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The Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Epidemic Cover-up: How a Little Newspaper Solved the Biggest Scientific and Political Mystery of Our Time
This book is part of Apocalypse Then and Collected Works 1980-2020, which contains ten of Charles Ortleb's books.Hillary Johnson, one of the world's most respected Chronic Fatigue Syndrome journalists, called this book "fascinating and important." If you want to know the truth about the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome epidemic, you need to discover the brilliant investigative work Neenyah Ostrom did for a decade. Starting in 1988, Ostrom reported on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome for a newspaper called New York Native. What her reporting uncovered about the true nature of the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome epidemic will shock you. In The Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Epidemic Cover-up, Charles Ortleb recounts his newspaper's struggle to get the media and the mainstream medical establishment to pay attention to Ostrom's pioneering investigative reporting on the science and politics of the devastating Chronic Fatigue Syndrome epidemic. By the time you finish Ortleb's stunning memoir, you will understand why the Centers for Disease Control has been unwilling to tell the public the truth about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The CDC does not want the public to know that Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a transmissible illness linked to a virus called HHV-6 that affects every system in the body. They have covered up the illness for so many decades that the neglected virus is totally out of control. Now it is causing a long list of other illnesses and many cancers. Nobody in the world covered the emergence of HHV-6 and its link to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome more than Neenyah Ostrom. Ostrom's decade of reporting on HHV-6 was recently vindicated by this statement from scientists at the University of "While HHV-6 was long believed to have no negative impact on human health, scientists today increasingly suspect the virus of causing various diseases such as multiple sclerosis or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Recent studies even suggest that HHV-6 might play a role in the pathogenesis of several diseases of the central nervous system such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression or Alzheimer's." The big question about Neenyah Ostrom and New York Native is How many lives would have been saved if the scientific establishment and the mainstream media had paid more attention to Neenyah Ostrom's reporting on HHV-6 and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in New York Native? One day, if there is any justice in the world, the CDC and the medical establishment will apologize for not paying attention to Neenyah Ostrom's groundbreaking work on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome that Charles Ortleb published in New York Native. That would be a fitting end to one of journalism's greatest David and Goliath stories.
- GenresHealthNonfiction
468 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 20, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 19, 2020
Ooof. The Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Cover-up was written in 2018. I don’t know how this book came across my radar, but the timing could not be more appropriate in light of the current COVID19 quarantine we are experiencing as I write this review. It really confirmed my already acute suspicions of Big Pharma, the CDC, and the NIH. Believe nothing, trust no one. I went on to look into some things on my own. We evidently have an on going epidemic that is being ignored for politically expedient reasons. The long term effects seem to be very far reaching. How many times have you asked yourself ‘why has XYZ disease become so prevalent’? A virus!!
This book is packed FULL of information, often to the point of redundancy. But it was very well footnoted. It was really hard to understand at first because it contradicts everything we’ve been told for the last 30 years about AIDS.
This book is packed FULL of information, often to the point of redundancy. But it was very well footnoted. It was really hard to understand at first because it contradicts everything we’ve been told for the last 30 years about AIDS.
July 10, 2021
Too Much Controversy to Accurately Determine the Facts
After reading this book I am still as confused about CFS as I was when I picked up the book; no fault of Mr. Ortleb’s. As of June, 2020, it is the voluminous amount of conflicting information that is still circulating about CFS in particular that is the problem, primarily thanks to the inaccurate and totally condescending definition given to it by the CDC.
My intention before I began researching this subject was to attempt to better understand just what CFS – or as it is more accurately termed now: myalgic encephalomyalitis/chronic fatigue syndrome or ME/CFS – actually involves. If that is your intention as well, then this book may not deliver that.
However, what it DOES deliver is an intrepid investigative (and roundabout) journalistic journey into – and in my opinion – a somewhat myopic perspective of the origin of CFS. Or at least (and, again, in my opinion) a not fully informed perspective of what is actually involved as far as what causes ME/CFS. And as of 2020 this still seems to be the case even though the publication/copyright date was 2018. And this is even though the information to which I’m referring (that is not referenced at least in this book ((volume 1)) was actually in process as of the mid- to late 80s.
