Epidemiologist: Scott Atlas’ herd immunity claims “pseudoscience”

Renowned epidemiologist Michael Osterhome told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday The “herd immunity” theory One of President Trump’s favorite corona virus advisers is said to have called it “the most amazing combination of pixie dust and pseudoscience I’ve ever seen.”

Environment: Speaking anonymously to reporters last week at a White House scheduled call, senior executives said, “allowing people at risk of death to live normally is to allow them to develop immunity to the virus through natural infection” a “very compassionate approach to balancing the risks and benefits of achieving herd immunity”. New York Times And Washington Post.

• Reaches Herd immunity – Widespread outbreaks are prevented because enough people in a community are immune to a disease – Widespread deaths can occur without an effective vaccine.

Messaging: Radiologist Scott Atlas, who clashed with other members of the corona virus working group over his controversial comments, said the increase proposed in the corona virus test by a New York University economist in September was rejected, citing a theory that only 25% or 20% needed to protect the remaining population. New York Times.

What they say: “First of all, that 20% number is the most amazing combination of pixie dust and pseudoscience I’ve ever seen,” Osterhome said in response to Atlas’ alleged comments. “This is at least 50% –70%.”

• “Remember when we talk about getting 50% –70% protection, we say you can go there with the disease – but if that happens there will be a lot of deaths, a lot of serious illnesses – or we can try to get there with the vaccine, and postpone the number of sick people until the vaccines are available . ”
• “It reduces the spread by 5o% –70%, which does not prevent it. So this virus will keep us looking for firewood to burn as much as possible … So, our goal is to protect as many people as possible with vaccines,” he said.

Reverse: Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azhar told NBC’s Chuck Todd on Sunday that herd immunity was not the Trump administration’s policy to deal with the epidemic, adding that “it’s a desire to get herd immunity through vaccination, but it could be the result of all those steps,” But desire cases need to be reduced. “

• White House Press Secretary Kaylee McCann Told reporters last month Trump administration’s response to corona virus “herd immunity has never been a strategy” The president said The corona virus disappears when people develop a “herd mentality”.

Large image: Asterhome warned that the United States could “rightly throw” in its July peak epidemics, with case numbers “too big” to be more than 75,000 a day as the country barrels toward a “very dark fall”.

Go deeper: Twitter deletes tweet from Scott Atlas claiming masks don’t work