'Is it safe to go outside?': New York Times scorched for 'fear-mongering' article about summer weather 'perils' that recommends face masks

The New York Times is being torched for publishing an article asking if it "safe to go outside" during "this cruel summer." Reactions online roasted the liberal news outlet for pushing "fear-mongering" content.

In its "Health" section, the New Times published an article titled: "Is It Safe to Go Outside? How to Navigate This Cruel Summer."

The article's sub-headline reads: "Heat, flooding and wildfire smoke have made for treacherous conditions. Use this guide to determine when it’s safe to head out and when you should stay home."

The article is written by Alisha Haridasani Gupta – a reporter "focused on women’s health, health inequities and trends in functional medicine and wellness."

The article sounds the alarm about this year's "summer of weather extremes in the United States, in which going outside can be riddled with perils." The NYT cites flooding in the Northeast, heatwaves across the country, and smoke from wildfires in Canada.

The NYT writer advises people to watch for flood warnings and check air quality levels before going outside.

The Times urges people, "If you must be outdoors, consider wearing an N95 mask to help reduce your exposure to toxins, Dr. Balbus said."

The New York Times tells readers, "A heat index of 103 degrees Fahrenheit and above is dangerous; you’re likely to experience heat cramps and heat exhaustion, and heat stroke is possible if you’re outside for a prolonged period or doing something strenuous, according to the National Weather Service."

The Times warns that "extreme heat leads to hundreds of fatalities a year in the U.S."

Despite warnings about heat-related deaths, studies show that more fatalities are caused by cold weather.

A 2021 study published in The Lancet Planetary Health found that for every death linked to heat, nine are connected to cold.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics Compressed Mortality Database stated: "During 2006-2010, about 2,000 U.S. residents died each year from weather-related causes of death. About 31% of these deaths were attributed to exposure to excessive natural heat, heat stroke, sun stroke, or all; 63% were attributed to exposure to excessive natural cold, hypothermia, or both; and the remaining 6% were attributed to floods, storms, or lightning."

According to The Lancet, there were 1.7 million deaths worldwide deaths from extreme temperatures in 2019 – 356,000 were related to heat and the rest were caused by cold.

A 2020 study by researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago found that 94% of temperature-related deaths were because of cold weather.

The official Twitter account for New York Times Health posted the article on social media with the caption: "So you want to go outside — despite the heat, heavy rainfall and poor air quality affecting millions this summer. Here’s how to determine whether it’s safe to leave the house."

Reactions to the guidance on Twitter scorched the New York Times over the article instilling fear in the heads of readers and recommending face masks.

BlazeTV host Lauren Chen: "Journalists have now reached levels of neuroticism previously thought to be impossible."

Professor of medicine, economics, and health research policy at Stanford University Jay Bhattacharya: "Anyone taking health advice or learning epidemiology from the @nytimes will be doomed to isolation and ignorance."

Mathematician and cultural critic James Lindsay: "It's definitely safe to go outside."

DeSantis campaign researcher Kyle Lamb: "They're already back to trying to normalize lockdowns and masking for things like weather and air quality. They're desperate for control."

Public health expert Pradheep J. Shanker: "I'm not sure there is a bigger conveyor of scientific misinformation in the country right now than @NYTScience."

Writer Tom Goodwin: "The news reads very much like covid times these days. Monetizing existential dread and fear as a business model."

Lawyer Julie Hamill: "YES - it is safe to go outside. Stop fear mongering. You are enabling agoraphobia and extremely unhealthy life decisions."

College professor Wilfred Reilly: "The elite is very consciously domesticating the citizenry."

Political consultant Noah Pollak: "Liberal neurotics are desperate to find another excuse to lock themselves in their apartments."

Attorney Laura Powell: "Why has there been a concerted effort by the government and its propaganda arms to scare people into remaining in their homes? What purpose does this serve? It certainly doesn’t promote public health, as they pretend."

Writer Jennifer Sey: "Free floating fear and anxiety in search of a reason. And wanting everyone else to be as anxious as you are so it’s normal."

School social worker Justin Spiro: "The inevitable next step after years of COVID fear-mongering. The New York Times incredulously implies that leaving the house is dangerous due to the horror of... summer weather! Could you imagine such a headline in 2019?"

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