She is the first africanamerican woman to hold the position and brings to the role several decades as a physician in private practice. Took office in june of 2019, dr. Harris planned to pledge her work to the front line of the opioid crisis. Toay, dr. Harris is here talk with us about an entirely different Public Health crisis, why in this era of conspiracy theories and fake news she believes we must return to a reliance on scientific facts, data, and trusted sources. Dr. Patrice harris, welcome to the National Press club. Our virtual podium is yours. Thank you, greetings, i am dr. Patrice harris, president of the American Medical Association. The coronavirus pandemic presents a challenge the world has not faced on this scale for generations. Said thatn extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. We are witnessing every day the physicians,ts of nurses, medical workers, Public Health professionals, and the public to manage the enormity of covid19 in our community. Callordinary times often for the most basic of responses. This means as, routine collection of facts and evidence. An examination of research that in been foundational medicine since its origin. We live in a time when misinformation, falsehood, and outright lies spread like viruses online. Through social media and even at times in the media at large. We have witnessed a concerning shift over the last several decades where policies decisions seem to be driven by ideology and politics instead of facts and evidence. Is a growing mistrust in american institutions, science, and in the counsel of leading experts who lives are dedicated to the pursuit of evidence and reason. These challenging times i am addressing the nation to make an appeal for science in defeating this disease. To explain what scientists rely on fact and evidence in carrying out our duties. You can help turn the tide against covid19. I know people are frightened. You are afraid for yourselves and for your family. You are concerned about catching the virus, and youre worried about spreading the virus to others. Any of you have lost jobs or are trying to keep a Small Business afloat. Home andworking from taking care of children whose schools have closed. You have missed graduations and. Ilestone birthdays as a psychiatrist, i understand the fears and sense of loss we are all experiencing and that they are weighing heavily on our affecting our Mental Health. Fear and anxiety are natural emotions in a time of crisis, but as we have seen in the last few weeks, panic can lead to troubling consequence hoarding of food and supplies, spreading of misinformation, and mistrusting the motives of others. It is absolutely ok to be afraid, but please, do not let panic guide your actions. And so, on behalf of our nations physicians, i ask you to respond instead with reason and resolve. Physicians, nurses, researchers, and Public Health experts throughout the world are working tirelessly to contain this pandemic, to develop new tech, to develop treatments, and to create a vaccine, but this will take some time. In the meantime, we must believe good judgment, what the science and evidence is telling us, and be flexible in changing our behavior as our knowledge improves. We do not yet know everything we would like to know about covid19, but there is plenty we do know. Transmission occurs primarily from persontoperson in close contact. Anyone can become infected. This virus does not discriminate. Seniors and those living with chronic disease are much more vulnerable to serious illness from this virus than others. Many more people are carriers for covid19 that have been tested, and they may be asymptomatic or experience only pose amptoms, so they risk to others. The most effective tool we have in this fight is physical distancing, which means every city and state that has not implemented shelterinplace or stayathome orders needs to do so immediately. Based on what we know and what has already worked in other countries and indeed in our country, this is our best chance to slow the spread of the virus. As a physician, i am honored to be a member of one of our countrys most trusted professions. Trust their physicians because they know we do not act or hunches or personal opinions. We take an oath to treat people ethically, and we go where the evidence leads. Not always the case. The origins of modern epidemiology date to 19th century london when a physician ended a severe cholera outbreak long thought to be the result of breathing bad air. He discovered the real cause was Drinking Water from a public pump that had become contaminated by sewage. Association medical itself was founded in 1847 as a andonse to rampant quackery medicine. At the time, syrups or serums were sold as cures for various diseases that not only did not help, they often caused harm. The ama fought to center the practice of medicine around a standard of principles and to develop a code of ethics. Our mission since then has been scienceop the art and of medicine and the betterment of Public Health. Physicians americas in this pandemic is, of course, to care for patients with covid19, using the best, most available,evidence but as skilled as medical professionals and physicians are and as hard as they are working in offices and intensive care units, they cannot carry this burden alone. Play andhas a role to containing this pandemic. The strategy we are asking the public to universally adopt may seem simplistic but are in fact based in science and evidence. And Public Health experts are asking everyone to wash their hands, for example. Children learn even before preschool learn that washing their hands reduces the spread of germs, but how do we know this . The evidence