All Three Roatan Families of ‘COVID-19 Dead’ Dispute the Government’s Death Classification

On Roatan with around 100,000 people there are around three deaths a day. These are deaths are due to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, accidents and homicides. After five months of forced lockdown the government insists that there is something tangible to the COVID virus than obligatory Clorox spray tunnels and masks: three dead people. The problem is that these reported COVID deaths had little to do with COVID and plenty to do with old age and severe medical conditions.

On June 30 the first reported COVID-19 death on Roatan was Gisell Leal, 19. According to Pedro Duarte, Leal’s father, Leal had contracted an acute infection of Helicobacter Pylori bacteria and was brought to the Roatan hospital seeking help. Duarte said that the Roatan hospital staff refused to treat Leal unless she submitted to a COVID-19 test which proved negative.  “She died of a heart attack because the sugar has shot-up and her pressure went down at the same time. (….) What SINAGER says is purely false,” said Duarte.

The second reported COVID-19 death on Roatan was octogenarian Catarino Santos, 88, of Juticalpa. “He has not left his house for the last four years,” said Maritza Bustillo, a family member. “He had a stroke and was sick for three years; (…) he died at home.”

The third reported COVID-19 victim according to Honduran authorities was Noemi Posadas, 58, from Oak Ridge. Noemi Posadas was tested with a rapid COVID-19 test and both times she tested negative. According to her daughter Gina Diaz, Noemi Posadas has had four years of ongoing pneumonia that got worse every time it rained. Noemi’s pneumonia got so bad that she needed oxygen and the only place where she could get it was the Roatan Public Hospital.

These reported COVID deaths had little to do with COVID and plenty to do with old age and severe medical conditions.

Despite having plenty of space in the “not with COVID-19 positive patients’ section,” the Roatan Hospital placed Noemi Posadas on oxygen in a room with four people that had tested positive for COVID-19. “They didn’t give her regular meals and diabetic have to have regular meals,” said about her mom Gina. After 48 her mother was dead.

Gina Diaz showed a 19 July 2020 death record issued by National Peoples Registry stating that her mother died of “severe pneumonia” and her underlying conditions were type two diabetes and out of control arterial hypertension. “They should put people with pneumonia and asthma in other parts of the hospital, not with people with COVID,” said Gina Diaz.

Placing a gravely ill patient that tested negative for COVID-19 next to COVID-19 positive patients is dangerous, even malicious, but the Diaz family has no recourse at pursuing action against the hospital. “They all say ‘it wasn’t my shift’ that days,” says Gina about the Roatan’s hospital staff behavior.

Roatan Hospital conducted post mortem PCR COVID-19 test on Noemi Posadas that came out positive. “The families are in the state of denial,” says Dr. Stacy Grant, director of the Roatan Hospital, about the three deaths attributed to COVID-19.

A large percentage of Roatan’s COVID tests that produce false positives and false negative cause fear and anxiety in the test-taker. Dr. Grant said that her own test came back positive before they came negative. “It all depends on a brand,” says about the accuracy of the COVID tests Dr. Grant, but declined to reveal what is the percentage of these false tests.

A person involved in COVID rapid tests fearing reaction from hospital officials reported of significant number of Roatan hospital employees taking rapid tests and using its potentially false positive results as an excuse to not go to work for two weeks.

The fact is that the spread of the virus amongst the island population is inevitable until heard immunity is reached. There is an alternative to lockdown where only people most vulnerable to COVID-19 are protected and isolated. According to mathematicians from University of Nottingham and University of Stockholm in their article in Science magazine the herd immunity for COVID-19 could be at around 43%. When a population reaches herd immunity, the virus has no way of spreading and the epidemic ends.

In mid March implemented lockdown aimed not to stop the virus from spreading, but from keeping Roatan’s scarce medical resources from being overwhelmed. Obviously, people are not falling dead from COVID-19, but Honduran politicians are using the excuse of the COVID pandemic to steal funds, liquidate business competitors and expand their political and economic power. Authorities need to justify locking down economy for five months by fudging death counts and focusing on “cases.” It is much easier to lie to someone than convince someone they have been lied to.

