https://www.thedesertreview.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/drs-fareed-and-tyson-followed-the-science-and-saved-hundreds-of-lives/article_a2f8f8e2-6765-11ec-af86-7bb4a9ad8d80.htmlDrs. Fareed and Tyson Followed the Science and Saved Hundreds of Lives by Donald C. Pompan, M.D. Salinas, California Dec 27, 2021
The Imperial County Board of Supervisors meeting on December 21, 2021 featured a presentation on the early treatment of COVID-19 by two local physicians, Dr. George Fareed and Dr. Brian Tyson. This is must see viewing for anyone who is interested in learning about the science of COVID-19. Drs. Fareed and Tyson demonstrate how by actually following the science, they saved hundreds of lives.
It is also not surprising that their detractors in the Imperial County medical community opposed this public presentation. They are representative of the many physicians in the community who told COVID-19 patients seeking treatment to go home and “wait and see”- that nothing could be done for them. These patients were denied early treatment, and, only when they became very sick, were admitted to the hospital with often tragic results.
Just look at the numbers: As of December 21, 2021, the Imperial County Health Department reported a total of 33, 986 cases with a total of 792 deaths. By comparison, Dr. Fareed and Dr. Tyson, who meticulously track their cases, have collectively treated over 7,000 people since April 2020, with only a few deaths, and no deaths in anyone treated within the first 7 days.
Digest those numbers for a moment and, remember, these are human lives we are talking about. It is understandable why some in the medical community would want to silence these doctors.
Drs. Fareed and Tyson have relied on the science to treat COVID-19- understanding that the science is the key to treating any disease. The first stage of COVID-19 involves rapid viral replication and lasts about 5 to 7 days. This is the stage where individuals will have “flu-like” symptoms. The next stage involves the infection spreading to the lungs, in which the oxygen saturation drops. Some patients respond with a dramatic inflammatory response called “cytokine storm,” and this can lead to even lower oxygen levels and need for intubation. That is why the main treatment in the hospital is to support oxygenation and decrease inflammation.
By now, everyone has heard of the “COVID pill” (Merk and Pfizer) just approved by the FDA. As per the manufacturers, these pills, which interfere with viral replication, must be taken within the first 3 to 5 days to be effective. Sound familiar? Drs. Fareed and Tyson, along with many physician/scientists around the world, recognized almost two years ago that interrupting viral replication is the key to preventing hospitalization and death.
What about the science of the “cocktail” being used by these doctors for early treatment? This depends on the fact that replication of mRNA viruses such as COVID-19 are inhibited by zinc, and drugs like hydroxychloroquine along with antibiotics such as azithromycin/doxycycline act synergistically to facilitate the entry of zinc into the cell and thus inhibit viral replication- ivermectin acts in other ways on the cellular level also to inhibit viral replication.
As discussed in their presentation, early treatment is not limited to the medications that gain the most media attention. Monoclonal antibodies, anti-inflammatory agents, steroids, blood thinners can also be used, depending on the clinical picture and the patient’s individual needs.
The results of Drs. Fareed and Tyson have been duplicated by many physicians around the world who have published their results on early treatment (
www.c19study.com). The detractors who say that “there is no evidence early treatment works” and that this is just “anecdotal evidence” are simply uninformed.
First of all, the meaning of anecdotal evidence (per Merriam-Webster)- “evidence in the form of stories that people tell about what happened to them”- Drs. Fareed and Tyson meticulously and systematically tracked their cases- anything but anecdotal!
Moreover, in medicine we have many levels of evidence, which includes observational and retrospective studies, that provide the basis of much of our knowledge and decision-making. The fact that so many physicians are independently obtaining the same excellent results with early treatment is substantial and convincing evidence.
In addition, the detractors point to randomized, double-blind clinical trials (“RCTs”), the highest level of medical evidence, as disproving early treatment. There is one major problem- none of these published studies has looked at treatment within the first 5 to 7 days on high-risk patients with the full cocktail being advocated by Dr. Fareed and Dr. Tyson. Remember- The “COVID pill” requires that the pill be administered within the first few days—the pill would fail if given to hospitalized patients.
Finally, the detractors of early treatment claim that the drugs being used, such as ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, are somehow toxic. These drugs have been used for many years (65 years in the case of hydroxychloroquine) with excellent safety profiles- even the current FDA warnings against their use in COVID-19 are only, well, anecdotal- “we have reports of….” One Imperial County physician detractor even had to stoop so low as to invoke the “bleach” smear- anything to distract from the actual data and the science.
The allegation that Drs. Fareed and Tyson are spreading misinformation is flat-out false. How is presenting one’s own clinical results “misinformation?” If the detractors have a different opinion, they should engage in public debate and present their understanding of “the science.” In fact, real science is a dialectic, a discussion in which scientists disagree and challenge one another. Considering the 792 deaths in Imperial County, I can understand why the opponents seek to silence those who are trying to save lives through early treatment. It must be a bitter pill to swallow (pardon the pun) for the more powerful in the medical community to come to grips with the fact that two community docs, working in an urgent care clinic, came up with a solution based on science that saved the lives of hundreds of Imperial County residents- but that is what happened! To the detractors: follow the science and stop smearing these doctors.
In 1981, I was a Master’s student of Biochemistry at UCLA working the laboratory of Dr. George Fareed at the Molecular Biology Institute. He inspired me to go into medicine, and forty years later, Dr. Fareed is still my inspiration. Together with Dr. Tyson, they have demonstrated the greatest human attribute- courage. They have put their patients first, withstood the attacks of the naysayers, and have saved many lives in the process. God bless Dr. Fareed and Dr. Tyson!
Donald C. Pompan, M.D.
Salinas, California
