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COVID-19 safety recommendations are set by mainstream medical organizations as new information becomes available, but there are some doctors who consistently oppose advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other medical officials. These physicians often promote off-label unapproved use of medications for COVID-19 and/or contradict mainstream safety guidelines such as vaccines, masks and social distancing.

There are concerns among medical organizations that these doctors are hampering efforts to control the highly-contagious coronavirus, and are, at worst, placing lives in danger with their contrarian views that can spread like wildfire on social media sites. Their words are often used by those who refuse to be vaccinated or wear masks.

State licensing boards have mostly refused to discipline these doctors for making false and/or misleading claims, but as the virus spreads, there are calls to take action against them. However, there are others who worry that such actions would violate free speech and critical thought.

Medscape writer Harris Meyer recently took on the question of whether doctors should lose their licenses for spreading misinformation and disinformation about COVID-19, which spurred a strong response from readers who are health care providers.

One clinician endorsed the idea of removing licenses for spreading misinformation and called for criminal prosecution: “It should certainly be grounds for cancellation of all licensing (after appropriate examination to rule out acute psychotic episodes, dementia, tumor, etc.) and very likely a charge of manslaughter.”

Another health care provider said that “one who argues publicly that vaccines and masks don’t work should be prosecuted for crimes ranging from reckless endangerment to attempted murder.”

A physician claimed this “is malpractice of the worst kind,” and added that “murder charges should be considered.”

However, there was pushback from other physicians who worried about authorities canceling science.

“Absolutely no,” one doctor stated. “Who judges what is misinformation in this age where debate is canceled? Science advances with challenge and it’s not about an authority dictating the allowable opinion.”

Some physicians defended the controversial doctors and non-approved treatments for COVID-19 such as the livestock medication ivermectin.

One reader spoke out against doctors who are not embracing ivermectin: “I think physicians should lose their licenses for not having the intellectual capacity to understand the ivermectin-confirming studies that are accepted just about everywhere except in the US and Canada. The Government of Japan is making this public health policy, but there are organizations here in the United States – start with United healthcare – who are actually DISCIPLINING physicians for prescribing.”

PolitiFact has noted that this claim about the Japanese government is false. However, the chairman of the Tokyo Medical Association, Haruo Ozaki, did recommend ivermectin for COVID-19. While there have been some ivermectin studies, PolitiFact reported they “lacked scientific standing” and “used small sample sizes,” and added that one study had a “conflict of interest.”

Ivermectin still had its supporters, one of whom warned against removing licenses: “There have been as many studies showing [the] effectiveness of ivermectin as there are against it. Just who sits as the judge of ‘that which is true’ vs ‘that which is false?’ I’ve always thought that a true SCIENTIST was one who was open to questioning everything – and encouraging debate, not removing licenses and becoming part of [the] ‘cancel culture.’”

“One of the fundamental problems with a system that allows government to ‘license’ physicians, or any other profession, is that politics inevitably turn to cronyism and big businesses and wealthy people start controlling the government,” argued another clinician.

The same clinician warned of Nazi Germany: “I guess it explains why the [T]hird Reich arose in a nation of otherwise sensible and peaceful people.”

One doctor wanted enforcement against health food, drug company commercials and talk shows: “We tolerate those. Don’t restrict them? What about Dr Oz and the docs on talk shows claiming BS. What about the politicians saying the same as these Dirty-Dozen?”

Several clinicians wanted legal action against Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), for his statements early in the pandemic.

A reader suggested that if medical licenses were revoked, then “Fauci would be gone, since he has misstated multiple times and changed from no masks to masks, two weeks to flatten the curve…”

Another clinician wanted to “begin with Anthony Fauci who lied to the American People while being paid by them for saying masks prevent the Covid-19 (excluding N95 respirators) and that the disease could not have originated in the NIH-funded Wuhan Institute of Virology.  His resignation would hurt no patient since he has not seen a sick patient in decades.“

“The great Dr Fauci has also ‘retracted’ his own statements a few times already,” noted a clinician. “So, no we are not talking about established knowledge here, no one is a sage when it comes to COVID.”

It has been reported that Dr. Fauci opposed the wearing of masks for the public at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure there would be enough masks for health care workers. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) had not recommended masks at the time either. As masks became more plentiful, Dr. Fauci consistently recommended masks. Official guidance has changed as newer information about the COVID-19 virus has become available.

That said, another doctor called for action against Dr. Fauci and the World Health Organization for misstatements early in the pandemic: “[I]f the family physician must go to prison then I think members of the World Health organization and Dr Fauci will have to join him.”

Another clinician had strong words for his colleagues who advocated the censure of doctors: “I propose you lose your license if you have ever, even once written a Z Pak to treat a viral URI. Be consistent.”

One reader commented that he would rather have “freedom of speech,” and offered this defiant advice: “You can take this license and shove it.”

Still, there was strong push-back against doctors who misinform patients about COVID-19. One clinician framed them in stark terms: “These men and women are medical prostitutes.”

This clinician called for “medical and surgical colleges” to “have a panel to track in-court testimony and the (dis)information they spread while lecturing the attendees for offering the most up-to-date theories.”

“Medical Boards should suspend licenses and give the physician a chance to testify as t the SCIENTIFIC BASIS for his comments,” added a health care provider. “Boards involve themselves in all kinds of perceived disciplinary infractions. We are in the midst of a LETHAL PANDEMIC, I would think that would take precedence over many other issues?”

However, one specialist warned that if the disinformation doctors are held responsible then “that means a lot of doctors” would be “gone” because “almost anything that is written or said about COVID can be contested.”

Another reader insisted the federal government “is not qualified to make such determinations and who are you to make such a suggestion as to remove someone’s license because they disagree with you.”  This reader insisted there “are always going to be people who disagree” and “should not have their license removed by anyone just because” they disagree.