PEOPLE ACTUALLY GO BACK TO WORK
IN OFFICES.
>> Sandra: A PROMINENT DOCTOR
IN CALIFORNIA SAYS HE WAS FIRED
AFTER QUESTIONING STAY AT HOME
ORDERS IN CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
BEFORE THE STATE MANDATE.
THE LOCKDOWNS DID MORE HARM
THAN GOOD AND CAUSED NEEDLESS
SUFFERING POINTING OUT A LETTER
TO COUNTY HEALTH OFFICIALS.
THE SCIENCE IS CLEAR THAT MORE
LOCKDOWNS LEAD TO MUCH MORE
NON-COVID MORBIDITY AND
MORTALITY.
HE JOINS US NOW.
DR. MICHAEL BLANK WAS REMOVED
FROM HIS POST AS TRAUMA MEDICAL
DIRECTOR.
DOCTOR, GOOD MORNING AND
WELCOME.
TELL US YOUR STORY.
WHAT HAPPENED?
>> GOOD MORNING, SANDRA.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME ON.
YEAH, IT’S BEEN A CRAZY WEEK OR
SO.
A GROUP OF PARENTS THAT WE WERE
WORKING WITH TO TRY AND DISCUSS
THESE ISSUES WITH THE COUNTY
WAS GOING BACK AND FORTH TRYING
TO GET OUR KIDS BACK IN SCHOOL.
AND THE COUNTY WAS REALLY NOT
RESPONDING TO ANY OF THEIR
REQUESTS AND SO THEY APPROACHED
US AND SAID HEY, WOULD YOU MIND
WRITING A LETTER TO THE COUNTY
TO MAYBE EXPLAIN SOME OF THESE
ISSUES?
ALL THE DATA THAT I’M AWARE OF
LOOKING AT CHILDREN AND THE
VIRUS SHOWS THAT IT IS SAFE.
THERE ARE MANY OTHER STATES NOW
THAT HAVE MONTHS OF TRACK
RECORD SHOWING THAT IT IS SAFE
FOR THEIR KIDS TO GO BACK TO
SCHOOL.
AND THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND
THE COUNTY IS JUST NOT MAKING
THAT POSSIBLE.
SO WE WERE TRYING TO CONVINCE
THEM TO GET OUR KIDS BACK IN
SCHOOL AND THEN THERE WAS SOME
SPIN-OFF QUESTIONS THAT WERE
REGARDING SMALL BUSINESSES AND
RESTAURANTS THAT WERE CLOSING.
THESE ARE RESTAURANTS THAT ARE
JUST TRYING TO SURVIVE AND KEEP
THEIR DOORS OPEN.
AND IT’S BEEN VERY DIFFICULT
FOR THEM.
>> Sandra: TWO OF THE THINGS
YOU TOOK ISSUE WITH AND YOU
MENTIONED THERE.
OUTDOOR DINING.
ON THIS PROGRAM WE HAD DR.
GIRARD WHO MADE A LOT OF NEWS.
I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT
CALIFORNIA SHUT DOWN OUTDOOR
DINING.
THE SCIENCE DOESN’T SHOW THAT
OUTDOOR DINING IS A -- CONCERNS
HIM AS A METHOD OF SPREAD OF
THE VIRUS.
SO HE WAS POINTING OUT THE
SCIENCE OPPOSITE OF WHAT THE
STATE WAS IN SHUTTING DOWN
THOSE RESTAURANTS WHEN IT COMES
TO KIDS IN SCHOOL THE TOP
HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY IN SOME
CASES THE SAFEST PLACE FOR KIDS
TO BE BECAUSE THEY ARE MAXED
AND SOCIAL DISTANCED.
YOU POINTED THIS OUT AND THEN
YOU’VE BEEN LET GO FROM THE
HOSPITAL.
DID THEY GIVE YOU A SPECIFIC
EXPLANATION FOR THAT FIRING?
>> WELL, IT WAS CLEARLY RELATED
TO THE LETTER.
>> Sandra: DID THEY SAY THAT?
DID THEY PROVIDE THAT
EXPLANATION?
>> IT WAS WITHIN A WEEK OF
DOING THAT AND NO, THEY HAVE
NOT PUT THAT DOWN IN WRITING
BUT THAT’S PRETTY CLEAR.
THIS REALLY ISN’T ABOUT ME AND
MY JOB.
THIS IS -- THAT’S A GREAT
HOSPITAL.
THEY ARE DOING AMAZING THINGS.
THE DOCTORS AND NURSES THERE
CAKING CARE OF COVID PATIENTS
ARE RISKING THEIR HEALTH EVERY
DAY.
