As Infectious Diseases Physicians and Researchers, Microbiologist and Immunologists, Epidemiologists and Health Policy Leaders

September 9, 2020

Dear Colleagues,

As infectious diseases physicians and researchers, microbiologist and immunologists, epidemiologists and health policy leaders, we stand united in efforts to develop and promote science-based solutions that advance human health and prevent suffering from the coronavirus pandemic. In this pursuit, we share a commitment to a basic principle derived from the Hippocratic Oath: Primum Non Nocere (First, Do No Harm).

To prevent harm to the public’s health, we also have both a moral and an ethical responsibility to call attention to the falsehoods and misrepresentations of science recently fostered by Dr. Scott Atlas, a former Stanford Medical School colleague and current senior fellow at the Hoover Institute at Stanford University. Many of his opinions and statements run counter to established science and, by doing so, undermine public-health authorities and the credible science that guides effective public health policy. The preponderance of data, accrued from around the world, currently supports each of the following statements:

The use of face masks, social distancing, handwashing and hygiene have been shown to substantially reduce the spread of Covid-19. Crowded indoor spaces are settings that significantly increase the risk of community spread of SARS-CoV-2.

Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 frequently occurs from asymptomatic people, including children and young adults, to family members and others. Therefore, testing asymptomatic individuals, especially those with probable Covid-19 exposure is important to break the chain of ongoing transmission.

Childrenof all ages can be infectedwith SARS-CoV-2.While infectionislesscommon in children than in adults, serious short-term and long-termconsequencesof Covid-19 are increasinglydescribed in children and young people.

The pandemic will be controlledwhen a large proportionof a populationhas developed immunity(referredto as herd immunity)and that the safest path to herd immunityis through deploymentof rigorouslyevaluated,effective vaccines that have been approved by regulatoryagencies. Incontrast,encouragingherd immunitythrough uncheckedcommunitytransmissionis not a safe public healthstrategy. Infact, this approachwould do the opposite,causing a significantincreasein preventable cases, sufferingand deaths,especiallyamong vulnerablepopulations,such as older individualsand essential workers.

Commitment to science-based decision-making is a fundamental obligation of public health policy. The rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the US, with consequent morbidity and mortality, are among the highest in the world. The policy response to this pandemic must reinforce the science, including that evidence-based prevention and the safe development, testing and delivery of efficacious therapies and preventive measures, including vaccines, represent the safest path forward. Failure to follow the science -- or deliberately misrepresenting the science – will lead to immense avoidable harm.

We believe that social and economic activity can reopen safely, if we follow policies that are consistent with science. In fact, the countries that have reopened businesses and schools safely are those that have implemented the science-based strategies outlined above.

As Stanford faculty with expertise in infectious diseases, epidemiology and health policy, our signatures support this statement with the hope that our voices affirm scientific, medical and public health approaches that promote the safety of our communities and nation.

PhilipA.Pizzo,MD UpiSingh,MD BonnieMaldonado,MD

Professorof Pediatrics Professorof Medicine Professorof Pediatrics (InfectiousDiseases)and of (InfectiousDiseaseand (InfectiousDiseases)and of Microbiologyand Immunology GeographicMedicine)andof EpidemiologyandPopulation andFormerDean,Stanford MicrobiologyandImmunology HealthChief,Divisionof Schoolof Medicineand andChief,Divisionof Infectious PediatricInfectiousDiseases FoundingDirector,Stanford Diseases andSenior AssociateDeanfor DistinguishedCareers Institute FacultyDevelopmentand Diversity LucyShapiro,PhD MelissaBondy,PhD MicheleBarry,MD

ProfessorofDevelopmental Professorand Chair of ProfessorofMedicineand

BiologyandDirector,BeckmanEpidemiologyandPopulation SeniorAssociateDeanfor

CenterforMolecularand HealthandCo-Directorof the GlobalHealthandDirector,

GeneticMedicine StanfordCenterfor Population CenterforInnovationinGlobal

HealthSciences HealthandSeniorFellow,

WoodsInstituteandthe

FreemanSpogliInstitutefor

InternationalStudies

CharlesProber,MD JulieParsonnet,MD SteveGoodman,MD,

MHS,PhD ProfessorofPediatricsandof ProfessorofMedicine

MicrobiologyandImmunology(InfectiousDiseasesand ProfessorofEpidemiologyand andSeniorAssociateVice GeographicMedicine)andof PopulationHealthand

