I can’t believe it’s come to this: The head of the president’s #COVID19 task force, @Mike_Pence, has an outbreak in his inner circle. As an emergency physician, I can tell you this: The Vice President is putting many lives at risk & must quarantine right away. Here’s why: (1/8)

As doctors we routinely tell our patients and their family members that if they are a close contact of an individual who tests + for #COVID19, they must quarantine for 14 days. We’ve learned that members of @vp Pence’s staff have tested +, yet he’s on the campaign trail. (2/8)

. @CDCgov guidelines are clear, and Pence is in direct violation. He’s not endangering himself, but is endangering anyone with whom he comes into contact. He rarely wears a mask in public, and he could become a vector and #superspreader of @SARSCov2 without showing symptoms. (3/8)

Remember when @realDonaldTrump was sick with #COVID19? @Mike_Pence maintained his public schedule because we were told that he did not have “close contact” with Trump in the days preceding his positive test. Now they admit he was in close contact with his infected staff. (4/8)

We’re told that “per CDC guidelines” as an “essential worker,” @VP does not need to maintain quarantine. But in today’s world, key functions of the Vice Presidency can be safely performed while taking precautions. And the VP’s political rallies are anything but essential. (5/8)

It’s bad enough that during a massive nationwide increase in #COVID19 cases, Pence and Trump are traipsing about the country hosting #superspreader events with thousands packed together without masks. It appears that Pence now wants to be an actual *human* SuperSpreader. (6/8)

While 1000 Americans a day are dying from #COVID19, and hospitals across rural America are bursting at the seams, Trump & Pence are pouring fuel on the raging flames of the #pandemic, and continuing the dissemination of disinformation refuting science. (7/8)

They mock mask wearing, flout restrictions on large gatherings, and attack doctors doing our best to clean up after the mess they’ve created.

And now with Pence defying the CDC & continuing his #COVID tour, he’s creating even more of a mess that we’ll have to clean up. (/END.)