Task Force discusses public information from DOH
The public reporting of coronavirus cases was the primary focus of the Pine Island COVID-19 Task Force at its meeting Monday, June 7.
“It’s very concerning to me,” said Dr. James Koopman, “because of our interests in making sure that we stay safe with the arrival of variants.”
While he said he along with many others are ready for the end of the pandemic, making safety a top priority must remain key. His work brings a heavy focus on modeling the processes by which the variants emerge. He contends that this is something everyone will likely be forced to address, but said he’s hopeful that there will be a rational vaccine approach to addressing these variants.
“By just closing down the public availability of the number of cases, which (Gov. Ron) DeSantis has done, is not favoring that end,” Koopman said.
Koopman emphasized that this remains a public health issue, and should not be a political one. He said he feels that simply operating as though all is normal, as a means of reassuring the public that everyone is safe, is a wrong move.
“It is useful to say,” said Koopman, “we are really happy we’re in a position to begin relaxing the control conditions and we want to make are we stay safe over a longer term.”
“I would be very surprised if the major media outlets don’t file a Freedom of Information Act request to continue getting the data, to force the Department of Health to release it under transparency protocols,” said Task Force member Jim McLaughlin. “They’ve been successful in the recent past dealing with the Florida Department of Health and the governor in getting information.”
Fellow Task Force member Dr. Daniel Hanley equated the current pandemic situation to a weather report, saying day-to-day repeated weather reports aren’t helpful in planning ahead. He said he feels people are likely becoming fatigued with the repeated incoming messages and doomsday scenarios.
“By all indicators, things are progressing well,” said Hanley. “We should be watchers, we should be vigilant, but, we should be also celebrate our relative success as a country. So far we have done a good job. The vaccines have been game changing.”
According to Koopman there are still reasons to be concerned over a lack of public information, and he posed the question of where to address this concern to the group.
Hanley warned that people don’t want to hear a message of negativity, and it might not go over well. He said he is trying hard to stay focused on the positive aspects of the country having not only vaccines but also the world’s best medicine.
While Koopman said he agreed with Hanley, he reminded the group of his initial stance to stay vigilant in addressing variants, adding that regular updates are necessary for a community response.
Member Sue Dahod proposed the result of where we are in the pandemic will be displayed in the number of occupied beds in hospitals.
Koopman said hospitals are organized to keep beds full at all times, no matter the community demand.
Dahod contends that if the number of reported inpatients with COVID turns upward, that means there’s a variant issue.