September 9,2020 Dear Colleagues,...September 9,2020 Dear Colleagues, As infectious diseases physicians and researchers, microbiologist and immunologists, epidemiologists and health

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 tocall 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 infectionis lesscommon

in children than in adults, serious short-term and long-termconsequencesof Covid-19are

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

throughdeploymentof rigorouslyevaluated,effective vaccines that have been approved

by regulatoryagencies.

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 safedevelopment, 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

Professorof Pediatrics(InfectiousDiseases)and ofMicrobiologyand ImmunologyandFormerDean,StanfordSchoolof MedicineandFoundingDirector,StanfordDistinguishedCareers Institute

� Incontrast,encouragingherd immunitythrough uncheckedcommunitytransmissionis

not a safe public healthstrategy. Infact, this approachwould do the opposite,causinga

significant increaseinpreventable cases, sufferingand deaths,especiallyamong

vulnerablepopulations,such as older individualsand essential workers.

UpiSingh,MD

Professorof Medicine(InfectiousDiseaseandGeographicMedicine)andofMicrobiologyandImmunologyandChief,Divisionof InfectiousDiseases

BonnieMaldonado,MD

Professorof Pediatrics(InfectiousDiseases)and ofEpidemiologyandPopulationHealthChief,DivisionofPediatricInfectiousDiseasesandSenior AssociateDeanforFacultyDevelopmentandDiversity

MicheleLucyShapiro,PhD Barry,MD

ProfessorofDevelopmental ProfessorofMedicineand

BiologyandDirector,Beckman SeniorAssociateDeanfor

CenterforMolecularand GlobalHealthandDirector,

GeneticMedicine CenterforInnovationinGlobal

HealthandSeniorFellow,

WoodsInstituteandthe

FreemanSpogliInstitutefor

InternationalStudies

CharlesProber,MD

ProfessorofPediatricsandof

MicrobiologyandImmunology

andSeniorAssociateVice

ProvostforHealthEducation

SteveGoodman,MD,

MHS,PhD

ProfessorofEpidemiologyand

PopulationHealthand

AssociateDeanofClinicaland

TranslationalResearch

DavidRelman,MD

ProfessorofMedicine

(InfectiousDiseases)andof


andSeniorFellow,Freeman

SpogliInstituteforInternational

Studies

JulieParsonnet,MD

ProfessorofMedicine

(InfectiousDiseasesand

GeographicMedicine)andof

EpidemiologyandPopulation

Health

SteveLuby,MD

ProfessorofMedicine

(InfectiousDiseases)

andofEpidemiology

andPopulationHealth

andSeniorFellow,

FreemanSpogliInstitute

HarryGreenberg,MD

ProfessorofMedicineandof


andAssociateDeanfor

Research

LeeM.Sanders,MD,MPH

AssociateProfessorofPediatrics

andofHealthResearchand

Policy(Epidemiology)and

Chief,DivisionofGeneral

Pediatrics

AnnArvin,MD EdwardS Mocarski,

ProfessorofPediatricsJr,PhD

(InfectiousDiseases)andof Professorof

MicrobiologyandImmunology Microbiologyand

andFormerViceProvostand Immunology,Emeritus

DeanofResearch

DylanJohn Boothroyd,PhD Dodd,MD,PhD

Professorof Microbiologyand AssistantProfessorof

Immunology Pathologyand of

Microbiologyand

Immunology

JasonAndrews,MD,SM,

DTM&H

AssociateProfessorof

Medicine(InfectiousDiseases)

andof Epidemiologyand

HealthPolicy

DavidStuddert,LLB,MPH, MichelleMello,JD,

ScD PhD

Professorof Law andMedicine, Professorof Medicine(Health

StanfordHealthPolicy,Stanford Policy)andProfessorof Law

Law School

Joshua Salomon,PhD

Professorof Medicine(PrimaryCareandOutcomesResearch)andSenior Fellow,FreemanSpogli Institutefor InternationalStudies

