‘Second Opinion,’ Episode 1: COVID-19’s resurgence

(Posted on Wednesday, August 5, 2020)

Second Opinion is a new discussion series presented by the Los Angeles Times that takes viewers to the forefront of medical research and conversations about health, science and technology.

In the first episode, Los Angeles Times Executive Chairman Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, a surgeon and scientist, is joined by renowned biologist and ACCESS Health Chair and President William Haseltine for a discussion about COVID-19 and the public health implications of its recent resurgence. The discussion is moderated by Eli Stokols of The Times’ Washington bureau. You can view the first episode by clicking below.

Future “Second Opinion” series programming will feature similar topics, columns by William Haseltine and other notable experts, as well as virtual events focused on medicine.

Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, executive chairman of the Los Angeles Times, is a surgeon and scientist who has spent his career studying the human immune system to fight cancer and infectious diseases. He is the chairman and chief executive of NantWorks, and the owner of or investor in a number of companies, including ImmunityBio and NantKwest, which are currently researching immunotherapies for COVID-19.

William Haseltine is a former professor at Harvard’s medical and public health schools, where he performed groundbreaking research on cancer and HIV/AIDS. Haseltine is also the founder and CEO of biotechnology companies responsible for drugs treating HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes and autoimmune disease. He is chair and president of the nonprofit think tank and advisory group Access Health International and is the author of seven books on health systems around the world. His most recent book is “A Family Guide to Covid: Questions and Answers for Parents, Grandparents, and Children.”