Dr. Scott Atlas Doubles Down: ‘It’s Destructive To Lock Down The Healthy’

Dr. Scott Atlas has faced scrutiny over the last several months as he is encouraging states reopen amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

He has repeatedly said it does not make sense for state and local governments to continue to keep healthy civilians under lockdown restrictions.

“We know the harms are tremendous to closing schools and businesses. I don’t know why that is not front and center. That is the most important reason why I’m here,” he said to the Washington Times.

“We know who dies from this virus. It’s not equally impactful on different parts of society. Children have extremely low risk,” he said. “We also realize that small businesses have especially been hurt, including restaurants, travel, hotels and regular jobs where people do not have the luxury of working from home.”

The doctor’s comments contradict the guidance of the World Health Organization and the Coronavirus Task Force, which is waiting on a vaccine to become available.

The Washington Times adds:

Dr. Atlas, a senior fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, said the focus on cases and “stopping COVID-19 at all costs” glosses over the societal fallout from students who have been harmed by distance learning, low-income workers who don’t have the luxury of sipping coffee at home with their laptops and others hit by lockdowns.

Dr. Atlas joined the White House in a temporary capacity this summer and has been a go-to man for the president. He has replaced the likes of Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx as primary wingman in the briefing room. He speaks to Mr. Trump frequently and has an office at the White House.

Dr. Atlas said he may not be a virologist but his long background in medicine, health care policy and direct lines of communication to top academics position him to translate the medical literature on COVID-19 into plain English and policy for the president, including ways to avoid the damaging consequences of lockdowns.

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