In the week since President Trump tweeted that he and the First Lady tested positive for COVID-19, the internet has been flooded with hot takes and theories as to what this could mean for the country’s leadership. In a new video, YouTube’s Doctor Mike breaks down several of the spurious and inaccurate claims he has seen online, and states that he turned down a number of invitations to go on TV to discuss Trump’s diagnosis, as he believed it to be unethical to speculate about the health of somebody who was not his patient, when there was no information available.
First up, Mike criticizes the messaging coming out of the White House regarding Trump’s diagnosis, saying it is inconsistent and confusing. “I’ve even seen Trump’s personal doctor come out and make questionable statements where I can’t even follow the story,” he says. “The timeline is all over the place and it’s impossible to tell what’s what.”
Mike goes on to address the great many tweets which refer to White House physician Sean Conley not being an MD, clarifying that as a DO (doctor of osteopathy), Conley will have gone through the same number of years of medical school and residency, and sat the same board certification exams as an MD. He points out that Joe Biden’s personal doctor is also a DO, and asserts that disparaging remarks about Conley’s qualifications only serve to denigrate the highly-qualified DOs who have been treating patients throughout the pandemic.
“These are women and men putting their lives on the front lines,” he says. “We should not be judging doctors based on the letters after their name, but instead by their bedside manner, their ability to heal patients, their ability to fight misinformation, and to connect with other humans.”
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He also criticizes the video released by the president in which he told people “don’t be afraid of COVID,” and not to let the virus “dominate” their lives. “Well, President Trump, if we’re being honest here, over 200,000 Americans have lost their lives to it who didn’t beat it, so to downplay it like this is inaccurate and unfair,” he says.
Mike’s concern is that Trump’s message of “don’t be afraid” will lead people to be complacent in their safety and hygiene habits, when hand-washing, wearing a mask and social distancing remain as vital as ever. He advises a mantra of “stay alert, not anxious” instead, and encourages people to maintain the public safety practices they have developed over the last six months as we head into fall.
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