The WHO has convened an emergency meeting on the monkeypox outbreak that has spread to 56 countries!
Here is what you need to know…
WHO Convenes Emergency Meeting On Monkeypox Outbreak!
On 23 June 2022, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus convened an emergency committee meeting under Article 48 of the International Health Regulations to discuss the current monkeypox outbreak.
Chaired by Dr. Jean-Marie Okwo-Bele and Dr. Nicola Low, this emergency WHO meeting on monkeypox is only open to members and advisors of the Emergency Committee.
The findings of this emergency meeting would be conveyed to the Director-General of WHO, on whether the outbreak should be classified as a public health emergency of international concern, and also on potential recommendations on how to address it.
This meeting comes as an NGO called World Health Network (unrelated to WHO) issued a press release describing the current monkeypox outbreak as a “pandemic”, urging “immediate and effective action” from country and global health authorities.
This led to a bit of confusion, as their names and acronyms were similar (WHO vs WHN). To be clear, WHO has not declared a monkeypox pandemic.
Over 4,000 Monkeypox Cases Confirmed In 56 Countries!
Discovered in 1958, the first human infection was only reported in 1970, and there were only like 400 cases from 1970 to 1986.
Monkeypox became more common over time, with 2000 cases per year reported between 2011 and 2014, and several outbreaks in the US (2003 and 2021), UK (2018 and 2021), and Singapore (2019)..
However, nothing has come close to the 2022 monkeypox outbreak which has now affected at least 56 countries outside of endemic African countries, with over 4,000 cases!
Country
Confirmed
Cases
Suspected
Cases
Total
Spain
918
100
1,018
United Kingdom
793
–
793
Germany
676
–
676
France
330
–
330
Portugal
328
–
328
Canada
223
45
268
United States
173
–
173
Netherlands
167
–
167
Italy
85
–
85
Belgium
77
1
78
Switzerland
52
–
52
Ireland
28
–
28
Ghana
18
–
18
Brazil
11
6
17
Israel
16
–
16
Australia
13
–
13
Denmark
13
–
13
Sweden
13
–
13
UAE
13
–
13
Austria
12
–
12
Poland
12
–
12
Mexico
9
–
9
Slovenia
9
–
9
Hungary
7
–
7
Czech Republic
6
–
6
Uganda
–
6
6
Romania
5
–
5
Argentina
4
–
4
Finland
4
–
4
Malta
4
–
4
Norway
4
–
4
Somalia
–
4
4
Chile
3
–
3
Colombia
3
–
3
Greece
3
–
3
Iceland
3
–
3
Bulgaria
2
–
2
Latvia
2
–
2
Morocco
1
1
2
Bahamas
–
1
1
Cayman Islands
–
1
1
Fiji
–
1
1
Georgia
1
–
1
Gibraltar
1
–
1
Haiti
–
1
1
Libya
–
1
1
Lebanon
1
–
1
Luxembourg
1
–
1
Serbia
1
–
1
Singapore
1
–
1
South Africa
1
–
1
South Korea
1
–
1
Uruguay
–
1
1
Venezuela
1
–
1
Zambia
–
1
1
TOTAL
4,049
170
4,219
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Tech millionaire Steve Kirsch challenged me to a debate, claiming to have “the inside story” on how Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins died from vaccine-induced myocarditis.
So let’s take a look at his “inside” information, and see what the facts really are!
Steve Kirsch : Taylor Hawkins Most Likely Died From Vaccine!
Tech millionaire Steve Kirsch has been actively creating misinformation about COVID-19 and the vaccines.
In his latest effort, he claimed to have “the inside story” on how Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins died from vaccine-induced myocarditis.
He even called me out, and challenged me to a debate, for fact checking that false claim earlier. Hilarious!
I would love to debate Dr. Wong on this, but he doesn’t seem anxious to engage with me or Peter McCullough. I’ve posted the link to this story on his “fact check” but it has to be approved by him to appear.
