"Our clinical practice guidelines KILL people, we need help to fix them"; this was told to me by high level persons at IDSA (Infectious Diseases Society of America) when I joined in 2017; I was a

trainer to those making guidelines in IDSA for they were in great trouble producing junk, dangerous documents, unscientific, I was told point blank, our guidance kill people & one of the persons

who told me this remains today as one of the top if not the top Infectious Diseases doctors globally! He called me and asked me on the phone when he got wind in the ID (infectious diseases globally) circles I was offered the post to be the systematic review meta-analysis trainer etc. and to help build and develop guidelines at IDSA. He told me para ‘as a friend Paul, you will damage your name and career as a top research methodologist in evidence-based medicine, you can’t fix IDSA, think carefully, I myself will not help them for their guidance kill people, it is understood…’

I decided that if this was the case, I would do my part to help address that.

My role 2017 to 2019 (with some outside experts called to help) was to train doctors and surgeons and scientists (guideline panel) at IDSA in making clinical practice guidance. It was tough. I had one colleague xxx (for he was really the only skilled capable person at IDSA) really stood out to me as to capability. Rest were jokers. Title or not.

In one high level meeting at IDSA 3 years in, we were discussing a guidance and at a routine high-level meeting and I sat there as these people (doctors, scientists, top level directors) were making fun of Trump. Very disrespectful. I told them you cannot do that, he is POTUS and the federal government funds you. He funds you as leader of America. I told them while he is POTUS, you should respect him and the office. How can you be so disrespectful of the POTUS?

I was told the leadership were angry I defended Trump. Following the meeting there was a move to terminate me. I was. We discussed me apologizing for challenging senior management on what they said re Trump. I essentially told them fuck off. I left.

When I left, I can say that the guidance was much more evidence-based and produced more optimally, I/we did a lot of work to lift it. With massive work to fix it left to do. I cannot comment since then on that IDSA did or does.

Why do I share so pure? I want you to know I am not in this COVID game for friends, to make money, to get positions, I am in this game to save lives. To matter. So, when I leave this world, I would have done something hopefully to help.

Met some good people at IDSA, mostly management, and African American good people. Non-African American leadership treated me like shit despite my lofty position and I detected a sense of racism etc. at the most senior level. When you are black or brown and highly skilled, educated, you experience racism in that way. Could be very bad too. Incredible as that seems, you are negatively attacked and damaged because of your skills or capacity or threat of future advancement. It is not only about color or ethnicity etc. I was attacked because I supported Trump and called them out against their attacks on him.