Moderators on two subreddits have taken down a petition, signed by top scientists from around the world, that argues against lockdowns.
The petition, called The Great Barrington Declaration, was written by three science professors from Harvard, Oxford, and Stanford. Dr. Martin Kulldorff, Dr. Sunetra Gupta, and Dr. Jay Bhattacharya called for an end to lockdowns, citing their impact of physical and mental health, as well as effects on the economy.
They argued in favor of herd immunity, which is when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to infection. This approach, they wrote, would protect the individuals that are more likely to develop severe symptoms or die from the disease.
“Adopting measures to protect the vulnerable should be the central aim of public health responses to COVID-19. By way of example, nursing homes should use staff with acquired immunity and perform frequent PCR testing of other staff and all visitors. Staff rotation should be minimized,” the petition reads.