YouTube has removed a viral video of two California doctors who criticized the current coronavirus lockdown orders that are in place across the country.
Erickson: “The Major Complaint Is Fear”
Dr. Dan Erickson and Dr. Artin Massihi, both doctors from California, recently did a virtual press conference about their take on the current coronavirus lockdown orders. Erickson criticized the lockdown orders, because “we’ve never seen the healthy, where you take those without disease and without symptoms and lock them in your home,” as the sick are usually the ones being quarantined.
“So some of these things from what we’ve studied from immunology and microbiology aren’t really meshing with what we know as people of scientific minds who read this stuff,” Erickson argued.
He also pointed out that a number of people with other illnesses, such as heart disease or cancers, are not seeking treatment because they are afraid of the disease.
“So what that’s doing is forcing the healthcare system to focus on COVID and not focus on a myriad of other things that are critical, because we don’t have the staff there and the major complaint is fear,” Erickson added.
YouTube Removes Critical Video
Daniel Horowitz, the senior editor at Conservative Review, first noted that the YouTube video was taken down in a tweet.
“Is it just me or did YouTube take down Dr. Erickson’s viral video with 5 million views?” Horowitz asked. Clicking on a link to the video now notes that it was removed for “violating community guidelines.” It’s also important to note that the video was posted by 23 ABC News, a local ABC affiliate in Bakersfield, and not the doctors themselves.
Is it just me or did @YouTube take down Dr. Erickson's viral video with 5 million views? https://t.co/eNjJ0e7K34
— Daniel Horowitz (@RMConservative) April 28, 2020
The removal of the video from YouTube follows a previous announcement that they would crack down on “misinformation” relating to the coronavirus, which, in my opinion, is simply a mask to take down videos like these that violate the established opinion on the coronavirus. The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) and the American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM) had previously issued a joint statement condemning the opinions of Erickson and Massihi:
The [ACEP and AAEM] jointly and emphatically condemn the recent opinions released by Dr. Daniel Erickson and Dr. Artin Massihi. These reckless and untested musings do not speak for medical societies and are inconsistent with current science and epidemiology regarding COVID-19. As owners of local urgent care clinics, it appears these two individuals are releasing biased, non-peer reviewed data to advance their personal financial interests without regard for the public’s health. COVID-19 misinformation is widespread and dangerous. Members of ACEP and AAEM are first-hand witnesses to the human toll that COVID-19 is taking on our communities. ACEP and AAEM strongly advise against using any statements of Drs. Erickson and Massihi as a basis for policy and decision making.
You can still watch the video in full on the Bakersfield Now website.