Opening the Country Safely Without Politics Is Wish of Frontline Doctor

There are valid arguments for opening the country after the COVID-19 shutdowns. But those actions must be tempered by good medical data and with the safety of people being foremost, says Dr. Todd Fredrick, Associate Professor of Family Medicine at the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine at Ohio University. These decisions to open our businesses and society should be based on good science that minimizes the risk of a resurgence of the virus, Dr. Fredrick adds. He cautions against having the decisions of when and how to safely reopen society being based on politics. He notes that politics of the extremes on the right and the left often cloud decision making that should be neutral and fact-based. He also cautions against people looking for “perfect” solutions but instead, Dr. Fredrick suggests that we need to find “acceptable” options knowing there will be some increase in infections with the Coronavirus after states reopen. He notes that we should not be seeking a “one-size fits all” solution for reopening but instead each state and each region should tailor an approach that maximizes openness while protecting the most vulnerable people in our populations. Dr. Fredrick has an extensive military background and is a physician deeply knowledgeable about outbreaks such as the COVID-19 pandemic. He is one of the founders of Media in Medicine, a multi-disciplinary program that assists both students and professionals with science and health related communications using a multimedia approach. In addition to teaching and doing research, Dr. Fredrick also is the producer of the “Rotations Podcast.” It is a podcast available through Apple Podcasts that looks broadly at medical issues from human interest stories to highlighting the latest in medical research.