This morning, I was asked by a national physician leader to share the letter I sent some church leaders to provide medical guidance regarding church services these next 2 weeks (effective immediately as of March 14, 2020). Please feel free to use it as appropriate in your communities.
As you know, as a physician, I focus on caring for the soul and ministering to the spirit while treating the body. At this time, loving our neighbors means taking prudent actions to institute social distancing in our communities to slow down spread of COVID-19. This is also the loving action toward our most vulnerable neighbors, and for the medical professionals who are already caring for people all over this land.
I believe we can slow down the spread of COVID-19 if we all work together.
Instituting necessary infection control measures such as avoiding handshakes for now does not mean we stop expressing our love and affection for people. It simply gives us the opportunity to find creative ways to do so! Social distancing does not mean we isolate from others. We can stay connected with family and friends in different ways, leveraging technology and reaching out to our neighbors frequently, especially the elderly and those who live alone. Stay connected!
I also hereby call on federal officials to address the slow flow of point-of-care, accurate, evidence-based information and resources, including N95 masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) for our physicians, nurses, and other medical personnel. I call on the White House Coronavirus Task Force to take swift action to ensure every medical professional is able to protect him or herself as well as their families and teams while caring for others.
Please feel free to share this to magnify its impact.
With faith, hope, and prudence,