it may be hard to believe, but in the mid1800s, Many Health Care workers did not wash their hands between patients. Still, a link was made between handwashing and a reduction in disease. Many women died before studies found that returning patients disease andrisk of death if their doctors washed their hands. Handwashing became necessary protocol for physicians and now for everyone in society. We are asking for social distancing, or as i prefer to call it, physical distancing because we can and should build strides to have meaningful social interaction while maintaining a safe social distance safe physical distance. We know this is difficult for people, but we know from history it is infected. A century ago, the United States and the world faced a pandemic of influenza known as the 1918 flu. We know from history it is effective. As a result of physical distancing, death rates varied widely. Described recently in national geographic, philadelphia reported its first case of influenza on september 17, 1918. Days later, they held a war 200s parade attended by thousand people. Sadly, two weeks later, at least 20,000 City Residents had contracted the flu. Contrast philadelphias approach with that of st. Louis. St. Louis had the benefit of watching what was happening on the east coast, and Public Officials acted quickly. Two days after the first case was reported, the city of st. Louis shut down. Two different approaches to physical distancing, and two different death rates. By the end of the epidemic, st. Louis had half the death rate of philadelphia. So lets use the experience of a century ago as a guide for today. If the citizens of philadelphia knew then what we know now of the direct link between a large social gathering and a spike in cases, there is little doubt that they would have chosen not to attend that parade. We are also asking that physical distancing measures not be relaxed prematurely. We understand that people are suffering great financial and emotional pain and having much of the economy shut down and not being able to gather with their loved ones. Here, too, the evidence from the 1918 pandemic is instructive for today. Therospective study in journal of the American Medical Association found that nonpharmaceutical decisions such as School Closures and a ban on public gatherings were beneficial and should be sustained throughout the peak of a pandemic. Further, cities acting in a timely and comprehensive manner experienced lower death rates. The ama is encouraged by those federal and state leaders who are willing to keep physical distancing restrictions in place until the evidence suggests it is safe to return to normal. Repeat our call for governors who have not yet implemented physical distancing in their state to do so immediately. In truth, the nation needs more much more from our leaders. The public is already making incredible sacrifices by acting on the evidence. All of us need to trust that our institutions are also keeping science at the four of their decisionmaking. With that in mind, the ama calls toall elected officials affirm science, evidence, and fact in their words and actions. We call on media to be vigilant and communicating factual information from credible sources and to challenge those who choose to trade and misinformation. We call on tech platforms to advance evidencebased information from credible sources and reduce the spread of misinformation. Our governments scientific institutions now and in the future to be led by from politicaled influence. We call from we call for an environment in which physicians, scientists, and other experts are free to communicate evidencebased factual information without fear of retaliation or retribution. We call for determinations about safety and efficacy of drugs to be made by scientists and researchers based on the data and that treatment decisions should be made by a shared decisionmaking process between a patient and his or her physician without intrusion by any third party, government, or otherwise. We call for the robust collection of data, including data segmented by race and ethnicity, to make sure we have a thorough understanding of the pandemics impact on every community. Called the response to this pandemic a war. We must ensure the war is and not us virus ce. Inst scientist despite solid evidence behind the measures in place, misinformation about covid19 is fearding rapidly, due to or various political agendas. You may have heard some of these false claims yourself. Lessanamericans are likely to get covid19 that is false. A new way tos force vaccinations on people who do not want them also false. Children cannot contract covid19 false. These kinds of rumors and conspiracy theories inevitably leads to more illness, more suffering, and more death. Have a why we all responsibility to seek out and share information only from credible sources. Faced and overcome enormous Public Health challenges before. Smoking,educing finding treatments for hiv and polio andicating other vaccinepreventable diseases challenges that required changes in thinking, changes in public policy, and changes in behavior. We must approach covid19 in the same way, by relying on the science and evidence to inform our decisions and our actions. , thereis new pandemic are many unknowns. It is critically important, to the, that we go back core knowledge we have relied on in the past. As evidence evolves, necessarily, our strategies, tactics, and behaviors should change accordingly. It is science, research, and evidence, and not wishful that gives ideology us hope as we face uncertainties around this pandemic. It is science that will bring about proven treatment for covid19. It is science that will