Darin BrownNo help from Gallo on HIV tests
Posted by Henry Bauer on 2011/02/17
The boxer Tommy Morrison, after a mandatory pre-fight test, was told in 1996 that he was HIV-positive and would therefore not be permitted to continue with his boxing career. Subsequently he has claimed to have had a number of negative tests, and to have learned that the tests do not diagnose actual infection anyway.
Morrison has now scheduled a fight in Canada on February 25th. To demonstrate that he is not infected with HIV, he wants to take a test that is guaranteed capable of detecting actual virus, veritable infection. He has asked publicly that Robert Gallo advise him as to the existence and availability of such a test. In mass-mailed e-mails, Morrison has complained about Gallo’s failure to respond. For example, he wrote recently to Gallo’s assistant:
From: Tommy Morrison <tommythedukemorrison@yahoo.com>
Subject: RESEND Re: RESEND…URGENT RESEND -Re: RESEND… resend…Fw: HIV VIRUS TEST VERY IMPORTANT Dr.Gallo please respond.
To: ngrannell@ihv.umaryland.edu
Date: Thursday, February 3, 2011, 11:39 PM
Ms.Granell:
I appreciate DR Gallo is a busy man…but would it be possible to please have a reply?..perhaps you can direct me
to a website with the information I need being: a 100% accurate test detecting the presence or absence of the HIV VIRUS ? along with a copy of the scientific papers so that the local doctor can identify the VIRUS?
If Dr Gallo can tell me WHICH test to take to detect the presence of the HIV VIRUS – that’s all I need………..
God Bless
Tommy Morrison
So far the only response he has received has been indirect, via Jean-Marc Emond, Director of Operations for SP PROMOTION, a boxing firm in Quebec:
De : “Grannell, Nora” <NGrannell@ihv.umaryland.edu>
À : Jean-Marc Emond <jm99emond@yahoo.ca>
Envoyé le : Lun 24 janvier 2011, 12h 38min 49s
Objet : RE: HIV TEST VERY IMPORTANT
Dear Mr. Emond,
Dr. Gallo believes that the HIV tests are highly accurate and that Morrison was properly diagnosed as HIV-infected.
Best regards,
Nora
Nora Grannell
Director, Public Relations & Marketing
Institute of Human Virology
University of Maryland School of Medicine
725 W Lombard St., S307
Baltimore, MD 21201
W: 410-706-1954
F: 410-706-1952
ngrannell@ihv.umaryland.edu
http://www.ihv.org
Of course, that tests are “highly accurate” does not mean that they can be relied upon to detect active infection, let alone with any certainty. I would rank this evasive Gallo statement on an intellectual par (i.e., intellectual garbage) with his assertion in the Parenzee case that there was no need for him to purify “isolated” HIV because his cultures produced it in such profusion as to make impurities irrelevant.
For discussion pertinent to the Morrison story, see Terry Michael’s piece in the Montreal Gazette and subsequent comments.
HIV/AIDS Skepticism 
Martin said
Hi Dr. Bauer, Obviously Gallo(w) would never admit that his precious test couldn’t detect what he claimed it would – that would be suicide and invite lawsuites up his yinyang.
mo79uk said
‘Dr. Gallo believes that the HIV tests are highly accurate and that Morrison was properly diagnosed as HIV-infected.’
If that’s true, Gallo wouldn’t have said he would welcome if a better test should come along (saw it in some video clip he was in). I mean, you can’t improve much on something that’s already ‘highly accurate’.
Henry Bauer said
mo79uk:
Logic is not Gallo’s strongest point.
Kyle said
If Gallo states that Morrison was properly diagnosed as HIV positive, could he please explain, why he is so healthy after all these years.
Henry Bauer said
Kyle:
and how Gallo knows that since he didn’t himself look at Morrision or the test data . . . .
BornSkeptic said
Henry, did you read this article in Science Daily:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110210122929.htm
So now they are saying that “HIV” blood antibodies are not needed for immunity from “HIV”. LMAO! [= laughing my a— off] Excuse me, but isn’t the whole foundation of their little mythology that the “HIV Antibody test” is diagnostic of “HIV” infection? If the blood antibodies are not doing anything, then why measure them and use them to diagnose anything. These people, it’s like they don’t remember what they say from one day to the next. We can call it “HIV Alzheimer’s”.
BTW, good news that the ****wipe of the Internet, Todd Deshong, was run out of town. Apparently, the poor dear received numerous complaints at work about his use of computer equipment while on the job. Tsk, tsk. They should have terminated his ****.
Henry Bauer said
BornSkeptic:
I had seen that article, and for the life of me had been unable to think of comments that would do justice to its absurdity.
A good friend of mine who read a draft of my book said that he feared that science and medicine would fall into disrepute when people realized what’s been going on. One way to understand it is to realize that publication nowadays has solely the purpose of advancing careers, not advancing knowledge. The uppermost thought as manuscripts are written is, “Can this get published”, not whether the material is intellectually sound and worth communicating. New journals are established all the time because publications make careeers, and entrepreneurs have realized they can make money by publishing on-line at almost no cost while charging authors handsomely “to cover expenses”. I get invites to start a new journal quite regularly.
squirrel2009 said
Hello! somebody knows what was with this big event fight of Tommy Morrison and Erik Barrak today in Monreal? did it happen or not?
I can’t find any news about it!
Bornskeptic said
Gallo and the rest will NEVER respond to Tommy. I suggested to him that he sue the test maker and Gallo. He has suffered a financial loss due to these bogus tests, so it seems to me he has a right to sue whomever caused him this loss. He apparently is not a person of financial wealth, so does not have the money for a lawyer. I hope someone will help finance his law suit and get Gallo in court under cross examination. Otherwise, there is no other way, they will NEVER admit they were wrong.
Martin said
Hi Dr. Bauer, Lawyers willing to take a case like Morrison’s on contingency would be difficult if not impossible to find. AIDS, being as politically correct as it is, would be as financially unproductive as defending a witch in old Salem, Ma.
Martin said
Hi Dr. Bauer, I believe I might have an answer to Tommy Morrison’s dilemma. Since this situation has a lot to do with HIV innocence, the and most experienced person I can think of is none other than Clark Baker. I just listened to David Crowe’s podcast with Clark Baker and put 2 and 2 together. From the interview, I learned that Clark would also like to meet Robert Gallo(w). This would make a great “Scopes” trial. I would love to see Gallo(w) brought to his knees, and I believe Clark Baker is the one to do it.