After state and local governments implemented social distancing measures to fight the coronavirus pandemic, Tucker Carlson has used his prime-time Fox News show to falsely claim that these measures failed to slow the spread of the virus. In the broader context of Fox News’ pattern of airing misinformation about the coronavirus, Carlson’s campaign to discredit social distancing policies is particularly glaring and dangerous.
- Experts agree social distancing slows the spread and saves lives. Experts agree social distancing slows the spread and saves lives. Experts have widely agreed with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that social distancing policies are the most effective way to intervene in the spread of the virus early enough to dramatically reduce the number of infections and deaths.
- Epidemiology professor Marc Lipsitch, the head of Harvard’s Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, urged in early March that social distancing protocols be implemented faster. He stated that “the goal is to minimize the number of contacts between people” so as to slow the spread of the virus. By early April, multiple studies from both a right- and left-leaning perspective had been released concluding that social distancing policies will likely have to continue in varied forms for at least a year, if not longer. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN’s Jake Tapper on April 12 that the United States could have saved lives if social distancing guidelines were enforced earlier. And White House coronavirus task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx cautioned Americans on April 26 that social distancing would be required until a “breakthrough” in testing occurred. She estimated these policies would need to continue into the summer. Despite the fact that public health experts widely agree on the effectiveness of social distancing measures, Carlson has used his Fox show to undermine them.