Dr. Oz: COVID-19 Deaths Caused by Opening Schools May Be Worth It

TV personality and frequent pseudoscience advocate Dr. Oz is back at it with a Fox News-presented argument about reopening schools in the US amid COVID-19.

Schools, Oz said this week, represent what he believes is “a very appetizing opportunity.” From there, Oz referred to something he recently read in the somewhat controversial medical journal the Lancet. Oz used that to posit that, for some, sacrificing “2 to 3 percent” of people is a fair tradeoff so long as schools are functioning as they did during pre-coronavirus days.

“We need our mojo back. … Let’s start with things that are really critical to the nation where we think we might be able to open without getting into a lot of trouble,” Oz said. “I tell you, schools are a very appetizing opportunity. I just saw a nice piece in the Lancet arguing that the opening of schools may only cost us 2 to 3 percent in terms of total mortality. You know, any life is a life lost but to get every child back into a school where they’re safely being educated, being fed, and making the most out of their lives with a theoretical risk on the backside might be a tradeoff some folks would consider.”