‘We Could Have Saved Billions Of Euro’: Maltese Doctor Sceptical Of COVID-19 Restrictions Takes A Look Back
A Maltese family doctor who has long been critical of the health authorities’ initial strategy to contain COVID-19 has said billions of euro could have been saved had the government gone down another route.
“Despite the removal of all restrictions, case numbers have now been stable for weeks,” Jean Karl Soler wrote.
“People are now leading normal lives, just as we would have done had the restrictions also been lifted in 2020 and 2021, or had just been limited to short periods in winter. We lost so much for little demonstrable gain.”
Indeed, although Malta lifted all COVID-19 restrictions – except in hospitals – several months ago, daily case numbers have remained extremely low.
Soler argued that social distancing should only be practiced during epidemic waves, which last a couple of weeks.
“As case numbers plateau and decline, herd immunity against current COVID-19 variants stops the surge. We can then return to normal life, safely,” he said.
“COVID-19 is a seasonal respiratory virus, and we can predict those case number surges. The next one is expected in December.”
“Natural immunity is strong and long-lasting, and vaccination helps protect the elderly and vulnerable. Herd immunity develops rapidly with each new epidemic wave, and this is clear when the case numbers stop rising, and then slowly fall.”
Health Minister Chris Fearne
And although Malta had introduced two mask mandates during the pandemic, Soler said the data indicates they are “practically useless” in the community, although they do play a role in hospital roles.
“If only we had followed Sweden’s example, as I so strongly recommend over two years ago, we would have saved billions of euro in direct economic harms, avoided unnecessary business closures, unemployment and the resultant social and mental health problems,” he said. “We should have given priority to the education of children and adolescents, not shut our schools.”
“All this was evident from numerous scientific studies as early as the summer and autumn of 2020. However, the prophet is always shunned in his hometown.”
Throughout the pandemic, Soler was one of the few Maltese doctors who were been openly critical of the authorities’ response. Last year, Superintendent of Public Health Charmaine Gauci reported him to the Medical Council after he published a series of Facebook posts critical of the national anti-COVID-19 strategy.
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