bring about a vaccine. Nationerson in this shares accountability in allting this virus, and we have a responsibility to do our part. At times like these, we may feel a sense of helplessness or hopelessness, but we are not powerless in this health crisis. We must all commit to evidencebased actions to fight this disease. My mostng, i offer heartfelt thanks to all of the physicians, nurses, and Health Professionals who are heroically fighting this pandemic. I also want to thank those who are cleaning our facilities and cooking our meals and delivering our food. Finally, to all of those who are taking the necessary steps to keep themselves and their loved ones safe, thank you. Thank you, dr. Harris. I now have a series of questions submitted by members of the National Press club. Those of you joining us today are also welcome to submit questions online. I would like to first tap into your expertise as a psychiatrist. You talked about the emotional and psychological impact of the Coronavirus Crisis and how we can all best deal with that. You mentioned changes in behavior, which are generally easier said than done. How does one calm oneself down right now . What are some practical ways people can remain reasonable in the Current Situation . Few practicalst a tips, and i urge everyone to rely on their usual coping skills. I think the first thing is to make sure that you have reliable information. Information often leads to fear. I do tell everyone, myself included, that sometimes you just have to take a moment and breathe. Every morning, i would take a few moments to get centered on the day. Sometimes, you have to, you know, take off cut off the television and take a break from social media. We should all be getting exercise. Ofyou have the privilege being able to walk safely around your neighborhood, get outside again, keeping in mind that you want to make sure you are doing the appropriate physical cannot,ng, but if you you could exercise indoors. I say put on your Favorite Song and just make sure you keep moving. We should all try to get as much sleep as we can and eat as healthily as we can. And really experience those feelings. No one should beat themselves up or be more anxious or worried. Those are normal feelings. I will just say one more thing there is huge disruption in our routine. Tois probably a good idea develop new routines because routines also will help us get through some of the fear and anxiety. Finding new routines not necessarily by design but by necessity, they may be working from home perhaps with a spouse or children around them who are now being distance from school for an indeterminate amount of time. Your training with child and adolescent psychiatry what should, first of all, we be telling our children, our grandchildren to help them best cope with this and talk a little bit about dealing with this and this forced new environment that a lot of people find themselves in . Harris i think the first thing parents and other caregivers should commit to is have ageappropriate conversations. Often children and adolescents guide us in conversation. Answer their questions, but in ageappropriate ways. I also think we should be careful not to ascribe feelings, particularly to our children. Rather than saying i know you are afraid, you may not want to lead with that because in fact, they may be curious. They may not be afraid. Ory of our children adolescents were happy for a school break. Rather than ascribing feelings, you should say, how are you doing today . What would you like to do . What do you think about our new routine . Ask openended questions to get feedback from them. But beults are worried, mindful that our children are watching, and if you are anxious, they will get anxious. Again, not recommending that parents or caregivers hide their feelings, but certainly be youthl that our use are watching. Have you been in touch with the white house . Who from the administration are you listening to with respect to covid19 . Dr. Harris certainly early on, i had the opportunity along with some other leaders of physician organizations to participate in a Conference Call with the president and the members of the task force. At that time, we were able to theg up concerns from Physician Community. And since then, ive had other conversations with members of the task force. As president of the American Medical Association, i have to listen to everyone. I listen to physicians across the country who email me, call me, text me. I review the media posts. I listen to media briefings. Wantinly as a physician, i to be informed. I want to hear from everyone. Certainly we at the ama, and of course, we have a fantastic team at the ama and we have a fantastic team in chicago, we are monitoring every bit of information and making sure we get credible sources of information. We have a covid19 resource page on our website, and we want to make sure we are supporting physicians. Thats why early on in this, we sent letters, and weve sent many letters to congress and the administration. We want to make sure that physician practices, large and small, are supported during this time. Physicians are reducing hours. We are using telemedicine, but it has had a negative impact on physicians on the front line across the country, so i listen to all physicians so i can best learn how to support not only our Physician Community but also the patients that we serve. One of the other things you said in your talk, asking people to stay reasonable and calm and not panic. Reports out of the white house suggest officials disagree over the use of the malaria drug, hydroxychloroquine, as a for covid19. Ment what is the amas position on that drug as a treatment for this virus . Dr. Harris i think our position is our position that you heard me speak about throughout my address. The science and evidence have to rule the day, and when we make treatment decisions about disease,or any other physicians base those course tions of in a shared decisionmaking process with our patients and the fact that we certainly want the process to play out. Absolutely, Clinical Trials are going on right now. Thats how we get the data that , and some of those Clinical Trials are using hydroxychloroquine, and that is appropriate. We know there is compassionate use, but whatever the situation, physicians do not make treatment recommendations as you heard me say earlier on whims. There is a decisionmaking process that physicians go treatment thatry we recommend, and that should continue to hold through for covid19 and anything else we face in the future. Impact theut the virus is having demographically. There have been multiple reports that minority populations in the United States are bearing the brunt of the virus due to being the majority in densely populated cities. Is the ama tracking this at this time . I know the well, area where we absolutely need to make sure we have the data, which is the recommendation we are making, to track this data by race and ethnicity. Clearly, the first eight deaths in milwaukee were all africanamericans. We learned last evening from the mayor of chicago surrounding the increased impact, the disproportionate impact on , so weamericans there have to have the data, and we encourage that data we want to be proactive and predictive and targeting communities with the resources that they need. We want to make sure if we see a disproportionate impact anywhere that testing occurred there earlier. This is a very important piece of the covid19 pandemic, and we really urge standardized and robust collection of data across the board, and here we have early evidence that we need to pay particular attention to race and ethnicity. Its not that we think africanamericans are more susceptible to this, but precovid19 africanamericans and communities of color had a disproportionate share of hypertension and diabetes and obesity, and those are risk morbidityr increased of the impact of covid19, so that needs and deserves amplification, and the ama will continue to do so. As we get the data, we will work with, of course, everyone. This is an all in effort to make sure these issues are addressed. Thoughts onyour Antibody Testing for covid19 . Harris we are and have been way behind on testing, so we need to make sure that we ramp up the availability of testing, and of course, that does include Antibody Testing. Of course, that gives us data those whoce around may have had a mild case of the disease or might not even have experienced symptoms at all. Of course, we know there is some as happened ine able disease states to be to use convalescent serum for treatment, so that is a piece of the puzzle as well. We cannot forget about testing as we are in this acute mitigation phase. Some of our most important basic Public Health principles remain his testingd that and surveillance and tracking and Contact Tracing when possible. The cdc has been revising standards for doctors and nurses as it pertains to personal protective gear. For instance, hospital employees up until very recently, would change masks between every patient and potential infectious situations. Now, somewhere the same masks all day. Are these standards are being lowered to a level that puts healthcare workers at risk . Harris certainly, the availability of ppe has been an ongoing issue. In some areas, at this point, it is better. Thats why the ama called on the president early on to activate the defense production act, so we can really look at the supply chain and make sure we get the equipment in the hands and on the bodies of, particularly those on the front line, but, really, everyone who needs that equipment. Continue to elevate the issue of ppe. As we said early on, physicians and nurses and everyone are really working as hard as they can and doing what they need to do in a time of crisis. We have noticed that reusing masks, as per your question, and some of these other issues precovid19 might have violated Infection Control policies and procedures, but again, physicians and nurses and others are doing what they can and this time of crisis, but we need an all hands on deck to make sure that we have ppe, that we have ventilators, that we have the tests, including the swabs, and their chemical reagents, and of course, now we are hearing about thatrtage of medications physicians used to intubate patients, so we really need to continue to amplify those issues and make sure shortages of any supplies are addressed. Is a crisise, this of epic proportions, and it. Alls for unusual responses a numberndicate that of hospitals have recruited medical students and others who may not be certified by ama. What is the amas view of this, especially for students and their safety . Dr. Harris again, in a crisis in an all hands on moment, we have seen some states allow medical students, of course realizing that typically medical students would graduate around the may and june time period, so some of these students may be meeting a certain set of standards and criteria and are being called into action, as well as, you may know, retired physicians have been called into action. Certainly again, we are in extraordinary times. That being said, and we have this information on our website, and we have disseminated this information. Medicals to make sure students are prepared. We also want to offer guidance for retired physicians who are older, and that itself is a risk factor for the consequences