(CNN) – In an unprecedented move, the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday published an op-ed by its editors condemning the Trump administration for its response to the Covid-19 pandemic – and calling for the current leaders of the United States to be removed from office
« We rarely publish editorials signed by all editors, » said Dr. Eric Rubin, editor of the medical journal and author of the new editorial
The editorial, which Rubin said was written in August, details how the United States dominates the world in Covid-19 cases and deaths So far, more than 75 million people in the United States has been diagnosed with Covid-19 and more than 200,000 people have died from the disease
“This crisis has produced a test of leadership In the absence of good options for tackling a new pathogen, countries have been forced to make tough choices about how to respond Here in the United States, our leaders have failed this test They took a seizure and turned it into a tragedy, « says editorial
He does not endorse a candidate, but offers a scathing critique of the leadership of the Trump administration during the pandemic
« Anyone recklessly wasting lives and money in this way would face legal consequences. Our leaders have widely claimed immunity for their actions But this election gives us the power to judge, » the editorial says. when it comes to responding to the greatest public health crisis of our time, our current political leaders have shown themselves to be dangerously incompetent We must not encourage them and allow the deaths of thousands more Americans while allowing them to keep their jobs «
The New England Journal of Medicine began publishing in 1812 There have only been four previous editorials collectively signed by its editors in the recent past: one in 2014 on contraception; an obituary the same year for a former editor-in-chief; an editorial that year on standards of care research and an editorial in 2019 on abortion
« The reason we have never published an editorial on the elections is that we are not a political newspaper and I don’t think we want to be a political newspaper – but the problem here is with the facts , not to opinion There have been a lot of mistakes that were not only stupid but reckless and I think we want people to realize that there are truths here, not just opinions, ”Rubin said. p>
« For example, masks work Works of social distancing Quarantine and isolation works These are not opinions Deciding not to use them may be a political decision, but trying to suggest that they are not not real is imaginary and dangerous ”, he declared « We don’t have the right leaders for this epidemic I think we need better leadership »
The New England Journal of Medicine isn’t the only medical or scientific publication to take a political stance amid the pandemic and ahead of the November presidential election
In September, Scientific American magazine announced that it was backing former Vice President and Democratic candidate Joe Biden over President Trump, whom he criticized for rejecting science The announcement marked the first release endorsement of a presidential candidate in its 175-year history
New England Journal of Medicine
World news – United States – New England Journal of Medicine denounces Trump’s response to coronavirus
