Minnesota State Senator and medical doctor Scott Jensen says that evidence of a mutation in COVID-19 could spell a rapid end to the pandemic.
In 2003, the SARS virus began to weaken, due to a mutation that limited the virus’s lethality. Now, a similar mutation has been identified in the coronavirus by researchers at the University of Arizona’s Biodesign Lab, according to the New York Post. Jensen says this may be good news.
“We know without question that viruses mutate… I call it the fizzle phenomenon,” he remarked to Fox News’s Laura Ingraham, Friday. “We’ve had innumerable epidemics. In 2003 and 2003 we had SARS, in 2005 we had avian [flu], in 2009 we had swine [flu], in 2012 and ’13 we had MERS and ebola in ’14 so we know this happens, and some of these just fizzle out.”
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“If a virus does mutate such that the virulence is decreased two things happen. One is good, it’s not going to be as lethal, it’s not going to be as severe. The thing that’s bad is you might have more community transmission” presumably as people are less cautious to avoid transmission of a non-lethal disease he explained.
Jensen also highlighted how experts have underestimated the speed with which a virus can virtually disappear via a Facebook video posted Thursday.
17 years ago, Dr. Anthony Fauci testified before Congress about the SARS virus. According to Jensen, Fauci said “it would be distinctly unusual for a respiratory disease [SARS] that has spread this way to all of a sudden just disappear.”
However, “that SARS epidemic within the next few months fizzled,” Jensen said. “I share this information with you to remind you how fluid things are and how much we don’t know,” he concluded.
One thing the State Senator does know to be certain, however, is that COVID-19 related shutdowns are inflicting a massive psychological toll.
“Our country is in the throes of fear and panic like we’ve really never seen before,” Jensen said in the video, sharing that five people he knows have ended their own lives recently.
“Friends the social isolation that is going on right now is far more devastating than we realize. I know we’re not getting daily [suicide] counts but boy, this is really fracturing us. The desperate anxiety and depression that’s being born of this disease is remarkable,” he said.
Finally, Jensen cast doubt on Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s newest round of predictions related to coronavirus morality that foretell the deaths of 29,000 people in his state.
“I didn’t believe there would be 70k deaths… I don’t believe there will be 29k,” Jensen said, referencing the governor’s original prediction that over 70,000 Minnesotans would die of COVID-19.
Jensen also criticized Walz for claiming that his stay at home orders and economic shutdowns are responsible for reducing the predicted mortality rate by about 40,000, as he thinks the original prediction of over 70,000 was unrealistically high to begin with.
Kyle Hooten
Kyle Hooten is Managing Editor of Alpha News. His coverage of Minneapolis has been featured on television shows like Tucker Carlson Tonight and in print media outlets like the Wall Street Journal.
