New Trump pandemic adviser pushes controversial 'herd immunity' strategy, worrying public health off
Source: Washington Post
New Trump pandemic adviser pushes controversial ‘herd immunity’ strategy, worrying public health officials
By Yasmeen Abutaleb and Josh Dawsey
8/31/2020, 6:00:00 a.m.
One of President Trump’s top medical advisers is urging the White House to embrace a controversial “herd immunity” strategy to combat the pandemic, which would entail allowing the coronavirus to spread through most of the population to quickly build resistance to the virus, while taking steps to protect those in nursing homes and other vulnerable populations, according to five people familiar with the discussions.
The administration has already begun to implement some policies along these lines, according to current and former officials as well as experts, particularly with regard to testing.
The approach’s chief proponent is Scott Atlas, a neuroradiologist from Stanford’s conservative Hoover Institution, who joined the White House earlier this month as a pandemic adviser. He has advocated that the United States adopt the model Sweden has used to respond to the virus outbreak, according to these officials, which relies on lifting restrictions so the healthy can build up immunity to the disease rather than limiting social and business interactions to prevent the virus from spreading.
Sweden’s handling of the pandemic has been heavily criticized by public health officials and infectious-disease experts as reckless — the country has among the highest infection and death rates in the world. It also hasn’t escaped the deep economic problems resulting from the pandemic.
But Sweden’s approach has gained support among some conservatives who argue that social distancing restrictions are crushing the economy and infringing on people’s liberties.
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Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-coronavirus-scott-atlas-herd-immunity/2020/08/30/925e68fe-e93b-11ea-970a-64c73a1c2392_story.html
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Not sure who's going to be left to tend their gardens, clean their houses, work in their restaurants/bars/factories/stores or buy their products but hey, c'est la vie, right?
Not a very well thought out "plan" but after all, they are Republicans.
Coronaviruses along with rhinoviruses, adenoviruses, and a few other viruses ARE THE CAUSES of the common cold. There is no “herd immunity” to these viruses. What makes this quack think that herd immunity is even possible with SARS-CoV-2?
What if he’s wrong? He probably is. Is it wise to take this risk? Probably not.
-Laelth
