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Herd immunity" occurs when a high percentage of the community — 60% to 70% — is immune to a disease (through vaccination and/or prior infection), making the spread of this disease from person-to-person unlikely.

The White House has embraced "herd immunity" or “herd mentality" as Trump once called as its pandemic strategy. When asked whether he supported herd immunity at the October 15 townhall, Trump responded: “The cure cannot be worse than the problem itself.” Dr. Fauci called this strategy "total nonsense." Of course, most of us know now that Trump never really had a national policy other than to pass the job of dealing with the pandemic to the 50 state governors.

Herd immunity appeals to Trump because he now has an excuse to continue to do nothing until herd immunity is reached, which includes less need for testing and contact tracing, wearing masks, and social distancing.  

Theoretically, herd immunity could be reached if 60% — using a low figure — of the U.S. population of 331 million or 198.6 million with a death rate of 1% — a conservative figure — of 1.986 million. That means the Trump administration is willing to accept 1.986 million deaths in the U.S. to reach this herd immunity. 

The adoption of herd immunity was foreshadowed when Dr. Scott Atlas joined Trump’ s coronavirus task force. Previously Atlas was a frequent guest on Fox News, where he pushed to reopen the country and espoused views that more closely align with Trump's opinions during the health crisis. Dr. Atlas is a neuroradiologist with no background in epidemiology or infectious diseases.  

Yet Trump has embraced this new adviser because Dr. Atlas argues that the role of government is not to stamp out the virus but to protect our most vulnerable citizens and then let the rest of us get infected until “herd immunity” is reached. About four in ten adults (37.6%) ages 18 and older in the U.S. (92.6 million people) have a higher risk of developing serious illness if they become infected with coronavirus, due to their older age (65 and older) or health condition. So far we have not protected those most vulnerable. 

Trump has declared that he is now immune to the virus. If so for how long? It isn't yet clear if infection with the COVID-19 virus makes a person immune to future infection. And 1.986 million infected people would probably overrun our already exhausted healthcare system.  

Trump’s embrace of herd immunity is a political choice, not a scientific one.