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Infectious disease experts give guidance on President-Elect Biden's fight against coronavirus

The Infectious Diseases Society of America offered up guidance on fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

TAMPA, Fla. — President-Elect Joe Biden got right to work putting together a coronavirus task force and a plan to beat the virus. 

Infectious disease experts have also offered up some of their knowledge to fight this pandemic. 

The Infectious Diseases Society of America represents more than 12,000 infectious diseases and HIV physicians, scientists, public health professionals and other health care providers serving on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. They specialize in infectious diseases and have been since 1963. 

IDSA and HIVMA look forward to more details of President-elect Biden's plan and urge his administration to put it swiftly into action, with efforts to ensure:

  • Universal adherence to masking recommendations
  • A comprehensive, national strategy to support the manufacturing and acquisition of personal protective equipment and testing supplies
  • The development of diagnostic tests, therapeutics and vaccines that are based on sufficient safety and efficacy data, according to the rigorous standards of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and evaluation by its scientists and external expert advisors
  • Significant new resources to support the response, including public health infrastructure, vaccine distribution and data collection systems
  • Expanded broadband internet and cell service to support telehealth and reduce the digital divide in isolated rural areas
  • Consistent financial assistance and policies to address economic disparities and to support essential workers exposed to SARS-CoV-2 in getting tested and quarantining
  • Strong support for the expert clinical, scientific and public health workforce needed to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19, effectively prepare for future pandemics and confront other current infectious diseases threats

One of the signers of the IDSA/HIV Medicine Association letter, Dr. Rajesh Gandhi, says these should be the top priorities. 

"The country is in a difficult place right now with the number of cases and we feel like moving forward together in a unified and coordinated way is what we need. This is a way to bring together in a coordinated fashion what we feel needs to happen to make a dent in the pandemic," Gandhi said.

Gandhi is an infectious diseases physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. He's the chair of the HIV Medicine Association and a member of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. 

He says it is critical that public health experts be the ones up front giving a clear and consistent message. 

IDSA also says as the new administration puts together a plan to fight this pandemic, it has to also keep in mind there are ongoing threats and epidemics like efforts to end HIV and the hepatitis C and opioid epidemics. 

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