PITTSBURGH — A group of physicians said they support Pa. Gov. Tom Wolf’s efforts to make safety a priority even though there was an unconstitutional ruling this week.
“Physicians have a responsibility to speak out when we see harm being done, and harm is being done right now to the people of Pennsylvania,” said Dr. Max Cooper, member of the Committee to Protect Medicare.
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Earlier this week, a federal judge ruled Wolf’s now-lapsed orders that closed non-essential businesses and told people to stay at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic was unconstitutional. However, this group of doctors disagrees.
“Those measures kept our healthcare systems from becoming overwhelmed and significantly slowed the spread of the contagion,” said Dr. Wendy Dean, a certified psychiatrist in Carlisle.
The national advocacy group told Channel 11 its priority is safety, and research shows that social distancing and other preventative measures work.
“The science in the evidence are clear ... these measures reduce the risk of infection from a pathogen we still know very little about and for which we still have no consistently effective treatment or a vaccine,” Dean said.
Some of the research they referenced came from Dr. Mark Roberts from UPMC. Roberts told Channel 11 he is not here to take sides or second guess decisions, but the data can give researchers an idea of what social distancing, wearing masks and avoiding large groups can do to the spread of COVID-19.
“There’s no question in my mind that the activities that were put in place saved lives,” Roberts said.
The doctors said their personal experiences moved them to go public and disagree with the judge’s ruling.
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