Introduction

I have been following the fascinating twists and turns of scientific discoveries, public health responses, and the way that the world community has come to accept, critique, question, and resist the confusing and ever-changing perspectives on the pandemic. The physician community has largely been represented by leaders in the CDC, FDA, and NIH supplemented by major physician organizations and medical school professors. An important segment of the lay community has come to believe that physicians have largely acted in lockstep without questioning establishment positions and acceding the suppression and punishment of minority voices. Shamefully, from my perspective, dissenting voices have been censored and rarely treated respectfully with careful responses and education. The expertise of the physician community has come into question and the idea of professional deference to powerful pharmaceutical companies has been attributed to the medical profession at large.

In my career as a pediatric pulmonologist, I have maintained an active interest in new concepts and breakthrough research. I established a reputation for iconoclasm, meaning that I have been willing to challenge dogmas and consider alternative explanations for clinical and scientific findings. I have done my best to stay current on developments in virology, immunology, infectious disease and the care of patients with COVID-19, many of whom have severe respiratory disease. I desire to have a forum for physicians where all questions would be considered and, within practical limits, would be answered.

I have chosen Substack as a platform on which to create this forum. I read with interest the posts that Alex Berenson continues to publish with boldness as well as the comments from my fellow subscribers. It has given me a perspective on often hyper-critical views expressed about the American physician community, which I have found to be greatly troubling. Some views I find totally reasonable. Many I find “over the top” and hyperbolic.

This post is an introduction to who I am and what I hope for. I have never done this kind of work before. I am optimistic that other like-minded physicians will join in this enterprise. I have no intention of making money from this effort and I have limited time to post and answer comments. Let us see how this goes.