Message from Professor Stephen Brecker on Covid-19

Dr Jon Hykin from Rothschild Surgery has asked us to share this open letter from Professor Stephen Brecker, Chief of Cardiology St George’s Hospital London.

I wanted to send you an open letter to be passed onto all members of the community, with a request that they send this to as many people as possible.

I am writing as a doctor in a front-line hospital battling the greatest challenge in the history of modern healthcare. I am writing on behalf of my colleagues in the Emergency Department and Intensive Care Units of hospitals nationwide. Many hospitals are just days away from being overwhelmed. We are pleading with everyone at risk to isolate at home, and everyone else to keep as far distance as possible from others if they are not able to isolate. We have got to break the chain of transmission.

By taking this responsibility, every person who does this will be responsible for saving lives. The patients dying today got infected two weeks ago or more. By taking a decision to isolate today and to distance yourself from today, you will be saving lives which will otherwise be lost in two weeks. Please do this today, without any further delay.

You may think the majority of the population are heeding Government advice – but the truth is that many are not and lives are going to be lost as a consequence. Doctors, Nurses and all health professionals will stay at work but we need you to stay at home.

Thank you.

Professor Stephen J.D. Brecker MD FRCP FESC FACC
Chief of Cardiology, Cardiology Clinical Academic Group
St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London