Dr. Drew to Newsmax: Media Must Stop Inducing COVID-19 Variant Panic

Dr. Drew Pinsky is calling out media outlets for stoking public fear over the latest COVID-19 variant, NB.1.8.1, urging them to let medical professionals handle the situation without creating unnecessary alarm.

Pinsky appeared on Newsmax’s “Finnerty” on Friday and delivered a pointed message to the media: Stop inciting fear over the latest COVID-19 variant.

“Well, so I have two reactions,” Pinsky said. “One is, Why are you doing this? Why are you doing this? This is the concern of physicians and the CDC. And let us manage this thing. COVID-19 is with us forever. It's the way it is. We can manage it.”

The NB.1.8.1 variant, which has caused a rise in cases in China and has recently been detected in U.S. airport screenings, has prompted renewed warnings from public health officials. However, Pinsky criticized media outlets for what he sees as sensationalist coverage that harms the public more than it helps.

“Why are you doing this?” he repeated. “And the flip side of that, it's disgusting. Stop it. You're trying to induce panic so you can capture eyes. It is disgusting. Stop it!”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said NB.1.8.1 is being monitored, but Pinsky emphasized that the variant is not a major cause for concern. He explained that while one circulating strain is akin to a common cold, NB.1.8.1 can be “a little more nasty than omicron.” Still, he stressed that treatments remain effective.

“I've seen one NB.1.8.1. There's two variants flying around. One is essentially a cold with an extreme runny nose. It passes. There's been some little long COVID associated with that one,” Pinsky said. “Then NB.1.8.1 is nasty. COVID can be nasty. It's a little more nasty than Omicron. And guess what? We have a series of treatments out there. I've been using Paxlovid for it. It works great. There's a little bit of rebound sometimes, but there's no concern about this virus.”

When asked if pharmaceutical companies might be driven more by profit than public health, Pinsky stopped short of assigning motives.

“I can't assess their motivation, but it certainly looks suspicious,” he said. While acknowledging that vulnerable populations may benefit from new boosters, Pinsky warned against unnecessary vaccinations for the general public.

“To be fair to them, this is for the elderly and people at high risk. Fine,” he said. “I don't want doctors to have their sort of array of potential treatments limited. We should be able to use these things if we want to. But let's not kid ourselves. You shouldn't be rushing out to get a booster against a variant that's already gone.”

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