Why Dr. Drew is WRONG about the Coronavirus
Dr. Drew Pinsky joined a panel of the Daily Blast to discuss how the media is creating hysteria over the coronavirus outbreak.
Many viewers have contacted Back to Jerusalem about a recent video that has gone viral because it contradicts much of the information that has been shared.
Dr. Drew feels that the media is hyping up the coronavirus in order to get ratings.
He might be right about this, but there are several things that he says during the interview that are not correct.
At BTJ, we have teams of people on the ground at ground zero in Wuhan. BTJ also has several medical clinics that we have built, staff, and administer in China that give regular updates. BTJ has also been sending supplies into the country to help fight the virus.
From our experience on the ground, there are several things about this interview with Dr. Drew that our supporters need to be aware of.
It is extremely important that the correct information get to our prayer partners regarding the coronavirus.
It is not our intention to cause a panic, but it does benefit everyone to have as much information as is possible on the situation so that effective prayers can be offered up.
That is why this interview is so important to address.
Dr. Drew’s Video can be found here:
There are several things that Dr. Drew said at the time of the video that has been very misleading about the severity of the virus and it is important to clarify.
Firstly, at the time of this video, the panel reported that there were 362 deaths. Just over two weeks later, there are now 2,800 deaths, an increase of more than seven times.
“The press is over reacting….It’s fatality rate is lower [than SARS],” Dr. Drew said while on the panel.
NOT TRUE
SARS Fatality rate is at 9.6%. The case fatality rate (CFR) is more difficult to rate for the Coronavirus because it is ongoing. You cannot calculate the total number of cases and compare the number of deaths, because the outcome of all the cases is unknown.
While the epidemic is ongoing, the CFR is calculated by the outcomes of the cases. As of February 20, the Coronavirus had a Fatality rate of 11%. With a total of 19,047 cases, the CFR was 11% mortality and 89% discharged/recovery rate.
This can change, but at the moment, the fatality rate is not lower.
“It’s a mild illness,” Dr. Drew demanded as he strongly corrected one of the hosts of the show.
NOT TRUE
The calculated mortality rate of influenza is less than a fraction of a percent or less than 0.1%. The coronavirus is just as contagious but with a mortality rate about 100 times higher.
A disease that is highly contagious where 1 out of 10 people likely die is not considered to be a mild disease.
Dr. Drew continues by saying, “Always there are immune compromised people who are at risk for these sort of things…” Dr. Drew is trying to tell the audience that, like the common flu – infants, elderly, and immune deficient individuals are the ones that are more prone to fall victim to this disease.
NOT TRUE
Though it is true that infants, elderly, and immune deficient people are more likely to fall victim to this disease, his insinuation that healthy adults are not likely to be bothered by this disease is simply false.
First, the medical doctor from Wuhan who sounded the alarm about the coronavirus, Peng Yinhua, was only 29 years old. He was a healthy young adult.
Second, the Director of Wuhan hospital, Liu Zhiming was a healthy middle aged man at 51 and recently died from the virus.
These are young, healthy medical professionals dying from the coronavirus – not just infants and the elderly with immune deficiencies.
Dr. Drew gives advice of how to keep from getting the virus when he says, “the rest of us need to wash our hands, get our influenza vaccines…” To the audience, it sounds as if one can stay safe by simply washing our hands and getting our influenza vaccines.
NOT TRUE
While washing your hands and getting vaccines can help, the coronavirus is known to be contagious as an airborne disease. Washing your hands is simply not enough to adequately protect from getting the virus.
Dr. Drew advises the audience, “Listen to the CDC (Center for Disease Control), if there’s a problem, they will let us know.”
NOT TRUE
The CDC and the WHO (World Health Organization) is terrified of being locked out by China. These health organizations know that if they say the wrong thing or make China upset, they can be easily kicked out of the country with no information at all. The only thing worse than a pandemic, is a pandemic originating from a nation that does not let you know what is happening at all.
This is not the fault of the CDC/WHO. Their predicament is an understandable one. They have warn the public about the situation, but do it in a way that China accepts. This is not easy.
Because of this, their reliability is compromised.
Back to Jerusalem continues to send in emergency aid to China because this is a very serious issue for the entire world.
Our hope is to provide the most up-to-date information on the situation from the epicenter of the disease.
