A.G. Gancarski
Florida’s Surgeon General appeared on the Fox News Channel again Wednesday, continuing his call to “unwind” testing for COVID-19.
Dr. Joseph Ladapo, the California transplant tapped for the Surgeon General job by Gov. Ron DeSantis last year, contended on “The Story with Martha MacCallum” that testing the asymptomatic was not necessarily a “high value” use of tests.
When pressed by MacCallum about asymptomatic people who may have been exposed and worried they are contagious to high-risk populations, Ladapo stood his ground, blaming federal leadership for a “specious” strategy of claiming the virus could ever have been stopped.
“Allow me to help unwind some of the beliefs that unfortunately our federal leadership has convinced so many Americans is true,” Ladapo argued. “The idea that stopping the spread of a virus is the objective of a public health campaign when probably somewhere around half or more have no symptoms at all, that’s completely specious. That should never have been something that the federal leadership convinced Americans is possible.”
The Surgeon General chided MacCallum, saying she wasn’t looking at the “right” scenario “considering what the objective is, which is to spend time with grandma and grandpa.”
Ladapo noted that “vaccines are available” for a person who “doesn’t have a history of natural immunity.” Still, he urged precautionary isolation for those who are “concerned” they may have COVID-19.
“If you are concerned you have symptoms, if you might be ill, it may not be the right time to spend with someone who’s vulnerable,” Ladapo advised, saying his was a “healthier, more sustainable approach” than that of the federal government, which is to “forever try to detect asymptomatic disease.”
“We need to focus on treating people who are ill, and focus on getting on with living, because we’re stuck in a rut with this sort of preoccupation with building our lives around COVID,” Ladapo contended.
Ladapo’s provocative comments come as the state plans to roll out a revamp of testing guidance.
With long lines at testing sites across the state and nationwide, revised testing guidelines will urge prioritizing high-risk individuals for tests. But there will be no restrictions on individual purchases of tests, the Governor said Wednesday.
“If you want to go into the drugstore and buy 15 tests for yourself to have, you’re free to do that,” DeSantis told reporters in Kissimmee.
The state’s guidance will come as cases surge in the state.
Federal data shows Florida recorded 51,644 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, bringing the state’s total number of infected in two years to nearly 4.4 million. In the week leading up to Sunday, Florida saw 8,563 hospitalizations related to the virus, ranking Florida seventh in new hospitalizations per capita.
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Renzo Downey contributed reporting.
15 comments
Alex
January 5, 2022 at 4:44 pm
It’s easy to make profound statements after the fact.
Oh, and never mind Trump and his flake followers (including DeDumbass) did everything they possibly could to keep it virulent and widespread.
Patira
January 5, 2022 at 4:53 pm
My neighbor’s aunt makes 62 every hour on the internet..iil she has been without work for eight months but the previous month her revenue was 19022 only working on the laptop 5 hours a day.. check this ………………..……𝐠𝐠.𝐠𝐠/𝟏𝐊𝐝𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲
Don’t Look Up
January 5, 2022 at 5:02 pm
Don’t Look Up!
Believe Ladapo …. his narrative is a minority report. Most professional epidemiologist disagree with Florida’s protocols and Ladapo!
Frankie M.
January 5, 2022 at 5:22 pm
Kinda like saying the vaccine doesn’t keep people from dying & being hospitalized from all the variants while pumping up the limited benefits of monoclonal antibody treatments.
zhombre
January 5, 2022 at 6:20 pm
Here is the CV for Doctor Lapado. I think it somewhat more comprehensive and compelling than anything his two ignorant detractors above could offer.
https://www.uclahealth.org/sites/default/files/documents/Joseph-Ladapo-CV.pdf
Steven
January 17, 2022 at 12:32 pm
Impressive resume – certainly has a background that makes me want to hear what he has to say. Suggest you read his own words in articles he has published over the last 2+ years. He makes sense and promotes a more realistic and holistic approach for managing the pandemic. Much of what he said turned out to be correct and much of the criticism he has received appears to be based on distortions of what he has said.
zhombre
January 17, 2022 at 2:16 pm
Yes, a very impressive resume. But some asshole like Alex (see below) cites an unsubstantiated and uncorroborated ‘report’ by Rachel Maddow citing anonymous sources and assumes this is irrefutable and dispositive on the subject of Lapado’s credibility. Which is why I have nothing but contempt for the clowns like Alex, PeterH, Ocean Joe, et al, who post their shit here.
zhombre
January 5, 2022 at 6:50 pm
Yeah, the man is clearly a quack https://www.uclahealth.org/sites/default/files/documents/Joseph-Ladapo-CV.pdf
Alex
January 5, 2022 at 10:54 pm
We know he’s a liar.
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/471780-ucla-sources-joseph-ladapo-did-not-treat-covid-19-patients/
zhombre
January 6, 2022 at 10:03 am
Yawn. I know you’re worthless. A buzzing little cicada.
Alex
January 6, 2022 at 11:41 am
I just proved he _is_ a freakshow liar.
For DeDumbass to have appointed him shows he is a freakshow too.
zhombre
January 6, 2022 at 12:23 pm
Bullshit
AnnainFL
January 6, 2022 at 12:51 pm
Yeah why in the hell do people like these clowns?
Don’t Look Up
January 6, 2022 at 1:02 pm
Ladapo represents a minor “opinion” on Covid healthcare and prevention. His opinions are not based on science. He’s an obedient lap dog.
Alex
January 6, 2022 at 1:10 pm
I’d tell you to prove me wrong, but you can’t.
Comments are closed.