On March 2, the American Academy of Family Physicians sent a letter to the Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary regarding the COVID-19 outbreak.
The prospect of large numbers of people simultaneously seeking care from family physicians has the potential to overwhelm the primary care system in most communities, the letter said.
The AAFP advised HHS to take immediate steps to integrate family physician offices with federal agencies and public health efforts, including the distribution of information on evolving testing, vaccination, and treatment, and to consider the primary care safety net when distributing emergency funding.