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When a group calling themselves “America’s Frontline Doctors” gathered to laud unproven treatments for COVID-19 on July 27, our readers wanted to know: Who are they, exactly?
So we dug through the records and found out. A thread: https://www.snopes.com/news/2020/07/30/americas-frontline-doctors/?utm_source=thread&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fl-thread
So we dug through the records and found out. A thread: https://www.snopes.com/news/2020/07/30/americas-frontline-doctors/?utm_source=thread&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fl-thread
“America’s Frontline Doctors” appears to be a brand new group associated with the conservative group Tea Party Patriots Action, or TPPatriots. According to Whois, their site was registered online on July 16, less than 10 days before the press conference. https://www.snopes.com/news/2020/07/30/americas-frontline-doctors/?utm_source=thread&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fl-thread
Each doctor in the video is wearing a white lab coat with an “America’s Frontline Doctors” logo on the left side. We looked into the background of — and tried to contact — several of the doctors prominently featured. https://www.snopes.com/news/2020/07/30/americas-frontline-doctors/?utm_source=thread&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fl-thread
Dr. Simone Gold, an emergency & general practice doctor, described AFD as representing “hundreds & thousands of doctors.”
In another video, she described her take on “flattening the curve” in front of LA's Cedars-Sinai hospital, where she does not work. https://www.snopes.com/news/2020/07/30/americas-frontline-doctors/?utm_source=thread&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fl-thread
In another video, she described her take on “flattening the curve” in front of LA's Cedars-Sinai hospital, where she does not work. https://www.snopes.com/news/2020/07/30/americas-frontline-doctors/?utm_source=thread&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fl-thread
Other doctors include Dr. Bob Hamilton, a pediatrician known for his skill at soothing crying babies via the "Hamilton hold," Dr. James Todaro, who has no known experience treating COVID-19, & Dr. Joseph Lapado at UCLA, who said he was speaking for himself https://www.snopes.com/news/2020/07/30/americas-frontline-doctors/?utm_source=thread&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fl-thread
Dr. Stella Immanuel in particular sparked the curiosity of Snopes readers. Texas state records indicate her current practice is located in a strip mall next door to the ministry where she preaches. https://www.snopes.com/news/2020/07/30/americas-frontline-doctors/?utm_source=thread&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fl-thread
Immanuel has been the subject of many viral memes for her comments, including that witches and demons impact people’s health. She has been vocal about her religious affiliations on the internet, including some sermons on her now-deleted website. https://www.snopes.com/news/2020/07/30/americas-frontline-doctors/?utm_source=thread&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fl-thread
In the press conference, Immanuel touted hydroxychloroquine, an unproven treatment for COVID-19, as both a preventative and “cure." The FDA cautioned against the use of hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 “outside of the hospital setting or a clinical trial." https://www.snopes.com/news/2020/07/30/americas-frontline-doctors/?utm_source=thread&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fl-thread
Immanuel also claimed to have successfully treated 350 patients for COVID-19, some of whom she said had underlying conditions such as diabetes.
We found no evidence for this claim, nor that her alleged treatments were successful. https://www.snopes.com/news/2020/07/30/americas-frontline-doctors/?utm_source=thread&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fl-thread
We found no evidence for this claim, nor that her alleged treatments were successful. https://www.snopes.com/news/2020/07/30/americas-frontline-doctors/?utm_source=thread&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fl-thread
You can learn more about each of the doctors, and TPPatriots, the group linked to them, here: https://www.snopes.com/news/2020/07/30/americas-frontline-doctors/?utm_source=thread&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fl-thread
And remember, the best way to support our investigations is by becoming a Snopes Member. https://www.snopes.com/projects/founding-members/?utm_source=thread&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fl-thread
