ECONOMY AND SEND ALL OF
AMERICA’S SCHOOLCHILDREN BACK TO
THE CLASSROOM SUGGESTS
OTHERWISE.
WE ARE HAPPY TO WELCOME BACK TO
THE BROADCAST PULITZER
PRIZE-WINNING SCIENCE REPORTER,
LORI GARRETT.
SHE’S A COLUMNIST FOR FOREIGN
POLICY MAGAZINE AND THE AUTHOR
OF SEVERAL BOOKS, INCLUDING "THE
COMING PLAGUE."
SHE’S ALSO, LUCKY FOR US, AN
MSNBC SCIENCE CONTRIBUTOR.
SO THIS -- I HAVE A MILLION
QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS.
BUT WHAT DOES HERD IMMUNITY LOOK
LIKE WHEN THERE IS NO TREATMENT
AND THERE IS NO VACCINE?
IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE
COULD GET DEATH ILL.
>> WELL, WE DON’T REALLY HAVE A
PRECEDENT.
WE’VE NEVER REALLY SAID, LET’S
JUST HOLD OUT FOR HERD IMMUNITY,
FOR ANY DISEASE, MUCH LESS A
DISEASE THAT HAS A LETHALITY
RATE HAVE IN THE 1 TO 2% LEVEL.
SO HERD IMMUNITY IMPLIES -- I
MEAN, THIS IS ABOUT THE HERD.
YOU KNOW, A BUNCH OF COWS, A
BUNCH OF SHEEP.
WHAT HAVE YOU.
AND IT IMPLIES THAT YOU’RE
WILLING TO TOLERATE A CERTAIN
LEVEL OF LOSS AND DEATH AND
SUFFERING IN HOPES THAT A
SIGNIFICANT PERCENTAGE, 80
PERCENT, 70%, WHATEVER IT TURNS
OUT IS THE MAGIC NUMBER OF THE
HERD DEVELOPS EFFECTIVE
ANTIBIOTICS S
ANTIBODIES AGAINST THE VIRUS AND
THE VIRUS SIMPLY CAN’T SPREAD
ANYMORE.
THE ONLY COUNTRY THAT HAS
BLATANTLY TRIED THIS POLICY IS
SWEDEN.
THE UK TOYED WITH IT, ATTEMPTED
IT, SAW IT BACKFIRE, SAW A HIGH
MORTALITY RATE AMONG ITS SENIOR
CITIZEN AND BACKED OFF.
>> I WANT TO ASK YOU, I MEAN, IF
WE’RE SENDING KIDS BACK INTO THE
CLASSROOM, BEFORE WE HAVE A
VACCINE, THAT’S DONALD TRUMP’S
POLICY, A LOT OF SCHOOL
DISTRICTS AND TEACHERS HAVE
OBJECTED.
AND I THINK FOUR OF THE FIVE
LARGEST SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE
COUNTRY ARE STARTING REMOTE.
AND WE’RE SENDING -- HE WANTS
ALL BUSINESSES OPEN.
I MEAN, THE PRESIDENT RAN A
CONVENTION LAST WEEK IN WHICH
THE PANDEMIC ISN’T RAVAGING THE
COUNTRY.
HE HAD 1,900 PEOPLE SITTING
MASKLESS AND VERY CLOSE TO EACH
OTHER AT HIS EVENT.
I MEAN, ARE THERE SURREPTITIOUS
WAYS FOR DONALD TRUMP TO PUSH
THE COUNTRY TOWARD DOING THIS,
EVEN THOUGH IT’S NOT WHAT TONY
FAUCI OR DEBORAH BIRX OR ANYONE
HAS RECOMMENDED?
>> NICOLE, AT THIS POINT, WE
HAVE A LONG LIST OF THINGS THAT
HAVE HAPPENED IN THE
ADMINISTRATION, JUST IN THE LAST
THREE OR FOUR WEEKS, THAT
INDICATE THERE’S A PELLMELL RUSH
TO COME UP WITH SOME MAGIC
FORMULA THAT THE PRESIDENT CAN
DECLARE BEFORE NOVEMBER 23rd OF
THIS YEAR THAT THE SITUATION IS
UNDER CONTROL AND THE VIRUS IS
IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR.
SO HE’S PUSHING -- I MEAN, HE’S
RUMORED TO BE IN CONVERSATIONS
WITH ASTRAZENECA TO BUY IN
ADVANCE MASSIVE QUANTITIES OF
THE BRITISH-MADE POTENTIAL
VACCINE, NOT YET PROVEN, ONLY
STILL IN ITS DEVELOPMENTAL
STAGE.
THEY’RE PUSHING HARD ON THE
OTHER AMERICAN-BASED VACCINE
MANUFACTURERS, PARTICULARLY
MODERNA AND PFIZER, TO GET THEIR
CLINICAL TRIALS -- GET THROUGH
THEM FAST, FAST, FAST.
DON’T WASTE TIME WITH ALL OF
THIS SAFETY STUFF.
DON’T SLOW IT DOWN.
LET’S GO, GO, GO, GO, GO.
AND SIMILARLY, WE’VE HAD ONE
TREATMENT SHOVED OUT THE DOOR
AFTER OF THE, EVEN OVER THE
OBJECTIONS OF THE SCIENTIFIC
COMMUNITY, EVEN THE FDA’S OWN
INTERNAL SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY
BOARDS.
AND NOW WE HAVE A WHOLE NEW SET
OF TESTING BEING ROLLED OUT,
NONE OF WHICH HAVE BEEN
SUBJECTED TO SORT OF
STANDARDIZED FORMULAS FOR
DETERMINING HOW THEY COMPARE TO
OTHER TESTS, WHAT THEIR
RELIABILITY, THEIR SENSITIVITY
IS, AND SO ON.
SO, I THINK IF YOU PUT IT ALL
TOGETHER INTO A PACKAGE, WHAT
YOU SEE IS A MAD RUSH FOR
SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER.
HE’S GOT SIX, MAYBE EIGHT WEEKS,
TO COME UP WITH SOME WAY THAT HE
CAN REALLY SAY TO THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE, CONVINCE ALL OF THOSE ON
THE FENCE, HEY, IT’S OKAY TO GO
BACK TO THE BAR.
IT’S OKAY TO HANG OUT IN THE
SHOPPING MALL.
IT’S OKAY TO GO BACK TO WORK.
AND MOST OF ALL, IT’S OKAY TO GO
TO SCHOOL, EVEN THOUGH EVERY
SINGLE UNIVERSITY THAT HAS
OPENED SO FAR WITH STUDENTS ON
CAMPUS IS GETTING EXPLOSIVE
SPREAD OF COVID.
AND EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT IS
TERRIFIED THAT THE SAME WILL
HAPPEN WITH THE YOUNGER
CHILDREN.
AND IT’S JUST -- IT DEFIES ALL
CREDIBILITY.
HE’S UNDERMINED THE RELIABILITY
OF THE CDC, THE FDA, THE NIH,
EVERY SINGLE AGENCY THAT IN
NORMAL TIMES, REMEMBER NORMAL
TIMES?
IN NORMAL TIMES --
>> BARELY!
>> WOULD BE HOW WE, AS THE
PUBLIC, KNEW, WHICH IS TRUE,