MelissaBondy,PhD

Professorand Chair ofEpidemiologyandPopulationHealthandCo-Directorof theStanfordCenterfor PopulationHealthSciences

John Carette, PhD

Associate Professor ofMicrobiology and Immunology

ManuelRicardoAmieva,MD,PhD

Professorof Pediatrics(InfectiousDiseases)and ofMicrobiologyandImmunology

LoreneNelson,PhD,MA

AssociateProfessorofEpidemiologyandPublicHealthandFacultyDirectorof the StanfordCenterforPopulationHealthSciences

AbrahamVergheseMD,MACP,FRCP(Edin)

LindaR.Meierand Joan F.Lane ProvostialProfessor,ViceChair for the TheoryandPracticeof Medicine

JasonStephenJ Galli,MD Wang,MD,PhD

Professorof Pathologyandof AssociateProfessorof Pediatrics

Microbiologyand Immunology andMedicineandof Health

andFormerChair,Department ResearchandPolicyand

of Pathology Director,Center for Policy,

Outcomesand Prevention

AnnHsing,PhD,MPH

Professorof Medicine(Stanford

PreventionResearch

Center/CancerInstitute)and

Epidemiologyand Population

Health

EstherJohn,PhD,MSPH

Professor,Departmentof


HealthandCo-leader,

PopulationSciencesProgram,

StanfordCancerInstitute

ThomasC Merigan,MD

Professorof Medicine,Emeritus

FormerDivisionChiefDirector,

Center for Aids Research,

Emeritus

SteveAsch,MD,MPH

Professorof Medicine,Primary

CareandPopulationHealth

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

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

Professorof Medicine- InfectiousDiseases,Emeritus

InfectiousDiseases,Emeritus

andPresident,California

InstituteforMedicalResearch,

InfectiousDiseasesResearch

Laboratory,Calif.Inst.for Med.

Res.

Jack Remington,MD

Professorof Medicine(InfectiousDiseases)and Chief,PaloAltoMedicalResearchFoundation

Stan Deresinski,MD,FIDSA

ClinicalProfessorof MedicineInfectiousDiseasesandGeographicMedicine

Holden Terry Maecker, PhD

Professor of Microbiology andImmunology

ArunaSubramanian,MD

ClinicalProfessorof Medicine,Chief, ImmunocompromisedHost InfectiousDiseasesDivisionof InfectiousDiseasesandGeographicMedicine

Helen M Blau, PhD

Professor of Microbiology andImmunology and Director,Baxter Laboratory for Stem CellBiology

Cornelia L.Dekker, MD

Professor of Pediatrics(Infectious Diseases), Emerita

ShiritEinav,MD

AssociateProfessorMedicine-InfectiousDiseasesandGeographicMedicineand ofMicrobiologyand Immunology

Wah Chiu, PhD

Professor of Bioengineering andof Microbiology andImmunology

DeanL.Winslow,MD,FACP,FIDSA,FPIDS

Professorof Medicine–InfectiousDiseases

Denise Monack, PhD


RobertShafer,MD

Professorof MedicineDivisionof InfectiousDiseasesandGeographicMedicine

Doug K Owens, MD, MS

Professor of Medicine andSenior Fellow, Freeman SpogliInstitute for InternationalStudies

Cybele A.Renault,MD,DTM&H

ClinicalAssociate Professor(InfectiousDiseases)Program

Lead for Global Health

(StanfordInternalMedicineResidencyProgram)

Hector Bonilla, MD

Clinical Associate Professor ofMedicine Infectious Diseasesand Geographic Medicine

