COVID-19 Posts

For the past almost two years, many people's lives have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether that's from direct health issues, or from the lock-downs and economic effects it has had, it's safe to say that everyone's lives have been changed in some way. Some of you may have become ill yourselves. Many have even lost friends and family members. Unfortunately, this includes multiple people on the Nootropics Depot team. Even if you have not personally lost anyone to this pandemic, everyone's lives have been affected to such a degree that discussion surrounding it has become a very emotional topic. That's completely understandable. How can one not have strong emotions about what has gone on? To add even more complexity to the situation, bad data and misinformation has run rampant. Many have politicized the pandemic and have used the situation to further their own ends. A lot of what I have seen for the past almost two years has disappointed me greatly. I realize that fear, confusion, anger, resentment, and other emotions can make rational discourse a lot more difficult... if not impossible. I also realize that many of you here are looking for answers to questions you have from people that you trust. That's only natural. When we don't fully understand a situation, we inevitably look to those in our lives that we have confidence in and rely upon for information. However, this is not a situation that is easy to handle for many different reasons. Some of those reasons are legal. Some of them are moral and social. In the end it leads to a lose/lose situation for everyone involved.

I had hoped that we could allow some general discussion of the topic, as long as it did not lead to people trying to use our products as a treatment. That is of course the biggest legal issue for us surrounding this topic. We cannot allow the discussion of the treatment of diseases in relation to our products. That is a strict FDA guideline that we must diligently adhere to. This isn't just to protect us as a company, but is also crucial for the survival of our industry; not to mention the morally responsible thing to do for the protection of the community. Does that mean there are not discussions that need to be had? Absolutely not. The current scientific consensus is changing rapidly as new data and evidence comes out. Anyone that tries to convince you that the science is 100% settled on the subject is either ignorant or willfully misleading you. We learn new things every day, and our understanding evolves constantly. There is not one right answer to the questions many of you are seeking answers for. Science is all about a using the available evidence to determine the most likely answer, until more evidence comes out that shifts the consensus. Scientific consensus can change regularly without it being a failure of science. That's just how the scientific method works. We make decisions based on the available evidence at the time, then update as things change. In a novel and rapidly shifting situation like COVID-19, sometimes that can mean we are later proven to be wrong on a consensus we formed earlier. That's not just okay, but expected. So are there discussions we should be having about the variants, viral mechanisms, symptoms, treatment, ongoing effects, and recovery from COVID-19? You are damn right we should be. There is a lot I have to say about it, and there are a lot of very interesting scientific discussions I would love to have. However, the issue is that due to the legal and regulatory limitations we have as a company, we are not able to effectively lead these discussions here. Because of these limitations, we cannot adequately ensure these discussions remain both productive and free from misinformation. As such, we have both moral and legal obligation to do the only thing we can do: remove any discussion surrounding COVID-19 going forward.

That's not to say I don't think these conversations should be happening. They absolutely should be. We just can't have them happening here. I realize that this is frustrating and emotional, and many people just want to have open and honest conversations surrounding this situation we have all been thrust into. I do, too! I am always for open and honest discourse when at all possible. However, sometimes our hands are tied. I'd love to share all the research my team and I have done for almost two years on how this virus works and possible ways to mitigate it. There is good scientific data out there, and I implore everyone to read it. There is not one single right answer here. Science is always more complicated than that. I also don't want anyone to take my statements here as being anti-vax, as they are not. I follow what the science says. The currently available science shows that the vaccines are safe and effective. Does that mean the vaccine is the only thing that can help? Certainly not. There is a lot of interesting data out there, and other countries have even approved some things to treat/mitigate the risks from COVID-19 that we have not yet/might never in the US. I do think that the mRNA technology is going to absolutely change the world for the better. I am fully vaccinated, as are the vast majority of the people on the Nootropics Depot team. However, I have not forced anyone that works for me to get vaccinated. I think everyone should be able to decide what happens with their own bodies. Everyone just needs to be aware that some decisions they make for themselves do affect other people. Our freedom to make our own decisions doesn't mean there are never consequences. At times, those consequences can be stark for ourselves and our loved ones. We all need to ensure we are doing all we can to protect those around us, and to not needlessly put others in harms way. We are all in this together, and the only way out of it is together.