of covid19. We continue to be mindful of the impact on everyone from medical students to senior physicians. We will continue gathering information and make sure everyone is protected and this time. Is there a need on retraining medical professionals on how to use ventilators . There are a lot of physicians who might have learned how to buta ventilator at one time could be pretty rusty themselves on how to use it. Dr. Harris there are brush of. Ourses we are determined to lead on those courses, but that is an excellent point. You certainly might want to brush up if you have not learned since medical school and this is one way that hospitals can support physicians, by offering additional training as needed. We also need to keep in mind that there are so many ways that medical students and physicians and retired physicians can than directther care. I mentioned the possibility of telehealth. We appreciate the administration of cms on relaxing at a lot regulations and guidelines on telehealth at this time, but medical students, retired physicians and others can be available to triage for phone connect withybe to families, with their loved ones in the hospital. We know there is limited to no visitation, so there are many opportunities that of course physicians, medical students, and residents are answering the call. We take an oath to do so. I have heard from so many of my colleagues. Yes, this is an emotionally taxing time for all of us, particularly those on the front line, but for all of us. We have to remember that health needs do not go away and will not go away. People are postponing routine issues, but they will not go away during this time, so we need to make sure we provide some platform and structure of physicians practices large and small. There are many ways physicians can answer the call, and of course, physicians, medical residents and others are doing so. Of when a your sense vaccine might realistically be available . Dr. Harris i certainly would leave that up to the researchers and experts and dr. Fauci. I know that there are so many researchers working on this right now. It will take a little bit of time, but, you know, has to go through the process. We want to make sure there is safety and efficacy. Thats why in the meantime, it is so important for all of us, again, to practice those basic techniques of physical distancing and washing our hands and only going out for groceries or for food or medicines or Urgent Health needs. That is really our best tool at this point in slowing the spread of the pandemic, and we know that there are hotspots today. You know what . It would be good if there are no more hotspots that is difficult to predict, but the best way to prevent that is the physical distancing and the shelterinplace and staying at home. Just to read some questions from email coming in from those following online. This may be difficult to answer, but how long after the number of covid19 cases consistently declined across the country should physical distancing continue to be implemented . That is an unknown at this point. Part of that decision will be believethe data, and i one area that would go a long way in helping us know exactly when to relax these rules is testing. As we ramp up testing, those experts, those leaders, those Public Health leaders in the state who have all the data will be able to make those decisions. Weill have to say that should not think that after we get to the apex or the peak, whatever that is, and whatever area you are, we can relax. It is not that simple. We will have to be thoughtful and again let the data lead us on that, but we will need to remain hypervigilant. There will be a new normal after this, theres no question. We will get back to some semblance of normalcy absolutely we will. It will be a new normal, and i can tell you at the ama, we are already thinking about the conversations we should be having around the new normal. We are thinking about that, but that, of course, is not driving our current work. We have to be focused on preventing further spread, we are prepared for the worst case scenario. It is ok to hope for the best, but we should be appropriately prepared for a worstcase scenario. That is how we minimize deaths and suffering. This may be a difficult. Uestion to answer alcohol sails and unemployment rates are up. Are you worried this pandemic will lead to more drug and suicides . Abuse, more what can be done to combat this . Dr. Harris theres a couple of issues here. The issue of normal anxiety and that thatwe also know normal anxiety and fear could into clinical depression and anxiety disorders, so we want to make sure and i will ,ay this as a psychiatrist certainly, precovid19, we certainly did not have the full infrastructure we needed for Mental Health services, but during this period of time, there are resources available. The American Psychiatric association and other Mental Health organizations have 1800 ifbers where folks can call they feel like they get in trouble again. Not the usual and transient symptoms. Of course those who already have diagnoses, we want to make sure, remind them to contact their therapist for supporting getting through this. As i mentioned in my introduction, precovid19, we were dealing in this country with an opioid epidemic, and i have been focused on making sure there is equitable access to treatment for those with a Substance Abuse disorder. But that is a worry, so we certainly need to make sure that is on top of mind. I know some states have implemented a Mental Health hotline. I would encourage other states so anyo as they can, issues that come up, citizens know they have a place to go so there is some support during this time of crisis. To