So I’m going to publicly expose the truth about what Steve Kirsch shared, because facts aren’t subject to a debate. They remain true, irrespective of our opinions.
Why Steve Kirsch Is Wrong About Taylor Hawkins Dying From Vaccine
In case you guys don’t know him, Steve Kirsch is a tech millionaire who made his money as one of two people who independently invented the optical mouse.
So he’s definitely a smart guy… when it comes to tech. But let’s see if Steve Kirsch is correct in any of his claims…
I will go through the list of “facts” that Steve Kirsch posted, and tell you what the facts really are.
Claim : He was found dead in his hotel room… after complaining about chest pains. Fact : Hawkins called the hotel front desk for help, complaining of chest pain. He was treated by a health professional (doctor) hired by EMI, who failed to revive him.
Claim : Press reported he died of cardiac arrest. The vaccine causes death by cardiac arrest. Fact : There is ZERO evidence that any COVID-19 vaccine causes death by cardiac arrest.
Claim : Marijuana and heroin and the other drugs aren’t consistent with the symptoms observed before he died. Fact : No one actually observed his symptoms that we are aware of. Hawkins only reported chest pain, so what other symptoms is Kirsch alluding to? Fact : A cardiac arrest is pretty much consistent with opioid overdose, and less commonly, marijuana use. Even if we discount marijuana, Hawkins had heroin and other opioids in his urine.
Claim : Taylor Hawkins was all about the music and his fans. He was just a great guy. Fact : Unless his passion for music was a trigger for the vaccine to kill him, it is completely irrelevant and is just Kirsch name dropping his “inside source”.
Members of the Technical Investigation Corps (CTI) remove the lifeless body of the drummer of the rock band Foo Fighters, Taylor Hawkins, at the Casa Medina hotel, in Bogota, Colomia
Claim : He was married for 17 years and had three kids. He had everything to live for. Fact : People with everything to live for can still partake in drugs. A strong desire to live does not prevent a drug overdose either. Does Kirsch really believe that being married for XX years and having X number of kids precludes death from opioid overdose? Seriously?
Claim : There was no mention of the amount of each substance (in the toxicology report). Fact : This is true, probably because the forensic team would have to first corroborate the urine test results, with the blood test results. It does not change the fact that the 10 types of substances in his urine included marijuana, antidepressants, benzodiazepines and opioids.
Claim : People have mentioned that drug reports from Columbian sources can be unreliable. Fact : Not only is that incredibly condescending, it is an opinion that is not backed by facts. Where is the evidence that a simple urine test that any laboratory in the world can perform is unreliable because it was conducted in Colombia?
Claim : Columbian authorities claim … Columbian sources…
Fact : The demonym of Colombia is Colombian, not Columbian. Hawkins died in the country of Colombia, not Columbia, South Carolina or the District of Columbia.
Claim : COVID vaccine can cause a heart to double in size and then kill you. Fact : Vaccine-induced myocarditis can cause the heart to enlarge (but not necessarily so), and in rare cases, it can be fatal. However, you are many times more likely to get myocarditis from a COVID-19 infection, than from any COVID-19 vaccine. If you are worried about myocarditis, you will want to get vaccinated. Read more :Vaccine Myocarditis Risk Less Than 1 In Million!
Claim : It seems unlikely that he just decided on a spontaneous heroin / benzo / cocaine bender right before a show. Fact : Unlikely? The fact is the preliminary toxicology test showed that he had 10 different substances in his urine, and a police officer reportedly told prosecutors that he saw a “cocaine-like powder” in Hawkins’ room. Does Kirsch have any “inside” facts to share? Or was he just pontificating?
Claim : He still smoked weed. This was well known [Insider]. Opinion : I’ll take his insider’s word for that, and point out it refutes Kirsch’s point that Hawkins learned his lesson in 2001 (when he almost died from an overdose). If he can still smoke weed, he certainly can still partake in cocaine and heroin.
