world

Florida's top doctor told to leave meeting after refusing to wear mask

64 Comments
By ADRIANA GOMEZ LICON

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

64 Comments

Comments have been disabled You can no longer respond to this thread.

"What occurred in Senator Polsky's office was unprofessional and will not be tolerated in the Senate."

What happened in her office was indeed unprofessional, and sounds like it was just another case of a Florida-male trying to show what Florida-males must think, i.e. that they are macho he-men and reminding the woman that he is a 'free-male', and because he is 'free' he can do whatever he wants, including spread his germs.

The QGOP sect members are showing once again what a pathetic group of losers they are.

The QGOP are disease ridden, and spreading their sicknesses throughout the US South and elsewhere. And they are heavily armed, willing to wage revolution (see Jan. 6th, DC) for their sect leaders.

Emperor Xi, Tsar Putin, Erdogan, MbS and MbZ and other authoritarians chuckle as Trump's troops further splinter and weaken the US.

4 ( +18 / -14 )

“It was so shocking to me that he treated me in this manner,” Polsky said. “If he is a surgeon general for the next several years, I am really concerned about a future public health emergency and not being able to rely on him for necessary guidance and proper scientific leadership.”

That’s the GOP politics in a nutshell, people’s lives don’t matter to them, a backward belief , that thry themselves know is false, is more important!!!

4 ( +18 / -14 )

And we have a winner in this week's "Republican who reveals himself to be most unsuited for public office" contest.

I don't take my shoes off at the door of my house.

If I visit someone whose household does that, I take my shoes off.

Of course.

4 ( +16 / -12 )

He could give a damn about the people he interacts with or treats. He’s only interested in looking “strong” for the camera.

4 ( +18 / -14 )

Ladapo said people were not comfortable with the vaccines because the federal government has not been open about the effectiveness and safety of the vaccines, saying there was a “concerted effort” to hide stories of people with adverse reactions.

True that!

-10 ( +14 / -24 )

He could give a damn about the people he interacts with or treats. He’s only interested in looking “strong” for the camera.

People up in arms over this one occurrence as places like the UK are topping over 50,000 cases a day with many refusing to wear masks. Go figure!

-8 ( +10 / -18 )

Are any of those UK Yahoo’s the nominee to be the state’s top public health official?

No, I didn’t think so.

6 ( +18 / -12 )

So we are back to mask requirements now too?

follow the doctors! Until a doctor goes against the approved narrative. Then he isn’t a doctor somehow?

-6 ( +18 / -24 )

Blacklabel

So we are back to mask requirements now too?

Never stopped.

follow the doctors! Until a doctor goes against the approved narrative. Then he isn’t a doctor somehow?

Whoever said follow the doctors? We've had our fair share of crazies who are doctors in this pandemic.

Follow the science.

8 ( +21 / -13 )

Are any of those UK Yahoo’s the nominee to be the state’s top public health official?

Not as bad as the country's president being maskless in a restaurant in a mask mandated city just last week. Didn't hear your criticism of that either. I guess if this health official was in a Democrat-run State like California or NY, we wouldn't hear anything from you. What we would hear though is "But Florida...." and "But Texas..."

-7 ( +10 / -17 )

Wick's pencil

Ladapo said people were not comfortable with the vaccines because the federal government has not been open about the effectiveness and safety of the vaccines, saying there was a “concerted effort” to hide stories of people with adverse reactions.

True that!

Want to back that up with some data? Some proof?

5 ( +17 / -12 )

Ladapo also wrote an opinion column in the Wall Street Journal saying masks have “little or no effect on respiratory virus transmission.”

It's a bit worrying when you surgeon general is anti-science and spreading misinformation.

5 ( +18 / -13 )

A doctor refusing to wear a mask.. wonders never cease.

6 ( +20 / -14 )

follow the doctors! Until a doctor goes against the approved narrative. Then he isn’t a doctor somehow?

Ladapo is still a doctor. His advice just runs counter to the overwhelming scientific evidence and overwhelming consensus in the medical community. Which means a reasonable person would doubt this doctor's advice.

