Counterpoint: In defense of physicians who treated COVID with alternative approaches

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The article "Doctors who threatened the public health still practicing" (a reprint from the Washington Post in the Star Tribune's Science+Health section, Aug. 13) propagates the most egregious error in the handling of the COVID pandemic.

As a primary care physician, I continue to work daily to restore patients' trust in medicine. When the government repeatedly stated as fact their latest recommendations, only to later change those "facts," it undermined patient confidence in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

When dealing with a new disease we should approach it with humility. Recommendations for isolation, mask wearing, immunizations and treatment were often changed as the understanding of COVID evolved. Unfortunately, the certainty with which the original statements were made created animosity toward those who continued to question and investigate options.

The polarization that has resulted has now created the epidemic of mistrust. For example, patients who previously vaccinated according to the regular schedule or followed screening protocols now question every recommendation.

Instead of perpetuating the idea of punishing providers who were trying alternative treatments, we must acknowledge that many patients today try alternative therapies rather than what is considered standard of care. A common example is those who choose holistic therapy for cancer rather than well-established medical protocols. As a physician, while I may disagree with their decision, I still feel obligated to provide other health care to these patients. But part of this patient autonomy also includes the freedom to choose your health care provider.

Those who went to physicians offering alternative therapy for COVID were aware they were not following the CDC. To claim patients thought they were getting standard care is false. They chose to seek a different treatment based on the variety of approaches to COVID. In oral arguments on Aug. 8 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the federal Justice Department lawyer representing the FDA said, "FDA explicitly recognizes that doctors do have the authority to prescribe ivermectin to treat COVID." This doesn't mean it is recommended, but it does mean it is not criminal.

My concern in this battle is less about COVID and more about the preservation of physician autonomy and the sacred relationship between patients and providers. We have made a grave error in the handling of the pandemic. The practice of medicine should not be dictated by government policy. It is a field with constantly evolving understanding. Because of the nature of discovery, doctors and patients may choose a treatment that ultimately fails. In other circumstances the alternative becomes the standard of care. As a community it is time to stop the animosity around COVID and restore thoughtful dialogue and openness to trials of unique treatments.

Dr. Mary Paquette, of Mendota Heights, is a physician.