What Herd Immunity Really Means
Prognosis: Misconception
Bloomberg
4.1 • 838 Ratings
🗓️ 21 October 2020
⏱️ 17 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In the U.S., enthusiasm on the right is building for so-called herd immunity, as the public grows skeptical of coronavirus vaccines. These developments could dash hopes for containing Covid-19 in the months ahead.
Proponents of herd immunity say exposing more people to the coronavirus will build protection broadly in the population. But experts say that will result in many more illnesses and deaths, and that vaccines are a safer route to herd immunity. Emma Court reports that the concept gained traction in the White House, due to the increasing influence of Trump medical advisor Scott Atlas. It was backed this month by a group of academics in a treatise titled the Great Barrington Declaration.
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| 0:37.1 | what COVID dilemmas you're facing. |
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| 0:57.9 | And now for today's show. |
| 1:03.5 | Welcome to Prognosis. |
| 1:06.0 | I'm Laura Carlson. |
| 1:07.5 | It's day 223 since coronavirus was declared a global pandemic. |
| 1:12.6 | Today's main story, herd immunity has become a buzzy phrase on the right. |
| 1:17.6 | But the idea that allowing the coronavirus to infect more people |
| 1:22.6 | will offer some type of protection from the virus the spread |
| 1:25.6 | has been widely denounced by experts. |
| 1:30.0 | But first, here's what happened in virus news today. |
| 1:34.7 | Today. Cafe Pacific will cut about 5,300 jobs and close its regional airline Cafe Dragon unit. |
| 1:57.2 | It's part of a sweeping restructuring that was triggered by the pandemic's hit to air travel. |
| 2:03.6 | In addition to the layoffs, thousands of currently unfilled positions will be eliminated. |
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