Earlier today I heard from a physician friend caring for a previously healthy man in his 60s now with critical #COVID19. My friend had just resuscitated him following cardiac arrest. He survived, but he's still gravely ill and expected to pass away in the next 24 hours. (1/x) What is the impact of this terrible situation? It means his 2 kids will lose their father. It means his wife will lose her husband. It means family members and friends who love him will suffer with a hole in their hearts for a long time. (2/x)

#COVID19 has made @atychen and me think a lot about the friends and family we love and miss. It has reminded of us our relationships are a profound source of healing. They're also what drives our people-powered democracy. That’s why we’re supporting votetogether2020.org. (1/x) During a recent exchange with an old friend, we asked whether he was registered to vote. His response was simple: “No...I’ll get right on that.” And true to his word, he did. He had received reminders before, but it was a request from a friend that made the difference. (2/x)

If an EUA for #COVID19 vaccine is managed like today’s convalescent plasma announcement, we are in trouble. We need to know the process for evaluating safety/efficacy is based on science not politics. Today’s announcement did not provide that assurance. We must do better. 1/x CP may work. It is unlikely to be a game-changer, but it may have modest impact. Unanswered questions: does it reduce mortality, who will benefit most, what dose/duration is best, what kind of antibodies matter. We still don’t have quality data to answer these questions. 2/x

UNC-Chapel Hill is changing from in person to virtual classes after 177 students tested positive after just 1 week. Bottom line: reopening while #COVID19 prevalence is high is very difficult. Control the virus first-that's how to reopen college safely. 1/x washingtonpost.com/local/educatio… This particular part of the story was heartbreaking: "One first-year student...had been in quarantine since Thursday night. This student said the problem arose because she had breakfast one day just off campus with a classmate who later tested positive." (2/x)

My 3 year old woke me up at 4am today. Sitting next to him as he fell asleep, I couldn’t help but worry about how #covid19 is affecting him and his sister. Sometimes it doesn’t matter if you’re a doctor or public health professional - in the end you’re just a worried parent. (1/) My children are supposed to go to school in the fall. But I read the reports of more kids presenting with possible COVID19-related inflammatory syndrome that affects their hearts. Yes the numbers are still small. But when it’s your child, even one feels like too many. (2/)

In the last few weeks, I’ve spoken with large and small businesses, sports teams, universities, and non-profits about their approach to reopening during #COVID19. There is widespread confusion about how to reopen safely. Here are some of their big concerns: (1/) First, should we be testing our employees especially given that nearly half of infected people are asymptomatic? Many feel they should test, but they aren’t sure how often to test, how and where to get testing, or whether they can afford to do it. (2/)

2 years ago, I began an unexpected journey: to write a book on social connection and loneliness. It was inspired by my patients, people I met as Surgeon General, and my own struggles. I'm thrilled to share that the book - TOGETHER - launches today.
vivekmurthy.com/together-book Through countless conversations, I learned that loneliness was far more common than I thought and more consequential for our health, performance, and politics than I could have imagined. I also could never have fathomed it would even more relevant during the COVID19 pandemic.

THREAD: Five tried and true principles for communication during a public health crisis (these literally save lives): (1/x) #1 Be transparent and truthful - this creates trust, accountability, and allows people to get valuable information. There is tremendous pressure in the middle of a crisis to over promise while also glossing over tough news. You must resist that urge. (2/x)

THREAD: As #COVID19 forces us to physically distance from one another and as our contact with other people drops, society is at risk for a *social recession*. A social recession is marked by an increase in #loneliness and isolation. (1/x) Here’s why this matters: Loneliness feels bad. And it’s stressful - not just emotionally but physically as well. In the long term, the stress state triggered by chronic loneliness can increase levels of inflammation in our body and increase our risk for illness. (2/x)

THREAD: Yesterday, I spoke with doctors from one of the nation’s leading academic hospitals located in a state where #COVID19 cases are increasing quickly. This is what they told me: They've been seeing *many* patients with symptoms concerning for COVID19 who need testing (1/x) But they are unable to get the *vast majority* of them COVID19 testing. Their only resource for testing is the state lab. But the state lab is severely limited in capacity and it will take another few weeks for the hospital lab to implement its own test. (2/x)

There is a lot of confusion about addiction treatment - partly why I issued a Surgeon General’s Report on addiction in 2016 (thread) Science clearly shows that medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder (e.g. suboxone) is effective at addressing addiction.