Claim : Hawkins made it very clear he was against masks, lockdowns and the COVID vaccines. Opinion : While plausible, there is no public record of Hawkins saying that he was against masks, lockdowns and the COVID vaccines.
Claim : Hawkins was under pressure from both Dave Grohl and the band manager to take the vaccine. Opinion : While plausible, there is no public record of Hawkins being forced to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Claim : Hawkins’ heart was likely already somewhat damaged from an earlier vaccine dose when … his doctor said he had a “big heart”. Fact : That is a baseless opinion by Kirsch, unless he is willing to share with us evidence that Hawkins’ “big heart” was related to any vaccine he took.
Claim : So the timing on this suggests that Hawkins had his first and/or second dose before the medical exam. Fact : This is complete bullshit. Kirsch is doing a logic pretzel – claiming (without evidence) that Hawkins’ cardiomegaly in June 2021 was definitely due to the vaccine, and then using that as “evidence” that Hawkins must have been vaccinated before that. Opinion : If Kirsch really spoke to insiders who knew Hawkins on a personal basis, they would have told him when Hawkins got his vaccine doses. Kirsch doesn’t even know what vaccine Hawkins took. It may not even have been an mRNA vaccine, for all we know.
Claim : So this is all consistent with a damaged heart on an earlier vaccine shot. Fact : Kirsch conspiciously “forgot” to point out that Hawkins’ doctor told him that he was “in amazing shape“. If Hawkins had vaccine-induced myocarditis, he would have had noticeable symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath and heart palpitations. His doctor certainly would not have told him that he was in great health.
Claim : Hawkins got a booster on Feb. 26, 2022 [Insider], just a month before he died. Fact : There is no way to confirm this insider claim, but I should point out that none of the countries that the Foo Fighters were going to play at required a booster dose. They only required travellers to be fully-vaccinated, so it would not have been necessary for Hawkins to get a booster dose before flying to Australia – the first overseas stop. Opinion : Assuming that his insider source was correct, it actually PROVES that Hawkins did not suffer from vaccine-induced myocarditis – an acute condition that occurs within a few days of receiving an mRNA vaccine. It wouldn’t crop up a month later, and Hawkins would not have been able to undertake strenuous activities like playing with the Foo Fighters in Australia, Chile and Argentina.
Claim : Large study in JAMA said most heart problems surfaced 3 weeks after the vaccine Fact : Kirsch interestingly did not reference the JAMA study, so we will never know which study he was referring to. In any case, vaccine-induced myocarditis surfaces WITHIN DAYS of receiving an mRNA vaccine.
Claim : Those involved in physically demanding activities are … more likely to get myocarditis due to catecholamine release interaction with the vaccine. Fact : There is currently no evidence that individuals who participate in physically demanding activities are more likely to get myocarditis. The paper Kirsch quoted to back up that claim is a literature review (not an actual clinical study) by his friend, that has not been peer-reviewed. Fact : The paper Kirsch quoted mentioned that “vaccine-induced myocarditis … and increase in sudden deaths” are “overrepresented in young males“. That kind of proves Kirsch wrong – Hawkins was 50 years old when he died. The risk of vaccine-induced myocarditis for his age group is practically non-existent.
Age Group
Vaccine Myocarditis
Male Rate
(per million doses)
Classic Myocarditis
Male Baseline
(per million doses)
12-17
32.4
2.0
18-24
30.7
1.8
25-29
12.2
1.9
30-39
6.9
1.9
40-49
3.5
1.9
50-64
1.9
1.9
Claim : Their stage manager Andy Pollard died suddenly as well. Fact : That’s true, but Kirsch does not tell us why that is pertinent information. Bob Saget also died suddenly. Is that equally relevant to Hawkins’ death? Or is he suggesting some kind of Foo Fighters curse?
Claim : [Vaccine-induced myocarditis] fits all the facts like a glove Opinion : Those must be really weird gloves for aliens with 8 fingers, because Kirsch offered ZERO EVIDENCE that vaccine-induced myocarditis was the cause of Hawkins’ death.
