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Johns Hopkins Doctor Blasts Delta Variant 'Fearmongering,' Calls More Masking 'Overkill'

Scott Morefield
Scott Morefield  |  June 29, 2021 9:45 PM

Dr. Marty Makary, a Johns Hopkins Hospital surgeon, Fox News medical contributor, and one of the few talking heads these days displaying any sanity at all on the topic of all things COVID-19, lent a heavy dose of reality to the ongoing "fearmongering" about the Delta variant.

The newest scarient, first discovered in India, is currently on a fast track to becoming the dominant coronavirus strain in the world. It's also becoming the latest excuse for the powers-that-be to try to keep people masked-up, in their homes, and frightened out of their wits. Except, while Delta is indeed more transmissible, no evidence exists that it's any more deadly than previous strains. And since the elderly and vulnerable mostly have either natural or vaccinated immunity, its infection of mostly younger people so far doesn't appear to be resulting in any significant upsurge in U.S. hospitalizations or deaths.

During a Tuesday afternoon appearance on Fox News' "America Reports," Makary called Los Angeles officials' Delta-induced recommendation of indoor masking "overkill."

You're gonna hear a lot of fearmongering about the Delta variant, so let me break it down. It is about 40 to 60% more transmissible, but no evidence that it's more deadly. We were told the B117 mutation was more deadly, and the research came in showing that it's not. But because it is more contagious, we're seeing those who are not immune, primarily the young, see more cases. 

We're also testing too many people who already have immunity. That's in violation of the CDC guidelines. Nursing homes, hospitals are testing people already immune with no symptoms, and that's what's driving up some of those case numbers that look like Delta hospitalizations. So, we're not going to see a surge in cases, but we’re probably going to see a surge in PCR tests among those asymptomatic, with colonized Delta strain in their nose, but they are not transmissible and they are not sick from the illness.

Makary went on to criticize Dr. Anthony Fauci for recently calling Delta "the greatest threat" in the U.S.

"I think it's used to manipulate people to get vaccinated," he said. "And I'm for vaccines, but this has turned into a tool to try to coax people into it. Listen to the language, 'our biggest threat.' This is not our biggest threat. This has the same case fatality rate and it's primarily infecting young people who have a case fatality rate similar to seasonal flu. And also listen to Dr. Fauci's language, 'seeking elimination.' We should not be trying to seek elimination. That's an elusive target and if we're gonna try to do that we're gonna be in this state forever."