23 Comments
Hi
Dr Drew is right, I worked for one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in Australia and was responsible to distribute test kits for Aids and for many other viruses, at the moment there is no test kit on the market for Diagnosis of this new virus, so how are they testing people from Iran to South Korea without a proper diagnostic kit made for this virus, who is making it? so how is the media getting these figures, fear is used to control & destroy the prosperity of people – this is the plan.
I think maybe you did not read the article? Or maybe you missed the part that the findings reported are coming directly from contacts that are on the field witnessing first hand what is happening. Dr. Drew may be a professional, but who do you believe, a professional speculating on what he deems to be true, or first hand witness of what is actually taking place?
Doctor Drew is not part of the CDC. he is a supporter of Trump. In my opinion ion he is setting up audience for a new book.
Seems to be the only REAL danger is in minimizing the virus. It’s not as if people are throwing themselves off tall buildings to avoid the contagion. They are only stockpiling toilet paper and canned goods.
Dr. Drew is a reality TV star. As a contrarian on channels such as Fox News he was getting tremendous ratings. He blended in nicely with the talking heads claiming a deep state conspiracy. What about now? I hear crickets…
The calculated mortality rate of influenza is less than a fraction of a percent or less than 0.1%. The coronavirus is just as contagious but with a mortality rate about 100 times higher.
A disease that is highly contagious where 1 out of 10 people likely die is not considered to be a mild disease.
…. 1 in 10 people? I think the math is a bit off there.
0.1% * 100 = 10%.
CFR of 10% means 1 out of every 10 who do get it will die. Math seems to be right.
But this is not true. 1 in 10 does NOT die from Corona. What’s your source to this statement.
Jeremy,
They are stating that you have to calculate the mortality rate based on cases that have resolved, either by survival or death. They are removing the active cases since their outcome is not yet known. By the data available at the time of this article, the math is 11% mortality, or, 1.1 out of 10.
Tough to figure a mortality rate with any accuracy at all since in reality tens if not hundreds of thousands of people could have had the virus and not been diagnosed resulting in very mild symptoms which is the norm. This dramatically cuts the “death rate” and pours on the hype. I agree the math is sketchy
Ok new “numbers” out 120,000 “confirmed” cases (likely much much much higher) 4200 deaths. So that’s about 3.5 % clearly not good but also likely much much much lower. So tone down the 11% talk. This iui s not by any means a “get it your dead” virus but for reasons unknown it’s being broadcast that way. Also be very mindful to say this is spread “airbirne” clearly not true on your part. It still requires close physical contact to spread. You are adding to the disinformation
The Dr. from Wuhan was 33 not 29. The fatality rate (1/10) is skewed because there has been limited testing done, so there are likely way more cases than we think.
I don’t agree with Dr. Drew, I don’t agree with this article. I wish I could find information that wasn’t sensationalized one way or the other.
Even if you were to assume fatality rate is ten times less than that – so 1 out of a 100 – that is still 10 times MORE deadly than seasonal flu. Dr Drew is being a dolt.
And 33 isn’t exactly old age. What difference does a 4 year mistake make?
So as a younger healthy person even if I get coronavirus the issue is that I can still spread it to an elderly person who could end up dying from it. So it does matter what we all do right now. Emergency rooms urgent care centers are going to see an uptick of people, and if healthcare workers also get the virus who will replace them when they can’t work?
China has a huge dense population . Why arent millions dying if its so contagious? If it pandemic here in the US, should be skyrocketing there. Drew is correct. The media is feeding the frenzy with constant bombardment of rumored misinformed info.
Read up on the methods they used. They’re an authoritarian regime; they tested at workplaces, and even apartment buildings. If you were coming back home and a committee member checked your temperature, you were forced to report to a fever clinic, and kept in quarantine until you were better.
I’ve been a fan of Dr. Drew back when I first learned about him on KROQ’s loveline, and I always thought he was a reputable source. Reading Kevin’s comment though, had me thinking as he made good points about him. Still, I would have to take Dr.Drew’s side although he says not to worry unless CDC gets on national TV, but I don’t remember CDC ever being on national TV to speak out about any type of disease or any matter in general?
Thats’s my opinion. Backtojerusalem could be totally correct, but I refuse to believe ANYTHING about the Corona virus atm unless they are backed up by reliable sources.
OP, do you have links to the sources where you gathered your data from?
And I mean besides the video you posted. Im talking about sources of where you got your numbers from in the first place.
Im not an internet guru or anything but i never even heard of your site/programs before, yet you claim about having built medical clinics in China?