ProvostforHealthEducation EpidemiologyandPopulation AssociateDeanofClinicaland

Health TranslationalResearch

DavidRelman,MD LeeM.Sanders,MD,MPH SteveLuby,MD

ProfessorofMedicine AssociateProfessorofPediatrics ProfessorofMedicine

(InfectiousDiseases)andof andofHealthResearchand (InfectiousDiseases)

MicrobiologyandImmunologyPolicy(Epidemiology)and andofEpidemiology andSeniorFellow,Freeman Chief,DivisionofGeneral andPopulationHealth

SpogliInstituteforInternationalPediatrics andSeniorFellow,

Studies FreemanSpogliInstitute

HarryGreenberg,MD AnnArvin,MD EdwardS Mocarski,

Jr,PhD ProfessorofMedicineandof ProfessorofPediatrics

MicrobiologyandImmunology(InfectiousDiseases)andof Professorof andAssociateDeanfor MicrobiologyandImmunology Microbiologyand

Research andFormerViceProvostand Immunology,Emeritus

DeanofResearch

John Boothroyd,PhD John Carette, PhD DylanDodd,MD,PhD

Professorof Microbiologyand Associate Professor of AssistantProfessorof

Immunology Microbiology and Immunology Pathologyand of

Microbiologyand

Immunology

JasonAndrews,MD,SM, DavidStuddert,LLB,MPH, MichelleMello,JD,

DTM&H ScD PhD

AssociateProfessorof Professorof Law andMedicine, Professorof Medicine(Health

Medicine(InfectiousDiseases) StanfordHealthPolicy,Stanford Policy)andProfessorof Law andof Epidemiologyand Law School

HealthPolicy

Joshua Salomon,PhD ManuelRicardoAmieva,MD, LoreneNelson,PhD,MA PhD Professorof Medicine(Primary AssociateProfessorof CareandOutcomesResearch) Professorof Pediatrics EpidemiologyandPublic andSenior Fellow,Freeman (InfectiousDiseases)and of HealthandFacultyDirector SpogliInstitutefor International MicrobiologyandImmunology of the StanfordCenterfor Studies PopulationHealthSciences AbrahamVergheseMD, ArunaSubramanian,MD DeanL.Winslow,MD,FACP, MACP,FRCP(Edin) FIDSA,FPIDS ClinicalProfessorof Medicine, LindaR.Meierand Joan F. Chief,Immunocompromised Professorof Medicine– Lane ProvostialProfessor, Host InfectiousDiseases InfectiousDiseases ViceChairfor the Theoryand Divisionof InfectiousDiseases Practiceof Medicine andGeographicMedicine

StephenJ Galli,MD Helen M Blau, PhD JasonWang,MD,PhD

Professorof Pathologyandof Professor of Microbiology and AssociateProfessorof Pediatrics

Microbiologyand Immunology Immunology and Director, andMedicineandof Health andFormerChair,Department Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell ResearchandPolicyand of Pathology Biology Director,Centerfor Policy,

Outcomesand Prevention

AnnHsing,PhD,MPH SteveAsch,MD,MPH EstherJohn,PhD,MSPH

Professorof Medicine(Stanford Professorof Medicine,Primary Professor,Departmentof

PreventionResearch CareandPopulationHealth EpidemiologyandPopulation

Center/CancerInstitute)and HealthandCo-leader,

Epidemiologyand Population PopulationSciencesProgram,

Health StanfordCancerInstitute

ThomasC Merigan,MD DavidA. Stevens,M.D., GaryK.Schoolnik,MD

F.A.C.P.,F.A.A.M.,F.I.D.S.A. Professorof Medicine,Emeritus Professorof Medicine-

FormerDivisionChief Director, Professorof Medicine- InfectiousDiseases,Emeritus

Centerfor Aids Research, InfectiousDiseases,Emeritus

Emeritus andPresident,California

Institutefor MedicalResearch,

InfectiousDiseasesResearch

Laboratory,Calif.Inst.for Med.

Res.

