"Don't believe the numbers you're seeing." This is Dr. Marty Makary's big message. The number of cases and deaths are radically underreported because a) we don't have tests, b) some countries are hiding their data, c) some people aren't showing symptoms yet, but have coronavirus and more.

But listen. This podcast is not about fear. It's about knowledge and awareness and action.

Right now, nobody really knows what's happening. Thew news and social media are giving us false predictions off "estimates" that don't even account for the thousands of people who can't get tested for COVID-19. Meanwhile, Amazon is out of toilet paper. People are signing their emails "Don't touch your face! Best, Joe." And I officially own two hazmat suits.

But how do we really "flatten the curve?"

This episode will give you the steps. And I also recorded a recap at the end to give you more of a summary. AND because this is so critical, I have a list of timestamps below. So you can rewind and fast-forward for the stats that you want to share with friends and loved ones the most.

So here you go: to keep on with the trend of providing ACCURATE information from reputable people, I called up, Dr. Marty Makary, a Johns Hopkins doctor and policy expert who also wrote the New York Times bestseller "Unaccountable: What Hospitals Won't Tell You and How Transparency Can Revolutionize Health Care" and "The Price We Pay: What Broke American Health Care--and How to Fix It."

6:50 GOOD NEWS: we can anticipate we’ll be clear in the summer. And more good news (for young people), you’re at less risk

7:00 - But who’s at risk? Let’s hear stats from Dr. Marty

9:34 - Which countries have given honest data. And which haven’t

10:58 - “Are we ready to see over a thousand Americans each day?” - Dr. Marty Makary

11:26 - Do we need a total lockdown?

12:18 - WHY there’s a major misconception around the actual number of cases and deaths around COVID-19 in the U.S.

15:13 - “The notion that this is somehow contained is a notion we need to abandon. This is everywhere.” - Dr. Marty Makary

18:06 - Is China lying about the number of deaths?

21:30 - HOW to get an accurate estimate based on REAL data everyday

24:13 - THESE behavior changes will reduce the societal transmission rate by 50%

25:25 - I ask Dr. Marty Makary about the data from the cruise ships and why only 27% of the people on board got coronavirus… and he explains why the data from the cruise ship is “the perfect case study”

29:35 - We talk about school shutdowns and travel bans

30:18 - “We need to break society down into two constructs: (1) essential and nonessential workers. And (2) high risk and low risk individuals.” - Dr. Marty Markary / Hear Dr. M break down both of these ideas to figure out what categories you’re in

31:50 - We explore The Hong Kong flu, which killed between 1.5 to 3 million people globally in 1968. And other global pandemics to compare the numbers… Dr. M says this “could be roughly 5-10x worse…” and explains why.

35 - We talk about the death rate for the flu

37:20 - Why there are no cures or medicines that slow down the virus

40:30 - Stay active. But don’t go to the gym

42:20 - Where the media has gone wrong… and what the responsibility is for doctors in connection with the media

48:30 - We talk about the food supply chain

50 - How Americans are taking care of each other

52:40 - The math on how to estimate the potential death rate in the U.S.

54:40 - Why it’s good to practice social distancing

56:00 - Will this come back in the winter?

59:17 - Will there be a second round of infection? Is it possible to become immune to COVID-19? And can the virus mutate?

1:02:50 - “This is a time for us to take care of each other, forget about these artificial, political boundaries and see the best in people.” - Dr. Marty Makary

1:50:20 - Why we need to stop relying on government leaders. And start taking care of ourselves

1:09:00 - What’s the long-term benefit of a lockdown?

1:11:00 - “Don’t panic. Prepare. We don’t want to create hysteria. There’s a lot you can do individually and this is one of the only things in healthcare ever, where what you do affects the rest of the country.” - Dr. Marty Makary

1:12:21 - Follow Marty on Twitter @MartyMakary

1:13:11 - I summarize what we heard and learned in the past hour

Also! A lot of you have been writing me and tweeting to say you love this episode with my friend Bill Beteet. Ep. 555 - How to Persuade Anyone of Anything with William Beteet III

He's giving my listeners a special deal to his new course and if you're stuck at home in isolation, now is the perfect time to let yourself learn or improve a skill.

So definitely take him up on the offer while you can. All the information is at www.framescholar.com/james

And here's the link to the episode

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/555-how-to-persuade-anyone-anything-william-beteet/id794030859?i=1000467302479

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Ko04h3dTu4xQAIPLUT4vz

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u925CgWQgG4

I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltucher.com/podcast.

Thanks so much for listening! If you like this episode, please subscribe to “The James Altucher Show” and rate and review wherever you get your podcasts:

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