Oprah Winfrey spoke about medical racism and access to healthcare. She has now revealed that in 2007 a doctor had misdiagnosed a thyroid issue that caused her heart palpitations. She also expressed her concerns about airlines dropping the mask mandates after US District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle in Tampa, struck down the Biden policy on April 18.
The 68-year-old countered the ruling as she asserted, ‘it is too soon’ to eliminate certain Covid-19 restrictions at this stage. She also stated that she would continue wearing a mask when using public transport, specifically inside planes.
While discussing her upcoming documentary, ‘The Color of Care’, Oprah told The Los Angeles Times that she was extremely fearful of the intensity of the virus that she spent exactly 332 days inside her home when the pandemic was at its peak. She was quarantined in her $40 million mansion which is located in Santa Barbara, California.
Oprah, the veteran talk show host told the Los Angeles Times, "I personally think it's too soon to be removing masks from planes. But that's what people choose to do. And if I were on a commercial plane, I would be one of the people who would still be wearing my mask."
She added, "And I would be one of the people still wearing my masks in an enclosed building with people who I didn't know if they were or were not vaccinated. But that is just me. And I certainly accept that there are other people who disagree. I'm OK with that as long as I can wear mine."
For the unversed, Judge Mizelle's 59-page ruling suggested that, "non-complying travellers are forcibly removed from their airplane seats, denied board at the bus steps, and turned away at the train station doors and akin to detention and quarantine” as reported by CNN.
Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has now requested the Justice Department to appeal the ruling and reinstate the mandate as they have been a reported rise in the BA.2 Omicron variant cases. Over 990,000 Americans have been affected and lost lives from Covid-19 and there are more than 81 million active cases of the infection.
During the latest interview, Oprah shared that she is aware and grateful for her privilege and fame and wealth that kept her going throughout the duration of the pandemic. She made the film that airs on Sunday, May 1 on the Smithsonian Channel.
This film is inspired by the countless stores of the people of color who were affected by the pandemic and had no help due to racial inequities. The 68-year-old talk show host says she was appalled by learning that the Covid-19 deaths were close to a million. She said, "One of the reasons I read all of those stories is because I am appalled, I am stunned. I don’t recognize a country where you’ve lost nearly a million people and there hasn’t been some form of remembering that is significant."
Well, Winfrey’s latest remarks in concerns to the Covid-19 scare did not go well with netizens. Some even went a step ahead to troll her and said shared their opinions on Twitter.
One said, "Oprah to keep covering face after year-long isolation in $40M mansion, opposes ending mask mandate! As far as I’m concerned Oprah can stay hidden & wear a muzzle as long as she wants. Just leave the rest of us ALONE to live our lives & enjoy FREEDOM!"
Another trolled her saying, "Wear your mask in your private plane & mansion if you’re scared. The rest of us want to LIVE & BREATHE!!". A social media user said, "She is not a doctor or scientist and when was the last time she flew commercial? Oprah says she will continue to wear a mask inside planes."
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