convincewe do religious leaders to switch to online and phone services in place of large, in person gatherings . A. Harris we need partnership with again everyone because ive seen many religious theirs encourage parishioners and their churches synagogues tod really refrain from meeting in person. That gets back to our critical need to make sure that everyone is staying at home and sheltering in place. For is a Great Partnership ministers and rabbis and pastors are working within their own religious institutions to remind everyone that we all have to act together. We all have that responsibility. Taking responsibility to stay home and i know this is a holy time for everyone, but we can experience this or i know this is a holy time for many, but we can still experience those services remotely. Scams should people be aware of regarding covid19 . Harris my general recommendation is to always and i recommended this precovid19 is to have a healthy dose of skepticism as to why and who. I cannot tell you the number of emails r has ppe or intilators, and i know or can imagine, i dont know that hospitals and other physicians are getting the same. That again is another reason why we need and it would be best if we had a federally coordinated for supplies so we do not have to be worried about these scams. I would advise everyone to have a healthy dose of skepticism the anything and let federal government and the state triage those supplies. We also learned about a large amount of money being spent for testing that turned out to be bogus testing. Dr. Harris i would say the same, a healthy dose of skepticism. Contact your local and state Health Department or hospital and take cues from them. If they are not affiliated with established physicians office, really be skeptical. Can you speak about the importance of protecting adults and children in the immigration camps as well as in our present community . Dr. Harris yes, these are both huge issues. Any issue where people are congregating is an issue, and of course, some of us have the privilege of making that voluntary decision, but some do not. We cannot forget those who are in our prisons and jails. I am particularly attuned to that in jail because unfortunately, jails become the de facto Mental Health hospitals, so there is an obligation to have conversations about those populations, and there is an obligation for leaders and those in charge to make decisions best they can to mitigate the risk for patients or those who are in jail, mitigate the risk of them contracting covid19 and spreading covid19. Everyone deserves, you know, basic opportunities around health. That is our obligation, and, hopefully, that continues to be a conversation. Just a little segue about theilege i talked about privilege of voluntary social distancing, physical distancing. Not everyone has that privilege. I just want to make that point. You know, not everyone has a large home that they could even be ableks in the family to distance themselves. I was reminded early on in the pandemic that as we are requesting everyone wash our hands, wash our hands, wash our hands, which we are, if you are homeless, you may not have running water. As i mentioned earlier in my remarks, absolutely, you can walk around the neighborhood and get exercise with family, physical distancing, but not and wellhas sidewalks lit sidewalks, so we have to make sure that we are speaking to everyone and have recommendations for everyone, and again, those who are in maybe lower wage jobs, i mentioned those who are cleaning facilities and some of those jobs they dont have the privilege of staying home and working from home, so that is another way that the rest of us can makethat privilege sure everyone is as safe as possible. Comparisons to pearl harbor and september 11 when talking about the covid19 crisis. Those instances evolved moments of shock, followed by. Nderstanding and retaliation this has come on over the course of time and gotten significantly worse. Under any reasonable circumstance, have been ready for what we are seeing happen now . What are some of the lessons to be learned from this . Dr. Harris i have to say there will be and should be after action reports after we get through the worst of this pandemic, and of course, the ama will be there. Definitely want to lead the conversation, so there will be time for that. I want us to make sure we are focused right now on the immediate crisis. We want to make sure that those who are in our hotspots get through this, and we really want to prevent the rest of the a hotspot. M becoming i will say, just one lesson, though, that is clear and that needs to happen right now is again, just coordination. I think that will be one of many lessons to be learned, that certainly partnership and coordination is critical, but lets save this for the after action review and focus on the Immediate Impact and immediate needs regarding this pandemic. Abouts talk a little bit the role of journalists in helping inform the public as we all find our way through this crisis. Tell us why, in your opinion, journalism matters in a Public Health crisis like this. Dr. Harris it is important to get out Accurate Information, so journalism does matter. In fact and of course, it matters more in a crisis because people are susceptible and hearing information from a lot of sources, some of them not credible, so it really heightens the need for objective journalism. Then, precovid19, i had wonderful opportunity to speak at a symposium with the media and journalists about reporting on the opioid use disorder, for instance, and the language and if the language is stigmatizing. Journalism and the media have always played a role in making sure that