A growing number of Roatanians are now more aware that there is an alternative the lockdown policy that is destroying the lives and economy of Americans and people on Roatan. A group of frontline COVID-19 doctors conducted a conference on the steps of US Capitol and calling on President Trump to end the lockdown now. Twitter and youtube have removed this after it reached 15 million views and the 600 doctors that signed the petition.

Sandy Bay’s Melissa Raymond with healing plants in her hands: dandy lion good for cleansing and chicory weed useful in after birth and infections.

Hundreds of Island Plants Provide an Alternative to Conventional Medicine

Living in partnership with nature means knowing your plants, understanding their properties, and respecting their place around us. While common knowledge of plant healing properties has disappeared, a few older islanders and a couple young ones continue the tradition of scholarship and healing with island plants.

Older islanders still remember the times before Roatan had a hospital when individuals were self-reliant, helpful, supportive of their community, respectful of elders, and led rich spiritual lives. A time when what could save you was maybe growing behind your home. The tradition of island healing developed a real appreciation for nature on the island.

This naturopathic and herbalist knowledge is passed on by talking, showing, trying. Often healers observe animals eating certain plants when they get sick. What works for a horse, a cow or a dog can also help an ailing human. The tradition of ‘bush medicine’ is as old as humanity. Tree bark, roots, leaves and stems are used to control pain, bleeding, treat interior ailments and help with fertility.

The tricky part is to spot these plants, know their application and way of combining them

Roatan, with its humid climate, is a perfect home for hundreds of such healing plants. “Our ancestors left us riches – plants and knowledge that we don’t always use,” says Karla Leyva, owner of a Punta Gorda restaurant that uses local plants in her cooking. Otis Raymond, 74, is an island healer. He sits comfortably on a worn down chair across the street from his Sandy Bay home. He greets the passersby with a nod and a smile. If you need help with an ailment he is there to help. Otis finds plants by walking around in Sandy Bay and he knows where they grow.

Otis Raymond near his Sandy bay home.

It is as if he is visiting old friends: this plant can heal this, that once can help with that. This is Otis’ kingdom. Mr. Otis’s mother, Mrs. Doris Johnson Ramon, was a healer, and much of the knowledge Mr. Otis acquired he received from her. “I know a little and I share it with people,” says Mr. Raymond. The tricky part is to spot these plants, know their application and way of combining them with others. Raymond explains that now people use chemical compounds they buy off the shelves in pharmacies and are even afraid to combing herbal medicine with their treatment. “We used to use herbs for two-three days if someone was sick. If it didn’t get better, we would take them to Doc Polo Galindo,” remembers Melissa Raymond, who uses plants to help women in conceiving.

Each island community still has a person who knows about plant’s healing abilities

While there are still a few healers, there is a trickle of business people capitalizing on the abundance of island plants and remedies they provide. Gary Chamer, a 20 year resident of Roatan, is starting a business that is taking advantage of the underutilized resource abundant on the island – sour sop. Chamer is making a sour sop tea and selling it to businesses around the island. “Locals claimed the use of the tea helped stabilize and maintain their blood sugar levels,” says Chamer. Soursop leaves have been shown to be beneficial for lowering the bad cholesterol, lowering high potassium levels and lowering blood pressure. For people with hypertension, this is an excellent way to lower strain on the heart and reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, heart attack, and stroke.

There is even a homeopathic pharmacy on the island. Francisco Rodriguez has a store and clinic Reino Botanico in Coxen Hole.“Islanders believe in natural medicine,” says Rodriguez, who is also a naturalist and healer. In addition to the 145 medicinal remedies produced by Reino Botanico there are foreign plant based medicines. Twice-a-month doctors from San Pedro Sula give consultations at the clinic. “The biggest complaints are with digestive systems, bones, skin infections and nervous system,” says Rodriguez. Calaica (bitter melon) and quebrapiedra are two of the more popular and versatile plants at the clinic.

