Dr. Oz: Reopening Schools "May Only Cost Us Two to Three Percent in Terms of Total Mortality"

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Dr. Mehmet Oz, who President Donald Trump has turned to for advice on the novel coronavirus, said in an interview with Fox News that he supports reopening schools nationwide, saying the tradeoff of sending children back to school “may only cost us two to three percent in terms of total mortality.”

“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,” he said. “I tell you, schools are a very appetizing opportunity. I just saw a nice piece in The Lancer arguing that the opening of schools may only cost us two to three percent in terms of total mortality. Any life is a life lost, but to get every child back in to a school where they’re safely being educated, being fed and making the most out of their lives with the theoretical risk on the backside, might be a trade-off some folks may consider.”

You can watch the clip from the newscast below:

DR OZ: "Schools are a very appetizing opportunity. I just saw a nice piece in The Lancet arguing the opening of schools may only cost us 2 to 3%, in terms of total mortality. Any, you know, any life is a life lost, but … that might be a tradeoff some folks would consider." 😳 pic.twitter.com/aifMeKTsIv

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 16, 2020

In remarks to the hosts of “Fox and Friends,” the television personality lamented Boston University’s decision to close amid concerns about the pandemic.

“I learned that Boston University canceled its fall semester. That really bothered me. How do you know right now in April — before you even tried to reopen– if you need to close down your school through the rest of this calendar year?” he said.

“You’re hurting people that you’re responsible for. I am a doctor. I want you to be safer — I want you to err on the side of being overly cautious, but not at the expense of making decisions that don’t really serve us,” he continued, saying that while the school aims to make the “right” choice, shutting down “is not the right thing” for everyone.