Dr. Phil through the dust after a clumsy remark

Dr. Phil (69) has apologized for statements about the corona virus. Earlier this week, he compared the death rates of the coronavirus with deaths from car accidents, cigarette smoking, and drownings in swimming pools.

“If you are offended by my choice of words, I apologize”

“Every year, 45,000 people die from car accidents, 480,000 from cigarettes, 360,000 a year in swimming pools. But we don’t close the land for that,” said Dr. Phil on Thursday in a Fox News broadcast. A day later, he cited those comparisons as bad examples.

“What I find is that we need extensive testing and ongoing protection of the risk groups in our community,” said Dr. Phil McGraw Friday during a session of Facebook Live. “Last night I said that as a society we have chosen to live with certain manageable fatal risks every day, such as smoking, car accidents and swimming. Yes, I know they are not contagious, making them bad examples.”

Dr. Phil apologized. “If you are offended by my choice of words, I apologize.” He added that he agrees with U.S. authorities’ guidelines to stay at home and keep away from other people to protect at-risk groups.

Dr. Phil isn’t the only TV presenter who has been criticized for pleading for a return to normal life in the United States. Also Dr. Oz apologized after controversial statements about the corona policy. He argued for the reopening of the schools and created confusion with a misinterpretation of scientific figures.

“I realize that my comments about the risks of reopening schools have confused and upset people, which was never my intention,” said Dr. Oz afterwards in a video on Twitter. “I was mistaken.”