Claim : Hawkins was boosted 30 days before he died, giving his heart plenty of time to double in size Fact : Hawkins already said he had a “big” heart a year ago… MONTHS before he received that [alleged] booster dose in February 2022.
Claim : Hawkins was observed shortly before his death and appeared not under the influence of drugs. Fact : Kirsch hilariously used this photo of Hawkins with band members Pat Smear and Samantha Sidley taken TWO DAYS prior to his death as proof. How does the photo prove that Hawkins did not partake in any drugs two days LATER? Let me help him with this analogy – if I post a picture of myself eating a salad today, it does not mean I won’t be eating a steak tomorrow.
Taylor Hawkins (back) on a plane with band member Pat Smear (left) and Samantha Sidley (right) on Wednesday, March 23, 2022
Steve, thank you for helping to invent the optical mouse, but please stop creating and sharing misinformation.
Why not join me in fighting fake news instead? Let your legacy be the unerring pursuit of the truth.
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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did Foo Fighters drummer, Taylor Hawkins, die from COVID-19 vaccine-induced myocarditis?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Taylor Hawkins Died From Vaccine-Induced Myocarditis!
Just three days after Foo Fighters drummer, Taylor Hawkins, was found dead in his hotel room in Colombia, The COVID Blog claimed that he died from vaccine-induced myocarditis.
They wrote a long rambling post about him, so let me share the relevant part with you. It’s long, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts.
Witnesses said Mr. Hawkins called the front desk complaining of chest pains right before he passed away. An ambulance arrived, but could not revive him. That means his heart stopped beating.
The narrative now is that a urine toxicology test found 10 substances, including benzodiazepines, opioids, THC (weed) and anti-depressants. Note that the latter was likely a prescription, and THC stays in urine for weeks and even months. Now the most recent narrative is that Mr. Hawkins died of “cardiovascular collapse” after binging on heroin and other drugs.
Vaxx zealots are angrily attacking critical thinkers on social media for talking about the obvious. Myocarditis, aka heart inflammation, is the second-most common adverse reaction to the injections after blood clots covered on this blog. Further, we’ve covered numerous cases of vaccinated people dying suddenly and unexpectedly of heart attacks and cardiac arrest. Of course the top symptom of a heart attack is chest pain, which Mr. Hawkins complained of right before he passed.
We’ve seen many people on social media claim that myocarditis does not enlarge the heart. But the Myocarditis Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated solely to saving people from this ailment, says right on its website:
“In simple terms, myocarditis is a disease that causes inflammation of the heart muscle. This inflammation enlarges and weakens the heart, creates scar tissue and forces it to work harder to circulate blood and oxygen throughout the body.”
“Myocarditis is the 3rd leading cause of Sudden Death in children and young adults.”
That all said, mainstream media want us all to believe that a 50-year-old man with two kids and a wife of 17 years, who made clear he learned his lesson in 2001, and had lived a solid family life with perhaps occasional drug use here and there, just decided on a spontaneous heroin/benzo/cocaine bender right before a show, called for help, then died of an overdose.
Unfortunately for vaxx zealots and their mainstream media, the Occam’s Razor, critical thinking cause of death is post-injection myocarditis that enlarged and stopped his heart. The deniers are also forwarding the narrative “you don’t know addiction.” What we do know is the difference between someone who wants to die and wants to live. It, again, stands to reason that Mr. Hawkins was in the latter group.
Truth : Taylor Hawkins Did NOT Die From Vaccine-Induced Myocarditis!
It’s becoming a tradition for anti-vaccination activists to immediately blame all celebrity deaths on the COVID-19 vaccine.
And The COVID Blog (TCB) has peddling COVID-19 fake news and misinformation for a long, long time. So it’s no surprise that they would jump on the bandwagon.
