Facebook removed a post from President Trump comparing how lethal the coronavirus is to the seasonal flu.
“Flu season is coming up! Many people every year, sometimes over 100,000, and despite the Vaccine, die from the Flu,” Trump said in the post. “Are we going to close down our Country? No, we have learned to live with it, just like we are learning to live with Covid, in most populations far less lethal!!!”
Facebook spokesman Andy Stone confirmed the social media company removed the post.
“We remove incorrect information about the severity of COVID-19, and have now removed this post,” Stone said.
The same post on Twitter is still live, but the company added a message to the tweet that it violated the company’s policy of spreading misinformation on COVID-19.
“This Tweet violated the Twitter Rules about spreading misleading and potentially harmful information related to COVID-19,” the company posted next to the tweet. “However, Twitter has determined that it may be in the public’s interest for the Tweet to remain accessible.”
Flu season is coming up! Many people every year, sometimes over 100,000, and despite the Vaccine, die from the Flu. Are we going to close down our Country? No, we have learned to live with it, just like we are learning to live with Covid, in most populations far less lethal!!!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 6, 2020
The move is not the first time Facebook has removed one of Trump’s COVID-19 related posts. In August, Facebook removed a video of Trump during a Fox News interview claiming that children were “almost immune” to the virus.
Trump’s claim, to a degree, echoes those of Sen. Ron Johnson, who argued that seasonal flu is a deadlier virus than COVID for school-aged children. A fact check of the Wisconsin Republican backed up his claim, finding that hospitalizations and deaths for children with seasonal flu are higher than they are for COVID-19.
“The risk of complications for healthy children is higher for flu compared to COVID-19,” the CDC website states.
Since doctors determined Trump was well enough to be released from the hospital, the president has urged against fearing the coronavirus.
“Don’t be afraid of it. You’re going to beat it. We have the best medical equipment, we have the best medicines, all developed recently,” Trump said in a recent video message.
“I stood out front, I led. Nobody that’s a leader would not do what I did, and I know that there’s a risk, that there’s a danger, but that’s OK. And now, I’m better and maybe I’m immune, I don’t know,” he said in a later video. “But don’t let it dominate your lives, get out there, be careful, we have the best medicines in the world.”
