A doctor serving as Minnesota’s state senator announced this month that his state’s Board of Medical Practice is investigating him following his criticism in April that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines on the classification of coronavirus deaths could artificially inflate the counts.
Dr. Scott Jensen (R) tweeted on July 6 that his video message was the “most important” he has ever done.
The most important video I have made … could this happen to you?
Share the message, no one is immune to attack. (part 1/2) pic.twitter.com/gbU06l9oEK– Scott Jensen (@drscottjensen) July 6, 2020
The doctor said the Board of Medical Practice wrote him that he was under investigation because of allegations that he had been “spreading misinformation regarding the completion of death certificates on a news program” and “providing reckless advice” on a comparison between COVID -19 and the flu.
In April, Jensen appeared on Fox News with presenter Laura Ingraham, who read CDC’s guidelines for completing death certificates.
“In cases where a definitive diagnosis of COVID-19 cannot be made, but is suspected or probable (eg, circumstances are compelling within a reasonable degree of certainty), it is acceptable to report COVID-19 on a certificate of death as ‘probable’ or ‘presumed’, “Ingraham read from the guidelines, stressing that they seemed to admit how death certificates are completed is a” court decision. “
Jensen replied that the CDC’s orientation was “ridiculous.”
“The idea that we are going to allow people to massage and play numbers is a real problem,” he continued, “because we are going to undermine confidence and, right now, as we see politicians doing things that are not necessarily motivated in fact and in science, the public … trust in politicians is already running out. ”
During transmission, Jensen also provided a hypothetical example of a patient who died of the flu, with symptoms of cough and fever, but who would have the leading cause of death as “respiratory arrest.”
“I have never been encouraged to [notate ‘influenza’]”He said.” I would probably write ‘respiratory arrest’ as the top line, and the underlying cause of this disease would be pneumonia … It could well put emphysema or congestive heart failure, but I would never mention the flu as the underlying cause of death. and but that is what we are being asked to do here. “
Jensen added that, according to CDC guidelines, a patient who died after a bus accident, but later tested positive for coronavirus, would still be considered to have presumed death from the virus.
“That doesn’t make any sense,” he said.
Ingraham also played a clip of the response from the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, during a briefing on a question about the possibility of coronavirus deaths being “padded.” Fauci replied that there are often “conspiracy theories” during “challenging” times in public health crises.
Jensen responded by noting that hospitals receive higher reimbursements for coronavirus-treated patients.
The senator said in his recent video that he believes he has been “attacked” but that he intends to cooperate with the investigation.
He received a statement of support from Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka:
Of course, I support Dr. Jensen and his medical experience at COVID because he has proven himself right. USA Today Verification and Verification of Facts Senator Jensen’s assertion that federal payments were higher if patients were confirmed to have COVID.
Gazelka added that it is exploring “whether or not the board is required to investigate each complaint or whether they choose to investigate Dr. Jensen.”
“It is also troubling that there are two separate complaints, raising questions about coordination,” the statement continued. “Lawmakers should not have to fear regulators based on their speech. If the bureaucratic state can silence the discourse through investigations, we have very dark times ahead for our democracy. “