Jack Remington,MD Cornelia L.Dekker, MD Denise Monack, PhD Professorof Medicine Professor of Pediatrics Professor of Microbiology and (InfectiousDiseases)and Chief, (Infectious Diseases), Emerita Immunology PaloAltoMedicalResearch Foundation

Stan Deresinski,MD,FIDSA ShiritEinav,MD RobertShafer,MD ClinicalProfessorof Medicine AssociateProfessorMedicine- Professorof MedicineDivision InfectiousDiseasesand InfectiousDiseasesand of InfectiousDiseasesand GeographicMedicine GeographicMedicineand of GeographicMedicine Microbiologyand Immunology

Holden Terry Maecker, PhD Wah Chiu, PhD Doug K Owens, MD, MS Professor of Microbiology and Professor of Bioengineering and Professor of Medicine and Immunology of Microbiology and Senior Fellow, Freeman Spogli Immunology Institute for International Studies Cybele A.Renault,MD, JakeScott,MD Justin Sonnenburg,PhD DTM&H ClinicalAssistantProfessorof AssociateProfessorof ClinicalAssociate Professor MedicineInfectiousDiseases MicrobiologyandImmunology (InfectiousDiseases)Program andGeographicMedicine andCo-Director,Centerfor Lead for Global Health HumanMicrobiomeStudies (StanfordInternalMedicine ResidencyProgram)

Hector Bonilla, MD Dora Ho, MD, PhD MarisaHolubar,MDMS

Clinical Associate Professor of Clinical Associate Professor of ClinicalAssociateProfessorof Medicine Infectious Diseases Medicine Infectious Diseases MedicineInfectiousDiseases and Geographic Medicine and Geographic Medicine andGeographicMedicineand AssociateDirector,Stanford AntimicrobialSafetyand SustainabilityProgram

Sharon Chen,MD,MS RoshniMatthew,MD Elizabeth S. Egan, MD,PhD

ClinicalAssociate Professor of ClinicalAssistantProfessorof Assistant Professor of Pediatrics

Pediatrics (Infectious Diseases) Pediatrics(InfectiousDiseases) (Infectious Diseases) and the

andAssociateMedicalDirector, Tashia and John Morgridge

InfectionPrevention& Control EndowedFaculty Scholar

Jenny R.Aronson, MD CatherineBlish, MD, PhD Paul L. Bollyky,MD,D.Phil

ClinicalAssistant Associate Professor of Medicine Associate Professor Divisionof

Professor Division of Infectious Infectious Diseases and Infectious Diseases Department

Diseases and Geographic Geographic Medicine and of Medicine

Medicine Immunology

TalalSeddick,MD Clea Sarnquist, MD SrutiNadimpalli,MD

ClinicalAssistantofProfessor Clinical Professor of Pediatrics ClinicalProfessorof of Pediatrics(Infectious (Infectious Diseases) Pediatrics(Infectious

Diseases) Disease)

TimStearns,PhD KerwynCaseyHuang,PhD MichaelFischbach,PhD

ProfessorofBiologyandof Professorof Bioengineeringand AssociateProfessorof

GeneticsandSeniorAssociate of Microbiologyand Bioengineeringandof

ViceProvostforResearch Immunology MicrobiologyandImmunology

MayaAdam,MD SamanthaJohnson,MD,MPH PhilipM.Grant,MD

ClinicalAssistantProfessorof ClinicalAssociateProfessorof AssistantProfessorofMedicine

PediatricsandDirectorof Pediatrics(InfectiousDiseases) InfectiousDiseasesand

HealthMediaInnovation GeographicMedicine Joanna Nelson,MD A.C. Matin, PhD TaiaT. Wang,MD,PhD, MSCI ClinicalAssistantProfessor Professor of Microbiology and Departmentof Medicine– Immunology Assistant Professorof Medicine InfectiousDiseases andof Microbiologyand Immunology

Peter Sarnow, PhD Hayley Gans Michael Baiocchi, PhD

Professor of Microbiology and Clinical Professor, Pediatrics - Assistant Professor, Department

Immunology Infectious Diseases of Epidemiology and Population Health

Glenn M.Chertow, MD, PaulGrahamFisher,MD Lisa Goldman-Rosas,PhD, MPH MPH Professor, Neurology and Norman S. Coplon Satellite Pediatrics, and by courtesy, Assistant Professor, Department Healthcare Professor of Neurosurgery, Epidemiology and of Epidemiology and Population Medicine, and by courtesy PopulationHealth, and Human Health, Director, Office of Department of Epidemiology Biology, The Beirne Family Community Engagement and Population Health Professor of Pediatric Neuro- Oncology, The Dunlevie Family University Fellow in Undergraduate Education, Chief, Divisionof Child Neurology, Vice Chair, Faculty Affairs, Department of Neurology

