YouTube has taken down a video of two doctors from Bakersfield, California, who held a press conference calling for the reopening of the country. According to the Google-owned video platform, the doctors “violated community guidelines.”
The doctors, Dan Erickson and Artin Massihi, operate out of an urgent care clinic in Bakersfield. Citing fatality statistics in California, the doctors argued that the Chinese virus has proven less deadly than anticipated.
“We have 39.5 million people, if we just take a basic calculation and extrapolate that out, that equates to about 4.7 million cases throughout the state of California,” said Dr. Erickson. “Which means this thing is widespread, that’s the good news. We’ve seen 1,227 deaths in the state of California with a possible incidents or prevalence of 4.7 million. That means you have a 0.03 chance of dying from COVID-19 in the state of California.”
The doctors made their case in a 50-minute press conference, which was uploaded to YouTube. The Google-owned video platform has since taken the video down, replacing it with a message stating that the content violated its community guidelines.
Shake Shack worker allegedly calls out before robbing own restaurant, returns in uniform 2 days later
California Man Receives Postcard Sent by His Late Parents 26 Years Ago
DFW Airport scraps controversial Islamic foot-washing station plan as Texas Gov Abbott takes aim
California teen faces prison after viral video shows him squaring up, repeatedly kicking sea lion in the face
Reagan National Airport makes drastic change following deadly 2025 midair collision
Watch: Little League Coach Declares, ‘Jesus Is Still Lord’ Live on ESPN
El-Sayed’s half sister offered Oct 7 ‘blessing,’ one year after Hamas attack: ‘Allahu Akbar’
Trump leaves stage mid-speech to embrace parents of 12-year-old killed by stray bullet in the Bronx
Trump’s fight over rarely used 18th-century deportation law lives on in latest court clash
President Trump claims AOC, far-left Democrats are backing away from controversial positions
EXCLUSIVE: Kennedy Center board moves to name grounds ‘President Donald J Trump Plaza’
Netanyahu mocks UK as ‘Islamic Republic of Britain’
Judge’s Harvard antisemitism ruling sends Trump Justice Department back to drawing board
Trump Was Right All Along About Democrats’ Late-Term Abortion Agenda
Brave widow of slain UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson comes face to face with Luigi Mangione for first time
23ABC News Bakersfield, the news station that uploaded the video, confirmed that the first part of the press conference is no longer available on YouTube. The news station said it has submitted an appeal to YouTube but has yet to hear back.
In the video, which has been reuploaded to other channels as well as to other video-hosting platforms, Dr. Erickson said that the focus on the coronavirus was drawing medical resources away from other urgent problems.
The Second part of the briefing is still available on the 23ABC News Bakerfield account:
“When I talk to E.R. physicians around the country, what’s happening? Well because COVID has become the focus, people with heart disease, people with cancer, hypertension, and various things that are critical are choosing not to come in based on fear. 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.”
Shake Shack worker allegedly calls out before robbing own restaurant, returns in uniform 2 days later
California Man Receives Postcard Sent by His Late Parents 26 Years Ago
DFW Airport scraps controversial Islamic foot-washing station plan as Texas Gov Abbott takes aim
California teen faces prison after viral video shows him squaring up, repeatedly kicking sea lion in the face
Reagan National Airport makes drastic change following deadly 2025 midair collision
Watch: Little League Coach Declares, ‘Jesus Is Still Lord’ Live on ESPN
El-Sayed’s half sister offered Oct 7 ‘blessing,’ one year after Hamas attack: ‘Allahu Akbar’
Trump leaves stage mid-speech to embrace parents of 12-year-old killed by stray bullet in the Bronx
Trump’s fight over rarely used 18th-century deportation law lives on in latest court clash
President Trump claims AOC, far-left Democrats are backing away from controversial positions
EXCLUSIVE: Kennedy Center board moves to name grounds ‘President Donald J Trump Plaza’
Netanyahu mocks UK as ‘Islamic Republic of Britain’
Judge’s Harvard antisemitism ruling sends Trump Justice Department back to drawing board
Trump Was Right All Along About Democrats’ Late-Term Abortion Agenda
Brave widow of slain UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson comes face to face with Luigi Mangione for first time
The doctors’ comments have been criticized by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) and the American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM).
“The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) and the American Academy of Emergency Medicine (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.”
Story cited here.