ElizabethSharon Chen,MD,MS S. Egan, MD,PhD

ClinicalAssociate Professorof Assistant Professorof Pediatrics

Pediatrics (Infectious Diseases) (Infectious Diseases) and the

Tashia and John Morgridge

EndowedFaculty Scholar

Jenny R.Aronson, MD

ClinicalAssistant

ProfessorDivision of Infectious

Diseases and Geographic

Medicine

CatherineBlish, MD, PhD Paul L.Bollyky,MD,D.Phil

Associate Professorof Medicine Associate ProfessorDivisionof

Infectious Diseases and Infectious Diseases Department

Geographic Medicine and of Medicine

Immunology

SrutiTalalSeddick,MD Nadimpalli,MD

ClinicalAssistantofProfessor ClinicalProfessorof

of Pediatrics(Infectious Pediatrics(Infectious

Diseases) Disease)

TimStearns,PhD

ProfessorofBiologyandof

GeneticsandSeniorAssociate

ViceProvostforResearch

MichaelFischbach,PhD

AssociateProfessorof

Bioengineeringandof


MayaAdam,MD

ClinicalAssistantProfessorof

PediatricsandDirectorof

HealthMediaInnovation

KerwynCaseyHuang,PhD

Professorof Bioengineeringand

of Microbiologyand

Immunology

SamanthaJohnson,MD,MPH PhilipM.Grant,MD

ClinicalAssociateProfessorof AssistantProfessorofMedicine

Pediatrics(InfectiousDiseases) InfectiousDiseasesand

GeographicMedicine

JakeScott,MD

ClinicalAssistantProfessorofMedicineInfectiousDiseasesandGeographicMedicine

Dora Ho, MD, PhD

Clinical Associate Professor ofMedicine Infectious Diseasesand Geographic Medicine

RoshniMatthew,MD

ClinicalAssistantProfessorofPediatrics(InfectiousDiseases)andAssociateMedicalDirector,InfectionPrevention& Control

Clea Sarnquist, MD

Clinical Professor of Pediatrics(Infectious Diseases)

Justin Sonnenburg,PhD

AssociateProfessorofMicrobiologyandImmunologyandCo-Director,CenterforHumanMicrobiomeStudies

MarisaHolubar,MDMS

ClinicalAssociateProfessorofMedicineInfectiousDiseasesandGeographicMedicineandAssociateDirector,StanfordAntimicrobialSafetyandSustainabilityProgram

Joanna Nelson,MD

ClinicalAssistantProfessorDepartmentof Medicine–InfectiousDiseases

MichaelPeter Sarnow, PhD Baiocchi, PhD

Professor of Microbiology and Assistant Professor, Department

Immunology of Epidemiology and

Population Health

Glenn M.Chertow, MD,

MPH

Norman S. Coplon Satellite

Healthcare Professor of

Medicine, and by courtesyDepartment of Epidemiology

and Population Health

Bonnie Halpern-Felsher,PhD,

FSAHM

Professor of Pediatrics, TaubeEndowedResearchFaculty

Scholar Professor,and

by courtesy Departmentof Epidemiology and

PopulationHealth, Director of

Fellows’ Scholarship,Department of Pediatrics,

Director of Research, Division

of Adolescent Medicine

A.C. Matin, PhD


Hayley Gans

Clinical Professor, Pediatrics -Infectious Diseases

PaulGrahamFisher,MD

Professor, Neurology andPediatrics, and by courtesy,

Neurosurgery, Epidemiology and

PopulationHealth, and HumanBiology, The Beirne Family

Professor of Pediatric Neuro-

Oncology, The Dunlevie FamilyUniversity Fellow in

Undergraduate Education, Chief,

Divisionof Child Neurology,Vice Chair,Faculty Affairs,

Department of Neurology

VictorHenderson,MD

Professor,Departmentof


Health

TaiaT. Wang,MD,PhD,MSCI

Assistant Professorof Medicineandof MicrobiologyandImmunology

Lisa Goldman-Rosas,PhD,

MPH

Assistant Professor, Department

of Epidemiology and Population

Health, Director, Office ofCommunity Engagement

Tina Hernandez-Boussard,

PhD, MPH,MS

Associate Professor ofMedicine, Biomedical Data

Science, and Surgery, and

by courtesy Departmentof Epidemiology and Population

Health

AbbyKing,PhD

Professor, Epidemiology and

PopulationHealth, andMedicine (StanfordPrevention

ResearchCenter)

