Dr. Drew Pinsky has apologized for comparing the novel coronavirus to the flu.
Not only did he compare the virus to the flu, but he consistently downplayed the severity of the virus and mislead millions of people — for weeks.
Dr. Drew is a snake oil salesman. Really terrible stuff here. What a disgrace. pic.twitter.com/Eh35Ky8yVO
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) April 4, 2020
via Page Six:
The celebrity addiction specialist, who is also an internist, said in a video shared on Twitter over the weekend, “My early comments about equating coronavirus with influenza were wrong. They were incorrect.”
“I was part of a chorus that was saying that, and we were wrong, and I want to apologize for that,” he said. “I wish I had gotten it right, but I got it wrong.”
The “Celebrity Rehab” star, 61, faced backlash following a video dating back to February in which he claimed COVID-19 was a “press-induced panic” and “way less serious than influenza.”
“I am very angry about it,” he said of the purported fear-mongering.
He also claimed that people’s chances of dying from coronavirus were lower than being “hit by an asteroid.” In New York City, the death toll had reached more than 2,400 as of Sunday, officials said.
In his apology video, the TV personality also reiterated his stance that Dr. Anthony Fauci — an infectious disease expert who is on the White House’s coronavirus task force — should be the public’s “North Star” when it comes to coronavirus information.
“What I also said was follow the CDC’s recommendation; follow Dr. Fauci’s recommendation. They will keep us safe. And I thought that when the government started taking more aggressive measures, we should all sign on,” Pinsky continued.
“We have a collective responsibility to do so. I’m doing what I’m supposed to do. I wear a mask outside now. And it’s paid dividends. It is improving. It is flattening the curve. And I’m delighted to be a part of that. I’m glad to be a part of that.”
You can watch his half-assed apology below.
https://twitter.com/alexsalvinews/status/1246525253464895489
