In Their Latest Attempts to Prolong the Pandemic, Republicans Are Suggesting Mouthwash and Contracting COVID-19 as a Cure to COVID-19
Washington, D.C. — Republican leaders are pushing blatant misinformation and ideas for addressing Covid that are nothing short of crazy, attacking masks and other safety measures, and even going to court to stop vaccine mandates. By spreading lies and attacking science, Republicans are sacrificing the lives of their own supporters for political gain. While President Biden and Democrats are working tirelessly to increase vaccinations and put an end to this crisis, the GOP is prolonging the pandemic with increasingly absurd claims about the virus, undermining the safety of millions and slowing down our economic recovery. In response, Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach issued the following statement:
“There’s just no sugarcoating this: Republicans are killing people. Suggesting that the best way to prevent COVID-19 is mouthwash, or worse — contracting the virus itself — is absolutely ludicrous. Efforts to fight masks and slow down vaccinations are serious threats to the economy and the health and safety of families, particularly with the spread of the Omicron variant. Let’s be clear: Republican efforts to push baseless conspiracy theories and stop vaccine mandates are prolonging this pandemic and undermining the nation’s economic recovery.”
The Washington Post: A GOP Senator Suggested Gargling Mouthwash To Kill The Coronavirus. Doctors And Listerine Are Skeptical. “Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) recommended mouthwash as a treatment for the coronavirus during a town hall meeting Wednesday, immediately drawing criticism for suggesting gargling would offer protection. The senator has been criticized for spreading conspiracy theories about the coronavirus and has promoted the use of drugs that have shown little to no evidence that they are effective in treating covid-19.” [The Washington Post, 12/9/21]
Riverfront Times: Missouri AG Asks Parents To Snitch On Schools Still Mandating Masks. “Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt is asking parents to step up and report any schools maintaining the policies… ‘Parents are sick and tired of the stonewalling from their school districts, and so am I,’ Schmitt said in a Wednesday press release, which also urged parents to ‘reach out directly to the Attorney General’s Office if their school district is continuing to enforce mask mandates, quarantines, and other similar COVID-19 public health orders.’” [Riverfront Times, 12/8/21]
Business Insider: Medics Slam Rep. Matt Gaetz For Saying Covid-19 Is The Best Way To Protect Against Getting Covid-19. “Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida has been criticized after he cast doubt on the need for COVID-19 vaccines, saying that contracting the virus gives the best protection against it. ‘The best vaccine we’ve found is mother nature’s vaccine. It’s contracting the virus,’ Gaetz told the far-right One America News Network. ‘That is what has provided the greatest protection, the most durable protection, over the longest period of time.’” [Business Insider, 12/6/21]
Business Insider: Marjorie Taylor Greene Criticized Covid-19 Restrictions Saying ‘Not A Single School Has Closed Because Of Cancer.’ “Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has been mocked after she criticized COVID-19 restrictions and said that ‘not a single school has closed’ because of cancer. ‘Every single year more than 600,000 people in the US die from cancer. The country has never once shut down. Not a single school has closed. And every year, over 600,000 people, of all ages and all races will continue to die from cancer,’ Greene wrote on Twitter on Saturday.” [Business Insider, 12/5/21]
CNN: Fox Host Doubles Down On Outrageous Comparison Of Fauci To Nazi ‘Angel Of Death’ Doctor As Network Remains Silent. “Lara Logan, a Fox News personality and host on the network’s streaming service, appeared on Wednesday to stand by her widely condemned comparison of Dr. Anthony Fauci to an infamous Nazi doctor — all while the right-wing channel remains silent about the matter… A Fox News representative did not respond to requests for comment on Logan’s Wednesday behavior, which comes during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.” [CNN, 12/1/21]