Bonnie Halpern-Felsher,PhD, VictorHenderson,MD Tina Hernandez-Boussard, FSAHM PhD, MPH,MS Professor,Departmentof Professor of Pediatrics, Taube EpidemiologyandPopulation Associate Professor of Endowed Research Faculty Health Medicine, Biomedical Data Scholar Professor,and Science, and Surgery, and by courtesy Department by courtesy Department of Epidemiology and of Epidemiology and Population PopulationHealth, Director of Health Fellows’ Scholarship, Department of Pediatrics, Director of Research, Division of Adolescent Medicine AbbyKing,PhD Allison W. Kurian,M.D., LianneKurina,PhD M.Sc. Professor, Epidemiology and Associate Professor, Primary PopulationHealth, and Associate Professor of Medicine Care and Population Health, Medicine (Stanford Prevention (Oncology) and of Epidemiology Bing Director of the Program in Research Center) and Population Health Human Biology Director, Healthy Aging Associate Chief for Academic Research & Technology Affairs, Division of Oncology Solutions (HARTS)Laboratory Director, Women’s Clinical Faculty Director, Our Voice Cancer Genetics Program, Co- Global Citizen Science leader, Population Sciences Initiative Program, Stanford Cancer Past President,Society of Institute Behavioral Medicine

MitchellR.Lunn,MD,MAS, KariNadeau,MD,PhD LoreneNelson,PhD,MS FACP,FASN Naddisy Foundation Professor of Associate Professor, Department Assistant Professor of Pediatric FoodAllergy, of Epidemiology and Population Medicine, and by courtesy, Immunology and Asthma, Health Faculty Director of Department of Epidemiology Professor of Pediatrics and Research, Stanford Center for and Population Health Professor by Courtesy of Population Health Sciences Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery at LPCH and Department of Epidemiology and Population Health

MindieH.Nguyen,MD,MAS, MichelleC.Odden,PhD Juno Obedin-Maliver,MD, AGAF,FAASLD MPH,MAS AssociateProfessor,Department Professor, Department of of EpidemiologyandPopulation Assistant Professor, Department Medicine, and by courtesy Health of Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of Epidemiology and, by courtesy, Department of and Population Health Epidemiology and Population Health

Latha Palaniappan,MD,MS, LesleyS. Park,PhD,MPH RitaA.Popat,PhD FAHA,FACC,FACP Instructor, Department of ClinicalAssociateProfessor, Professor of Medicine, Epidemiology and Population Departmentof Epidemiology Department of Medicine Health, Associate Director, andPopulationHealth (Primary Care and Population Stanford Center for Population Health) and, by courtesy, Health Sciences Department of Epidemiology and Population Health DavidH Rehkopf,ScD,MPH Thomas N. Robinson,MD, KristinSainani,PhD MPH Associate Professor, AssociateProfessor,Department Departments of Epidemiology Professor of Pediatrics and of of EpidemiologyandPopulation and PopulationHealth, Medicine and, by courtesy, Health Department of Medicine, Department of Epidemiology and (Primary Care and Population Population Health Health),Co-director, Stanford Center for PopulationHealth Sciences

GaryM.Shaw,DrPH Julia F Simard,ScD MarciaL.Stefanick,PhD

NICU Nurses Endowed AssociateProfessor,Department Professor of Medicine (Stanford Professor of Pediatrics, of Epidemiology& Population Prevention Research Center), Associate Chair Dept of Health Professor of Obstetrics & Pediatrics, Department of Gynecology, and by courtesy Pediatrics and, by courtesy, Professor of Epidemiology and Department of Epidemiology Population Health, Director, and Population Health Stanford Women’s Health and Sex Differences in Medicine (WHSDM) Center

HollyTabor,PhD AliceS. Whittemore,Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Professor (Emerita) of Department of Medicine and by Epidemiology and Biostatistics courtesy, Department of Departments of Epidemiology Epidemiology and Population and Population Health Health) and Associate Director, and of Biomedical Data Science Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics