Scott Morefield Reporter May 19, 2020 1:43 PM ET
YouTube defended its removal of a video of a prominent epidemiologist explaining his view on coronavirus and “herd immunity.”
The video featured Dr. Knut Wittkowski, the former head of biostatistics, epidemiology and research design at Rockefeller University. In it, he was critical of lockdown and social distancing measures, arguing they are counterproductive to achieving “herd immunity” from the virus. The vide was removed for purported “misinformation” after reaching over 1.3 million views.
“With all respiratory diseases, the only thing that stops the disease is herd immunity,” Wittkowski said in the video, according to the New York Post, which first reported the story on Saturday. “About 80% of the people need to have had contact with the virus, and the majority of them won’t even have recognized that they were infected.”
Responding to the Daily Caller’s request for comment on the video’s removal, YouTube spokesperson Ivy Choi said in a statement:
We quickly remove flagged content that violates our Community Guidelines, including content that explicitly disputes the efficacy of global or local health authority recommended guidance on social distancing that may lead others to act against that guidance. We are committed to continue providing timely and helpful information at this critical time.
YouTube came under fire in April from Fox News host Tucker Carlson and others after the company removed a video by Drs. Dan Erickson and Artin Massihi criticizing California’s lockdown measures. The video had reached 5 million views. (RELATED: Tucker: WHO ‘Admitting’ Sweden’s ‘Model’ Is Working But US Policy Makers Won’t ‘Abandon A Sweeping Power Grab’)
“When this is all over, it’s likely we’ll look back on this moment, what YouTube just did, as a turning point in the way we live in this country, a sharp break with 250 years of law and custom,” Carlson, a co-founder of the Daily Caller, said in an April “Tucker Carlson Tonight” monologue. “The doctor’s video was produced by a local television channel. It was, in fact a mainstream news story. The only justification for taking it down was that the physicians on-screen had reached different conclusions than the people currently in charge.”
Coronaviruses are NOT ‘regular viruses’ and what we know about regular viruses mostly doesn’t apply to them. They are tiny little bombs that can force their load into multiple kinds of cells.
There is no “herd immunity” to them, there is only surviving and your body remembering what they were like.
about 20% of colds are from Coronaviruses, colds are the very definition of a regular virus.
Eschew Social Justice Networks in favor of the Back Fence network of neighbors. The old guy didn’t get that way by being stupid.
One advantage not mentioned for HCQ is a 40 day half life.
This is a huge advantage when considering HCQ as a prophylaxis.
I heard India has approved HCQ for coronavirus.
Yes it’s probably safest.
Taking it as an antiviral has the issue that you need to take it very early or take a high dose upfront or both.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/05/20/sweden-becomes-country-highest-coronavirus-death-rate-per-capita/
The Swedish success story goes on.
Ron, the real story of success (or not) will only be determined when all is over with. Remember what “flatten the curve” (infections/deaths would be the same in the end, just the timing of them would change to prevent overwhelming the health systems). Sweden chose not to flatten their curve, so the real surprise would be if they didn’t have a higher rate earlier on. Other countries chose to go the slower path of a flat curve. Only when this thing has run it’s course (including any “second” or more waves) will we be able to accurately determine if it’s a “Swedish success story” or not. Any pronouncements before then are entirely premature.
John wrote, “the real surprise would be if they didn’t have a higher rate earlier on.”
“Earlier on,” John? Sweden had 145 new cases on March 11th, which was 10½ weeks ago.
It’s not “earlier on” there. It’s 7½ weeks AFTER they would have stopped the epidemic, if they’d done what South Korea does. Instead, Sweden has had about 400 new cases per day ever since the first of April, with still no sign of a significant decline.
Here’re their latest case number data:
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/sweden/#graph-cases-daily
Sweden’s handling of this epidemic has been disastrous, even more disastrous than the USA’s handling of it, though nowhere near as disastrous as it would have been if they’d followed Wittkowski’s advice.
John wrote, “the real story of success (or not) will only be determined when all is over with.”
It already is mostly over with, in the countries which employed aggressive use of testing, contact tracing, and quarantine of infectious citizens:
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/south-korea/#graph-cases-daily
If YouTube operates as a political actor, what are the implications re: anti abuse of monopoly laws and fair business laws?
I’m eager to not see an analysis about that on Lawfare, the Wapo, or law.stackexchange.com/
Or an FEC ruling. (The FEC must go in the fairness doctrine way.)