Prof Harald Walach has had a few rough weeks. First, he published his paper suggesting that Covid vaccinations do more harm than good which was subsequently retracted as flawed, if not fraudulent. Next, he published a paper showing that children are put in danger when wearing face masks suggesting that “decision-makers weigh the hard evidence produced by these experimental measurements accordingly, which suggest that children should not be forced to wear face masks.” Now, the journal put out the following announcement about it:
The Research Letter, “Experimental Assessment of Carbon Dioxide Content in Inhaled Air With or Without Face Masks in Healthy Children: A Randomized Clinical Trial,” by Harald Walach, PhD, and colleagues published online in JAMA Pediatrics on June 30, 2021,1 is hereby retracted.
Following publication, numerous scientific issues were raised regarding the study methodology, including concerns about the applicability of the device used for assessment of carbon dioxide levels in this study setting, and whether the measurements obtained accurately represented carbon dioxide content in inhaled air, as well as issues related to the validity of the study conclusions. In their invited responses to these and other concerns, the authors did not provide sufficiently convincing evidence to resolve these issues, as determined by editorial evaluation and additional scientific review. Given fundamental concerns about the study methodology, uncertainty regarding the validity of the findings and conclusions, and the potential public health implications, the editors have retracted this Research Letter.
To make things even worse, Walach’s University fired him because of his fraudulent anti-vax research. Poznan University of Medical Sciences tweeted on 6 July:
We wish to emphasize that the claims included in dr Harald Walach’s recent article in @Vaccines_MDPI do not represent the position of @PUMS_tweets . We find that the article lacked scientific diligence and proper methodology. Dr. Walach’s affiliation with PUMS was now terminated. Throughout the pandemic PUMS has actively promoted vaccination programs, offering scientific expertise in the media, broadcasting seminars, and reported on progress of the vaccination program. We consider vaccinations as the paramount tool in the global fight against the pandemic. We consider vaccinations as the paramount tool in the global fight against the #pandemic. Over 85% of our own academic community has already been vaccinated with support and encouragement from the University.
As I said, this is truly unlucky …
.. or perhaps not?
Come to think of it, it is lucky when pseudo-science and fraud are called out. It means that the self-cleaning mechanisms of science are working and we are protected from the harm done by charlatans.
17 Responses to Prof Harald Walach is really unlucky
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Beyond any gloating: thanks to Mr Walach for believing that he could publish outside his (homeopathic) occult-esoteric community (which has celebrated him as its “scientific guru” for decades), but under the eyes of the real scientific community.
Which, of course, does not let him get away with his theses. How nice that now, at an advanced age, he is once again coming into contact with real science – which he did cultivate a long time ago as an academic psychologist.
The fact that he lost his appointment at the University of Poznan (the making of which is a story in itself) is of course hard for him. But he is still in good hands in the community of the anthroposophical University of Witten-Herdecke. They will build him up again. So don’t worry too much.
“his appointment at the University of Poznan (the making of which is a story in itself)”
can you tell me more about this?
The cooperation with the Medical University of Poznan was Viadrina’s condition for his institute not to be liquidated. Liquidation of his institute was the recommendation of the Hochschulstrukturkommission Brandenburg after the scandal with the Kozyrev-Mirror 2012.
doesn’t make much sense to me – but thanks anyway.
Perhaps helpful for understanding: https://scienceblogs.de/kritisch-gedacht/2012/06/11/hogwarts-an-der-oder-hochschulstrukturkommission-stuft-intrag-viadrina-auf-ramschniveau-herab/
Still, it does not make any sense why Walach was hired by PUMS and why specifically at pediatric gastroenterology clinic. It doesn’t make any sense unless he had some friends at PUMS that tried to save his butt. The authorities also seem not to bother on his pseudoscientific activities that he pursued under PUMS umbrella.
“The self cleaning mechanisms of science”.
Well put!
I would say that Walach is ‘unlucky’ in just one respect: the way his mental faculties developed into believing and promoting pseudoscience.
Anything that happened as a consequence of that has not much to do with being unlucky.
(And oh, about this hypercapnia thing that several other Covid-19 cranks have also latched onto: I am pretty certain that if you stick the nozzle of a CO2 detector in a cheek pocket inside of the mouth instead of behind a face mask, you will get much the same readings. This is simply because most vertebrates evolved to breathe in and out through the same tube, which means that after exhaling, there will always be residual CO2-rich air left behind that gets breathed in again.
A face mask will at most retain an extra few dozen millilitres CO2-rich (5%) air – which is negligible on an average resting breathing volume of several hundred millilitres, and can be compensated easily by breathing slightly faster or deeper – something that happens automatically if the CO2 level in the blood actually rises.)
“A face mask will at most retain an extra few dozen millilitres CO2-rich (5%) air – which is negligible on an average resting breathing volume of several hundred millilitres, and can be compensated easily by breathing slightly faster or deeper – something that happens automatically if the CO2 level in the blood actually rises” Wouldnt that indicate theres a problem
No, it simply indicates that the organism should increase breathing depth and/or frequency, in order to lower the CO2 level again. When e.g. going from a resting state with shallow breathing to strenuous activity, the body’s CO2 production can increase tenfold, leading to a temporary rise in CO2 blood level – and that triggers several reflexes to increase breathing rate and depth (and when sleeping, it induces turning of the head).
Problems arise when blood CO2 keeps building up despite increased breathing rate, e.g. through diminished lung capacity. Face masks can’ t increase CO2 levels enough to cause problems.
An interesting thing to note is that we have CO2 receptors, but no oxygen receptors. This means that breathing in air with just 2% CO2 quickly leads to sensations of suffocation and agitation, but that people don’t notice a thing when they’re breathing 100% nitrogen (until they pass out and die after half a minute or so).
This would indicate that OSHA’s pre use authorization testing of employees for mask use was all a sham, and completely unnecessary. The data and past practices do not add up on this issue. Can someone without a political agenda out there please explain this in context?
No, it is homeostasis, in order to maintain a constant CO2 level in the body, like altering blood flow to the skin in order to control body temperature.
it means that the self-cleaning mechanisms of science are working
Sometimes it can take a long time, Wakefield took years and Sir Cyril Bert took decades but some frauds do not seem to realize publishing in the hottest topic area of the day is not the brightest thing to do. Didier Raoult is another good example of this.
Mr. Walach is in good company who stands against the charlatans that claim to embrace science then go after one of their own for making very well researched and credible claims. Trust the Science has now become Trust the Silenced. Janci Lindsay, Ph.D. share’s Walach’s perspective on vaccines and she’s got the credentials to back up her claims. (See below)
“Just to be clear scientifically, it is the vaccinated NOT the unvaccinated spreading the mutant variants. This is from inoculating during the pandemic with a poor neutralizing “vaccine”. This is what has happened with numerous other “leaky” (non-neutralizing) vaccines. The classic example of this is Marek’s disease in chickens. I warned the CDC of this in April of this year. Other scientists warned the CDC as well as similar scientific entities world-wide, months earlier. Yet here we are. So please spare me the propaganda that the unvaccinated are the ones “causing” this because they are not and there is a clearly defined mechanistic pathway for how the vaccinated are creating the mutants. The solution would be to STOP vaccinating with these terrible GT’s and start treating everyone at high risk and those not at high risk who are symptomatic with cheap safe and effective hydroxychloroquine and Ivermectin until the virus is driven out. This would stop the binding, replication and transmission of the virus as well as ameliorate some pathogenic processes due to spike in the vaxxed. Oh and it would cost virtually nothing … and therein lies the problem!” Janci Lindsay
“You must collectively DEMAND of your governments the widespread access and implemented use of safe and effective treatments like HCQ, Ivermectin and others, with decades of safety and reproductive safety data. You must also demand that they stop inoculating the public with these dangerous injections until they can prove that their products and formulations are in fact safe and effective, because to date they are clearly not! We must stop the injections because at this point, they are now driving the pandemic and making it worse than it would have been without them. If you have any question of this, simply go to Worldmeter and look at the most vaccinated countries and their rates of Covid compared to countries with low rates of vaccination. Gilbralter is a great example with most of their population vaccinated and a 2500 percent increase in cases in July! There is absolutely no logical reason not to be treating right now with these medicines to stop the spread of the virus. Be angry that these could have stopped this long ago, if implemented. The current lack of their use with all we know now, is nothing short of medical malfeasance for profit. This, while your businesses and communities fail economically and the “stakeholders” behind this garner even more wealth.” Janci Lindsay
Feel free to email her from her Website.
Toxicology Litigation Support: General Toxicology, Respiratory, Forensic Toxicology and Toxicogenomics, Managing Director of Toxicology & Molecular Biology Toxicology Support Services, LLC.
Dr. Lindsay has over 30 years of scientific experience, with an emphasis on the study of pulmonary pathologies such as asthma, reactive airway disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchitis obliterans, “popcorn lung”, organizing pneumonitis, interstitial pneumonia, and pulmonary fibrosis – that may be claimed following chemical, drug, fungai or particulate exposure. Dr. Lindsay holds a doctorate in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and has extensive experience in analyzing the effects of various chamicals in the human body. Dr. Lindsay specializes in the modern field of “Toxicogenomics” or gene-based evidence of toxic exposure and effect, which also explores the contribution of genetic variation to susceptibility and resistance to toxicity. Dr. Lindsay also assess toxicological issues relating to impairment from drug and alcohol use as well as pharmacokinetics of drugs and resultant effects of drug-drug interactions.
Dr. Lindsay additionally performs health risk evaluations for a variety of consumer and industrial product, chemicals and pollutants. Dr. Lindsay has expertise in food and pharmaceutical adulteration and integrity claims that may involve excessive temperature excursions, microbial contamination, bodily fluid or animal waste contamination.
Specialties: Litigation support on Toxicology issues: General Toxicology, Forensic Toxicology, Biochemistry, Respiratory Toxicology, Inhalation Toxicology, Toxicogenomics, Lung disease, Pharmacokinetics, Cancers, Chemical exposure, Benzene, Asbestos, Mesothemlioma, Pesticides, PCB’s, Biocides, Chemical Regulatory, Dioxin, Alcohol, Drugs of Abuse, Pharmaceuticals, Pharmacology, Food adulteration, Pathogenic Microbiology, Electronic Cigarettes, E-liquid, Conventional Cigarettes.
Aww, how cute, another arrogant yet incompetent ‘scientist’ who thinks she is right and all those millions of other scientists and other experts are wrong.
Now the question is if this should be filed under ‘Satire’ or under ‘Fiction’? Or maybe we should coin a completely new category ‘Insanity’?
Also see https://factcheck.afp.com/scientist-makes-inaccurate-claims-covid-19-vaccine-safety
Janci Lindsay is anything but a scientist. She and Walach deserve each other. Same thinking, same quackery.
In spite of his monumental unluckiness, it appears that “Prof. Dr. Dr. phil. Harald Walach” is currently the one-and-only ‘Doctor/Health Professional’ who is supportive of a ‘project’ recently set up by a British company. But does this ‘project’ have any scientific validity whatsoever? Is it even legal?
According to the company’s website (www.vaxcontrolgroup.com), the project aims to establish a worldwide “Control Group” of persons who are voluntarily unvaccinated against Covid-19. The company issues printed plastic photo ID Cards to its “Associates”.
(The card states that the holder “must not be vaccinated. This person is a registered participant in the SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Control Group.”)
CONTROL GROUP COOPERATIVE LTD is a Limited Company, registered in England in June 2021 (Company reg. no. 13477806). The entry on Companies House website states the nature of the business as: “Data processing, hosting and related activities”.