CDC Director: Coronavirus Death Toll Will Be ‘Much, Much, Much Lower’ than Projected

HOST: We were talking about some of the models, whether it’s from the imperial college guy in England or the University of Washington. Thank god some of these numbers are falling short of some of these catastrophic numbers. Tell me about the dynamic of the modeling and how it helps and influences decision making and then, when the reality comes in, how does the decision making transform?

DR. ROBERT REDFIELD: I think it’s really important. First, models are only as good as their assumptions. Obviously, there was a lot unknown about this virus. The ability to actively make a lot of assumptions was much wider than if this was an Influenza B outbreak. Second thing, I will say from a public health perspective, to me, the real value of models is to have a model and then try to understand — if I invest resources here, what does that do to the model? If I invest in intervention strategies here, what does that do to the model? It’s a way of beta testing how you’re going to respond and what it does to the different models. And models should never be used to assume that we have a number. You saw those numbers are quite staggering. You’ve got 200,000 to 2 million Americans are losing their lives before the fall. That’s a pretty staggering number.

HOST: Are throwing those kind of numbers out actually helpful because what they do is scare the hell out of everyone to social distance? Is that the purpose?

---

Sewage spill sends E coli surging in the Potomac River near DC

---

Feds charge 87 individuals in massive ATM ‘jackpotting’ operation linked to Tren de Aragua gang

---

Mamdani’s early moves as mayor clash with affordability pledge: ‘Ripple effects are significant’

---

Trump admin wins court victory freeing ICE agents from Minnesota protest restrictions

---

DOJ could soon ask Supreme Court to consider legal battle over Trump-appointed US attorneys

---

Trump has ‘very good’ call with Minneapolis Mayor Frey, announces border czar Homan meeting

---

ALERT: US Holocaust Museum Responds After Tim Walz Invokes Anne Frank’s Name, Calls Exploiting Holocaust ‘Deeply Offensive’

---

GOP senator demands DHS immigration chiefs testify after fatal shootings in Minnesota

---

Conservative Party defections to Reform UK continue with former home secretary

---

Democrats lay out immigration demands as Congress careens toward shutdown

---

Report: Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei Now Living in Underground Bunker, Fears Trump Might Come for Him

---

‘This Is Not a Protest’: Former Special Ops Soldier Says Insurgent Tactics Being Used in Minnesota

---

Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino to leave Minnesota, as Tom Homan takes over

---

Kathy Hochul blasted for knocking ICE as DHS offered federal help during NY blizzard

---

Trump Announces Major Asset is Headed to Minnesota Amid Continued Unrest: ‘I am Sending Tom Homan’

---

DR. REDFIELD: I think different people may look at it in different ways in terms of transparency. CDC had models early on. We didn’t really publicize the models. We used them internally to understand deviation strategies. I think part of the importance of getting the American public’s attention that these models did, we really need the American public to be fully engaged now with great rigor and vigilance on the social distancing. As you pointed out, those models that were done, they assume only about 50 percent of the American public would pay attention to the recommendations. In fact, what we’re seeing is a large majority of the American public are taking the social distancing recommendations to heart. And I think that’s the direct consequence of why you’re seeing the numbers are going to be much, much, much lower than would have been predicted by the models.

Story cited here.

See also  Trump brags about secret weapon that was key to Maduro capture: ‘The discombobulator’

Share this article:

Facebook

Twitter