Here are the reasons why TCB is not only wrong, they are intentionally abusing Taylor Hawkins’ death to push their anti-vaccine beliefs.
Fact #1 : No Evidence Hawkins Had Vaccine-Induced Myocarditis
First, let me start by simply pointing out that The COVID Blog has ZERO EVIDENCE that Hawkins had vaccine-induced myocarditis.
They did not perform the autopsy on Hawkins, or run any laboratory test on his blood or urine samples. They did not even base their opinions on publicly-released information.
They concocted that claim out of thin air, without even an ounce of evidence.
Fact #2 : Colombian Authorities Released Urine Toxicology Report
After Hawkins died, the Colombian authorities took his body for an autopsy, and a urine test found 10 different kinds of drugs in his system.
The Colombia Attorney General’s Office issued this statement on the initial autopsy findings :
Colombia’s Attorney General’s Office can confirm the following after the initial autopsy on the body of Taylor Hawkins.
That in the toxicology test on Taylor Hawkins’ urine 10 types of substances were preliminarily found, including marijuana, tricyclic antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and opioids.
The National Institute of Forensic Medicine is continuing its medical studies to be able to completely clarify the facts that led to Taylor Hawkins death.
Colombia’s Attorney General’s Office will continue with the investigation and reveal the results obtained as part of this investigation as appropriate.
Members of the Technical Investigation Corps (CTI) remove the lifeless body of the drummer of the rock band Foo Fighters, Taylor Hawkins, at the Casa Medina hotel, in Bogota, Colomia
Fact #3 : Urine Toxicology Does Not Take Weeks To Complete
TCB claimed that the Hawkins toxicology report cannot possibly be genuine because it typically takes 4-6 weeks to complete, and shared a link to WebMD as evidence.
That’s misleading, because the WebMD article was talking about how long it takes for a complete forensic toxicology report. The 4-6 week time is required because :
the investigation may reveal additional drugs being taken, thus requiring new tests, and/or
the initial results may require additional testing to confirm, and/or
there may be a backlog of cases at one or more laboratories.
It’s also misleading because the Colombian authorities only released the urine toxicology report, not the complete forensic toxicology report.
They basically tested his urine sample for common drugs – a test that is quick to perform. In fact, most laboratories can complete the tests within a few hours.
Fact #4 : Vaccine-Induced Myocarditis Is Rare
TCB misleads you into thinking that vaccine-induced myocarditis is common, by saying that it is “the second-most common adverse reaction” … “covered on this blog“.
In other words, vaccine-induced myocarditis is not the second-most common side effect of the vaccines, it is merely the second-most common adverse reaction they like to write about!
The truth is studies like SAFECOVAC have shown that vaccine-induced myocarditis is extremely rare – less than 1 in a million doses!
In fact, you are hundreds of times more likely to get myocarditis from COVID-19 than from three doses of any COVID-19 vaccine!
Vaccine-induced myocarditis is not only rare, most cases resolve quickly, compared to non-vaccine myocarditis.
As Dr. Matthew Elias, M.D., a cardiologist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) explained :
In classic myocarditis, there are a wide range of presentations, from very mild symptoms to extremely serious, or even fatal, cases.
Overall, this does not seem to be happening in post-vaccine myocarditis. In the patients seen at CHOP and at other hospitals, symptoms are generally mild and self-resolving, and heart function is less affected, if affected at all.
Vaccine-induced myocarditis is an acute condition that occurs within a few days of receiving an mRNA-based vaccine from Pfizer or Moderna.
Individuals who develop vaccine-induced myocarditis will experience symptoms like :
chest pain
shortness of breath
heart palpitations
If Hawkins was suffering from vaccine-induced myocarditis, he would not have been able to fly around to play with the Foo Fighters at various concerts around the world :
Feb 26-27 : Innings Festival 2022, Tempe, Arizona, United States
Mar 4 : Foo Fights / Amyl and the Sniffers / The Meanies, Geelong, Australia
Mar 18 : Lollapalooza Chile, Santiago, Chile
Mar 20 : Lollapalooza Argentina, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Taylor Hawkins (back) on a plane with band member Pat Smear (left) and Samantha Sidley (right) on Wednesday, March 23, 2022
Fact #8 : Cardiomegaly Takes Time To Develop
The initial autopsy report stated that his heart weighed “at least 600 grams” – twice the average for a man his age.