But of course Ladapo is good for DeSantis' political moves (i.e., ingratiating himself to the big man in Mar-a-Lago and to his Nascar redneck base in Florida).

6 ( +19 / -13 )

He could give a damn about the people he interacts with or treats. He’s only interested in looking “strong” for the camera.

But just another wimp. vv

She said she asked whether there was a reason why he couldn't wear a mask, but he wouldn't answer.

1 ( +14 / -13 )

my kind of guy. look at how they just have to throw a "far right" in there to try to discredit him.

Why would he not "shun" the mandates? They are not applicable- due to not being the law in his state.

On Tuesday, Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis named Dr. Joseph Ladapo the state’s next surgeon general. Lapado shuns mask and vaccine mandates while pushing unproven treatments popular with the far right, like ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine.

-10 ( +13 / -23 )

So just another Dem Rep story to keep the masses divided eh?

Meanwhile in Washington:

“in a Wednesday letter addressed to Rep. James Comer (R-KY), NIH Principal Deputy Director Lawrence A. Tabak admits to funding a "limited experiment" to determine whether "spike proteins from naturally occurring bat coronaviruses circulating in China were capable of binding to the human ACE2 receptor in a mouse model."

So all these us vs them stories and nazi type mandates is just to cover the angered reaction of citizens, when they realize it that is, that this whole Covid crap was done to ourselves.

-2 ( +14 / -16 )

His opinion on this is irrelevant. If someone asks you to wear a mask in their office or residence, wear a mask. Pretty simple and common etiquette. Liberal or Conservative, doesn’t matter who he is. I’d say exactly the same.

13 ( +19 / -6 )

its also to buy some time to later claim they "already covered" those inconvenient Fauci revelations.

its a canceled meeting, I dont see why this gets its own story here. Joseph Ladapo is the top doctor in Florida and a man of color, he should be respected as such. Fauci isnt the only doctor in the United States, thankfully.

-7 ( +11 / -18 )

Sure is interesting to see all the 'Doctors" the far-right crowd put their faith and belief in....

Fox News "specialist" Dr Marc Siegel: "COVID is just the flu".....

Dr Stella Immanuel: Believes that alien DNA was being used in medical treatments, and that scientists were developing a vaccine to prevent people from being religious.

Dr Lapado: On Thursday at a press conference with DeSantis to oppose vaccine mandates, Ladapo said people were not comfortable with the vaccines because the federal government has not been open about the effectiveness and safety of the vaccines, saying there was a “concerted effort” to hide stories of people with adverse reactions.

And they say MAGA-world isn't a death cult....

7 ( +15 / -8 )

follow the doctors! Until a doctor goes against the approved narrative. Then he isn’t a doctor somehow?

Or you know, respect others and put on masks when you enter their office?

Seriously, how stupid does a nominee have to be to refuse to wear a mask in the office of a state senator with a serious medical condition, whose vote you are soliciting for your nomination. Some real 4-D chess here.

14 ( +19 / -5 )

Blacklabel

Why would he not "shun" the mandates? They are not applicable- due to not being the law in his state.

Umm, yeah, but he is part of the reason that masks and mandates are part of the law in Florida. He could recommend them, but he won't. And in fact, De Santis chose him as Surgeon General because he was anti-science.

8 ( +14 / -6 )

 'Doctors"

quotations are not needed. all 3 are indeed qualified doctors. 2 are people of color.

Seriously, how stupid does a nominee have to be to refuse to wear a mask in the office of a state senator 

Smart enough to know that Dems would contact the media to take a picture of his wearing a mask coming out of her office. then the story is the "hypocrisy" of him telling everyone else they dont need to wear a mask but then wearing one himself. Didnt fall for that, he offered to take the meeting outdoors, which was a reasonable enough concession that she refused.

Why even meet, she isnt voting for him no matter what he does anyway. Just a distractionary story. Dont like how Florida does things, dont live there.

-11 ( +6 / -17 )

Blacklabel

Didn't fall for that, he offered to take the meeting outdoors,

Just put on the mask Richard-head!

which was a reasonable enough concession that she refused.

No it wasn't reasonable. Putting on a mask is reasonable.

