Even in the early days of the pandemic, “what about COVID 1-18?” was a worn-out joke. But it’s no joke to Ted Nugent. The far-right, pro-gun rocker, who had a smattering of slimy hits 40 years ago, is genuinely curious why the world went into lockdown for COVID-19, but not COVID-1, or COVID-2, or… you get the idea (unlike Ted).
In a recent Facebook Live video (of course), Nugent posed a long-debunked question about the pandemic while ranting about his tour being canceled. What a disappointment for the 12 people who had tickets. “You know, I guess I would ask you, because I’m addicted to truth, logic, and common sense, and my common-sense meter would demand the answer to why weren’t we shut down for COVID one through 18?” he said. “COVID-1 — and there was a COVID 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 — COVID one through 18 didn’t shut anything down but woah, COVID-19!”
I’ll let Snopes handle this:
The respiratory disease COVID-19 was named in February 2020 for the coronavirus that causes it — SARS-CoV-2 — and the year in which the first disease case was reported — 2019. Following that logic, Nugent’s proclamation of a “COVID one through 18” would suggest that there had been 18 years of coronavirus infection rates at a global scale, which is unfounded.
Over 17,000 people have died from COVID-19 in Nugent’s home state of Michigan with another 48,000-plus deaths in Texas, where he currently lives. I expected better from the “Wang Dang Sweet Poontang” singer who visited the White House with Sarah Palin and Kid Rock and was once investigated by the Secret Service for saying that he would “either be dead or in jail by this time next year” if Obama was elected for a second term.
Egg on my face, I guess.
(Via Snopes)