Scott Atlas, former chief of neuroradiology at Stanford University and senior fellow at The Hoover Institution, appeared on Fox News’s “Tucker Carlson Tonight” on Monday to explain how he believes the country should move forward amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Based on what is known about how contagious the virus is and its actual death rate, “what response seems scientifically justifiable,” Carlson asked.
“It’s actually good news the virus spreads widely and without high risk to the vast majority of people. It’s in fact half the people are totally asymptomatic,” he said.
Atlas explained that is good news because it means there is a higher chance of developing population immunity.
“Instead of total lockdown going on which prevents that, we have a chance to have people develop their own antibodies and eventually have enough people have these antibodies to block this network of progression and contagion to the people who are vulnerable,” he continued. “That’s exactly the same reason why we give widespread vaccines, to induce this so-called herd immunity. And by the way, that’s exactly the same thinking about why it might be useful to take serum for people with antibodies who’ve had the virus and use it as a treatment or prevention to those who are vulnerable to the virus. We don’t know for sure that antibodies that are produced are effective in giving immunity. But we expect it. It’s consistent with decades of virology and immunology literature. It would be unexpected if that didn’t happen.”
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Carlson then asked for his opinion on suggestions that we stay “frozen in place” until a vaccine is developed.
“It’s not just counterproductive, it’s actually harmful,” he replied.
Atlas pointed to all the critical healthcare that is not taking place—cancer patients skipping treatments, brain surgeries being canceled, biopsies not taking place, even parents skipping vaccines for their children.
“We are creating a massive problem by not opening up healthcare with the single-minded policy of COVID-19 at all costs,” he said.
VIDEO - Stanford’s Scott Atlas Makes the Case for Herd Immunity https://t.co/iSaCtg1Kl0
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