6 ( +13 / -7 )

Meanwhile in Washington:

*“in a Wednesday letter addressed to Rep. James Comer (R-KY), NIH Principal Deputy Director Lawrence A. Tabak admits to funding a "limited experiment" to determine whether "spike proteins from naturally occurring bat coronaviruses circulating in China were capable of binding to the human ACE2 receptor in a mouse model."*

“Hey look! A squirrel!”

2 ( +9 / -7 )

Just put on the mask Richard-head!

*Richard-head! Brilliant!! I have to use that!
5 ( +10 / -5 )

Ladapo offered to go outside, but the senator said she did not want to sit on the metal picnic tables on a warm day

The funny thing is that doing business outside without a mask would give her better odds than breathing re-circulated air inside an office room even with mask use.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

'Doctors"

quotations are not needed. all 3 are indeed qualified doctors.

And one thinks COVID is just the flu, another thinks alien DNA is in our drugs, and the other puts rank political partisanship over his medical oath.....sure, they're all doctors. Maybe you could pick one to be your brain surgeon....

2 are people of color.

Hmmmm....I didn't see race mentioned in the article - interesting you felt you needed to play the race card....

5 ( +10 / -5 )

Well done, Senator.

8 ( +13 / -5 )

Polsky told The Associated Press about the tense exchange with state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo that was first reported by the news site Florida Politics. She said Ladapo and two aides were offered masks and asked to wear them when they arrived for the Wednesday meeting. She did not tell him she had breast cancer, but said she had a serious condition.

So lets just break this down to its basics....

The Florida Surgeon General, who is a licensed physician went to visit a state senator - that senator told the Surgeon General and his two aides that she had a serious medical condition, and they they needed to wear a mask, as her condition made her much more vulnerable to COVID. The Surgeon General refused...

Thank about that - a doctor refusing to wear a mask for political, not medical reasons, and putting an individual at an increased risk of serious health consequences.

Does this physician remember his Hippocratic oath? Does he refuse to wear a mask when he performs surgery? Does he pass on washing his hands before he sees a new patient?

This should be an automatic disqualification for his position - like someone else who is now a Florida resident, he is clearly unfit for office.

2 ( +10 / -8 )

 If they then inform you that they have a serious medical condition and you still won’t wear a mask, then you are an a*****e. 

Or a Richardhead!

6 ( +8 / -2 )

my kind of guy. look at how they just have to throw a "far right" in there to try to discredit him.

ROFL, the ones wearing masks every day in Japan cheer the ones in America who don't.

Joseph Ladapo is the top doctor in Florida and a man of color, he should be respected as such.

Apparently he isn't, genuflects before another ignorant person desantis and gets the job!!

Why even meet, she isnt voting for him no matter what he does anyway. 

Disregard for human life and an insatiable greed for votes, that's the extreme right wing GOP for you. They sometimes forget that voters are humans too!!!

6 ( +12 / -6 )

Several Hospitals in Charlotte NC are refusing to do elective surgery on people who have not been vaccinated. Now several hospitals in the region will not perform transplant surgery on non-vaccinated people because the risk of COVID infection is too great because they have to give the people immunosuppression medicine to prevent transplant organ rejection. Me personally I wish that they would move people who choose to be unvaccinated behind all other emergency room patients because they have been several people with treatable conditions who have died because all the beds were taken up by people who chose not to get vaccinated and contracted COVID-19.

It's past time to let the people who chooses to be unvaccinated just die to clear out the stupid people from society.

1 ( +7 / -6 )

The "health" authoritarians are out in force today. I guess you all know better than this doctor, with your medical expertise and all. How dare he question "the science(™)".

-7 ( +6 / -13 )

The QGOP sect members are showing once again what a pathetic group of losers they are. 

Why? I would tend to think he would know more than the average person that never went to med school. I can’t comment not knowing entire circumstances, but as a doctor, I’m sure he knows.

The QGOP are disease ridden, and spreading their sicknesses throughout the US South and elsewhere.

And the ones in California that are vaccinated and getting sick and passing it, what do we call those people?

And they are heavily armed, willing to wage revolution (see Jan. 6th, DC) for their sect leaders. 

Isn’t that for a different topic.