This finding of cardiomegaly (enlarged heart) suggests that he had a longstanding heart condition like heart failure, or cardiomyopathy.
TCB claimed that was evidence of vaccine-induced myocarditis, because the Myocarditis Foundation says that myocarditis enlarges the heart.
It is true that myocarditis can enlarge the heart by weakening the heart muscle, but that process takes time – weeks, if not months, to develop.
Fact #9 : Hawkins Discovered Enlarged Heart In 2021
Interestingly, Hawkins himself may have discovered that he had an enlarged heart (cardiomegaly) in 2021.
On 15 June 2021, he did a Rolling Stone interview with Brian Hiatt, where he revealed that his doctor recently told him that he had a “big” heart.
I just found out from my doctor, got all my blood tests and my heart everything checked and he goes, “Dude, you’re in amazing shape. Your heart’s big, because you exercise a lot. It’s like a runner’s heart.”
Fact #10 : His Cardiomegaly May Be Due To Sleep Apnea
In the same Rolling Stone interview, Hawkins also revealed an interesting detail that many people missed – he was likely suffering from sleep apnea.
The only thing is, he said, “I think you have sleep apnea.” And my wife’s always saying you snore and you fucking make weird noises while you’re sleeping and stuff.
Untreated sleep apnea increases cardiovascular stress, which elevates blood pressure and forces the heart to work harder. This can result in an enlarged heart (cardiomegaly) over time.
Fact #11 : Hawkins Almost Died From Drug Overdose In 2001
Hawkins had a long history of drug use, and almost died from a heroin overdose in 2001. He recounted the incident in 2018 :
I was partying a lot. I wasn’t a junkie per se, but I was partying. There was a year where the partying just got a little too heavy.
Thank God on some level this guy gave me the wrong line with the wrong thing one night and I woke up going, ‘What the f**k happened?’ That was a real changing point for me.
Tragically, it appears that Hawkins overdosed again, but was not able to recover this time, due to his existing heart condition.
For certain, his COVID-19 vaccination played no role in his death.
Don’t risk your life, or your family’s lives, on the bad science and misinformation promoted by The COVID Blog.
Please help me fight fake news, and SHARE this fact check with your family and friends!
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Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Please note that the new travel ban by Malaysia on 23 countries with high COVID-19 cases is FAKE NEWS!
Here is what you need to know!
Claim : Malaysia Travel Ban On 23 Countries!
On 7 January 2022, people started sharing a screenshot of a travel advisory by the Embassy of Malaysia in Berlin, Germany.
Please skip to the next section for the facts…
Embassy of Malaysia, Berlin
TRAVEL ADVISORY ENTRY RESTRICTIONS ON FOREIGN TRAVELERS TO MALAYSIA
Effective from 08 January 2022, the Government of Malaysia is imposing travel restrictions into Malaysia on foreign travellers who are travelling from countries that have recorded over 150,000 COVID-19 cases as listed below:
United States of America
The United Kingdom
Brazil
Bangladesh
India
Saudi Arabia
Russia
Pakistan
Peru
France
Colombia
Turkey
South Africa
Italy
Mexico
Germany
Spain
Iraq
Argentina
The Philippines
Chile
Indonesia
Iran
The entry restrictions include travellers who are citizens of/holders of long-term passes of the countries listed above who are residing in or travelling from those countries.
The latest decision is part of continuing efforts by the Government of Malaysia to contain the spread of COVID-19 and in view of the recent increase in the number of imported COVID-19 cases detected at international points of entry to Malaysia among travellers coming from the listed countries. The restriction is a temporary measure and will be reviewed regularly.
