I’ve written the short article to sharing this headline for various reasons, hoping that what is written is logical and can trigger a few constructive thoughts.

The first is to raise awareness of how headlines like this, not only trigger inflammation metaphorically, but can trigger inflammation psychologically and physiologically, especially given the science that connects inflammation with stress.

Not only do I see the headline as alarming, the second sentence, especially the way it is written, could be regarded as ‘fanning the flames’. For me, it’s a sentence that could be interpreted by some to think that almost 50% of people diagnosed with long COVID, could experience a symptom suggestive of a brain injury.

So, perhaps by making these points, it can help in drawing attention to how, for some people, news headlines like this have the potential to not only trigger some unbalanced thinking, but to feed some unpleasant emotions.

A further reason for wanting to share this headline and story is to draw your attention and become more aware of the implications and ramifications that can arise when any budding or qualified scientist(s) writes their ‘conclusions’ after completing a research study. I wonder how many people appreciate the significance of research data that can be interpreted in different ways, even if/when the research is repeated, generating very similar or even the same results?

One powerful, and extremely significant example of this situation, and another reason for highlighting this headline and story, is the research and interpretation of the data by a certain Dr Louis Pasteur. Pasteur, as you may know, was the person whose interpretation of the research lead to ‘pasteurisation’; the process we commonly associate with the likes of milk and yoghurt products.

More importantly, it is a process that was developed out of Pasteur’s ‘Germ Theory’. This is a theory viewed by many as being “disease-centric” i.e. it is based on the premise that pathogens such as viruses and bacteria are ‘the origin of disease’.

What many people reading this may not be aware, is at the same time (i.e. the 19th Century), there was another, lesser-known scientist, Antoine Bechamp. Bechamp was carrying out similar research. But critically, he proposed an alternative theory; a theory that was in stark contrast and we have come to know as the “Host Theory”.

Now, one of the most significant aspects of this alternative theory, which was written about in a major paper, published only in 2022 is how Bechamp’s research lead to a “health-centric” theory. The significance of such a theory is that it recognises most pathogens as scavengers, capable of instigating disease ONLY when there is a weakened host immune system.

Writing as a neuro-immunologist, and with some knowledge of the new and growing science to support this alternative ‘Host theory’, I feel it is vitally important to re-look at this COVID headline.

I shall now do that simply with information that is now common knowledge.

Let’s explore a few facts, first from the ‘Germ Theory’ perspective:

• There is a germ, and that germ is more commonly known as a coronavirus.
• The coronavirus has been and continues to be detected in people who experience a variety of signs and symptoms which are collectively labelled or diagnosed as COVID.
• The coronavirus has been and continues to be detected in people who experience a variety of signs and symptoms, which are collectively diagnosed or labelled as long COVID.

Now from the ‘Host Theory’ perspective:

• There have been many millions of ‘hosts’ around the world who have knowingly been infected with the coronavirus.
• Perhaps more importantly and sadly, millions of those people (hosts) around the world have died.

But surely this means the following must also be the case:

• Many billions of ‘hosts’ around the world (given the total population on the globe) have either not been infected with the coronavirus or if they have, they have not experienced noticeably troubling signs or symptoms.
• Perhaps more importantly, many millions of people (hosts), (whether infected or not) around the world have remained well and healthy.

There is, of course, a further aspect, which I am not deliberately avoiding. It is an aspect that continues to be hotly debated, and that is the role of vaccination.

I know that this seems to be continuing disagreement about its role, and of course, believe it or not, that disagreement can be a trigger of stress and inflammation.

My personal view is that if the interpretation of the data suggests to you that the vaccine can help you in minimising the risk of COVID, you know what you should do.

It is however, important that people respect the fact that it is possible to interpret research data in a different way and therefore, that interpretation can lead to a different action.

For anyone who interested to read a little more about why I taken the time to write about this article, and why I feel there is an urgent need for our children to learn about being respectful and not just more mindful, I urge you to read chapter 7 of Jon Alexanders brilliant book “Citizens”. That chapter is entitled “Citizen Government” and in it he writes, and I quote: “…the government saw the nation as a society first and a market second. People were creatures of intrinsic worth first, and producers and consumers, units of economic value, a distant second.”

Perhaps this is what also enabled Jon to write on of the most powerful sentences in the book, that relates to this article : “As of the end of April 2021, Taiwan had recorded only 9 coronavirus deaths and fewer than 1000 cases, despite recording its first confirmed case on 21st January 2020, without ever going into lockdown.”