Why it was important to focus on anti-virals when Covid first emerged

Why it was important not to abandon antiviral R&D, in favor of the emerging Covid-19 vaccines

The diagram at left illustrates a synergystic response generated through dosing of Mebendazole (Vermox), a drug used to treat roundworm and whipworm infections in humans, on the viral lifecycle of Covid19, and other pathogens. This antiparasitic drug interrupts Covid's ability to trick human cells into believing they are not being invaded, and thereby allowing Covid rna to rapidly multiply and spread. This is just one of dozens of broad-spectrum antiviral therapeutics that were available to the US and other nations, when the pandemic first hit.

But by focusing funding, media and government attention solely on vaccines - a runaway train of public opinion and emotion - leadership unintentionally (we hope) abandoned those currently infected or at risk from Covid. Some 7 million in the US, it would turn out. Leadership knew worldwide that it would take years to perfect a workable vaccine and that traditional military / medical countermeasures (MCM) response to any public health emergency always called for treatment and cure focus FIRST - for this reason; and vaccines came LAST.

The entire emphasis of funding the first two years of the pandemic - was to abandon current victims in favor of 'potential' victims later on down the road. When it would have been so simple to begin urgent AI trials on at least 24 antivirals immediately identified. We were a part of this first wave of research; and have remained strong advocates to FDA, Congressional and US and EU, UK agencies; for the advancement of strong antiviral pathogen response for both Covid and for future pathogen risks. Including TB, a growing world concern.

The US Military, like UNESCO and Oxfam and the ICRC and other global leaders in emergency response  - and BigPharma are NOT emergency responders - have a motto, which is what Canada and others articulated repeatedly, to no avail:

It is better to does everyone suffering with the best available "something" now; then to wait for the perfect "something' later.

Innate Immunity v. Adaptive Immunity as our Best, Early Clue to Treating Covid

It was clear from the pattern of Covid spread and the miniscule amount of actual deaths or serious illness - less than 1% of human population in any geographical area became seriously ill or died - and from the amazing 100% resistance of children worldwide to Covid - that this was an Innate Immune system attacker. (Vaccines are Adaptive Immune system drugs.)

So the natural emergency response - advocated to NIH but dropped in favor of a focus solely on vaccines, by Dr Fauci - was a rapid antiviral treatment and preventative dosing of at-risk populations.

Vitamin D as a Critical Covid19 Immune Response Regulator

Additionally, as early as February it was known that all fatalities worldwide showed significant deficiency of Vitamin D, an  Innate Immunity regulator. So again, the natural emergency response - which we strongly advocated and which was eventually confirmed by global R&D as a valid treatment picked up in Israel, Canada, and the EU  - was to immediately test all incoming Covid19 patients for D levels and dose with concentrated D IM or IV, to bring levels up to normal function within 24 - 48 hours. Only later would the world understand that the sole determinant of whether an individual would live or die, from Covid, was the strength of his or her Innate Immunity.

We also advocated dosing everyone in responder or military work or other high-risk professions with RX Vitamin D to bring levels up to 100%. Because for most of the world - the UK, Europe, the Mideast, Asia, and most of North America - humans do not make Vitamin D for 6 to 9 months of the year, due to latitude; or to weather extremes or work routines and lifestyles  that keep people indoors. Sunlight is required for Vitamin D production.

Most of us never get more than a few minutes of sunlight during our days. So how would we expect our bodies to defend us against Covid - or any other serious disease or condition? The US has largely stopped supplementing milk and other food products with Vitamin D.