Dr. Oz Faces Backlash After Saying Schools Could Reopen
He has defended himself on his show and on Facebook, writing, “I bring the public information that will help them on their path to be their best selves. We provide multiple points of view, including mine which is offered without conflict of interest. That doesn’t sit well with certain agendas which distort the facts.”
Dr. Oz gained prominence as an accomplished cardiothoracic surgeon in the 1990s, and rose to television fame with regular appearances on Oprah Winfrey’s talk show in the 2000s. He remained a regular guest on her show until 2009, when he started his own show, and was also featured in her magazine O, in articles that promoted strategies for living longer or losing weight.
In 2018, Mr. Trump appointed Dr. Oz to a council on sports, fitness and nutrition as part of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Dr. Oz has appeared frequently on Fox News to discuss the pandemic. Last month, he touted the use of hydroxychloroquine even though other researchers have warned that the drug remains unproven in treating the coronavirus. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the federal government’s top infectious disease expert, has said findings that the drug helped patients with the virus were still “anecdotal.”
On Thursday afternoon, after his most recent comments had been widely shared on social media, Dr. Oz said in the video that as a heart surgeon, his primary job was to save lives by minimizing risk.
Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/business/media/dr-oz-apology-coronavirus.html