Yes, it DOES seem that there has been a cover up. At least on that much Mr. Ortleb and I can agree. But exactly WHAT is being covered up is much more difficult to determine. And this doesn’t just seem to be the challenge in understanding the confusing trail Mr. Ortleb has followed. In general – that is, with other sources as well – it seems to be the overall challenge in understanding just what/which virus was isolated to begin with.
That is, is ME/CFS actually caused by the Swine Fever Virus (not to be confused with the Swine Flu, which strangely enough began in the latter part of the ‘70s, not too long before the SFV seems to have been ‘discovered’ and was attributed by some to be the cause of HIV/AIDs ((while this may not be exactly accurate, this is part of the confusion!)) or is it caused by the retrovirus XMRV – xenotropic murine [mouse] leukemia virus-related virus? In which case this may also indicate that while it has markers similar to HIV/AIDS, it is not quite the same critter.
Additionally, microbiologist/virologist Dr. Judy Mikovits believes that ME/CFS comes from the latter – XMRV. And one would think she should know, since she worked on the possible provenance of the HIV/AIDs virus(s?) as well as what she is referring to as XMRV which seems to cause several health issues, one of which is ME/CFS. And she worked on this virus (XMRV), initially, at the National Cancer Institute at Fort Dietrick, Maryland in the early to mid 80s. So it seems to me that she was right in the midst of what was going on at that time, not to mention the fact that she was a microbiologist/virologist who actually had boots on the ground in this particular war.
Still, granted, that doesn’t mean that she’s telling the truth. Although I have to say, I’m certainly hard-pressed to say that she’s suspect. In the few video interviews she’s done as of this date – as well as in the words she writes in both of her books, she seems quite genuine and comes across as telling the truth. Still….
Again, as of this date (June, 2020) there have been numerous other degreed/PhD individuals, many, microbiologists, virologists and epidemiologists like Dr. Mikovits, who have come forward (whistleblowers) to deliver what they believe to be the truth about this issue, at least from their first-hand experience and/or knowledge of the facts as they are aware of them. What has been related by those that I’ve heard/read and continues to be said, in very few instances coincides with what Mr. Ortleb contends (even what he believes to be the so-called ‘documented evidence’).
Which isn’t to say that he is wrong. Not at all. That’s the whole problem with this labyrinth of twisted and tangled ‘facts.’ So far it’s been extremely difficult to untangle the whole mess in order to be able to differentiate what is true from what is false. And remember: I’m basing this not only on what I’ve read in Mr. Ortleb’s books, but what I’ve read or heard so far from Mikovits, et al.
So this review is in no way impugning Mr. Ortleb’s veracity or integrity. It’s obvious that he’s done more than his fair share of homework. But even then, with the complexity involved in this subject so far, it’s no wonder that anyone undertaking any form of investigative research in this area may only manage to uncover barely the tip of a very massive occult iceberg.
In other words, it’s not only difficult to discover what is hiding underneath the data that is floating on the surface of this particular ‘berg,’ but it’s challenging to even find the damned iceberg itself!
Addendum: Note that I read and reviewed this book over a year ago (it is now July 2021 as I write this), but held off posting the review because I was researching the subject of (ME)/CFS more comprehensively. This is such a vast subject, since it seems to touch on or being entangled with so many other diseases and subjects. It is also extremely convoluted and confusing, especially insofar as what it is, its provenance, exactly how it affects the patient and ultimately how to treat it if not outright cure it.
Ah, yes, but according to allopathic medicine, no disease can be cured. The allopaths, themselves, offer no cures. But is that strictly true? Or are we being diverted from the truth?
Obviously, I have a stake in this game. I have no intention of letting up until I can find some genuine answers … as well as some relief.
After reading this book I am still as confused about CFS as I was when I picked up the book; no fault of Mr. Ortleb’s. As of June, 2020, it is the voluminous amount of conflicting information that is still circulating about CFS in particular that is the problem, primarily thanks to the inaccurate and totally condescending definition given to it by the CDC.
My intention before I began researching this subject was to attempt to better understand just what CFS – or as it is more accurately termed now: myalgic encephalomyalitis/chronic fatigue syndrome or ME/CFS – actually involves. If that is your intention as well, then this book may not deliver that.
However, what it DOES deliver is an intrepid investigative (and roundabout) journalistic journey into – and in my opinion – a somewhat myopic perspective of the origin of CFS. Or at least (and, again, in my opinion) a not fully informed perspective of what is actually involved as far as what causes ME/CFS. And as of 2020 this still seems to be the case even though the publication/copyright date was 2018. And this is even though the information to which I’m referring (that is not referenced at least in this book ((volume 1)) was actually in process as of the mid- to late 80s.
