Philadelphia — This afternoon, 314 Action hosted “COVID-19: Get the Facts,” a Facebook Live panel with leading health care experts including former U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, along with Dr. Craig Spencer, Director of Global Health in Emergency Medicine at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center and an Emergency Room physician treating patients on the front lines. The panel was moderated by 314 Action President Shaughnessy Naughton.

Speakers discussed the importance of science in guiding our response, what the federal government and state leaders are doing, ongoing mitigation efforts, and the nature of the novel coronavirus. They also answered questions from the audience about future preparedness, immunity, and face masks.

“Listen to the scientists. This isn’t about the stock market, it’s about saving lives…we need a consistent national response. We need it to get out of politics and into science,” said Kathleen Sebelius, former Secretary of Health and Human Services. “I’m so delighted that [314 Action] is going to really support candidates and officeholders who believe in science. That makes a huge bit of difference.”

“Evidence-based information, scientific information can be incredibly helpful and reassuring,” said Dr. Vivek Murthy, former U.S. Surgeon General. “You got to lead with both science and scientists.”

“We wouldn’t be in this situation if we had public health professionals who had their voices amplified above the political,” said Dr. Craig Spencer, Director of Global Health in Emergency Medicine at New York- Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center. “Politicians should be amplifying public health voices, not contradicting them publicly.”

Watch the entire panel HERE.