Recommendations of the Editorial team
A new virus is killing people as global health organizations try to contain the spread and convince the public that the hantavirus outbreak is just an outbreak – not a new pandemic. Americans can rest assured: Dr. Brian Christine, penile implant specialist and Assistant Secretary for Health at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has the matter under control.
According to a Friday report from CNN’s KFile, Christine – an admiral in the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps – is a surgical urologist with no significant public health experience. He once hosted a YouTube video series called “Erection Connection” and spread conspiracy theories about the Covid-19 vaccine during the Biden administration. Today, he is one of the Trump administration’s highest-ranking officials responsible for infectious disease policy.
Social media posts and videos that CNN has evaluated show that although Christine probably has a lot of expertise in areas such as “correcting a malformed penile implant” or “the correct cuff size for artificial sphincter surgery” – he knows nothing about virology or infection epidemiology. Still, he is one of the most visible government officials in coordinating the hantavirus response and communicating with the public.
Christine and the Hantavirus outbreak
This week, Christine provided an update on the health status of possibly infected passengers who were taken to a hospital in Nebraska following an evacuation from the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius. “At the Department of Health and Human Services, our approach is based on science and transparency,” he said. “This is what a strong public health system looks like: experienced professionals, seamless coordination and a shared commitment to protecting the American people. We will continue to follow the science. We remain vigilant.”
A completely different tone than during the Covid-19 pandemic. At Christine’s Senate hearings, the urologist claimed, according to The Washington Post, that there was “no question” that Covid-19 and the government’s response to it had been used to tip the 2020 election in Biden’s favor – and suggested that the vaccines were part of a larger plan to control the population.
Christine is the latest Trump-era administration official whose qualifications for a critical – potentially life-saving – job in the public interest are beyond questionable. This week the government announced that Donald Trump Jrs. Hunting buddy takes over as interim head of the Food and Drug Administration. Kyle Diamantas, 38, is a Florida lawyer with no significant background in food or drug safety. Trump’s newest nominee for Surgeon General is Dr. Nicole B. Saphier, radiologist and Fox News regular who once tried to trademark “MAHA.” And who could forget Gregg Phillips, the FEMA Director of Emergency Management and Recovery, who believes he can teleport.
America, you are in good hands!
You are in the best hands, America!
