Today’s guest, Dr. Robert Pearl, is the former CEO of The Permanente Medical group, the nation’s largest medical group, and former president of The Mid-Atlantic Medical Group. In these roles, he led 10,000 physicians, 38,000 staff, and was responsible for the nationally recognized medical care of 5 million Kaiser Permanente members on the west and east coasts. This interview was recorded on 3/26/2020.Episode outline:Let’s start with the basics and make sure we’re all on the same page. What is COVID, how is it spread, and how is it different than other viruses?Tell us about containment efforts so far and the idea of social distancing in this effort.What is the status of vaccine development for COVID-19?What is the issue with testing for COVID-19, and why are we so far behind countries such as South Korea who have implemented large scale testing?What are the current thoughts about COVID-19 being a seasonal or a continuous virus?How is fear affecting our response to this pandemic?Influenza infects and kills many more people in the US and globally than COVID has thus far. Why are we so concerned about hospitals and the healthcare system being overwhelmed by patients with COVID-19?You recently wrote an article for Forbes titled “7 Dangerous Myths About the COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic.” We are going to be doing another episode on this podcast talking about some of the internet myths related to this virus, but I would like to take this opportunity to go through the 7 myths you outlined and hear what you have to say about each. The first isThe coronavirus is comparable to seasonal influenza.‘Social distancing’ doesn’t apply to young and healthy AmericansThe problem will go away as soon as we have a vaccinePeople don’t need to be tested unless they’re very sickWith the right actions, the virus can be quickly containedDoctors and nurses are adequately protected from COVID-19When scientists say “we don’t know…” it means things are worse than we thought.How do we maintain the safety and wellbeing of our healthcare workforce if the pandemic becomes a months-long battle?As a health policy expert and physician executive, what are your thoughts on the impact COVID-19 will have on the healthcare industry and on the economy.Your host is Dr. Ted O’Connell, family physician, educator, and author of numerous textbooks and peer-reviewed articles. He holds academic appointments at UCSF, UC Davis, and Drexel University's medical schools and also founded the Kaiser Permanente Napa-Solano Community Medicine and Global Health Fellowship, the first program in the U.S. to formally combine both community medicine and global health. Check Ted out on Instagram (@tedoconnellmd) and Twitter (@tedoconnell)! Board certified in plastic and reconstructive surgery, Dr. Pearl received his medical degree from the Yale University School of Medicine, followed by a residency in plastic and reconstructive surgery at Stanford University. Named one of Modern Healthcare’s 50 most influential physician leaders, Dr. Pearl is an advocate for the power of integrated, prepaid, technologically advanced and physician-led healthcare delivery. He serves as clinical professor of plastic surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine and is on the faculty of the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he teaches courses on strategy and leadership, and lectures on information technology and health care policy.Dr. Pearl is the author of “Mistreated: Why We Think We’re Getting Good Healthcare—And Why We’re Usually Wrong,” a Washington Post bestseller that offers a roadmap for transforming American healthcare. All proceeds from the book go to Doctors Without Borders.Dr. Pearl hosts the popular podcasts Fixing Healthcare, publishes a newsletter with over 10,000 subscribers called Monthly Musings on American Healthcare, and is a regular contributor to Forbes. He has been featured on CBS This Morning, CNBC, NPR, and in TIME, USA Today, and Bloomberg News. He published more than 100 articles in medical journals and contributed to numerous books. A frequent keynote speaker at healthcare and medical technology conferences, Dr. Pearl has addressed the Commonwealth Club, the World Healthcare Congress, and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s National Quality Forum.Submit Your Questions for the PodcastSend an email to [email protected] or check out https://covidpodcast.comWhat Can You Do?You can help spread commonsense about COVID-19 by supporting this podcast. Hit subscribe, leave a positive review, and share it with your friends especially on social media. We can each do our part to ensure that scientifically accurate information about the pandemic spreads faster than rumors or fears. Remember to be vigilant, but remain calm. For the most trusted and real time information on COVID-19 and the coronavirus pandemic, both the CDC and WHO have dedicated web pages to keep the public informed.The information presented in this podcast is intended for educational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice.Producers: Madison Linden and Christopher Breitigan.Executive Producer: Patrick C. Beeman, MD