YouTube censors ER doctors urging end of lockdown

Dr. Dan Erickson and Dr. Artin Massihi explain in a news conference in Bakersfield, California, why they believe the science shows the coronavirus lockdowns should end (screenshot)

Shortly after an interview Monday night with Fox News, YouTube removed videos of a press briefing in which two California doctors carefully laid out their case for ending the lockdowns implemented in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The videos, which drew more than 5 million views, featured Dan Erickson and Artin Massihi – the owners of Accelerated Urgent Care in Bakersfield, California – presenting their conclusions based on their testing of more than 5,000 patients for the coronavirus combined with public data.

In place of the videos is a message from YouTube explaining the contents violate the Google-owned platform's "community guidelines."

Google's apparent censorship coincided with the doctors' further exposure through an interview Monday night with Fox News host Laura Ingraham.

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Later in the program, after having interviewed the doctors at the top of the hour, Ingraham informed her viewers that YouTube "just took down their viral video challenging the COVID narrative."

"Ironically, this is exactly what they warned about. That this isn't about science, this is about control," Ingraham said. "And in this case, control of a narrative."

Ingraham said no one should be surprised, noting YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki's statement on CNN a week ago.

"Anything that would go against World Health Organization recommendations would be a violation of our policy," the YouTube boss said.

Wojcicki said removing such content "is another really important part of our policy."

'Docs make good points'

The ABC affiliate that posted the videos on YouTube, KERO-TV in Bakersfield, said it has submitted an appeal to the social media giant but has received no response.

On its website, KERO noted the press briefing got the attention of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who commented on Twitter with a link, "Docs make good points."

Erickson was asked by the Bakersfield station to comment on YouTube's censorship.

"Anytime you push against the grain, you are going to have people who don't like it," he said.

See video of the press briefing at KERO-TV's website

See Laura Ingraham's comments on YouTube's removal of video:

See Laura Ingraham's interview with Drs. Dan Erickson and Artin Massihi:

Sheltering does more harm than good

The two physicians, who said they each have studied microbiology for 20 years, contend that their testing of more than 5,200 patients along with public data show the coronavirus is no more deadly than the seasonal flu.

They argued the sheltering-in-place policies in the United States and most of the Western world not only are unnecessary, they're harmful.

The doctors told reporters their testing and the data worldwide indicate the case fatality rate for the coronavirus is less than one-tenth of 1%.

"Do we need to still shelter in place? Our answer is emphatically no."

Erickson explained that for hundreds of years, societies have relied on herd immunity to fight viruses.

"Viruses kill people. End of story. The flu kills people. Covid kills people. But for the rest of us, we develop herd immunity. We develop the ability to take this virus in and defeat it," he said.

"And for the vast majority – 95% of those around the globe – this is true. And when we look at people that have locked down and people that haven't locked down, we have massive data.

"It is not statistically signficiant whether you lock down or not," he said. "So why are we doing it?"

Dr. Dan Erickson and Dr. Artin Massihi (video screenshot)

Businesses should reopen and people should return to work as the testing continues, he said.

The physicians said the nation's initial response to the outbreak was probably a good idea "when you don't have any facts."

"Now that we have the facts," said Erickson. "It's time to get back to work."

Historically, they argued, we've always quarantined the sick.

"We've never seen where you quarantine the healthy."

The data they have gathered is consistent with what they see across the nation and around the world, based on information from the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization.

They warned the practice of sheltering-in-place will be harmful long-term.

First, they and other physicians they've surveyed see the secondary effect of a spike in incidents of child abuse, domestic violence, substance abuse and the loss of income.

"All of these are a significantly more detrimental thing to society than a virus that is proven similar in nature to the seasonal flu that we have every year," Erickson said.

Secondly, they argued sheltering in place weakens the personal immunity that is built and maintained through daily exposure to all kinds of viruses and bacteria that are not virulent.

And, among other things, Vitamin D levels are diminished and mood, which affects immunity, is lowered.

The constant disinfecting only makes it worse, Erickson said.

Massihi said healthy people should not wear masks and gloves, because that further reduces interaction with good bacterial flora that protect from other diseases.

"As you come out of sheltering in place, with a lower immune system and start trading viruses and bacteria, what do you think is going to happen? Disease is going to spike," Erickson said.