Washington, D.C. – Bringing a strong message against additional lockdowns and hope for early treatment options, America’s Frontline Doctors (AFLDS), a coalition of physicians dedicated to putting patients first, gathered for their second White Coat Summit in Washington on October 16 and 17. The event offered hours of new findings related to the importance of expanding treatment options and the high cost of lockdowns. Those themes were first presented at a meeting in July which drew international attention. AFLDS member physicians have collectively treated thousands of patients in clinical settings and support early intervention for COVID-infected individuals with FDA-approved hydroxychloroquine as an option. At a press conference on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court, they also called on state and municipal governments to avoid mandatory lockdown orders, such as those proposed by former Vice President Joe Biden, as destructive and nonscientific. Dr. Simone Gold, M.D., J.D., FABEM, a board-certified emergency physician and founder of America’s Frontline Doctors, said, “The evidence that early treatment works is overwhelming. Even patients over age 70 have a 95% success rate with the virus but the truth is it could be virtually 100%. Patients know we only want to help.” The doctors contend that a second mass lockdown would have disastrous effects on the physical and mental health of Americans. For example, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found an increase of 20% in non-COVID-related deaths between February and late August. Lockdown-induced stress, anxiety, and financial pressures are all contributing factors to the higher weekly deaths in 2020 attributable to fatal heart attacks, diabetes, strokes, and hypertension. According to the American Medical Association, the nation’s opioid use epidemic has transformed into an opioid overdose crisis during the pandemic, with more than 40 states reporting increases in opioid-related mortality. Enforced isolation due to quarantine orders and remote education is also making anxiety and depression more prevalent among school-age children, studies show. “Early treatment is the key. And there is an inexpensive alternative. We are here today to say that COVID-19 does not need to kill … and you do not need to walk in fear any longer,” said Dr. Robin Armstrong, an internal medicine physician practicing as a hospitalist and in nursing homes. AFLDS supports making hydroxychloroquine available to all Americans over the counter, just as it has been in many parts of the world for decades. The first White Coat Summit delivered seven hours of educational content live-streamed around the world. The event was viewed nearly 20 million times before it was censored and removed across all social media virtually simultaneously just hours after the footage was uploaded. “The stakes are high. A second lockdown could mean thousands more dead Americans. I’m imploring my fellow doctors: We have the data. We understand the science. It’s on us. This country cannot go backwards because we failed to act in time,” said Dr. Gold. The second White Coat Summit delivered over four hours of educational content on early treatment, corruption of the scientific process, testing inaccuracies, the science of masks, kids and schools, protecting the frail elderly, and overcoming fear.