Dear AAPS Members and Friends,
Yesterday we alerted you to a very important hearing in front of the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs titled, “Early Outpatient Treatment: An Essential Part of a COVID-19 Solution.” A big “thank you” to Committee Chair Ron Johnson for holding this hearing.
If you missed watching it this morning, the video is archived at:
https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/hearings/early-outpatient-treatment-an-essential-part-of-a-covid-19-solution
Crucial testimony was provided by three key witnesses, Peter A. McCullough, M.D., M.P.H., Harvey Risch, M.D., PH.D., Professor of Epidemiology Yale University; and George C. Fareed, M.D. Medical Director and Family Medicine Specialist Pioneers Medical Center.
Copies of their written comments are also available at the above link.
The one witness brought in by the other side to denigrate these courageous physicians had to admit he has treated ZERO COVID-19 patients.
Your help is needed to build on the momentum of this hearing.
Here’s what you can do:
1) PETITION: Sign a new, and urgent, petition to the White House, created by Dr. Vladimir Zelenko:
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/treat-covid-19-early-home-avoid-hospitalization-and-death
2) GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY: Please also contact the White House and Members of Congress with a message along the following lines (please modify it as you see fit and see links to contact information below):
———
Dear Leader:
Here is what is needed immediately to empower physicians, clinics, facilities, and health systems to reduce COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths:
1) The October 9, 2020 NIH guidance against any form of outpatient treatment of COVID-19 should be modified to indicate that the decision to undertake ambulatory treatment should be based on clinical judgment and made between the physician and the patient based on his/her preferences to remain at home. https://www.covid19treatmentguidelines.nih.gov/
2) The July 1, 2020, FDA guidance against the use of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) should be modified to indicate that the decision to use HCQ in the appropriate off-label treatment of COVID-19 should be based on physician judgment considering the benefits and risks of treatment. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-cautions-against-use-hydroxychloroquine-or-chloroquine-covid-19-outside-hospital-setting-or ———-
Link to contact the White House:https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
Links to email addresses of healthcare legislative assistants for each Member of Congress:
House of Representatives: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12fvv-7E7pdMYx-R4oEEwaXy05S223mfDtKmfWo18JCg/edit?usp=sharing
Senate: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HMhH5ec-NKK0UiUR7WoR3TuAS6IYVz9CMTehbEm2mms/edit?usp=sharing
Find the contact for your Representative and Senators and email them a personalized note letting them know you are a physician (and/or patient) in their district/state. Note that the health staffers do change relatively frequently, so if you run into a bad email address, please just let us know and we’ll update our files.
Consider calling your Members of Congress as well:
House phone #s are easily findable at https://www.house.gov/representatives
and for the Senate here: https://www.senate.gov/senators/contact
Thank you for speaking out!
Update: Here are 30 minutes of highlights from the hearing