Emperor Xi, Tsar Putin, Erdogan, MbS and MbZ and other authoritarians chuckle as Trump's troops further splinter and weaken the US.

How does Trump fit in all of this? Huh?

-8 ( +5 / -13 )

Why doesn't the senator 'trust the science' when three doctors all agree that masks aren't necessary in that particular setting? They could maintain social distance in the office I imagine. Or perhaps compromise and meet outside on a lovely day, where everyone would be safer? Seems to me the petty political posturing is not one sided here.

-5 ( +6 / -11 )

The "health" authoritarians are out in force today. I guess you all know better than this doctor, with your medical expertise and all. How dare he question "the science(™)".

It doesn’t require medical expertise to know manners or that a Doctor should wear a mask around vulnerable patients. You can learn that by visiting a hospital or just by having a lick of common sense.

4 ( +10 / -6 )

Only some doctors are “the science”, usually old white ones who push the approved liberal narratives.

everyone else is a “doctor”.

-8 ( +7 / -15 )

This does bring to light an obvious, but unstated reality of life among the "professional" classes. I once had both a Dr. and a Lawyer (separately) tell me essentially the same thing.

About 10-15% of the people in the field are truly gifted even by the standards of the profession.

70-80% are fine, competent.

10-15% are idiots and have no business doing what they are doing, are generally a menace to themselves and others and who probably got into (and out of) their schools via an influential relative rather than ability.

Guess which cohort this "Doctor" falls into?

I have met bar-certified attorneys that I wouldn't let walk my dog, Doctors that I had to get 2nd opinions on who turned out to be utterly unqualified, and MBAs that know about as much about statistical analysis as I know about Quantum physics (It's small and complicated - that is the sum total of my knowledge).

It's a combination of intelligence (or lack thereof) and common sense (or lack there of) that make a competent professional, not an educational certificate.

4 ( +10 / -6 )

DrTOM1957Today  11:16 am JST

Several Hospitals in Charlotte NC are refusing to do elective surgery on people who have not been vaccinated. Now several hospitals in the region will not perform transplant surgery on non-vaccinated people because the risk of COVID infection is too great because they have to give the people immunosuppression medicine to prevent transplant organ rejection. Me personally I wish that they would move people who choose to be unvaccinated behind all other emergency room patients because they have been several people with treatable conditions who have died because all the beds were taken up by people who chose not to get vaccinated and contracted COVID-19.

It's past time to let the people who chooses to be unvaccinated just die to clear out the stupid people from society.

Irrelevant and totally off-topic as far as this article is concerned.

-6 ( +4 / -10 )

Only some doctors are “the science”, usually old white ones who push the approved liberal narratives. 

everyone else is a “doctor”.

What a bizarre assertion.

6 ( +11 / -5 )

GdTokyo: you are talking about a man who graduated medical school at Harvard, then did a PhD in medical policy from the same institution. The fact that you question his qualifications can only lead ot the conclusion that you are judging him on other, perhaps more visible, criteria...

-7 ( +7 / -14 )

prionking

The "health" authoritarians are out in force today. I guess you all know better than this doctor, with your medical expertise and all. How dare he question "the science(™)".

No. We aren't health professionals, but we listen to the people whose job it is to run public health. Some random kook doctor isn't daring when he questions the science, he is just not doing his job. And you really do have to be a conspiracy theorist to think that masks don't work (better tell the surgeons they can dispense with them).

7 ( +12 / -5 )

Attilathehungry

GdTokyo: you are talking about a man who graduated medical school at Harvard, then did a PhD in medical policy from the same institution. The fact that you question his qualifications can only lead ot the conclusion that you are judging him on other, perhaps more visible, criteria...

Nobody is questioning his qualifications, we are questioning his kooky ideas.

6 ( +13 / -7 )

Me, me, me, me, me. says the GOP.

I'd prefer a govt representative saying "we, we, we" instead.

4 ( +9 / -5 )

It doesn’t require medical expertise to know manners or that a Doctor should wear a mask around vulnerable patients. You can learn that by visiting a hospital or just by having a lick of common sense.

