Ostensibly the American documentary “The Quiet Epidemic” chronicles the steamrolling Lyme Disease (LD) epidemic in the United States but it is far more than that. It is an exposé on the self-destructive greed and failure of the for-profit underpinnings of the American medical system and the moral and ethical corruption if not gross negligence of medical practitioners tied to Big Pharma. “Gross negligence” is so well described in the Civil Code of France, Quebec and Louisiana as something not even the stupidest man would do.
On a personal level “Quiet Epidemic” has been released at precisely the right moment as North America tries to crawl out of the COVID pandemic. It is in COVID times that we see a medical establishment somewhat divided amongst those that tow the party line of the CDC and NHI about vaccines, masking and the majority of the media that obediently props them up and those that dare question the party line. Do you notice that CNN seems funded by Big Pharma with incessant and mindless pharmaceutical ads? Do you also notice the admonishments from those towing along with vaccine imperialism we must follow the science. Who controls this science that we must follow? If an analogy can be drawn to following the science in Lyme Disease you and I ought to be terrified.
“The Quiet Epidemic” doesn’t proselytize with narration as it lets those with CDC, NIH and the IDSA (Infectious Disease Society of America) embarrass themselves to the extent they are not following the science but rather ignoring it. Yes medicine has become politicized long before COVID. And the closed-minded supporters of the status quo are championing iatrogenic behaviour effectively letting thousands suffer and eventually die. It is always interesting to dig into “studies” supporting pharmaceuticals especially when the studies are conducted by those with ties to Big Pharma. Corruption.
Perhaps you can see how I think how on point this documentary is? I perhaps should stop here and say watch it now that I have unloaded the COVID medical debacle off my chest? No. Let’s start all over.
It was in 1975 that Lyme Disease (LD) was identified as a result of a huge spike of arthritis cases in Lyme, Connecticut which primarily affected children. LD is a tick-borne disease one of some 16 tick borne diseases. It is found in wooded areas and now it could be in your backyard throughout North America infecting some 500,000 Americans each year. It operates through a spirochete organism that resembles a corkscrew (the same type of organism is found in syphilis) that like a corkscrew bores into organs and destroys them. 80% of victims recover but 20% do not and they face suffering and a likelihood of death.
For many years and in fact still in present days a good part of the medical establishment thought or tried to have the public believe the course of treatment was antibiotics. Prominent medical organizations such as the CDC, NHI and IDSA treated the rise of LD and its physicians who contested their views as Lyme Loonies. They who worship “science” conveniently and hypocritically ignored any science that challenged their treatment guidelines.
Indeed LD is no game as we encounter some of its victims who die and suffer terribly as certain elements of the medical establishment, Big Pharma and insurance companies have so many vested interests, usually profit. Suffering and death should have been eliminated but stubbornness and the profit motive in the American medical system have precedence over the well-being of patients.
The sad fact is that some 50 years after the recognition of LD very little has changed including suffering and death.
Can you say that this documentary makes me sad? You are right but it infuriates me and brings me close to rage that the pig-headed medical establishment is little better than accessory to murder.
As an investigate journalist in the documentary notes why is it that my dogs can take meds for tick borne diseases but no such treatment is available for humans. This is criminal.
On a last note in the course of researching for a book I acted as a golf marshal last year. I was asked many times why I was not wearing shorts. I replied “Lyme Disease”. Little recognition registered.
You can see the trailer here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8pBkzUwb88
It will be in theatre at Hot Docs on May 2/6 and can be streamed (geoblocked to Canada) for 5 days from May 3.
The co-directors Lindsay Keys and Winslow Crane-Murdoch met through their Lyme doctor’s office in 2015.
RKS Film Rating 92/100.
Set the Bar 