Palestinian journalists are livestreaming their own demise in Gaza. Western journalists are ignoring them. That's why I'm boycotting the Orwell Prize for Journalism this year.

Over Six months & countless pitches to editors in the UK & Ireland, one of my pieces demanding an end to Israel's genocidal campaign in Gaza - is finally published. Thanks, as always, to the Irish Independent & legend in chief, Tom Coogan 🙏

https://www.independent.ie/opinion/comment/tess-finch-lees-we-can-all-see-whats-happening-in-gaza-so-why-do-some-refuse-to-face-the-truth/a1898049138.html

Note: I did not write: "According to figures from Hamas" & was unaware of that edit until after publication .....The numbers of deaths & casualties come from the Palestinian Health Ministry & are verified by a number of independent  sources, including Human Rights Watch.

My word count was way over, inevitably bits were cut. See below.  Some of it is difficult reading. Please don't look away👇

"Over 33,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces (excluding those buried under the rubble), at least 13,000 of whom are children. Over 200 aid workers, mostly Palestinian, have been killed. Yet, it took the horrific killing of 7 international (World Central Kitchen) aid workers to provoke global outrage. White blood trades higher than brown on the open human rights market. The founder of WCK said Israel “systematically targeted” his aid workers. They were travelling in clearly marked vehicles having coordinated and agreed their movements with Israeli forces. Israel previously thwarted UNRWA aid operations based on unsubstantiated allegations. The UN warned, Israel is  deliberately starving Gaza, and decent into famine is imminent.

The targeting of aid and healthcare workers is entirely consistent with Israeli officials’ early statements of genocidal intent. On October 9^th, Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, declared “a complete siege” on Gaza. “No electricity, no food, no fuel”.  All restraints on the IDF would be removed, “We are fighting human animals”. Former general, Giora Eiland, wrote: “In order to make the siege effective, “we have to prevent others from giving assistance to Gaza”.

Social media footage (which I watched) of the recent Al-Shifa hospital siege, shows hundreds of decomposed bodies, some stripped naked, hands of men, women and children tied behind their backs, some ravaged by dogs, bodies blown to pieces – unrecognisable. Reports abound of people being buried alive, bodies crushed by Israeli bulldozers, some still alive. Such was the calculated barbarity, the visceral vandalism of international humanitarian law and the sheer desecration of humanity, I puked. And wept. A guttural, physical reaction, to evil". 

"The barbarous Hamas attacks on October 7th, killing around 1,200 Israelis, kidnapping some 200 more, was horrendous and breaches international law. That’s not when this story began though. For the last 76years, apartheid Israel has forced Palestinians off their land, occupying and illegally creating settlements. Controlling access to water, food, movement. Palestinians were/are relentlessly persecuted".

Extracts from Indo article👇

"Ayat was killed documenting Israel’s bombardment of her neighbourhood. Her body couldn’t be buried, it was blown to smithereens.

One Orwell Prize judge, a former Tory MP, wrote an article in November, opining that Britain objecting to a ceasefire was the right strategy. Another, a journalist, wrote a piece mocking pro-peace, anti-“genocide” (her inverted commas) marchers/“extremists”, accusing them of antisemitism because, “when they say Zionist”, she accused, “they mean Jew”.

Journalism 101: report what people actually say, not what you think they mean through the lens of ideological biases. Her article airbrushed out the central role of the Jewish community in organising demonstrations against Israel’s genocidal campaign"....

......"In January, the International Criminal Court of Justice ruled it is plausible that genocide is taking place in Gaza. Last month, UN-appointed human rights expert Francesca Albanese produced a detailed report on Gaza, concluding: “There are reasonable grounds to believe that the threshold indicating the commission of the crime of genocide… has been met.”

She added: “Denial of the reality and the continuation of Israel’s impunity and exceptionalism is no longer viable, especially in light of the binding UN Security Council resolution, which called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza". 

"The UN decried the massacre of civilians by Israeli forces in Gaza. “The world is witnessing the first genocide shown in real time to the world by its victims and unfathomably justified by Israel as compliant with the laws of war". 

