Dr. Oz’s Fox News Comments About Kids Prompt Backlash, Apology

Syndicated talk show host and cardiac surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz prompted a not-so-flattering Twitter hashtag after an interview Wednesday as a guest on Fox News’ Hannity.

As host Sean Hannity wondered what it will take top re-open the U.S., the host of Sony Television’s The Dr. Oz Show offered a solution:

“First, we need our mojo back,” said Oz, before suggesting that there are some actions that can be taken “without getting into a lot of trouble.”

“Schools are a very appetizing opportunity,” he continued. “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.”

See the video below:

Reaction was swift and harsh. Among the commenters was Conan O’Brien.

Twitter users made the hashtag #FireDrOz one of the site’s top trending terms on Thursday.

Oz then went on Fox & Friends Thursday morning and brought up schools again, saying he was “really bothered” after he “learned that Boston University canceled its fall semester.”

Oz asserted that Boston U was “hurting people that you’re responsible for…I’m not sure we’re helping this problem that much by taking our kids out of school and we’re definitely paying a price for it.”

But Boston University has not canceled its fall semester. There were media reports to that effect, but the university and its representatives had already debunked those, including an editor’s note in BU Today, which is embedded below.

Thursday afternoon, Dr. Oz posted a video on Twitter saying his comments had “confused and upset people.” He followed by saying that he “misspoke.”

That explanation did not go over well with some critics.