Getting Technical
CHARLES NICOLSON
Charles Nicolson has a physics and chemistry degree from Natal University which he subsequently put to good use by applying speciality chemicals in mining and industrial processes where water is a major factor . This created an enduring interest in water technology , a passion that expanded to the HVAC industry in 1984 when he joined BHT Water Treatment . Since then , water technology in HVAC water circuits has continued to be an abiding interest .
THE GREAT BARRINGTON
DECLARATION
By Charles Nicolson
A new word I came across recently is ‘ cognogen ’ as used in the context that cognogens are infectious bad ideas which can spread rapidly throughout areas such as our currently highly-stressed pandemic environment .
On the subject of new words , this is the time of year when new words which have appeared during the course of the year are mentioned and explained ( as much as they can be sometimes ), and words which have some novelty ( including what they are intended to mean ) become candidates for ‘ Word of the Year ’.
However , because so many words have been put forward as candidates , 2020 has become the first year for which the Oxford English Dictionary has been unable to decide on a single word or expression as ‘ the Word of the Year ’. Not surprisingly , several words attributed to the Covid-19 pandemic , including the words ‘ Covid-19 ’ and ‘ pandemic ’ are on the list of candidates . Others are ‘ socialdistancing ’ and ‘ coronavirus ’ which replaced ‘ time ’ as the most commonly used noun in the English language .
A recent event now increasingly being labelled as a cognogen is the ‘ Great Barrington Declaration ’, issued by the American Institute for Economic Research on 4th October 2020 at Great Barrington , Massachusetts . This Declaration recommends an attitude to the Covid-19 pandemic called ‘ Focused Protection ’ to concentrate on people most at risk and calls for avoidance or minimisation of societal harm resulting from Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns .
To achieve this minimisation , the declaration calls for individuals at significantly lower risk of dying from Covid-19 , as well as those at higher risk , who so wish , to be allowed to resume their normal lives , working normally at their usual workplaces rather than from home , socialising in bars and restaurants , and gathering at sporting and cultural events .
The declaration claims that increased infection of those at lower risk would lead to a build-up of immunity in the population which presumably refers to the now commonly-used term ‘ herd immunity ’. There is , however , no mention in the declaration of physical distancing or use of masks , nor of testing and tracing , nor of ‘ long Covid ’ which is the term used to describe people who continue to suffer from debilitating symptoms for weeks or even months after an initially mild infection .
Great Barrington Declaration Organisation
THE GREAT BARRINGTON DECLARATION – A SUMMARY As infectious disease epidemiologists and public health scientists , we have grave concerns about the damaging physical and mental health impacts of the prevailing Covid-19 policies , and recommend an approach we call ‘ Focused Protection ’.
Coming from both the left and right , and around the world , we have devoted our careers to protecting people . Current lockdown policies are producing devastating effects on short and long-term public health . The results ( to name a few ) include lower childhood vaccination rates , worsening cardiovascular disease outcomes , fewer cancer screenings and deteriorating mental health – leading to greater excess mortality in years to come , with the working class and younger members of society carrying the heaviest burden . Keeping students out of school is a grave injustice . Keeping these measures in place until a vaccine is available will further cause irreparable damage , with the underprivileged disproportionately harmed .
Fortunately , our understanding of the virus is growing . We know that vulnerability to death from Covid-19 is more
The authors of the Great Barrington Declaration at the American Institute for Economic Research . From left : Martin Kulldorff , Sunetra Gupta , Jay Bhattacharya .
www . hvacronline . co . za RACA Journal I February 2021 39