I am so proud to be part of the health care community – physicians, nurses and health care workers putting our own lives on the line to save COVID-19 patients and to care for your other ailments during this time. We do this because we believe in our duty. Though often scared when serving on the front line, we believe in our sacred oath to our patients.
There have been relentless attempts to discredit science and the health care community in an effort to downplay the deadly seriousness of a highly transmissible disease that has killed more than 235,000 Americans.
An inflammatory statement made last week - "Our doctors get more money if someone dies from COVID" – is false.
It is offensive and more importantly dangerous to promulgate misinformation with the intent of dismissing a deadly pandemic as a harmless exaggeration. Not only will it harm our communities during COVID-19 but sewing mistrust will have long term implications on the public health.
This is about science. This is about your health. This is not about politics. The virus is not an exaggeration and the virus is not harmless.
Physicians and our health care teams will, as always, stand tall and ready in the face of danger to provide safe and compassionate care.
Rather than promoting falsehoods to serve a political agenda, we suggest leaders urge the public and assist the states in doing those simple things that we know work. Wear a mask. Wash your hands and keep your distance.
-David A. Rosman, MD, MBA, President, Massachusetts Medical Society
