WATCH: Indiana ER Doc Explains How Conspiracy Theories, Politicization of Mask Wearing Threaten Public Health

An Indiana emergency room doctor explained how he has witnessed first-hand the toxic effect of conspiracy theories and the politicization of mask wearing, telling MSNBC’s Brian Williams how he now spends an increasing amount of time debunking false misinformation online and discouraging risky behaviors that threaten public health.

Appearing on The 11th Hour, Dr. Stephen Sample, who works at a hospital in Jasper, Indiana, said he was “extremely frustrated” at the rapid abandonment of social distancing and other preventative measures he has seen in the past few weeks.

“We have today’s projection of 147,000 in a death toll by the first week of August,” Williams noted, alluded to the IMHE’s latest upward projection of the national fatality count. “Where do you think it is, and where is it from where you sit?”

“I think the heartland is just getting ready to get to know this virus,” Sample said, alluding to a Tuesday NBC News report that Covid-19 cases are spiking in numerous cities across the Midwest. “We are opening up. Everybody has been screaming for us to open up, and the states are starting to open while the rest of us, other than our colleagues in New York, are seeing cases spike actually. They’re starting to take an upward trajectory. And I think we’re about to get to know this virus a little more personally out here in the heartland.”

“In your daily travels, what percentage of people do you see and or encounter wearing a mask or facial covering, and what would you say to those who don’t?” Williams then asked.

“Well, I’ll tell you, about two weeks ago it was probably about half. I was out today, and it was probably about 10%,” Sample explained. “And I’ve been thinking a lot about this today in particular, and I’ve been thinking about not only my community but the community of the United States of America. And I’ve been extremely frustrated. We have a shared purpose. We have a common enemy. And in our history, when we have had a common enemy in the past, we have risen together as a people, right? And we’ve risen, and we’ve accomplished things that we should not have been able to accomplish.”

“Now for some reason, over the last couple of weeks, asking people to just wear a mask in public has become a step too far,” Sample said, his frustration evident. “Now, it’s ‘communism,’ it’s ‘fascism.’ ‘We’re part of a secret cabal to take down the president.’ We just want to keep grandma well. And I’ve been very frustrated about it. I’m sorry. I’m stuttering a little bit, but I’ve been pretty hot under the collar all day.”

“I’m curious as to how you think we got to a point where not wearing one has become, I guess, a political kind of badge of honor,” Williams said, following up.

“You know, when this all started, we saw people — how seriously people took this virus seemed to depend on who you voted for. And now we seem to be back in that place,” Sample said. “I felt like we were coming together a few weeks back, now I feel like there’s so much toxicity on the Internet. I spend 90% of my time online anymore not learning how to take care of patients with this virus, but I’m shooting down conspiracy theory after conspiracy theory. We’ve got the urgent care bros from California. We’ve got this Plandemic crap that’s going around out there. And doctors all over the country are having to spend their time and energy just begging people to listen to people who actually know what they’re talking about. It’s just been a mess, really.”

Watch the video above, via MSNBC.

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