CDC STUDY: Lockdowns Linked to Poor Health Outcomes, DeSantis Vindicated

March 14th, 2022 Updated 8:20 A.M. ET

ATLANTA (FCV) – According to a new report citing a study on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) website, lockdowns are strongly linked to poor health outcomes, vindicating Governor Ron DeSantis’ (R) anti-lockdown position throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Loneliness and social isolation in older adults are serious public health risks affecting a significant number of people in the United States and putting them at risk for dementia and other serious medical conditions,” the CDC says.

According to a report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), around 25% of elderly adults are considered to be “socially isolated.” These adults are more likely to have or develop chronic illness already – but isolation might make the problem worse.

The report says that social isolation significantly increased risk of premature all-cause death, one that “may rival” that of smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity.

It also associated social isolation with a 50% increase in risk of dementia, higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide, along with a 4-fold risk of death, 68% increase in hospitalization risk, and 57% increase in emergency department visits.

DeSantis and Republicans across Florida, and many parts of the country, were strongly anti-lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, citing concerns for economic, social, and health ramifications on Americans.

On the other hand, Democrat governors like New York’s Andrew Cuomo and California’s Gavin Newsom locked their state down, closed businesses, and issued various levels of mask and vaccine mandates.

At a roundtable, DeSantis was joined by health experts reiterating that lockdowns and mask mandates never worked and threatened both public health and freedom.