Director, Healthy AgingResearch & Technology

Solutions (HARTS)Laboratory

Faculty Director, Our VoiceGlobal Citizen Science

InitiativePast President,Society of

Behavioral Medicine

MitchellR.Lunn,MD,MAS,

FACP,FASN

Assistant Professor of

Medicine, and by courtesy,

Department of Epidemiologyand Population Health

MindieH.Nguyen,MD,MAS,

AGAF,FAASLD

Professor, Department of

Medicine, and by courtesy

Department of Epidemiology


Latha Palaniappan,MD,MS,

FAHA,FACC,FACP

Professor of Medicine,Department of Medicine

(Primary Care and Population

Health) and, by courtesy,Department of Epidemiology


AllisonW. Kurian,M.D.,

M.Sc.

Associate Professor of Medicine(Oncology) and of Epidemiology


Associate Chief for AcademicAffairs, Division of Oncology

Director, Women’s Clinical

Cancer Genetics Program,Co-leader, Population Sciences

Program,Stanford CancerInstitute

KariNadeau,MD,PhD

Naddisy Foundation Professor ofPediatric FoodAllergy,

Immunology and Asthma,

Professor of Pediatrics andProfessor by Courtesy of

Otolaryngology Head & NeckSurgery at LPCH and

Department of Epidemiology and

Population Health

MichelleC.Odden,PhD

AssociateProfessor,Department

of EpidemiologyandPopulation

Health

LesleyS. Park,PhD,MPH

Instructor, Department of

Epidemiology and PopulationHealth, Associate Director,

Stanford Center for Population

Health Sciences

LianneKurina,PhD

Associate Professor, Primary

Care and Population Health,Bing Director of the Program in

Human Biology

LoreneNelson,PhD,MS

Associate Professor, Departmentof Epidemiology and Population

Health Faculty Director of

Research, Stanford Center forPopulation Health Sciences

Juno Obedin-Maliver,MD,

MPH,MAS

Assistant Professor, Departmentof Obstetrics and Gynecology

and, by courtesy, Department ofEpidemiology and Population

Health

RitaA.Popat,PhD

ClinicalAssociateProfessor,

Departmentof Epidemiology

andPopulationHealth

DavidH Rehkopf,ScD,MPH

Associate Professor,

Departments of Epidemiologyand PopulationHealth,

Department of Medicine,

(Primary Care and PopulationHealth),Co-director, Stanford

Center for PopulationHealth

Sciences

GaryM.Shaw,DrPH

NICUNurses EndowedProfessor of Pediatrics,

Associate Chair Dept of

Pediatrics, Department ofPediatrics and, by courtesy,

Department of Epidemiology


HollyTabor,PhD

Associate Professor,

Department of Medicine and bycourtesy, Department of

Epidemiology and Population

Health) and Associate Director,

Stanford Center for BiomedicalEthics

Thomas N. Robinson,MD,

MPH

Professor of Pediatrics and ofMedicine and, by courtesy,

Department of Epidemiology and

Population Health

Julia F Simard,ScD


of Epidemiology& Population

Health

AliceS. Whittemore,Ph.D.

Professor (Emerita) of

Epidemiology and BiostatisticsDepartments of Epidemiology


and of Biomedical Data Science

KristinSainani,PhD


of EpidemiologyandPopulation

Health

MarciaL.Stefanick,PhD

Professor of Medicine (StanfordPrevention Research Center),

Professor of Obstetrics &

Gynecology, and by courtesyProfessor of Epidemiology and

Population Health, Director,

Stanford Women’s Health andSex Differences inMedicine

(WHSDM) Center

Documents

September 9,2020 Dear Colleagues,...September 9,2020 Dear Colleagues, As infectious diseases physicians and researchers, microbiologist and immunologists, epidemiologists and health