Covid disinformation spread in alternative healers' training: report

Thousands of alternative healers and therapists are hearing disinformation about the coronavirus and vaccinations during the refresher training courses they attend to get accreditation points, so that they remain reimbursed by insurers, NRC reports based on its own research.

The refresher courses are organized by a number of large umbrella organizations for alternative therapists. The purpose of the courses is to make sure that care providers meet all the legal quality requirements.

Umbrella organization NIBIG, which has 3 thousand members and is recognized by insurers, offered a course on "the consequences and possible dangers" of upcoming RNA coronavirus vaccines. The course taught that the vaccines will "genetically modify" humanity, with the aim of creating a "new human mixed with electronics", according to the newspaper.

RBCZ, one of the largest registration and certification organizations for alternative therapists with some 8 thousand members, had a virtual conference in October in which former professor of immunology Pierre Capel addressed 2,500 care providers. Capel showed graphs of Covid-19 deaths and infections, in which the number of deaths remained stable and the number of infections skyrocketed. According to Capel this showed that there is "no second wave" and the "panic" is based on incorrect test results. Capel also said he would "absolutely not" get vaccinated against the coronavirus. "It's genetic modification," he said. "The annoying thing is that you will genetically introduce a Covid protein into your genetics."

Vaccination professor Anke Huckriede of the University of Groningen dismissively told NRC that these "experts" do not understand the difference between RNA and DNA. "The genetic material of our cells consists of DNA. An RNA vaccine cannot settle in there and therefore cannot lead to genetic modification," she said. Other risks of vaccinations are also limited. "We hardly ever see long-term consequences with vaccines. With a particular vaccine against the swine flu, one in 17,000 vaccinated people developed sleeping sickness. That was really an exception.

About Capel's Covid-19 figures graph, Casper Albers, professor of applied statistics at the University of Groningen, told the newspaper: "He presents charts until September 28, so it stops just before the second wave of deaths hit. The mortality peak is now lower than in the spring. That is because the virus is now circulating among a different part of the population. The elderly and the vulnerable are now better protected. The fact that there are many more infections in the autumn in relation to the number of deaths, is also because there were hardly any tests in the spring."

Alternative therapists who complained about this disinformation in the refresher courses were ignored by the umbrella organizations, they said to NRC. Some received the response that the coronavirus is part of a worldwide plot to suppress the population, according to the newspaper.

The Health and Youth Care inspectorate called the newspaper's findings concerning. "We regret that these professional organizations of alternative therapists provide a platform for this disinformation. This certainly does not contribute to fighting the corona pandemic," a spokesperson said to NRC. The Inspectorate will issue a warning where disinformation is spread by BIG-registered care providers, and take action where necessary.

NIBIG director Jennie Verbeek told NRC that she still stands behind the content of the offered course, and called it important that "other opinions" about vaccination are also "heard".

RBCZ director Willemieke van Kooten said she regrets letting Capel talk about coronavirus vaccines. "A few minutes beforehand he asked if he could say something about corona. I agreed. In retrospect, that was not a good idea." Van Kooten stressed that the RBCZ adheres to all coroanvirus regulations.