Quiebra Piedra plant leaves when boiled help with dissipating the kidney stones.

It’s good for diabetes, strength. I’ve been fermenting it for a week

Each island community still has a person who knows about plant’s healing abilities. In Brick Bay there is Maritza Bustillo, 51. “When we were growing up we wouldn’t even go to the doctor. We would take the calaica plant. We would use red bush to disinfect wounds and help them heal,” she says. Bustillo was born in Corozal and her father, Lucio Rodriguez, was known in the community for his knowledge of plants and ability to heal with them. He told Bustillo about common plant’s overlooked abilities to heal. “For example mango leaves, boiled, are good to treat diabetes. Some even say they can fight cancer.”Bustillo says that her brother in law was due for kidney stones surgery, and started drinking liquid of boiled leaves of ‘Quebra Piedra’or ‘stone breaker plant’ plant. “Before long, the stones were all gone.

No need for operation,” said Bustillo.‘QuebraPiedra’(phyllanthusamarus)is also called Gale of Wind Weed and Hurricane Weed. This common plant has no side effects or toxicity and is perfect for poor appetite, constipation, typhoid fever, flu, and colds. It can potentially help with treating hepatitis and HIV.

In Punta Gorda, the Garifuna community has a long tradition of healing with plants. One such person is Mrs. Lucia Avila-Garcia, 82, a local lady healing people with plants for almost half a century. One of her favorite, most used plants is Caña Santa, which she ferments in an aluminum pot behind her small, blue house surrounded by plants. Next to her main door a plant of Caña Santa or Cymbopogoncitratus grows in abundance. Commonly known as lemon grass, or oil grass, it has proven antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal properties. Next to her window a Valerian root is fermenting in an aluminum pot. “It’s good for diabetes, strength. I’ve been fermenting it for a week,” says Doña Lucia about the root that also helps with sleep, treats anxiety, blood pressure. Ms. Lucia received most of her knowledge about pants from her mentor: Dona Izidria Mejilla, of Balfate. But not all. The knowledge about healing is shared openly in the community and it sometimes surfaces in a less common ways. Sometimes knowledge about healing and plants is brought in a dream vision, brought by a message from a deceased ancestor or a friend. “This is what we believe,” says the Garifuna healer.

knowledge about healing and plants is brought in a dream vision, brought by a message from a deceased ancestor

Boiled breadfruit leaves treat high blood pressure. When breadfruit leaves are crushed and placed on the forehead, they are a perfect remedy for a headache.

The red peeling bark of the Gumbo-Limbo tree is used to treat skin sores, measles, sunburn, insect bites, and rashes. The boiled bark concoction can be drunk as tea to relives backache, urinary tract infections, cold, flu and fevers. Young Gumbo-Limbo leaves rubbed on skin exposed to poison wood sooth the itching and quicken the recovery.

Sea Grapes are good for upset stomach. Noni or Cheese fruit (Morindacitrifolia) has been an island remedy for generations.

Otis Raymond for
reference sometimes uses a book about healing plants published in Belize.

It helps the liver and cardiovascular tonic, a cancer preventative, and immune booster, among other things. While a fermented noni emits a ‘funky cheese’ smell it is a powerful pre- and pro-biotic that regulates blood sugar levels. Noni leaves are used for irritation of all types even hard, red spider bites.

Island’s tropical climate is a perfect home to a cornucopia of complex and powerful remedies

“Nature’s pharmacy” is present in hundreds of Roatan plants: some common, others quite rare. The island’s tropical climate is a perfect home to a cornucopia of complex and powerful remedies stored in leaves, bark and fruits of island’s plants. The entire island is an open pharmacy, a pharmacy fewer and fewer people recognize.