t say what it was, I would think that this person either wasn’t genuine or had no real information. I can understand hesitation to talk about something controversial and not in your field of expertise, but this came across as very clickbait-y to me.
I was just looking for advice. I want to do the right thing and find the situation confusing. How would you pose the question, Sarah?
So, I called Dr. Fauci’s office. A woman answered and told me to keep what I had to say brief. I told her the story in about 30 secs. I asked if she’d like info as to how she could learn more. She was not interested. The conversation took a minute.
If I have to be perfectly honest, I wouldn’t be asking this question at all, because this is not my field of expertise, it’s not my job, and I don’t expect anyone who could actually do anything to take me seriously. (Talking about a potential treatment for Covid, not the gospel).
If I were in your situation, I might encourage the people doing this research – assuming you know them or can get in touch with them- to share that said research.
I know that probably isn’t the answer you’re looking for and I am very aware that I’m not entitled to anyone’s agreement.
Excited to see what comes of this Seth! This virus is impacting families every single day. We know it’s impacting minorities at an alarming rate.
If it’s a number of positive cases turned cured you and or the group is waiting for I can understand that. Hoping that number gets reached soon.
Blessings Seth! Hope to catch up with you in California some time.
If I may say this, I do want to encourage you that whatever decision you make does not make you culpable in Covid deaths, hesitancy in research, or any other part of this complicated multi-faceted thing. It’s easy to feel powerless in our current situation and feel guilty if we do or don’t take action. In hindsight, I should have led with this and apologize for starting with critique rather than empathy.
Share it! It’s a testimony of truth! By sharing it, you will be showing love and compassion for others and perhaps by possibly saving lives some will have a chance to enter the kingdom.
Thanks, Sarah. I appreciate your apology. Empathy is surprisingly important in the kinds of conversations that may get us to solutions faster. I’m watching so many people not speak up because everyone seems to be so quick to shame and critique others.
Today I just found out that one of my missionary friends down on the boarder is in the hospital right now with COVID and his wife just died yesterday from COVID. He works with a Baptist missions organization and his name is Rick Hays.
I’M SURE HE’D WOULD APPRECIATE ANYTHING THAT MIGHT HELP. I WOULD TELL AS MANY PEOPLE AS I CAN.
Ha! Nor surprised at all.
Oops. NOT surprised!
That’s because you’re a key part of this story, Kenny! Thanks for helping me see God in the middle of it. If you hadn’t randomly confirmed what I was just learning about, I wouldn’t have probed as much as I did.
I’m Just reading this and will be driving for a bit and will pray over it…seeking a clear still voice in the chaos as are you.
First, I so appreciate your desire to seek input. If I remember correctly your dad was a doctor so you have seen faith and science work together first hand.
The first word that God brought to mind was listen. Continue to listen to counsel and the Spirit. I’m not surprised that Faucis secretary was Dismissive. In my time away from flying this summer I’ve done a lot of listening to various voices. Some spout conspiracy theories, some spout science and many incorporate faith in either side. I do my best to listen an allowed God to direct my thoughts saying little about where I personally stand with my opinions. I will say prudency because often times I believe when we speak if we are prudent the first time will gain us the largest audience. So, you mentioned Australia so apparently this remedy has some traction. Perhaps reaching out to those who already are involved with it’sStory would be a wise approach.
Another thought is in sensing where this may be unfolding and not looking for you to reveal anything my spirit nudges me to wonder about how far away this country is and if perhaps this common drug is used for more what we would consider off market treatment here in the United States.
For example I know many pharmaceuticals that are effective are more readily available overseas than they are here tightly controlled by big Pharma. No doubt big Pharma would not be excited about this. Weeding out the truth therefore is really really important. It’s very difficult to discern if there are key players in the United States who have sold out to big Pharma and would be reluctant to listen.
With all of that said, I sense you’re very real conundrum and beyond that internal wrestling with this. I have always sent you to be an incredibly humble servant of God and so I believe regardless of what decision you make God will honor your heart. I believe that listening quietly and discerning with whom and how much to share the information that you are able to verify as much as possible which it sounds like you have done would be a gift and blessing to those suffering from this disease. I agree with the comments about not being culpable for Covid deaths in the sharing or not sharing of what you know but believe that you have also been given much knowledge because you are much trusted.
My son is also that very careful intentional and discerning sharing of this information from the humility of your heart will be honored. May God open the eyes and ears of those he directs you to to share this information with. Many blessings.
Lots of government-driven censorship and fear these days. I guess the answer would depend on one’s epistemology. Given that it involves government authority, and our obedience Rom 13, 1 Peter 2:13-17, and Acts 5:29 seems like a good overarching framework.
As I see it “obey the governing authorities” in Rom 13 begs the question; who or what is the supreme governing authority in this case? I would argue the constitution, not the CDC, or any other government entity is the supreme authority hence those of us who served in the military took an oath to support and defend it against all enemies foreign and domestic.
The constitution guarantees the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. You have the liberty if not a responsibility to share information and begin a discourse regarding the protection of life. If you are wrong so what? Maybe some people laugh and call you names. At least you tried.
Liberty means the God-given free will and responsibility to make our own risk versus reward-based decisions provided they don’t threaten the rights and freedom of others. HIPPA covers everything the government need be concerned about. The pursuit of health is part of the pursuit of happiness.
In the case of 1 Peter 2, our witness is the primary issue at stake. Silence and being vocal both have potential equal and opposite consequences. That said, good science is based on the unmitigated freedom to pose questions, form hypotheses, and conduct experiments. Authority-based restrictions on thought and speech is “scientism” which is the spirit of anti-Christ. Scientism and slothful induction are driving the current public and political narrative regarding COVID. More ideas and questions from more people are not rebellion and might undermine scientism in favor of real science. I say bring it!
As for young people who believe “evangelism is wrong.” Oh well, Acts 5:29 “we ought to obey God rather than man.” Unfortunately, this is the fruit of the seeds we sowed when we traded Prov 13:24 for Dr. Spock. As someone previously commented in another of your blogs, we went wrong when we “started discussing right from wrong instead of teaching it.” Today we have the unwitting disciples of Bill Ayers applying the deconstruction of Jacques Derrida to our history, language, culture, epistemology, and faith. You called it Cancel Culture. We used to call it bullying. In any case, appeasement only emboldens them and the devil. Hence Eph 6:13 -14 “having done all to stand, stand, therefore…” Meanwhile, the COVID crisis is deconstructing our economy and the institution of the church to name a few. Therefore, our attitude toward evangelism should return to that of Stephen in Acts 7, and Paul in Acts 13 and 14 and in keeping with Rev 12:11. I suspect our attitude should be the same regarding any discourse involving the preservation of life on earth or in Heaven.
Silly Siri and stupid
Me for not
Proofing prior
To Hitting send. My “sense” not son…
Also, wherever the story is unfolding in real time I would wonder what connections there may or may not be with the United States and what kind of battles are also occurring in the unseen spiritual realm.
Thanks for this, Kathy. It’s a complicated time and we need to hear from multiple perspectives. I always appreciate yours, Siri-mangled or not!
Brian – you always go deep. I was talking to Josh this evening about how much I appreciate you. You are not confused about truth or the wages of sin or sometimes just the wages of confusion. Thanks for sharing this.
Seth, what’s the Lord saying? If you hear to share, then share it! Your voice has weight. And after you share, mobilize the “movers” in your sphere to collect and distribute the solution into the poorest clinics in this country. That’s love and it never fails!
Amen, Tim! I’m glad to see you getting better yourself. I often hear the Lord speak thru people like you. That’s why I put it out there. I think he’s saying, “make sure you get the facts straight and then share it.”
Share for sure, in a spirit of humility and hope. No promises, but possibility.
https://www.thedesertreview.com/opinion/columnists/indias-ivermectin-blackout/article_e3db8f46-f942-11eb-9eea-77d5e2519364.html
Here is similar results from India. Same treatment, obliterated Covid this month. Indian states that chose to NOT do the treatment, had disastrous outcomes by following the guidelines from WHO,CDC etc,
Thank you, Dennis. You must have seen my post on this issue today on FB. But I hadn’t seen this article – thank you! I’m going to add it to the post.
Thank you for sharing this. A number of my friends in Mozambique who had Covid attribute Ivermectin & God to saving their lives.
You’re welcome. It has save the lives of multiple people I’ve known as well. And it just killed the virus in my body after I tested positive.
Interesting that the developing world as a leg up on America in this regard. Much more receptive to using a drug like this that they’ve already seen is safe and effective.
Just tell the story; let people make their own decisions.