Scott William Atlas is an American professor of neuroradiology, political commentator, and health care policy advisor. He is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, a conservative think tank. Atlas was selected by President Donald Trump in August 2020 to serve as an advisor on the White House Coronavirus Task Force. His statements and influence on policies have caused controversy on the task force.
About Scott Atlas in brief
Scott William Atlas is an American professor of neuroradiology, political commentator, and health care policy advisor. He is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, a conservative think tank. Atlas was selected by President Donald Trump in August 2020 to serve as an advisor on the White House Coronavirus Task Force. In that role, Atlas has spread misinformation about COVID-19. His statements and influence on policies have caused controversy on the task force. He has pushed for establishing herd immunity and a faster reopening of schools and businesses during the pandemic. He also promoted fringe theories that face masks and social distancing were not effective in slowing the spread of the coronavirus. He advocated that states should not engage in universal testing, and encouraged residents to resist or ‘rise up’ against state restrictions adopted to prevent spread of coronav virus. He claimed that children have virtually zero risk of dying, and a very, very low risk of any serious illness from this disease.
He opposes proposals to establish a public health insurance option or single-payer healthcare. Atlas has advocated for physical school reopening and resumption of college sports during the Pandemic. The Washington Post reported that Atlas was the leading proponent within the Trump administration for a ‘herd immunity’ approach to the virus, which would kill hundreds of thousands more Americans. In October and November 2020, he touted the Great Barrington Declaration, an open letter that calls for faster and less testing, which is in accord with the president’s own doctor’s preferences. In fact, he denied that he advocated for the herd immunity strategy, said there never been a desire to have cases spread through the community, and said it has never been seen in the community. The president’s open letter is open to all doctors and medical professionals.
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This page is based on the article Scott Atlas published in Wikipedia (as of Nov. 29, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
