NYC COVID czar admits he marketed monkeypox drug despite 'very low' risk to public

NEW YORK CITY (NYC) — Former New York City Mayor's Office Chief Health Adviser Jay Varma admitted to promoting the monkeypox drug TPOXX despite the disease's low risk to the general population, according to an undercover video shared by podcaster Steven Crowder on Wednesday.

Varma was involved in former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's response to COVID-19, including key decisions about public schools and implementing a vaccine requirement for health care workers. Last week, he was exposed for admitting to hosting large nude events during the pandemic while urging city residents to stay isolated.

In the new clip shared by Crowder, Varma explained that the risk of monkeypox to the U.S. population as a whole is “very low” and that it's mostly a problem for gay men who have unprotected sex. Despite this, Varma said he is pushing to get FDA approval for TPOXX, also known as tecovirimat.

“We want the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve our drug specifically for monkeypox. But right now it is only considered experimental and will not be approved based on this study,” he said.

READ MORE |New York COVID czar admits to hosting drug-fueled nude parties during pandemic, undercover video shows

Varma added that the news cycle was a key element in his efforts to get the drug approved.

We must also maintain people’s belief that the [TPOXX] “The drug works,” Varma said. “That's why it's helpful to spread the word about it in the media.”

“Basically, we're trying to get the media to say, 'Oh, the drug didn't work because it was designed wrong. So they'll do another study and it will probably work,'” he added. “That's the story we want.”

The footage of Varma was taken on August 14, according to Crowder. Neither Varma nor TPOXX maker Siga Technologies responded to emailed requests for comment from the National Desk on Wednesday.

Watchdog group Accuracy in Media (AIM) sent a truck full of digital billboards to Varma's home on Tuesday, demanding that he apologize for his hypocrisy and admit that New York City's lockdowns were “useless.” Protesters from Swingers Against Lockdowns were also on hand, according to AIM President Adam Guillette.

“Our lives were put on hold while he threw wild sex parties,” said one protester. “We lived on our phones while he lived for bones.”

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