"Dr. Phil," as most people know him, spoke to Laura Ingraham during an interview on The Ingraham Angle, spouting what some would say is nonsense as it pertains to a global pandemic. Besides getting many of his statistics wrong, Dr. Phil seemed to reject the notion that the virus is more serious than the consequences of forcing people to be alone with minimal, if any, social interaction.
Mediaite described Dr. Phil's statements to Ingraham in terms of "illogical, misinformation, and just plain stupidity," and this was certainly true about his claim that 360,000 "swimming pool deaths" occur annually. It's also important to note that Dr. Phil isn't a medical doctor, but rather a clinical psychologist who isn't actually licensed to practice in any state, as he only holds a PhD in the subject.
In a nutshell, Dr. Phil is more worried that people are going to suffer from other health problems at home as a result of having their lives completely disrupted by all of the panic and medical martial law that's swept the nation. Many people are suffering from severe depression, while others face actual physical health problems as a result of being forcibly cooped up for days on end.
There's also the economic factor, which Dr. Phil pointed out is destroying families that no longer have the ability to support themselves financially. Believe it or not, there are actually statistics available for the number of people who die every year from the physical effects of loneliness, which vary based on age and circumstances.
"It's not just that it's psychological," Dr. Phil stated. "Their bodies actually start breaking down. So, we think we're protecting people's lives by keeping them locked up, but if you keep them locked up long enough, there's a paradoxical effect: You actually destroy more lives than you do by letting them go out and protect themselves and opt into their lives to fight for what they believe in."
Ted Lieu chastises Dr. Phil for disagreeing with coronavirus lockdowns
On the flip side of all this is that, if the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) is more serious than Dr. Phil seems to think it is, then it's not necessarily as simple as just letting everyone do what they want and hoping for the best. Many on Twitter felt this way in response to the segment, claiming that Dr. Phil lacks common sense and, quite frankly, doesn't know what he's talking about.
"... the case fatality rate of #COVID19 is over 4% in US," wrote Democratic Representative Ted Lieu in a tweet response to Dr. Phil's statements. "If 4% of people who routinely went swimming would die & 15% would end up in the hospital, I guarantee Dr. Phil would not go swimming."
"Dr. Phil is an entertainer," wrote another who disagreed with his commentary. "He hosts a show. Sometimes he makes sense, sometimes not. We shouldn't assume TV hosts know more than scientists. Like you wouldn't ask the host of The Apprentice for life and death advice."
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