If so, thats something to definitely be proud about, especially during something like this.. idk about you, but If I had an organization with strike teams who go help during world wide disasasters/emergwncies, I would definitely post pictures about it my teams on my website. Maybe even articles about them, SOMETHING. Especially, if they weren’t big teams already known world wide. Task forces like this NEED to be known world wide. Not for fame of course, but as a resource, so the world knows THERE IS people out there helping. Not trying to bash your article or site, its only my first time here… im simply asking for your sources before I believe you so that I may too, correct those that are wrong.
Agree completely. Also, China’s elderly population that is less well, in part, due to chronic smoking and pollution, is resulting in very different mortality rate than, for example, S. Korea and other countries.
I outline the details in this thread:
https://twitter.com/DrRick32855962/status/1238089825619714048?s=20
Hello. Matt from US. Dr. Fauci our US Administrator of health has already said the virus will shake out to be ..1-.8 mortality rate. Do not believe the above article. In my State of Wisconsin, the current mortality rate according to the Johns Hopkins data is .0166. Close to yearly flu with the exact same risk groups..minus -09 year olds. We have zero deaths in wisconsin so far. ZERO. Whoever wrote this article even contradicts WHO’s number. In a test case such as the pacific princess and adjusting for its skew of the elderly (the only risk group). mortality is .025. China’s stats are wildy unreliable and don’t reflect any sort of sample whatsoever. Korea is .4. Don’t worry. The virus amounts to a very rough flu The US has had higher mortality flu’s in 1957 and 1966
matt again. Thats .;01 to .08. Under 1 %. Our own scientist said in a New England Journal of medicine article mortality for the virus would be close to .01. Look it up for yourself
I’m not sure how this pathetic worm still has a medical license. He has left a long list of dead patients behind in the area he is supposedly an expert in (addiction). No real doctor would treat extreme addicts on TV, showing them crying and breaking down. Drew is a right-wing troll, just like his buddy Dr. Oz. They push quackery and conspiracy theories. He once “diagnosed” Hillary with severe mental disability, for example.
Just days ago, Pinsky was demanding people shake his hand, then ridiculing anyone who didn’t do it. Whether you think people are overreacting to the virus or not, that is unprofessional behavior for a so-called doctor (in reality, he’s more of a televangelist). His “advice” is going to get even more people killed, but Drew doesn’t care.
I’m sorry to see that you have bought into the misinformation concerning Covid-19. You say mortality rate is 100 times higher than flu (which is something less than 0.1%); that would make Covid’s mortality rate a bit less than 10%! Sorry, but so far it is less than .001% (220,000 divided by 7 billion). Even if 10 times more die from Covid, it will still be only slightly more deadly than flu. Learn to do math! Second, for about 94% of those who contract Covid, it is indeed a mild illness. and more than 90% of those who die from it have co-morbidities. I could go on, but you will probably consider me a nutcase and delete my comment anyway.
This is an older article, but the information that we have provided still proves to be absolutely accurate. Your method of calculation is misleading and inaccurate. This is why you have arrived at a different conclusion. We will not argue, but we will provide a simple correction and then leave it. First, you are correct and we agree that the majority of the people who die form the coronavirus are those that have an underlying issues. NOT EVERYONE – but most people that have died from this virus has underlying issues. This is why in Sweden, where I am right now, has been more relaxed on their rules. I agree. What you said is true and we have said this from the beginning. But your “math” is way off and we will try to show you how. Our hope is that you are an honest person and are willing to agree.
The mortality rate of the flu is calculated by the number of people who contact it and the number of people who die from it. This is how you (and the rest of the world) arrives at a mortality rate of 0.1%. The reason you arrive at a different percentage in your calculation for the mortality rate for coronavirus is because, for some crazy reason, you take the entire world population and then compare to the people who have died. One can only arrive at that number if you are using Common Core Math.
Because the coronavirus is an ongoing disease, we need to calculate it the same as the flu and that is by taking the total number that recover vs. the total number that do not recover. This is important. Feel free to reread that last sentence if it did not make sense. This is how we get the 0.1% for the flu. If we use the same method for the coronavirus and calculate those cases that are closed and look at the number that have recovered and those that have not recovered, we get an accurate picture of the mortality rate. Today, the mortality rate is 18%. You cannot yet look at the total number of cases vs the number that have died yet, because we do not yet know how many will die of the current cases. We have to use the data from closed cases. So in this way, you are right. We were wrong. The coronavirus was not 100% more deadly. To be more precise, it is currently 180% more deadly. Our apologies.