Television personality Dr. Drew Pinsky backtracked on his comparison of the coronavirus to the flu.
“My early comments about equating coronavirus with influenza were wrong. They were incorrect. I was part of a chorus that was saying that. And we were wrong. And I want to apologize for that,” he told his social media followers on Saturday.
In February, Pinsky downplayed the virus, claiming it was a “press induced panic” and much less dangerous than the flu. In that video, he also said a person’s chances of dying from the coronavirus were lower than being “hit by an asteroid.”
Pinsky has since urged people to follow the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease expert.
“They will keep us safe. And I thought that when the government started taking more aggressive measures, we should all sign on. We have a collective responsibility to do so. I’m doing what I’m supposed to do. I wear a mask outside now. And it’s paid dividends. It is improving. It is flattening the curve. And I’m delighted to be a part of that. I’m glad to be a part of that,” Pinsky said.
#DoseOfDrDrew 4/4/2020 https://t.co/KtAozL0HQa
— Dr Drew (@drdrew) April 4, 2020
