The World Health Organization earlier this week warned that coronavirus appears to have a higher death rate than previously known, with the latest estimates at more than 3% globally. But Donald Trump isn’t buying it. The 3.4% of reported Covid-19 cases who have died, according to the W.H.O., is a “false number,” in the eyes of the president. Coronavirus, he claimed, contradicting health experts, is no more dangerous than the seasonal flu. His source for that dubious conclusion? His trusty gut, of course.

“This is just my hunch,” the president said in a phone interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity Wednesday night, as the global death toll rose to more than 3,000 and the United States confirmed its 11th death from the virus. “I think that [3.4%] is very high...Personally, I would say the number is way under 1%.”

Trump has repeatedly attempted to play down concerns about the deadly virus, including with characteristically dubious claims. But his remarks Wednesday may be his most reckless yet, sowing doubt in expert assessments and even, at one point, suggesting those with the virus can go to work while ill—something officials have explicitly discouraged in the interest of preventing further community spread. “We have thousands or hundreds of thousands of people who get better just by sitting around and even going to work, some of them go to work but they get better,” he told Hannity.

MSNBC host Chris Hayes expressed alarm on Twitter: “Not a doctor or a virologist or anything but DEFINITELY DO NOT GO TO WORK IF YOU HAVE CORONAVIRUS PLEASE AND THANK YOU.” And experts, like CNN’s Sanjay Gupta, were dumbfounded by the president’s take, delivered on live television to millions of viewers who, if they were to heed advice from Dr. Trump, could potentially exacerbate the spread of the disease. “Even without a coronavirus outbreak, people who are sick, who are showing any symptoms like that, shouldn’t be going to work,” Gupta emphasized. “That’s how something like this spreads.”

Trump, characteristically, blamed the "Fake News" on Thursday morning. “I NEVER said people that are feeling sick should go to work,” he tweeted. “This is just more Fake News and disinformation put out by the Democrats, in particular MSDNC. Comcast covers the CoronaVirus situation horribly, only looking to do harm to the incredible & successful effort being made!”