{"id":2642292,"date":"2026-08-09T07:04:03","date_gmt":"2026-08-09T11:04:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/abdul-el-sayed-supported-strict-covid-19-lockdowns-and-school-closures\/"},"modified":"2026-08-09T07:09:30","modified_gmt":"2026-08-09T11:09:30","slug":"abdul-el-sayed-supported-strict-covid-19-lockdowns-and-school-closures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/abdul-el-sayed-supported-strict-covid-19-lockdowns-and-school-closures\/","title":{"rendered":"Abdul el Sayed supported strict COVID-19 lockdowns and school closures"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fabdul-el-sayed-supported-strict-covid-19-lockdowns-and-school-closures%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2642292&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Dr. Abdul el Sayed, a Michigan Democratic Senate candidate, adopted a very strict public health stance during the COVID-19 pandemic six years ago. Although not a government official at the time, he frequently expressed support for intense statewide lockdowns, school closures, and other aggressive measures to curb the virus&#8217;s spread through media appearances and opinion pieces. El Sayed advocated for bold actions such as banning gatherings, mandating work from home, and establishing a COVID-19-specific health system under the National guard, while also pushing for broader health reforms like Medicare for All, worldwide paid sick leave, and guaranteed healthcare coverage.<\/p>\n<p>Despite championing strict lockdowns, he supported the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, viewing them as a form of public health intervention due to systemic racism\u2019s role in health disparities. He also supported keeping schools closed until January 2022, emphasizing measures like masking and testing to keep schools safe, though later documents revealed federal guidance on masks and social distancing lacked scientific basis, with some officials acknowledging that mandates appeared without conclusive evidence. His record on COVID policies was not a major focus in his primary race against Rep. Haley Stevens, who also supported strict measures and the protests.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Michigan Democratic Senate candidate <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/abdul-el-sayed\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"23138\">Dr. Abdul el Sayed<\/a> took a very strict approach to public health restrictions during the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/covid-19\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"11163\">COVID-19 pandemic<\/a> six years ago, supporting intense statewide lockdowns and keeping schools shut down. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">El Sayed, the left-wing candidate who won his state\u2019s Democratic primary on Aug. 4, was not a state or local official during the pandemic, but he made frequent media appearances and wrote a plethora of opinion pieces offering his advice on how to respond to the disease outbreak.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4679788\/abdul-el-sayed-supported-strict-covid-19-lockdowns-and-school-closures\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Abdul el Sayed supported strict COVID-19 lockdowns and school closures<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4680256\/south-carolina-gop-senate-poll\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>South Carolina GOP Senate polling shows tight race between Graham Nordone, Norman, Fry, and Sanford<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4680191\/vance-el-sayed-hurt-middle-class\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Vance says \u2018crazy\u2019 el Sayed would hurt middle class and auto industry<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After earning his medical degree from <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/columbia-university\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"3592\">Columbia University<\/a> and teaching there as an epidemiology professor, el Sayed became the youngest-ever health director of the Detroit Health Department at the age of 30, serving from 2015 to 2017.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Between his time in public office and the start of the pandemic in 2020, el Sayed started his own podcast, <em>America Dissected<\/em>,<em> <\/em>and became a go-to infectious disease pundit. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some of el Sayed\u2019s strictest advice came in an opinion piece in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/commentisfree\/2020\/mar\/19\/coronavirus-insecurity-anxiety-us-epidemic\"><em>The Guardian<\/em><\/a>  one week after Michigan\u2019s Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer implemented state-wide lockdowns in March 2020.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">El Sayed argued curbing the spread of COVID-19 would \u201crequire bold action,\u201d including \u201celiminating congregation in restaurants, bars and clubs, as well as potentially locking down communities with major outbreaks.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt means mandating work from home for non-essential personnel,\u201d el Sayed wrote. \u201cIt means contemplating a parallel Covid-19-specific health system under the control of the national guard to vastly increase our health system\u2019s capacity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Democrat acknowledged that sweeping measures would have ripple effects throughout the economy. Instead of moderating his public health approach for economic stability, el Sayed advised using the public health emergency to advance liberal causes, including as a bridge to Medicare for All, nationalized health insurance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">El Sayed argued that Congress ought to \u201cguarantee healthcare coverage for confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases,\u201d institute \u201ca universal paid sick leave policy that covers all workers\u201d and provide \u201ca guaranteed basic income\u201d during the economic downturn.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite arguing for strict lockdowns at the start of the pandemic, el Sayed also supported the wave of Black Lives Matter protests starting in the summer of 2020 following the death of George Floyd in Minnesota.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During an October 2020 interview with<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ZITd-M8zDOs\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ZITd-M8zDOs\"> Brian Tyler Cohen<\/a>, el Sayed defended the Black Lives Matter protests as their own form of \u201ca public health intervention,\u201d citing systemic racism as the cause of 83,000 deaths annually in the United States. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cUnless you devalue the lives that we\u2019re fighting for, which are Black lives, by saying that they\u2019re somehow less important to focus on than the lives that are lost to COVID-19, which, by the way, are disproportionately Black lives as well, then there is no coherent approach to pitting these protests against public health,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">El Sayed, who is now a father of two, also supported keeping schools closed down as late as January 2022. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a 2022 op-ed in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/newrepublic.com\/article\/165000\/pandemic-school-closures-america-covid-strategy\"><em>The New Republic<\/em><\/a>, el Sayed acknowledged that <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >children suffered significant learning loss<\/a> from missing in-person schooling, as well as the strain on parents trying to work to support their families. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But el Sayed said only \u201crigorous masking and testing\u201d could keep schools safe during the surge of the omicron variant of COVID-19, and blamed then-Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky for ramping up personal protective equipment for schools.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Documents made public since then have revealed that the specific guidance put out by the federal government on mask mandates and social distancing was not based in scientific evidence.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/healthcare\/4679546\/new-ai-generated-viruses-spark-biosafety-fears\/\"><strong>NEW AI-GENERATED VIRUSES SPARK BIOSAFETY FEARS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dr. Anthony Fauci, the face of the federal response to COVID-19, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/healthcare\/3024645\/fauci-no-evidence-masking-social-distancing\/\">testified before Congress<\/a> in 2024 that mask mandates and six-foot social distancing recommendations \u201cjust sort of appeared,\u201d without definitive scientific evidence supporting their efficacy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">El Sayed\u2019s record on COVID policy was <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/reason.com\/2026\/08\/05\/abdul-el-sayeds-covid-radicalism-is-a-callback-to-a-more-united-party\/\">not a main feature<\/a> of his primary race against his more centrist challenger, Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI). Stevens herself also simultaneously supported the BLM protests as well as strict lockdown measures.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>El Sayed backed strict COVID lockdowns and school closures in 2020<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2666,"featured_media":2642293,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/el-sayed-covid-lockdown-support.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[77374,3774,4619,32068,40827],"class_list":["post-2642292","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-abdul-el-sayed","tag-covid-19","tag-lockdowns","tag-public-health","tag-school-closures"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/el-sayed-covid-lockdown-support.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2642292","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2666"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2642292"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2642292\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2642296,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2642292\/revisions\/2642296"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2642293"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2642292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2642292"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2642292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}