Yes, it DOES seem that there has been a cover up. At least on that much Mr. Ortleb and I can agree. But exactly WHAT is being covered up is much more difficult to determine. And this doesn’t just seem to be the challenge in understanding the confusing trail Mr. Ortleb has followed. In general – that is, with other sources as well – it seems to be the overall challenge in understanding just what/which virus was isolated to begin with.
That is, is ME/CFS actually caused by the Swine Fever Virus (not to be confused with the Swine Flu, which strangely enough began in the latter part of the ‘70s, not too long before the SFV seems to have been ‘discovered’ and was attributed by some to be the cause of HIV/AIDs ((while this may not be exactly accurate, this is part of the confusion!)) or is it caused by the retrovirus XMRV – xenotropic murine [mouse] leukemia virus-related virus? In which case this may also indicate that while it has markers similar to HIV/AIDS, it is not quite the same critter.
Additionally, microbiologist/virologist Dr. Judy Mikovits believes that ME/CFS comes from the latter – XMRV. And one would think she should know, since she worked on the possible provenance of the HIV/AIDs virus(s?) as well as what she is referring to as XMRV which seems to cause several health issues, one of which is ME/CFS. And she worked on this virus (XMRV), initially, at the National Cancer Institute at Fort Dietrick, Maryland in the early to mid 80s. So it seems to me that she was right in the midst of what was going on at that time, not to mention the fact that she was a microbiologist/virologist who actually had boots on the ground in this particular war.
Still, granted, that doesn’t mean that she’s telling the truth. Although I have to say, I’m certainly hard-pressed to say that she’s suspect. In the few video interviews she’s done as of this date – as well as in the words she writes in both of her books, she seems quite genuine and comes across as telling the truth. Still….
Again, as of this date (June, 2020) there have been numerous other degreed/PhD individuals, many, microbiologists, virologists and epidemiologists like Dr. Mikovits, who have come forward (whistleblowers) to deliver what they believe to be the truth about this issue, at least from their first-hand experience and/or knowledge of the facts as they are aware of them. What has been related by those that I’ve heard/read and continues to be said, in very few instances coincides with what Mr. Ortleb contends (even what he believes to be the so-called ‘documented evidence’).
Which isn’t to say that he is wrong. Not at all. That’s the whole problem with this labyrinth of twisted and tangled ‘facts.’ So far it’s been extremely difficult to untangle the whole mess in order to be able to differentiate what is true from what is false. And remember: I’m basing this not only on what I’ve read in Mr. Ortleb’s books, but what I’ve read or heard so far from Mikovits, et al.
So this review is in no way impugning Mr. Ortleb’s veracity or integrity. It’s obvious that he’s done more than his fair share of homework. But even then, with the complexity involved in this subject so far, it’s no wonder that anyone undertaking any form of investigative research in this area may only manage to uncover barely the tip of a very massive occult iceberg.
In other words, it’s not only difficult to discover what is hiding underneath the data that is floating on the surface of this particular ‘berg,’ but it’s challenging to even find the damned iceberg itself!
Addendum: Note that I read and reviewed this book over a year ago (it is now July 2021 as I write this), but held off posting the review because I was researching the subject of (ME)/CFS more comprehensively. This is such a vast subject, since it seems to touch on or being entangled with so many other diseases and subjects. It is also extremely convoluted and confusing, especially insofar as what it is, its provenance, exactly how it affects the patient and ultimately how to treat it if not outright cure it.
Ah, yes, but according to allopathic medicine, no disease can be cured. The allopaths, themselves, offer no cures. But is that strictly true? Or are we being diverted from the truth?
Obviously, I have a stake in this game. I have no intention of letting up until I can find some genuine answers … as well as some relief.
November 14, 2021
Makes Sense
In light of the pandemic today, this book makes a lot of sense. I doubt if I would have believed it if I had read it give years ago. It gave me much to think about as I deal with cases of CFS or similar multiple system diseases in my own family.
In light of the pandemic today, this book makes a lot of sense. I doubt if I would have believed it if I had read it give years ago. It gave me much to think about as I deal with cases of CFS or similar multiple system diseases in my own family.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews