UPDATED SEP 9 AT 22:00

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.
● Children of all ages can be infected with SARS-CoV-2. While infection is less common
in children than in adults, serious short-term and long-term consequences of Covid-19 are
increasingly described in children and young people.
● The pandemic will be controlled when a large proportion of a population has developed
immunity (referred to as herd immunity) and that the safest path to herd immunity is
through deployment of rigorously evaluated, effective vaccines that have been approved
by regulatory agencies.
● In contrast, encouraging herd immunity through unchecked community transmission is
not a safe public health strategy. In fact, this approach would do the opposite, causing a
significant increase in preventable cases, suffering and deaths, especially among
vulnerable populations, such as older individuals and 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.
Philip A. Pizzo, MD

Upi Singh, MD

Bonnie Maldonado, MD

Professor of Pediatrics
(Infectious Diseases) and of
Microbiology and
Immunology and Former
Dean, Stanford School of
Medicine and Founding
Director, Stanford
Distinguished Careers
Institute

Professor of Medicine
(Infectious Disease and
Geographic Medicine) and of
Microbiology and
Immunology and Chief,
Division of Infectious
Diseases

Professor of Pediatrics
(Infectious Diseases) and of
Epidemiology and
Population Health Chief,
Division of Pediatric
Infectious Diseases and
Senior Associate Dean for
Faculty Development and
Diversity

Lucy Shapiro, PhD

Melissa Bondy, PhD

Michele Barry, MD

Professor of Developmental
Biology and Director,
Beckman Center for
Molecular and Genetic
Medicine

Professor and Chair of
Epidemiology and Population
Health and Co-Director of the
Stanford Center for
Population Health Sciences

Professor of Medicine and
Senior Associate Dean for
Global Health and Director,
Center for Innovation in
Global Health and Senior
Fellow, Woods Institute and
the Freeman Spogli Institute
for International Studies

 Steve Goodman, MD,
MHS, PhD

Charles Prober, MD

Julie Parsonnet, MD

Professor of Pediatrics and of
Microbiology and
Immunology and Senior
Associate Vice Provost for
Health Education

Professor of Medicine
(Infectious Diseases and
Geographic Medicine) and of
Epidemiology and Population
Health

David Relman, MD

Lee M. Sanders, MD, MPH

Steve Luby, MD

Professor of Medicine
(Infectious Diseases) and of
Microbiology and
Immunology and Senior
Fellow, Freeman Spogli
Institute for International
Studies

Associate Professor of
Pediatrics and of Health
Research and Policy
(Epidemiology) and Chief,
Division of General Pediatrics

Professor of Medicine
(Infectious Diseases)
and of Epidemiology
and Population Health
and Senior Fellow,
Freeman Spogli
Institute

Harry Greenberg, MD

Ann Arvin, MD

Professor of Medicine and of
Microbiology and
Immunology and Associate
Dean for Research

Professor of Pediatrics
(Infectious Diseases) and of
Microbiology and
Immunology and Former Vice
Provost and Dean of Research

Edward S Mocarski,
Jr, PhD

John Boothroyd, PhD

John Carette, PhD

Professor of Microbiology
and Immunology

Associate Professor of
Microbiology and
Immunology

Jason Andrews, MD, SM,
DTM&H

David Studdert, LLB, MPH,
ScD

Michelle Mello, JD,
PhD

Associate Professor of
Medicine (Infectious
Diseases) and of
Epidemiology and Health
Policy

Professor of Law and
Medicine, Stanford Health
Policy, Stanford Law School

Professor of Medicine
(Health Policy) and
Professor of Law

Professor of Epidemiology
and Population Health and
Associate Dean of Clinical
and Translational Research

Professor of
Microbiology and
Immunology,
Emeritus
Dylan Dodd, MD,
PhD
Assistant Professor of
Pathology and of
Microbiology and
Immunology

 Joshua Salomon, PhD
Professor of Medicine
(Primary Care and Outcomes
Research) and Senior Fellow,
Freeman Spogli Institute for
International Studies

Abraham Verghese MD,
MACP, FRCP(Edin)
Professor, Vice Chair for the
Theory and Practice of
Medicine

Manuel Ricardo Amieva,
MD, PhD

Lorene Nelson, PhD,
MA

Professor of Pediatrics
(Infectious Diseases) and of
Microbiology and
Immunology

Associate Professor of
Epidemiology and Public
Health and Faculty
Director of the Stanford
Center for Population
Health Sciences

Aruna Subramanian, MD

Dean L. Winslow, MD,
FACP, FIDSA, FPIDS

Clinical Professor of
Medicine, Chief,
Immunocompromised Host
Infectious Diseases Division
of Infectious Diseases and
Geographic Medicine

Professor of Medicine –
Infectious Diseases

Stephen J Galli, MD

Helen M Blau, PhD

Jason Wang, MD, PhD

Professor of Pathology and
of Microbiology and
Immunology and Former
Chair, Department of
Pathology

Professor of Microbiology and
Immunology and Director,
Baxter Laboratory for Stem
Cell Biology

Associate Professor of
Pediatrics and Medicine and
of Health Research and Policy
and Director, Center for
Policy, Outcomes and
Prevention

Ann Hsing, PhD, MPH

Steve Asch, MD, MPH

Esther John, PhD, MSPH

Professor of Medicine
(Stanford Prevention
Research Center/Cancer
Institute) and Epidemiology
and Population Health

Professor of Medicine,
Primary Care and Population
Health

Professor, Department of
Epidemiology and Population
Health and Co-leader,
Population Sciences Program,
Stanford Cancer Institute

 Thomas C Merigan, MD
Professor of Medicine,
Emeritus Former Division
Chief Director, Center for
Aids Research, Emeritus

David A. Stevens, M.D.,
F.A.C.P., F.A.A.M.,
F.I.D.S.A.

Gary K. Schoolnik, MD
Professor of Medicine Infectious Diseases, Emeritus

Professor of Medicine Infectious Diseases, Emeritus
and President, California
Institute for Medical
Research, Infectious Diseases
Research Laboratory, Calif.
Inst. for Med. Res.

Jack Remington, MD

Cornelia L. Dekker, MD

Denise Monack, PhD

Professor of Medicine
(Infectious Diseases) and
Chief, Palo Alto Medical
Research Foundation

Professor of Pediatrics
(Infectious Diseases), Emerita

Professor of Microbiology
and Immunology

Stan Deresinski, MD,
FIDSA

Shirit Einav, MD

Robert Shafer, MD

Associate Professor Medicine
Clinical Professor of
Infectious Diseases and
Medicine Infectious Diseases Geographic Medicine and of
Microbiology and
and Geographic Medicine
Immunology

Professor of Medicine
Division of Infectious
Diseases and Geographic
Medicine

Holden Terry Maecker,
PhD

Wah Chiu, PhD

Doug K Owens, MD, MS

Professor of Bioengineering
and of Microbiology and
Immunology

Professor of Medicine and
Senior Fellow, Freeman
Spogli Institute for
International Studies

Jake Scott, MD

Justin Sonnenburg, PhD

Clinical Assistant Professor of
Medicine Infectious Diseases
and Geographic Medicine

Associate Professor of
Microbiology and
Immunology and CoDirector, Center for Human
Microbiome Studies

Professor of Microbiology
and Immunology

Cybele A. Renault, MD,
DTM&H
Clinical Associate Professor
(Infectious Diseases)
Program Lead for Global
Health (Stanford Internal
Medicine Residency
Program)

 Hector Bonilla, MD

Dora Ho, MD, PhD

Marisa Holubar, MD MS

Clinical Associate Professor
of Medicine Infectious
Diseases and Geographic
Medicine

Clinical Associate Professor
of Medicine Infectious
Diseases and Geographic
Medicine

Clinical Associate Professor
of Medicine Infectious
Diseases and Geographic
Medicine and Associate
Director, Stanford
Antimicrobial Safety and
Sustainability Program

Sharon Chen, MD, MS

Roshni Matthew, MD

Clinical Associate Professor
of Pediatrics (Infectious
Diseases)

Clinical Assistant Professor of
Pediatrics (Infectious
Diseases) and Associate
Medical Director, Infection
Prevention & Control

Elizabeth S. Egan, MD,
PhD

Jenny R. Aronson, MD

Catherine Blish, MD, PhD

Clinical Assistant
Professor Division of
Infectious Diseases and
Geographic Medicine

Associate Professor of
Medicine Infectious Diseases
and Geographic Medicine and
Immunology

Talal Seddick, MD

Clea Sarnquist, MD

Clinical Assistant of
Professor of Pediatrics
(Infectious Diseases)

Clinical Professor of
Pediatrics (Infectious
Diseases)

Tim Stearns, PhD

Kerwyn Casey Huang, PhD

Michael Fischbach, PhD

Professor of Biology and of
Genetics and Senior
Associate Vice Provost for
Research

Professor of Bioengineering
and of Microbiology and
Immunology

Associate Professor of
Bioengineering and of
Microbiology and
Immunology

Maya Adam, MD

Samantha Johnson, MD,
MPH

Philip M. Grant, MD

Clinical Assistant Professor
of Pediatrics and Director of
Health Media Innovation

Clinical Associate Professor
of Pediatrics (Infectious
Diseases)

Assistant Professor of
Pediatrics (Infectious
Diseases)

Paul L. Bollyky, MD,
D.Phil
Associate Professor Division
of Infectious Diseases
Department of Medicine
Sruti Nadimpalli,
MD
Clinical Professor of
Pediatrics (Infectious
Disease)

Assistant Professor of
Medicine Infectious Diseases
and Geographic Medicine

 Joanna Nelson, MD

A.C. Matin, PhD

Clinical Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine –
Infectious Diseases

Professor of Microbiology and
Immunology

Peter Sarnow, PhD

Hayley Gans

Professor of Microbiology
and Immunology

Clinical Professor, Pediatrics Infectious Diseases

Glenn M. Chertow, MD,
MPH

Paul Graham Fisher, MD

Professor of Medicine, and
by courtesy Department of
Epidemiology and
Population Health

Bonnie Halpern-Felsher,
PhD, FSAHM
Professor of Pediatrics, and
by courtesy Department
of Epidemiology and
Population Health, Director
of Fellows’ Scholarship,
Department of Pediatrics,
Director of Research,
Division of Adolescent
Medicine

Professor, Neurology and
Pediatrics, and by courtesy,
Neurosurgery, Epidemiology
and Population Health, and
Human Biology, Chief,
Division of Child Neurology,
Vice Chair, Faculty Affairs,
Department of Neurology
Victor Henderson, MD
Professor, Department of
Epidemiology and Population
Health

Taia T. Wang, MD, PhD,
MSCI
Assistant Professor of
Medicine and of
Microbiology and
Immunology
Michael Baiocchi,
PhD
Assistant Professor,
Department of Epidemiology
and Population Health
Lisa Goldman-Rosas, PhD,
MPH
Assistant Professor,
Department of Epidemiology
and Population Health,
Director, Office of
Community Engagement

Tina Hernandez-Boussard,
PhD, MPH, MS
Associate Professor of
Medicine, Biomedical Data
Science, and Surgery, and
by courtesy Department
of Epidemiology and Population
Health

 Abby King, PhD
Professor, Epidemiology
and Population Health, and
Medicine (Stanford
Prevention Research Center)
Director, Healthy Aging
Research & Technology
Solutions (HARTS)
Laboratory
Faculty Director, Our Voice
Global Citizen Science
Initiative
Past President, Society of
Behavioral Medicine
Mitchell R. Lunn, MD,
MAS, FACP, FASN
Assistant Professor of
Medicine, and by courtesy,
Department of Epidemiology
and Population Health

Mindie H. Nguyen, MD,
MAS, AGAF, FAASLD
Professor, Department of
Medicine, and by courtesy
Department of Epidemiology
and Population Health

Allison W. Kurian, M.D.,
M.Sc.
Associate Professor of
Medicine (Oncology) and of
Epidemiology and Population
Health
Associate Chief for Academic
Affairs, Division of Oncology
Director, Women’s Clinical
Cancer Genetics Program, Coleader, Population Sciences
Program, Stanford Cancer
Institute

Lianne Kurina, PhD
Associate Professor, Primary
Care and Population Health,
Bing Director of the Program
in Human Biology

Kari Nadeau, MD, PhD

Lorene Nelson, PhD, MS

Professor of Pediatric Food
Allergy, Immunology and
Asthma, Professor of
Pediatrics and Professor by
Courtesy of Otolaryngology
Head & Neck Surgery at
LPCH and Department of
Epidemiology and Population
Health

Associate Professor,
Department of Epidemiology
and Population Health Faculty
Director of Research,
Stanford Center for
Population Health Sciences

Michelle C. Odden, PhD

Juno Obedin-Maliver, MD,
MPH, MAS

Associate Professor,
Department of Epidemiology
and Population Health

Assistant Professor,
Department of Obstetrics and
Gynecology and, by courtesy,
Department of Epidemiology
and Population Health

 Latha Palaniappan, MD,
MS, FAHA, FACC, FACP
Professor of Medicine,
Department of Medicine
(Primary Care and
Population Health) and, by
courtesy, Department of
Epidemiology and
Population Health
David H Rehkopf, ScD,
MPH

Lesley S. Park, PhD, MPH

Rita A. Popat, PhD

Instructor, Department of
Epidemiology and Population
Health, Associate Director,
Stanford Center for
Population Health Sciences

Clinical Associate Professor,
Department of Epidemiology
and Population Health

Thomas N. Robinson, MD,
MPH

Kristin Sainani, PhD
Associate Professor,
Department of Epidemiology
and Population Health

Associate Professor,
Departments of
Epidemiology and
Population Health,
Department of Medicine,
(Primary Care and
Population Health), Codirector, Stanford Center for
Population Health Sciences

Professor of Pediatrics and of
Medicine and, by courtesy,
Department of Epidemiology
and Population Health

Gary M. Shaw, DrPH

Julia F Simard, ScD

Marcia L. Stefanick, PhD

Professor of Pediatrics,
Associate Chair Dept of
Pediatrics, Department of
Pediatrics and, by courtesy,
Department of Epidemiology
and Population Health

Associate Professor,
Department of Epidemiology
& Population Health

Professor of Medicine
(Stanford Prevention
Research Center), Professor
of Obstetrics & Gynecology,
and by courtesy Professor of
Epidemiology and Population
Health, Director, Stanford
Women’s Health and Sex
Differences in Medicine
(WHSDM) Center

 Holly Tabor, PhD

Alice S. Whittemore, Ph.D.

A. Desiree LaBeaud, MD,
MS

Associate Professor,
Department of Medicine and
by courtesy, Department of
Epidemiology and
Population Health) and
Associate Director, Stanford
Center for Biomedical Ethics

Professor (Emerita) of
Epidemiology
and Biostatistics
Departments of Epidemiology
and Population Health
and of Biomedical Data
Science

Robert Siegel

Sara Singer, MBA PhD

David Schneider, PhD

Professor (Teaching) of
Microbiology and
Immunology

Professor of Medicine
(Primary Care and Population
Health), and by courtesy
Graduate School of Business

Professor of Microbiology
and Immunology

Matthew Bogyo, PhD

Lucy S Tompkins, MD PhD

Ami S. Bhatt, MD, PhD

Professor of Pathology, and
of Microbiology &
Immunology

Professor of Medicine
(Infectious Diseases and
Geographic Medicine)
Professor of Microbiology and
Immunology
Hospital Epidemiologist and
Medical Director
Dept Infection Prevention and
Control Stanford Hospital and
Clinics

Assistant Professor of
Medicine (Hematology;
Blood & Marrow
Transplantation) and of
Genetics

Professor of Pediatrics
(Infectious Diseases)
and Epidemiology
and Population Health