COVID-19 and medical professionalism in a pandemic

The global pandemic caused by transmission of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and resultantCOVID-191 has created a crisis worldwide for health, healthcare and society. Doctors and healthcare workers will confront fears, and endure risks, making many difficult life-or-death decisions to treat patients and support colleagues as we confront this pandemic. United, in common purpose, we shall prevail against this generational challenge reliant upon our medical professionalism. Doctors have a duty and responsibility to act according to the best values of medical professionalism, and society has a corresponding duty to ensure the infrastructure and support available allow doctors to deliver those responsibilities as safely as possible. Our professionalism will help guide doctors to do the right thing and strive to get the best available outcomes for their patients during this COVID-19 pandemic. There will of course be pain, but we shall persevere and together hope to build a better future to honor those who are lost along the way.