THEY GOT THE FIRST ROUND OF THE
VACCINE AND LET ME TELL YOU, IT
IS A BIG RELIEF FOR THEM.
BECAUSE THEY CAN COME TO WORK
WITH A LITTLE BIT MORE
CONFIDENCE THAT THEY WILL BE
SAFE.
THIS IS REALLY ABOUT THE
COMMUNITY AND HOW, YOU KNOW, WE
NEED TO, YOU KNOW, NOT MAKE
THIS WORSE.
THIS IS A TERRIBLE DISEASE.
IT IS KILLING A LOT OF PEOPLE.
THERE ARE EXCESS DEATHS.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN’T NEED
TO BE MADE WORSE.
>> Sandra: THERE IS A LOT OF
DOCTORS THAT ARE QUESTIONING
SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT
HEALTH OFFICIAL EFS HAVE VERY
CLEARLY SAID IN SOME CASES ARE
NOT A PROBLEM.
THE NBC BAY AREA SAID THEY GOT
A RESPONSE, A STATEMENT WAS
RELEASED TO THEM FROM THE
HOSPITAL BY WHICH YOU WERE
FIRED.
THE DOCTOR IS EMPLOYED THROUGH
AN OUTSIDE CONTRACT AND AFTER
CAREFUL CONSIDERATION THE
HOSPITAL IS NOT CONTINUING WITH
THE DOCTOR IN THAT POSITION.
WANTED TO MAKE SURE I PUT THAT
OUT THERE.
THESE ARE THE COUNTY HEALTH
OFFICIALS PUSHING BACK ON YOUR
CONCERNS ABOUT THE LOCKDOWNS.
WE’LL PUT IT ON THE SCREEN.
ALL OF THESE ORDERS HAVE BEEN
BASED ON STRONG SCIENCE AND
GOOD DATAS.
DOCTORS CITING DATA THE DOCTOR
BELIEVES IS NOT ACCURATE,
CURRENT THINKING.
BASED ON THE TWO THINGS WE
DISCUSSED WAS THERE ANYTHING
ELSE YOU WROTE ABOUT OR THAT
YOU SHOWED CONCERN WITH WHERE
YOU DIFFER WITH THE KNOWN
SCIENCE OUT THERE OR THE TOP
HEALTHCARE OFFICIALS AT THE
FEDERAL LEVEL?
>> THE LETTER WAS WRITTEN AS A
PERSONAL LETTER.
SIMPLE EMAIL RESPONSE TO SOME
OF OUR QUESTIONS BACK TO US
WOULD HAVE PROBABLY BEEN
ADEQUATE.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALKED
ABOUT IS THE PPR TESTING ISSUE.
PCR TESTING IS A HIGHLY
SENSITIVE TEST BUT THE
SPECIFICITY IS NOT PERFECT.
MEANING THAT THERE ARE A FAIR
NUMBER OF FALSE POSITIVE TESTS.
THEY ARE DOING OVER 8,000 TESTS
A DAY IN OUR COUNTY.
AND JUST THE FALSE POSITIVES
ALONE ON THAT WILL PUT US IN
THE HIGHEST TIER AND BEING IN
THE HIGHEST TIER OUR KIDS CAN’T
GO BACK TO SCHOOL.
THAT FACT ALONE.
>> Sandra: HOW DO YOU THINK OF
THE POSITIVITY OF A PCR TEST?
>> IT IS ANYWHERE FROM 1 TO 4%.
1 IN 100 TESTS IS INCORRECT.
>> Sandra: THAT SOUNDS LIKE A
PRETTY LOW PERCENTAGE OF
POSITIVES.
IS IT NOT?
>> IT IS.
IT’S LOW BUT WHEN YOU MULTIPLY
THAT BY 8,000, YOU KNOW, THE
NUMBER IS SIGNIFICANT.
>> Sandra: FINISH OFF WITH THIS
ON THE SCREEN.
YOU ARE SAYING EXCESSIVE
TESTING TO YOUR POINT THERE IS
WHAT YOU ARE QUESTIONING, ICU
CAPACITY HAS BEEN STABLE SINCE
JULY 1st.
YOU WRITE ABOUT HOSPITALS
TESTING ALL INCOMING PATIENTS
CAPTURES MORE ASYMPTOMATIC
DISEASE AND CDC AND PEDIATRIC
SOCIETY AGREE OPENING SCHOOLS.
WE’LL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU.
DID YOU HAVE A FINAL THOUGHT?
>> NO, HAVE A GOOD HOLIDAY
SEASON.
I WISH YOU WELL.
GET YOUR VACCINE.
>> Sandra: WHEN IT IS AVAILABLE