National March for Palestine to take place in Dublin TOMORROW 20th April

 National March for Palestine to take place in Dublin TOMORROW 20th April

Latest in a series of huge marches calling for Irish government to sanction Israel for genocide

Legendary folk singer Christy Moore has been added to the bill

Press Release, Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign, 19th April 2024

TOMORROW Saturday 20th April the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign, supported by over 120 Irish civil society groups, is holding a National Demonstration for Palestine – calling for an end to Israel’s genocidal assault on the people of Gaza, and for the Irish government to take action to hold Israel accountable. It will be the fifth such national mobilisation since October - all of which have seen tens of thousands flood Dublin's streets.

Protestors will assemble at 1pm at the Garden of Remembrance on Parnell Square, and will march from there to Leinster House for a rally outside the Dáil.

Speakers at the rally will include IPSC Chairperson Zoe Lawlor, Palestinian human rights lawyer Tala Nasir from Addameer, Tamar Nijim a Palestinian student from Gaza, and independent MEP Clare Daly.

There will also be musical performances by renowned Irish singer-songwriter Christy Moore, and Leen and Latif, a Cork-based Palestinian/Moroccan musical duo. Aoife O'Brien of the South East branch of IPSC will MC the event.

There will be a disability access point at the bottom of Dawson Street outside the back entrance to TCD. The end of the march will also see a children's creative arts space hosted by Creative Arts Therapists for Palestine.

IPSC Chairperson Zoe Lawlor said: “Thousands upon thousands of us have marched through almost 200 days of apartheid Israel’s genocide in Gaza. We urge everyone who careas about Palestinian rights to refuse to give up. We can see we are shifting the government into action, slowly but surely. That's why it’s crucial that we keep the pressure up for real action to punish Israel for its crimes. Every day of inaction means more loss of Palestinian life and the further normalisation of genocide. Join us Saturday to say that Ireland stands with Palestine and against genocide and apartheid!"

I believe the deliberate starvation, killing, dismemberment & persecution of Palestinian children, by an increasingly rogue Israeli regime, is evil

 For the love of whatever god, if any, you believe in, don't look away 💔

Ramy Abdu| رامي عبده

@RamAbdu

Breaking: Karam Mohammad Qaddah (10 years old) passed away today at Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza due to malnutrition. Qaddah was trapped in Al-Shifa Hospital with his mother, and Israeli forces refused to allow him to leave since they stormed the hospital, leading to complications. He was allowed to leave with his mother yesterday, Friday, after his health deteriorated.

Quote

Quds News Network

@QudsNen

·

Mar 28

The child Ibrahim Mohammad Al-Najjar lost his life this morning due to hunger and malnutrition at Kamal Adwan Hospital in the north of Gaza, which has been under a tight Israeli blockade for six months.

Eye on Palestine

@EyeonPalestine

·

Mar 23

The little girl Nour Al Huda is facing death due to the lack of food and dehydration in the north of Gaza.

Long Covid is a multi-organ damaging debilitating/disabling disease

 Listen to the experts:  "Long covid effects every single organ system, damaging all organs in the body"

Mask misinformation spread like wildfire but apology & correction (Yes they do!) was buried

Disclaimer: The baggy blue paper masks are not classified as PPE & are not effective at preventing airborne infections (they let air in!). Due to lack of supply of ffp3 respirator masks at the start of the ongoing pandemic, the UK government supplied baggy blues to frontline NHS workers, (over 800 of whom died from covid) & despite WHO guidance recommending universal masking in healthcare during the ongoing pandemic, backed by the BMA & RCN, masks have been scrapped. 

My  Independent article on healthcare Infection Prevention & Control protocols & the evidence supporting respirators masks in hospitals during the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 airborne pandemic: https://archive.ph/Dngo1

Expert evidence to the UK covid inquiry

Following her publication in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) with the intention of informing the covid inquiry, Oxford Professor & member of the Independent Scientific Advisory Group (ISAGE), Trisha Greenhaugh, commented: "So far. all the things we claimed in our BMJ paper have been borne out in the inquiry. This is an international scandal.

The entire populatiom has signed up to a dangerous clinical trial without consent - and in fact with the government activity denying that this was what was happening. The government consistently provided false reassurance and effectively removed personal autonomy for people to act to protect themselves. It is deeply, deeply, unethical".

Be safe, stay informed. The science is unequivocal: Respirator (ffp2/3/N95 masks work👍😷

"In a statement issued on March 10 by the Cochrane Library, Karla Soares-Weiser, MD, PhD, MSc, Editor-in-Chief of the Cochrane Library, emphasized, “Many commentators have claimed that a recently-updated Cochrane Review shows that ‘masks don't work,’ which is an inaccurate and misleading interpretation.” 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2023/03/11/cochrane-says-review-does-not-show-that-face-masks-dont-work-against-covid-19/

Also

"COVID-19: Addenbrooke's Hospital upgraded COVID staff's face masks and 'cut ward-based infection to zero" 

https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-addenbrookes-hospital-upgraded-covid-staffs-face-masks-and-saw-cases-fall-by-almost-100-12344508

See my many articles in the Irish Independent (scrutinised by lawyers before publication) & previous posts for the plethora of scientific studies showing why SARS-CoV-2 infections are hazardous to your health...They're coming in thick & fast - weekly. Yet, few get the coverage they warrant in the media - while minimizing misinformation abound. Lockdowns don't cause heart inflammation, strokes & heart attacks👇

"50% of people infected with covid get damage & inflammation to the heart" - 50%!!

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/other/sars-cov-2-associated-ards-can-damage-the-heart-without-direct-infection/ar-BB1keQio?ocid=msedgntp&pc=NMTS&cvid=64912787d15d48cfab189fa57e11a2eb&ei=7&fbclid=IwAR3F_IsEqm7qxH-H3PNwNv4CQ06V59S0RWOdJvr1U1_jcucJLVqe-GHqbJE

"Scientists have long known that COVID-19 increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and Long COVID, and prior imaging research has shown that over 50% of people who get COVID-19 experience some inflammation or damage to the heart."

Lockdowns don't cause brain damage: See recent (February 2024) PEER REVIEWED study showing drops in IQ, cognitive deficit, brain aging by as much as 20 years, dementia, several mental health disorders - caused by covid infections👇

https://theconversation.com/mounting-research-shows-that-covid-19-leaves-its-mark-on-the-brain-including-with-significant-drops-in-iq-scores-224216?fbclid=IwAR3k6i8NRVTZ1wiMY6f_8tuyFTiWdqWxgJnJxGrh_zQJaSdTrIhnvrho60A

Cut & paste below👇

"From the very early days of the pandemic, brain fog emerged as a significant health condition that many experience after COVID-19.

Brain fog is a colloquial term that describes a state of mental sluggishness or lack of clarity and haziness that makes it difficult to concentrate, remember things and think clearly.

Fast-forward four years and there is now abundant evidence that being infected with SARS-CoV-2 – the virus that causes COVID-19 – can affect brain health in many ways.

In addition to brain fog, COVID-19 can lead to an array of problems, including headaches, seizure disorders, strokes, sleep problems, and tingling and paralysis of the nerves, as well as several mental health disorders.

A large and growing body of evidence amassed throughout the pandemic details the many ways that COVID-19 leaves an indelible mark on the brain. But the specific pathways by which the virus does so are still being elucidated, and curative treatments are nonexistent.

Now, two new studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine shed further light on the profound toll of COVID-19 on cognitive health.

I am a physician scientist, and I have been devoted to studying long COVID since early patient reports about this condition – even before the term “long COVID” was coined. I have testified before the U.S. Senate as an expert witness on long COVID and have published extensively on this topic.

How COVID-19 leaves its mark on the brain

Here are some of the most important studies to date documenting how COVID-19 affects brain health:

• Large epidemiological analyses showed that people who had COVID-19 were at an increased risk of cognitive deficits, such as memory problems.

• Imaging studies done in people before and after their COVID-19 infections show shrinkage of brain volume and altered brain structure after infection.

