By Christopher B. Forrest, MD, PhD Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Chair, HERO Registry Sub-Committee
As a researcher who is involved in planning and leading the HERO Registry, the experiences I bring to this project are not just professional; they are personal. I am a physician and my 19-year-old son tested positive for the virus causing COVID-19 in early March. He was one of the first cases in our community, and probably exposed me and my wife to the virus. He is well (2 days of illness), and we are well.
My daughter is an OB/GYN resident on the front lines in Atlanta, GA. Every night at 8 pm she hears the city’s cheers in support of healthcare workers and smiles and cheers herself. I feel the impact that this pandemic is having on all of us. Not just us, but also our families and communities.
This is why I am part of HERO; to make a difference for all of us and our families.
The HERO registry is a community of people who work in healthcare settings. Our common purpose, what binds us together, is that we are committed to understanding how COVID-19 is affecting our health and how COVID-19 affects our personal, family, and professional lives. The HERO community is also committed to testing new technologies, medicines, and vaccines that can protect us, heal us, and make our families safer. After signing up, participants will not only have regular opportunities to join trials and studies but also to help identify the most important questions to ask.
Never before have we in the United States formed a national community of all people who care for the health of the nation. HERO is an opportunity for healthcare workers to let the nation know what is going on in our lives to accelerate new policies, programs, and treatments that can help lessen or eliminate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our lives.