U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters throughout a information convention within the Brady Press Briefing Room on the White Home in Washington, September 10, 2020.
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
A bunch of 78 researchers and medical doctors from Stanford Medical College are calling out former colleague and White Home coronavirus advisor Dr. Scott Atlas for spreading what they characterised as “falsehoods and misrepresentation of science.”
Atlas, who has a background in radiology, was tapped final month as an advisor to President Donald Trump on the Covid-19 pandemic, which has already killed greater than 191,000 folks within the U.S. alone. Atlas joined the administration’s coronavirus taskforce in mid-August.
The radiologist and senior fellow at Stanford College’s conservative Hoover Establishment has advocated in opposition to using masks and pushed the White Home to undertake a controversial technique, permitting younger folks to contract the coronavirus in hopes of attaining “herd immunity.” Atlas, who does not have any coaching or background in infectious illnesses, has appeared on Fox Information to push for reopening schools and questioned the efficacy of masks.
“A lot of his opinions and statements run counter to ascertain science, and, by doing so, undermine public-health authorities and the credible science that guides efficient public well being coverage,” reads the letter addressed to colleagues on Wednesday. It lists a collection of bullet-points, highlighting the significance of public well being interventions like carrying masks and social distancing. The authors additionally level out that testing asymptomatic folks is essential, and kids of all ages will be contaminated with the virus.
The letter additionally casts doubt on so-called herd immunity, noting that the most secure path to controlling the pandemic is by deploying “rigorously evaluated, efficient vaccines which have been authorised by regulatory companies.”
“Encouraging herd immunity by unchecked neighborhood transmission will not be a protected public well being technique,” it says.
The White Home did not instantly reply to a request for remark.
“I feel there is a tendency as of late for folks to opine about issues that aren’t of their space of specialization,” stated Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, a professor of pediatrics specializing in Infectious Ailments and one of many medical doctors who signed the letter. “We do not have all of the solutions, however there are some issues we do know and we are able to show, and I feel we should be respectful to those that have studied these areas for his or her entire careers.”
A Stanford Drugs spokeswoman Julie Greicius confirmed the authenticity of the letter to CNBC, noting that Atlas has no present affiliation with the medical establishment.
“We due to this fact haven’t any formal touch upon this difficulty,” the spokesperson stated. “However we strongly assist the liberty of our Stanford Drugs school to voice their place based mostly on their experience within the areas of epidemiology, infectious illness, microbiology and public well being coverage.”