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS being created and circulated on WhatsApp and social media, and here are the facts…
Fact #1 : This Travel Advisory Was Forged
This travel advisory was forged from the original September 2020 travel advisory.
Back then, the government of Malaysia announced the temporary travel ban on those 23 countries, that would start on 7 September 2021.
The original travel advisory was edited, with the new date added to make it look like it’s new. But it was a very poor photo-editing job.
If you look carefully, the 08 January 2022, date is not only in bold , but of a different type of font and a much larger size.
Note : Here is the screenshot that went viral. I added a FAKE overlay to prevent further abuse.
Fact #2 : Embassy of Malaysia In Berlin Confirms It Is Fake
The Embassy of Berlin in Malaysia confirmed that the viral travel advisory is FAKE.
ANNOUNCEMENT
The Embassy of Malaysia, Berlin would like to warn the public that there has been a fake news being circulated regarding travel advisory by the Embassy of Malaysia, Berlin on entry restriction on foreign travelers [sic] to Malaysia.
We condemn the actions of those who maliciously spread fake news which can have an adverse effect and concern to the public. The public is advice [sic] to validate the source before circulating any news.
Thank you.
Embassy of Malaysia, Berlin
7 January 2022
Fact #3 : Malaysia Currently Has No Travel Ban
There is currently no travel ban in Malaysia.
In fact, Malaysia just ended a temporary travel ban of 8 countries, on 27 December 2021, due to the risk of Omicron variant.
There is currently only a list of 18 countries that are considered high-risk due to the Omicron variant.
Australia
The United States of America
The United Kingdom
Norway
France
Denmark
Canada
Nigeria
India
Saudi Arabia
South Africa
Botswana
Eswatini
Lesotho
Mozambique
Namibia
Zimbabwe
Malawi
Travellers from those 18 high-risk countries can still travel to Malaysia, but they must comply with the following additional restrictions :
Negative COVID-19 PCR test within 2 days before departure
COVID-19 PCR test on arrival in Malaysia
Wear a digital tracker on arrival in Malaysia
Mandatory quarantine of 7 days or 10 days, depending on vaccination status, either at home or at a quarantine centre, subject to approval.
Additional PCR test on Day 5 (for 7-day quarantine) or Day 8 (for 10-day quarantine).
Risk assessment on the last day of quarantine, which may be extended if you are symptomatic.
You will only be free from the quarantine on Day 8 or Day 11, if there is no quarantine extension and the Day 5 or Day 8 PCR test is negative.
Travellers from the United Kingdom have the additional requirement of conducting daily RTK-Ag tests during their quarantine, which must be reported in MySejahtera.
Now that you know the truth, please SHARE this fact check with your family and friends, so they won’t get fooled by it!
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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Is Israel in trouble with the Delta variant of COVID-19 because they did not use vaccines from China?
Take a look at the viral warning, and find out what the FACTS really are!
Claim : Israel In Trouble For NOT Using Vaccines From China!
This warning has gone viral on WhatsApp, claiming that Israel is in trouble with the Delta variant because they opted to use the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines, instead of superior vaccines from China.
The viral warning is quite long, so just skip to the next section for the FACTS!
Israel DOES NOT use China vaccines at all,
but Israel uses only Moderna+Pfizzer vaccines, and that is why Israel has record number of daily cases now, and the number of daily cases in Israel is now higher than before vaccination started, and the vast majority of Israel people have already been vaccinated .
The reason for the failure to stop virus spread in Israel and also in Singapore,
is because Moderna+Pfizzer vaccines, are NOT EFFECTIVE against the delta variant, and the effectiveness will keep dropping every month.
Both Israel and Singapore made the same mistake, of naively and trusting in full, the USA fake news media claim, that wildly overstate the effectiveness of vaccines like Moderna+Pfizzer vaccines, and the same USA fake news media FALSELY CLAIM that China vaccines are not effective, but in the real world, China vaccines turn out to be the most effective, especially against the Delta variant .
