Experts Weigh In: COVID-19

COVID Coverage “It is difficult to see pictures of all the people at bars and restaurants, “We are no longer even talking about flattening the curve, we just “ socializing, making play don’t want dates, and ignoring social it to look like distancing recommenda- a ski slope.” tions when I know my husband (an Emory emergency physician) and many other health care workers are risking their lives to treat more sick patients.

Please, take this pandemic seriously.”

Rachel Patzer, assistant professor, Division of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, in a series of tweets that went viral and was retweeted by former President Barack Obama “If we go back to less testing, then we go back Colleen Kraft, infectious disease physician and associate professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, “Weekend TODAY”

“I can’t even imagine not being able to hold my loved one. Nobody wants to die alone. It’s awful for the patient. It’s awful for the family. It’s traumatic for health care workers.”

Nadine Kaslow, professor

of psychiatry, AJC to flying blind.”

Jay Varkey, associate professor of infectious diseases and hospital epidemiologist, Facebook Live

“It’s a scary time. We don’t want to add fuel to the fire. Good information won’t cure us, but it will help to calm us.”

Ruth Parker, professor of pediatrics, expert on health literacy, AP

“I lived through 9/11 and invading Iraq and tying the yellow ribbon around the tree and coming together for our country. I was never prepared for the public to be resistant to health interventions.”

Colleen Kraft, ID physician, National Geographic

“I very much trust CDC. They need to be given resources to do their job. The cuts to CDC and public health security that the administration pushed in the past are not helping. As Dolly Parton stated, ‘You have no idea how expensive it is to look this cheap.’ ”

Carlos del Rio, Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, AJC

“The decisions and choices that we make in society today will have a direct impact on the number of people who get hospitalized (with COVID-19) two weeks from now.”

Jay Varkey, ID physician, Facebook Live

“We are learning at light speed about the disease. Things that previously might have taken us years to learn, we’re learning in a week or two. Things that might have taken us a month to learn beforehand, we’re learning in a day or two.”

Craig Coopersmith, professor of surgery, director of the critical care center, NPR

“We have a patchwork of responses as opposed to a national response. We really need a coordinated national response.”

Carlos del Rio, Distinguished Professor of Medicine, WebMD

“How you don and doff Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)? All of those small details are very challenging. One of the reasons we were successful with Ebola, without any of our staff becoming infected, was because the only people who came into contact with those patients were those who had special training.”

Bill Bornstein, professor of medicine, aamc.org

“We’re using diagnostic testing right now in ways we’ve never thought about using diagnostic testing.”

Colleen Kraft, ID physician, “COVID-19 Fireside Chat with Dr. Anthony Fauci,” Facebook Live

“I want to thank every single volunteer for the vaccine studies. Those are real heroes, saying, ‘I want to go first.’”

Carlos del Rio, Distinguised Professor of Medicine, Facebook Live

“We’ve got to figure out how can we protect people at the same time they’re going about their daily lives. We have to focus on living with COVID. There’s not going to be a post-COVID world for a long time.”

“We’re learning so much about the virus every day and how it can impact us in ways we might not expect.”

Jonathan Lewin, executive VP for health affairs; executive director, Woodruff Health Sciences Center, Emory News Center

“We are fighting an epidemic of virus, and we’re fighting an epidemic of misinformation. I think misinformation is causing infections and it’s causing problems. . . . This is the first pandemic of social media, which becomes an echo box. What I tell people is, look at trusted sources... and be a little skeptical.”

Carlos del Rio, Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Facebook Live

“Air circulation systems on planes are quite good. They have high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters and high rates of air exchange. But that still doesn’t protect you from what is happening immediately around you.”

Henry Wu, associate professor of medicine, director of Emory TravelWell Clinic, NPR, Goats and Soda

“My mask protects YOU. Your mask protects ME. OUR masks protect EACH OTHER. Anyone can be Batman. Anyone can be a hero. Be the hero your community needs. Be the hero your community deserves.”

Jay Varkey, ID physician, Twitter