• A study of people with mild to moderate COVID-19 showed significant prolonged inflammation of the brain and changes that are commensurate with seven years of brain aging.

• Severe COVID-19 that requires hospitalization or intensive care may result in cognitive deficits and other brain damage that are equivalent to 20 years of aging.

• Laboratory experiments in human and mouse brain organoids designed to emulate changes in the human brain showed that SARS-CoV-2 infection triggers the fusion of brain cells. This effectively short-circuits brain electrical activity and compromises function.

• Autopsy studies of people who had severe COVID-19 but died months later from other causes showed that the virus was still present in brain tissue. This provides evidence that contrary to its name, SARS-CoV-2 is not only a respiratory virus, but it can also enter the brain in some individuals. But whether the persistence of the virus in brain tissue is driving some of the brain problems seen in people who have had COVID-19 is not yet clear.

• Studies show that even when the virus is mild and exclusively confined to the lungs, it can still provoke inflammation in the brain and impair brain cells’ ability to regenerate.

• COVID-19 can also disrupt the blood brain barrier, the shield that protects the nervous system – which is the control and command center of our bodies – making it “leaky.” Studies using imaging to assess the brains of people hospitalized with COVID-19 showed disrupted or leaky blood brain barriers in those who experienced brain fog.

• A large preliminary analysis pooling together data from 11 studies encompassing almost 1 million people with COVID-19 and more than 6 million uninfected individuals showed that COVID-19 increased the risk of development of new-onset dementia in people older than 60 years of age.

Drops in IQ

Most recently, a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine assessed cognitive abilities such as memory, planning and spatial reasoning in nearly 113,000 people who had previously had COVID-19. The researchers found that those who had been infected had significant deficits in memory and executive task performance.

This decline was evident among those infected in the early phase of the pandemic and those infected when the delta and omicron variants were dominant. These findings show that the risk of cognitive decline did not abate as the pandemic virus evolved from the ancestral strain to omicron.

In the same study, those who had mild and resolved COVID-19 showed cognitive decline equivalent to a three-point loss of IQ. In comparison, those with unresolved persistent symptoms, such as people with persistent shortness of breath or fatigue, had a six-point loss in IQ. Those who had been admitted to the intensive care unit for COVID-19 had a nine-point loss in IQ. Reinfection with the virus contributed an additional two-point loss in IQ, as compared with no reinfection.

Generally the average IQ is about 100. An IQ above 130 indicates a highly gifted individual, while an IQ below 70 generally indicates a level of intellectual disability that may require significant societal support.

To put the finding of the New England Journal of Medicine study into perspective, I estimate that a three-point downward shift in IQ would increase the number of U.S. adults with an IQ less than 70 from 4.7 million to 7.5 million – an increase of 2.8 million adults with a level of cognitive impairment that requires significant societal support.

Another study in the same issue of the New England Journal of Medicine involved more than 100,000 Norwegians between March 2020 and April 2023. It documented worse memory function at several time points up to 36 months following a positive SARS-CoV-2 test.

Parsing the implications

Taken together, these studies show that COVID-19 poses a serious risk to brain health, even in mild cases, and the effects are now being revealed at the population level.

A recent analysis of the U.S. Current Population Survey showed that after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, an additional 1 million working-age Americans reported having “serious difficulty” remembering, concentrating or making decisions than at any time in the preceding 15 years. Most disconcertingly, this was mostly driven by younger adults between the ages of 18 to 44.

Data from the European Union shows a similar trend – in 2022, 15% of people in the EU reported memory and concentration issues.

Looking ahead, it will be critical to identify who is most at risk. A better understanding is also needed of how these trends might affect the educational attainment of children and young adults and the economic productivity of working-age adults. And the extent to which these shifts will influence the epidemiology of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease is also not clear.

The growing body of research now confirms that COVID-19 should be considered a virus with a significant impact on the brain. The implications are far-reaching, from individuals experiencing cognitive struggles to the potential impact on populations and the economy.

You can avoid brain, heart & multi-system organ damage, long covid & disability by wearing a snug fitting ffp2/3 & cleaning indoor air (ventilate & filtrate)👍