Click the graph below, and see for yourself,
the exploding and record number of daily virus cases in Israel, which uses the moderna and pfizzer vaccines at
Now click the graph below, and see for yourself that daily virus cases in China which uses only China vaccines, has already stabilized and life is back to normal since 17 months ago at
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/china/
Now click the graph below, and see for yourself that daily virus cases in Bahrain which uses mainly China vaccines, has already stabilized and life is back to normal at
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/bahrain/
Now click the graph below, and see for yourself that daily virus cases in Chile which uses mainly China vaccines, has already stabilized and life is back to normal at
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/chile/
Truth : Vaccines From China Will NOT Help Israel With Delta Variant!
The truth is – vaccines from China will not help Israel with the Delta variant of COVID-19.
Chinese COVID-19 vaccines are decent, but they are NOT very effective against the Delta variant.
This is just another piece of Chinese propaganda, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Israel Showed That Lockdowns Work
In their first wave, Israel declared a national state of emergency on 19 March 2020, and underwent a strict lockdown with travel restrictions.
In their second wave, they announced another set of lockdown measures from July to September 2020, which rapidly cut down the numbers by end of October 2020.
In their third wave, Israel initiated their third nationwide lockdown on 27 December 2020, which they started lifting in March 2021.
Fact #2 : Israel Reopened Too Quickly + Too Early
By June 2021, masking was no longer required even indoors, and there are currently very few restrictions in Israel.
In spite of their high vaccination rate – 61.1% of their population are fully vaccinated – Israel has not achieved herd immunity.
Unfortunately, they got complacent and opened up too early. Coupled with the more transmissible Delta variant, this led to their fourth wave.
Even so, I must point out that the Sinovac vaccine offers significant protection against hospitalisation and death that unvaccinated people are at risk of.
A recent study in Bahrain involving 1.24 million participants showed that the Sinopharm BIBP vaccine was less effective than the Pfizer Comirnaty vaccine, especially against the Delta variant.
The study showed that the Pfizer mRNA vaccine was 2.5X better at preventing infection, 10X better at preventing hospitalisation, 28.5X better at avoiding ICU admission and 7.5X better at preventing death.
But I must point out that the Sinopharm vaccine itself does a great job at preventing hospitalisation, ICU admission and death, compared to unvaccinated people.
It is just not as effective as the Pfizer vaccine, especially against the Delta variant.
Cases Per 100K
Per Week
Pfizer
Sinopharm
Unvaccinated
Infection
136.3
350.5
643.0
Hospitalisation
2.8
28.4
51.1
ICU Admission
0.08
2.29
6.39
Death
0.22
1.64
4.42
Fact #7 : China’s Success Due To Lockdown, Not Vaccines
China successfully kept COVID-19 cases flat since March 2020 through extremely strict lockdowns and preventive measures. This allowed them to avoid multiple waves that have afflicted many countries around the world.
We know that their success had nothing to do with the superiority of Chinese vaccines, because China itself has been busy exporting vaccines instead of using them.
Despite being the first to approve a COVID-19 vaccine (from Sinopharm), China only vaccinated 24 million people (1.6%) by the end of January 2021.
They have since ramped up vaccination, after India’s Delta variant crisis rattled them. But their continued success in preventing another COVID-19 wave has, currently, little to do with their vaccines.
Fact #8 : China To Offer mRNA Booster Dose For Sinovac + Sinopharm Vaccines
In July 2021, Caixin Global reported that China is planning to offer the Pfizer Comirnaty mRNA vaccine as a booster dose for citizens vaccinated with the Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines.
This decision came after Chinese CDC deputy director Dr. Feng Zijian said that two Chinese COVID-19 vaccines are “less effective” against the Delta variant, compared to other strains.
This is a tacit acknowledgement by the Chinese government that the Sinovac and Sinopharm vaccines are not working well against the Delta variant.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.