DR Johnny Bananas, Dr Person Fakename, Dr Harold Shipman and Dominic Cummings of "Durham Univercity" are just some of the names used on a letter calling on governments to pursue herd immunity.
The Great Barrington Declaration, a letter organised by prominent advocates of herd immunity to stop Covid-19, has come under fire for counting fake names, therapists and homeopaths among its "medical" signatories.
The so-called herd immunity scientific theory is based on the idea that if coronavirus is allowed to spread, healthy people would become immune and survive and society would carry on as normal – the cost being that hundreds of thousands of other people would die.
The letter, seen by Sky News, claims to have been signed by more than 15,000 scientists and medical practitioners, as well as more than 150,000 members of the general public.
Anyone can add to the list of medical signatories by ticking a box and entering their name. Fake names included Dr IP Freely, Dr Person Fakename and Dr Johnny Bananas, who listed himself as a "Dr of Hard Sums".
One medical professional on the list gives his name as Dr Harold Shipman, a general practitioner in the United Kingdom.
Other names included Dominic Cummings, who is described as "PhD Durham Univercity".
READ MORE: No place for herd immunity in Scotland’s lockdown exit strategy
The Sky News report also noted that 18 self-declared homeopaths were listed on the letter as medics, despite the fact homeopathy has no scientific evidence.
The document was also signed by more than 100 therapists, including massage therapists, hypnotherapists, psychotherapists and one Mongolian Khoomii Singer who describes himself as a "therapeutic sound practitioner".
Public health experts have hit out at the letter, saying it is not effective evidence of the support for herd immunity.
Professor Martin McKee, Professor of European Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: "Leaving aside the powerful arguments against this declaration on grounds of science and feasibility, we have consistent evidence that a clear majority of the British public support necessary measures to reduce the spread of the virus or would go even further.
"Yet the campaign behind this declaration promotes a completely different picture."
The letter was initiated by Professor Martin Kulldorff, Professor Jay Bhattacharya and Professor Sunetra Gupta.
The group is urging governments to allow those who are less vulnerable to the effects of Covid-19 to return to normal life.
Professor Bhattacharya, professor of medicine of Stanford University, told Sky News: "We do not have the resources to audit each signature, especially given the incredible interest that the Great Barrington Declaration has drawn. It is unfortunate that some people have abused our trust by adding false names, but I suppose it is inevitable.
"Still - given the volume of correspondence I have received from medical and public health professionals, as well as scientists and epidemiologists, it is clear that a very large number of experts resonate with the message of the declaration and its call for a focused protection policy."
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