theres credible, Accurate Information out there, and, certainly, that becomes even more acute in times of crisis. If you care to venture a thought, what kind of job do you think the president is doing in covering this so far . Dr. Harris i believe that there are so many wonderful journalists and members of the media that are doing a great job of getting the facts out and i commend those who are making sure the facts are there and any members of the media, and i will. Et them do a Self Assessment i hope my words today, and not just me, the words from the ama really encourage everyone not tot the media, but everyone look to science. Science has been under assault for some time now, and we have sciencesure we hold up and that we are led by the science going forward. Again, that was one of the wanted to doma this address today. There is so much to absorb. Nd process in this crisis im interested in knowing if there are particular things that i dont necessarily want to say keep you up at night, but things you do think about in the course of the day and the evening. Dr. Harris there are a lot. You know, i worry about patients. That we areke sure ready in a worstcase scenario. Physicians, and again, other Health Professionals are ready in a worstcase scenario to offer them the services they need. I want to just make a plug for understanding Public Health. Public health is somewhat difficult to understand because Public Health works when nothing happens. That is a good thing. That is one lesson that i hope again we learn, to see the importance of Public Health and a good Public Health infrastructure, and that it is always hard to prove a negative, but certainly, when the worst doesnt happen, it is going to be a combination of our individual actions, but those individual actions, the recommendations of us staying home are informed by good, basic Public Health practices, so i want people to know about that, but im most worried about the patients who are at risk, and i want us as a nation to do everything possible. I worry about my colleagues. As i said, i believe, perhaps in one of my addresses since i have been president , physicians dont run away from problems. We run toward them, but there is an accountability contract there, that is we are running toward these problems, we accept some level of risk when we choose this profession, but there is an accountability contract that when we do, everyone else is making sure we are strengthened. It is about physicians but also about their families. It keeps me up at night and i worry again, i could go an hour with all the things i worry about well, several hours, but it has been heartbreaking to hear my colleagues talking about updating their wills or writing a will. It has been heartbreaking to see them live apart from their families. I want to make sure that physicians, that we are a trusted profession, we will always strive to do so, and i want to make sure that we, not just physicians but all healthcare workers are protected during this time of crisis. And i do worry about the disproportionate impact and an earlier question on communities of color. I worry about those and under or lowresource areas. It doesnt it would not take much in an area that does not have a hospital or have a tiny hospital that covers a lot of rural areas. May not have broadband, so i worry about those communities who may be low resource or under resourced. Those are just a few of the things that i worry about. Thank you, our time is up. Dr. Patrice harris, we would like to present you virtually with our notable National Press club coffee mug along with our hope that we can share a cup of coffee here at press club in person in the near future. Thank you for joining us today. Dr. Harris thank you for having me today, and thank you. I will enjoy that mug. My thanks to our National Press cspan has roundtheclock coverage of the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic and it is all available ondemand at cspan. Org coronavirus. Watch white house briefings, updates from governors and state officials, track the spread throughout the u. S. And the world with interactive maps. Watch ondemand anytime unfiltered at cspan. Org coronavirus. Cspans washington journal live every day with news and policy issues that impact you. Coming up this morning, the response of u. S. Health Insurance Companies to the rovner ofs with julie Kaiser Health news and how washington is addressing job loss amidst the coronavirus pandemic with the Economic Policy director of the bipartisan policy center. The sure to watch cspan washington journal live at 7 00 eastern this morning. And be sure to watch washington journal primetime tonight. Dr. Anthony fauci will be our guest live starting at 8 00 p. M. Eastern taking your phone calls and questions about the coronavirus pandemic. Next, Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell talks about how the coronavirus pandemic is impacting Monetary Policy and the economy. Chairman powell said he believes whenconomy will rebound the viruses under control. He also spoke about unemployment claims and the Central Banks role. The Brookings Institution posted this 30 minute event. Ladies and gentlemen, good morning and welcome to brookings , this mornings brookings presentation. My name is john allen, i am the president of the institution and it is my great pleasure to welcome to this virtual stage our honored guest, Federal Reserve chair, jay powell. At this moment of unprecedented challenge, not only to our Public Health system and our health in general, there is an enormous challenge to our economy and chair powell and his colleagues moved forcefully and
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