Trump’s herd immunity bid blasted
US could see more deaths as winter poses double threat: experts
As the total number of COVID-19 cases in the US is rapidly approaching eight million, the White House was reportedly embracing a declaration of herd immunity, drawing widespread criticism from scientists and experts who warned of more human losses in the US, if no urgent and concrete measures are taken to stop the virus before a peak season for flu and infectious diseases in the winter.
Discussions about herd immunity surfaced in the US after senior White House officials highlighted an online movement called the “Great Barrington Declaration,” which favors herd immunity, NBC News reported on Thursday.
Herd immunity happens when enough of the population is immune to a disease, making it less likely to spread among the rest of the community.
The Trump administration appears to be tacitly adopting the herd immunity strategy, even though many in the US oppose it, Chen Xi, an associate professor of the Yale School of Public Health, told the Global Times on Friday.
Scientists who support herd immunity hope to put the elderly under quarantine, while allowing young people, who they think are a low-risk group for the coronavirus, go to work or school. That may sounds ideal, but the reality tells a different story – the theory cannot be implemented, as risks cannot be ruled out, Chen said.
The rate of standard diseases is quite high in the US even among young people, which means they remain at high risk of being infected with the novel coronavirus. Considering that 40 percent of young people suffer from obesity, there is no way for the US to get enough “safe” population contact with the virus to protect vulnerable groups, Chen said.
Aside from some scientists, US President Donald Trump also seems to be fascinated with the idea that herd immunity could offer an easy end to the coronavirus pandemic.
However, Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease expert, also slammed the plan for herd immunity.
Although Trump and his campaign team tried to portray him as a “fighter of the virus” given his relatively quick recovery from the virus, he has never been an example of how normal COVID-19-infected individuals would experience, or be “immune” to the virus, experts said.
Yang Zhanqiu, deputy director of the pathogen biology department at Wuhan University, told the Global Times that Trump’s quick “cure” for the virus is due to the most excellent medical conditions he enjoys as president. Although he is over 70 years old, he does not suffer from severe illnesses.
Trump is a special case, and his experience cannot be duplicated by others, Yang said.
Experts also warned that the winter season may see more infections in the US, considering cold weather helps the virus spread. That, on top of the flu season, could lead to a higher death rate.