Alex Berenson on surge of homicides amid coronavirus pandemic, experts calling for new COVID lockdowns
Former New York Times reporter Alex Berenson, author of 'Unreported Truths about COVID-19 and Lockdowns,' joins Laura Ingraham with insight on 'The Ingraham Angle.'
The United States has seen a “large increase in violence and homicides” over the last couple of months during the coronavirus pandemic, former New York Times reporter Alex Berenson said on Monday.
“Most people who are killed by homicide are under the age of 35. It’s a young person’s crime and most victims are young,” Berenson told “Ingraham Angle.”
Berenson projected there will be an additional 1,700 to 2,000 homicides of people under 35 this year if trends continue.
“Which would be a huge increase. Really an unprecedented increase,” Berenson said.
“It looks like there will actually be fewer coronavirus deaths in people under 35 in just that increase," he said. "I don't mean total homicides, because it's likely there will be more than 10,000 total homicides in people under 35. I mean simply the increase in deaths this year compared to last.”
CLICK HERE FOR FULL CORONAVIRUS MAP
Widespread coronavirus testing and lockdown measures have not helped some countries reduce deaths caused by the virus, according to research from the medical journal The Lancet.
Scientists in Canada, Greece and in Texas poured over public data for 50 countries and their health authorities, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
They concluded that actions taken by the governments -- such as border closures, stay-at-home orders and testing -- “were not associated with statistically significant reductions in the number of critical cases or overall mortality,” contrary to prevailing policies in the U.S. and elsewhere, according to researchers.
The data did not explicitly state why lockdowns and testing didn't result in lower death rates, but some observers pointed to “herd immunity,” where people highly exposed to the virus build antibodies that stop it from spreading. In Sweden, where shutdowns were not initiated, the daily death count in mid-July dropped to the single digits, a Washington Times article reported.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP
Berenson said that while the lockdowns caused boredom, an increase in drug use and unemployment, the aftermath could be a larger issue than the coronavirus itself.
“The fact that homicide alone might kill more people additionally this year than coronavirus is very striking to me,” Berenson said.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox