Tag: vivek murthy

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy Refuses To Acknowledge the Government’s Misrepresentation of Mask Research

In a recent interview with The New York Times, former White House COVID-19 adviser Anthony Fauci conceded that face masks had, at best, a modest overall impact on coronavirus transmission during the pandemic. “From a broad public-health standpoint, at the population level, masks work at the margins—maybe 10 percent,” he said. “But for an individual who religiously wears a mask, a well-fitted KN95 or N95, it’s not at the margin. It really does work.”

This week CNN’s Erin Burnett asked Surgeon General Vivek Murthy about Fauci’s gloss, which she said might be perceived as “an extremely significant statement,” because “we were told it didn’t matter what kind of mask [we wore].” She also noted that children were required to wear masks in schools and day care centers, adding that “none of them wore them the right way.” The contrast between that frequently mandatory advice and what Fauci is saying now, Burnett suggested, is “upsetting to a lot of people.”

Murthy’s response illustrates the persistent difficulty that public health officials have in speaking honestly about this subject. He conceded that shifting government health advice “can be disconcerting” but said “sometimes guidance does evolve over time as you learn more.” He also allowed that the pandemic “has been incredibly hard for a lot of people, especially kids and parents.” And he mentioned “greater loneliness and isolation” as one consequence of the pandemic, saying the Biden administration is working on “a national strategy to address loneliness.”

The one thing Murthy did not address was the substance of Burnett’s question. Fauci’s current summary of the evidence, she noted, contradicts what public health officials told us during the pandemic. “Do you understand,” Burnett asked, why people might view that contradiction as “extremely significant” and “upsetting”? Murthy evidently does not understand that, even though it goes to the heart of the government’s credibility when it purports to tell us what science says about the effectiveness of disease control measures.

Keep reading

US Surgeon General Requests COVID-19 ‘Misinformation’ Data From Big Tech Companies

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued a request Thursday for information surrounding alleged COVID-19 misinformation from Big Tech companies, community organizations, and healthcare providers.

“Misinformation has had a profound impact on COVID-19 and our response,” Murthy told CNN on Thursday, confirming that he sent a letter to those groups. “Studies have demonstrated that the vast majority of the American public either believes common myths about COVID-19 or thinks those myths might be true. And many of those include myths around the COVID-19 vaccine, so we’ve seen firsthand how misinformation is harming people’s health when it comes to COVID.”

The notice asks the companies to provide “exactly how many users saw or may have been exposed to instances of COVID-19 misinformation,” according to The New York Times. Murthy confirmed the contents of the letter to the news outlet.

The Surgeon General in July 2021 issued an advisory calling COVID-19-related “misinformation” an “urgent threat” in a bid to put public pressure on social media platforms to monitor it.

Keep reading

‘Limit the Spread of Covid Misinformation’ – Biden’s Surgeon General Calls For Joe Rogan’s Podcast to be Censored

MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinski asked Dr. Vivek Murthy what are the best ways to push back on Covid misinformation.

Murthy complained that social media companies are not doing enough to ‘stop the spread’ of Covid misinformation before calling on Spotify to silence Joe Rogan.

“A critical part of how we get through this pandemic” is “limiting the spread of misinformation” from shows like Joe Rogan, Murthy said on Tuesday.

Keep reading

Corona Cash: Financial Disclosures Reveal Biden Surgeon General Made Millions off Pandemic ‘Consulting’

Vivek Murthy, President Biden’s pick for surgeon general, cashed in last year as the Chinese coronavirus pandemic gripped the nation, making more than two million dollars off pandemic “consulting.”

Several of Biden’s nominees have filed financial disclosures, including Murthy, who according to Politico made millions by consulting various companies, including those in industries severely impacted by the pandemic, such as Carnival Cruise Line. Such consulting gigs have raised eyebrows due to concerns of bias.

The outlet estimated that Murthy, who served as U.S surgeon general from 2014-2017, made nearly one million last year consulting for Netflix, Airbnb, and Carnival Cruise Line alone:

The former surgeon general pulled in nearly $550,000 since Jan. 1, 2020, consulting for Netflix; $410,000 consulting for Airbnb; $400,000 consulting for Carnival Cruise Line; and nearly $300,000 consulting for Estee Lauder.

Murthy’s speaking, writing and consulting firm paid him nearly $500,000 more. His speaking engagements through the firm included speeches to companies such as Google and Cigna, as well trade groups such as Business Roundtable and American’s Health Insurance Plans.

Jeff Hauser of the Revolving Door Project highlighted the mounting concerns related to Murthy’s financial disclosures, explaining that it is “less than ideal to have a Surgeon General who is sympathetic to entities from which we would like him to feel a sense of remove, like the cruise industry.”

Keep reading