Since the coronavirus began spreading at the beginning of the year, the country’s more than 2,000 public health departments have been working around the clock to monitor the disease, provide testing and inform the public about risks and prevention techniques.
It’s brought the work done by public health officials further into the public discourse than anytime in recent years. But as the pandemic has spread, and become politicized, it’s made the work they’re doing even more difficult.
In this interview, we explore the coronavirus response from a public health perspective with Dr. Marissa Levine, professor of Public Health Practice and Family Medicine at the University of South Florida College of Public Health, where she focuses on population health improvement and teaches leadership.
Prior to becoming a professor Dr. Levine spent 16 years in state government as the Virginia State Health Commissioner, and she led the Virginia Department of Health from 2014-18. She previously held deputy commissioner level leadership and local health department positions with VDH from 2002-14.
During that time, Dr. Levine was involved in the state’s response to the H1N1 pandemic, and as commissioner led the effort to respond to Ebola and Zika and has significant experience leading public health emergency response efforts at the local and state levels. Dr. Levine is also a retired family physician with 16 years of medical practice experience.
She’ll be presenting a lecture on Friday as part of the Naples Discussion Group's 2020-21 schedule called “COVID-19: Adapting to Change (with a capital C)."
Because of social distancing measures it will be held via Zoom and is only open to some students of the Honors College. But, WGCU News sat down with her first to get her perspective on what’s unfolded this year.
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