Anthony S. Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) for 36 years, spoke with The New England Journal of Medicine in a podcast about how physicians can approach talking to patients about the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Fauci first suggested that the conversation should depend on the location of the practice, given that the situation of COVID-19 is specific to different areas. However, the situation is also constantly evolving, therefore it is the role of the physician to know how to advise patients specific to their location.
“So, you give them the broad picture, that should take like 2 minutes in the office to tell them that. Then you tell them what you need to do,” Fauci explained. “So, if you’re a 35-year-old person who feels healthy and you have someone in your home that’s on cancer chemotherapy, you’ve got…