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