The one without commonsense here is the one with the serious health condition. If it were that bad, why didn't she do the meeting remotely from the safety of home? After all, vaccinated people can still easily spread the virus, and 18 months of mask mandates haven't prevented or really even slowed the virus down.

No, this was a political point-scoring exercise. Nothing more or less.

-1 ( +9 / -10 )

Talking tough and mah rights is just so much hot air. You know they are all wearing masks if they live in Japan. Try visiting an airport, govt building or medical facility without one. You’ll be asked to put one on, and you will do it

2 ( +9 / -7 )

2020hindsightsToday  11:57 am JST

prionking

The "health" authoritarians are out in force today. I guess you all know better than this doctor, with your medical expertise and all. How dare he question "the science(™)".

No. We aren't health professionals, but we listen to the people whose job it is to run public health. Some random kook doctor isn't daring when he questions the science, he is just not doing his job. And you really do have to be a conspiracy theorist to think that masks don't work (better tell the surgeons they can dispense with them).

So you think that doctors involved in public health, regardless of how few patients they actually attend to, are above reproach? You think they're as pure as the driven snow and have no conflicts of interest? Attitudes like yours are dangerous, and a big part of the current problem. And anyone who dares to criticise these medical pharisees are lazily smeared as "conspiracy theorists" because it's too hard to actually refute their criticisms.

-8 ( +5 / -13 )

Atilla,

W went to both Yale and Harvard when if he were not named Bush, he would have POSSIBLY gotten into the W. Texas community college of medical and dental assistants.

Daddy Barbie's man-wife got into Harvard after his father made a "sizeable donation". His own prep school teachers were surprised since neither his marks nor his ambition suggested it as a possible destination.

Even the Dotard needed help to get into Penn. Even when it's acceptance rate was 50%, not the current 8%.

This guys seems no different. Good credentials, no common sense.

6 ( +10 / -4 )

prionking

So you think that doctors involved in public health, regardless of how few patients they actually attend to, are above reproach? You think they're as pure as the driven snow and have no conflicts of interest?

Yeah, sure. And they are transparent. Also, this isn't just a US thing. Public health experts around the world are saying the same thing.

Attitudes like yours are dangerous, and a big part of the current problem.

What current problem are you referring to?

And anyone who dares to criticise these medical pharisees are lazily smeared as "conspiracy theorists" because it's too hard to actually refute their criticisms.

If you go against the the norm, you have to have good evidence and convince the rest of the scientists, and we have seen this during this pandemic.

As an example, it used to be thought that masks were of limited use because the virus wasn't thought to be 'airborne'. Many scientists started studying this and their research convinced the plurality of scientists it was 'airbourne' and hence masks were recommend as a way to mitigate spread.

But going against the norm with no studies or evidence, no peer reviewed papers, then you are just a conspiracy theorist.

5 ( +10 / -5 )

What a bizarre assertion.

How is it bizarre? Your cohort repeated it after you. “Doctor”.

Guess which cohort this "Doctor" falls into?

Then a whole narrative about about all the doctors and lawyers who he (not a qualified doctor or lawyer) disagrees with are incompetent.

-5 ( +5 / -10 )

to the people whose job it is to run public health.

oh like the top health official in Florida? Whose job this is.

-9 ( +4 / -13 )

Blacklabel

to the people whose job it is to run public health.

oh like the top health official in Florida? Whose job this is.

Yeah, except he only got that job because of his kooky views on Covid. Hand picked by De Santis.

8 ( +12 / -4 )

It’s funny how liberals get to decide what a real doctor or lawyer is and everyone else are just too stupid to make an opinion or observation. Yeah, they’re by birth the chosen ones that have the right to dictate and determine what a person is.

-7 ( +7 / -14 )

Yet it’s his job. Desantis as the elected governor by the people legitimately appointed him to such.

So let’s listen to the public health officials whose job it is.

-9 ( +5 / -14 )

So the obvious conclusion, which the right-wing posters desperately do not want spoken out loud, is that a blowhard nominated a buffoon to be he mouthpiece on public health so that he can flout public health mandates that any sentient being with common sense can easily comprehend.

It really is that simple.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

"his mouthpiece"....

3 ( +7 / -4 )

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites