Mike Rowe made it clear he’s not “petrified” and chooses to “live” his life after being slammed for filming his show during the pandemic.
The comments came from the host of “Dirty Jobs” who responded on his Facebook page Wednesday to criticism from a person named Darlene Gabon who wrote “in a recent post, you said you’ve been to Tennessee and Georgia, giving speeches and filming for your new show. Before that, you were on the road shooting for Dirty Jobs. Is it really so important to film a television show in the midst of pandemic?” (RELATED: Tucker Slams Nike For Using Colin Kaepernick In Its ‘Decadent’ Scheme)
“Is it responsible of you to encourage this kind of behavior when infection rates are spiking,” Gabon added. “Don’t you watch the news? More and more cases every day – aren’t you concerned?”
“Dirty Jobs” host Mike Rowe: Following your passion “rarely works out” — do this instead. pic.twitter.com/d7WnHFBlUU
— Stay at Home South Africa (@PowerON_SA) July 14, 2020
“Of course, I’m concerned,” Rowe replied. “I’m just not petrified,” before he linked back to an interview with Dr. Michael Osterholm. (RELATED: Report: Colin Kaepernick Pressured Nike To Recall American Flag-Themed Sneakers)
“Dr. Osterholm is the Director of Infectious Disease Research and Policy,” he added. “This is the same epidemiologist who ten years ago, predicted a coronavirus would come from China and turn our country upside down. In his book “Deadliest Enemies,” he described the utterly irresponsible way in which the media would report on the situation, the completely opportunistic and shamelessly political way our leaders would likely react, and the unprecedented chaos and confusion that would arise from all the mixed messages from the medical community.”
Rowe continued, while he noted that Osterholm is the “only expert I know of who hasn’t walked back his numbers, reconsidered his position, or moved the goalposts with regard to what we must do, what we can do, and what he expects to happen next.”
“I say all of this because Dr. Osterholm also predicted that we could easily see 100 million COVID cases in this country, with a very strong possibility of 480,000 fatalities – even if we successfully ‘flattened the curve.'”
Mike explained then by late April he had accepted the “480,000 fatalities” prediction and “quickly navigated the four stages of grief that usually precede acceptance – denial, anger, bargaining, and depression.”
“Since then, I’ve had three full months to come to terms with the fact that, a) I am probably going to get COVID-19 at some point, b), I am almost certainly going to survive it, and c), I might very well give it to someone else,” the TV host shared.
“I’m also very concerned for my parents, and everyone else in a high risk category,” he added. “But when Dr. Osterholm says that COVID can be slowed, but not stopped, I believe him. When he says a vaccine will not necessarily hasten herd immunity, I believe him. And when he says that ‘flattening the curve’ and eliminating the virus have nothing to do with each other, I believe him.”
He concluded his post by explaining the steps he’s taken so he doesn’t get COVID-19.
“I get tested often,” Mike shared. “If I can’t distance, I wear a mask – especially around higher risk people.”
“Anyway Darlene, that’s a long way of saying that I have accepted Dr. Osterholm’s numbers, and now, after three months of acceptance, I’ve made a decision on how I wish to live my life,” he went on. “Sooner or later, you will too. We all will.”