News from Canada

[Utsikt]

Includes some FOIed emails from Paul Garner, who was trying to influence the process:

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25980905-2025-gr-001-2025-05-28-disclose-documents-letter-1/

Apparently, Garnes uses the tagline «truth, not triumph», and he credits it to Wyller 2015. Can’t find anything about it on google.

 

[Mij]

Paul Garner has made himself out to be an expert on LC and ME in these emails. He's a parasite.

 

[Sean]

To develop the CAN-PCC guidelines, McMaster University’s GRADE Centre collaborated with Cochrane Canada, an arm of the Cochrane Collaboration.

I think I am on the verge of spotting the problem here.

 

[Mij]

This is Dr. Angela Cheung, MD, PhD, FRCPC, CCD who Paul Garner was exchanging emails with. This is her response to a CBC national news reporter Karen Paul who posted Toews NHL player LC recovery story from good vibes and deep massages. Not sure what to make of this, but it appears that recovery stories are going to be a focus that they going to hang their hook on, just like PG mentioned in his email to her.

A beacon of hope for many who are affected by Long Covid.

Great to see you home and back
@JonathanToews
And thanks for shining a light on #LongCovid, the post-pandemic pandemic (latest estimate: 65 million are affected worldwide)

 

[Mij]

From Paul Garner email guiding Canada to LC recovery:

There is plenty of biopsychosocial people in Canada, you must know this. Gabor Mate for example, and morerecently there is the DNRS programme is run by Annie Hopper, and she is actually connected to McMaster, aspeople in your Institution have done research on this. DNRS is being used a lot in post covid conditions.

There is lots of people on their videos of people who have recovered Rachel has contact with people using the Gupta Programme too which is widely used-indeed a hospital in Finland is doing an RCT for postcovid condition using a modified Gupta Programme. One person we both know who has recovered from the post covid condition and is now promoting approaches to help is Amy from Postively Covid. She lives in the US. She is really sensible, imaginative, thoughtful,independent.https://www.positivelycovid.org/She would be a great committee member.

Both Rachel, myself and Amy are members of the COFFI Consumer Advisory Committee. Coffi is the Collaborative onfatigue following infection. Consumers are discussed and interviewed by the COFFI Scientific Committee so theselection is serious and these are good people.https://www.coffi-collaborative.com/consumer-advisory-committeeWe won’t send you any more emails now, but do let us know how we can help in your endeavour! Paul Garner and Rachel Whitfield. Paul Garner, professor emeritus, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine How activists try to dismiss recovery stories by bullying and intimidation Truth not triumph: valedictory! (Sept 2022)

 

[ME/CFS Skeptic]

Includes some FOIed emails from Paul Garner, who was trying to influence the process:

The emails are interesting. Garner and Flottorp appear very assertive and activitst-like. They try to get themselves on the committee and are very dismissive if guideline text doesn't mention psychological treatments and recovery, often suggesting that this will cause harm. They use COFFI and the Oslo consortium to present themselves as experts.

They also seem to have actively search for recovered patients or doctors who use mind-body approaches in Canada (without much success) to get them on guideline panels I suppose.

Some quotes from emails of Garner:

I have been talking a lot with people about your important guideline work and would love to be involved somehow, particularly on the non-pharmacological interventions/psychological. [...] If we can find more practitioners and recovered patients we will come back to you

But I will continue working with Rachel to find people that may be useful who have recovered. These are important people and contrast with the nihilistic approach of activists

Rachel is working hard on finding recovered covid consumers. Rachel knows a lot internationally but fewer in Canada so is exploring this.

One person we both know who has recovered from the post covid condition and is now promoting approaches to help is Amy from Postively Covid. She lives in the US. She is really sensible, imaginative, thoughtful, independent [...] She would be a great committee member.

we have worked together on advocacy around recovery and Rachel is well networked into mind-body training programmes globally, although not a therapist herself.We have been exploring post covid condition recovery networks in Canada. We haven’t found any.

@dave30th

 

[V.R.T.]

The emails are interesting. Garner and Flottorp appear very assertive and activitst-like. They try to get themselves on the committee and are very dismissive if guideline text doesn't mention psychological treatments and recovery, often suggesting that this will cause harm. They use COFFI and the Oslo consortium to present themselves as experts.

They also seem to have actively search for recovered patients or doctors who use mind-body approaches in Canada (without much success) to get them on guideline panels I suppose.

Some quotes from emails of Garner:






@dave30th

This man has entirely too much influence.