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Public health strategy after COVID-19 is up for debate, Jacksonville doctor says

The public health response has been different across the board since the COVID-19 pandemic began almost two years ago.

FLORIDA, USA — With the COVID-19 pandemic still going on and the current omicron surge, one Jacksonville doctor says strategies moving forward are up for debate.

The public health response has been different across the board since the pandemic began almost two years ago.

“I would argue that we should look to see what works, and then people can decide how they should approach things,” said Dr. Michael Koren, CEO for Jacksonville Center for Clinical Research.

For example, he says, New York was hit hard early on during the pandemic and has implemented strict policies throughout.

The most recent, a mask mandate for all indoor public places that don’t have a vaccine requirement.

On the other hand, Florida has been hit hard at different parts of the pandemic, but he says the state did something very good in the beginning, which was isolating the nursing home and elderly community.

“If you look at the data between the two states, they're actually very, very similar, and the approaches have been a little bit different. So, you know, whether or not one strategy worked better than the other is certainly something that's open for debate.” Koren explained.

However, he says two things are for sure.

“The public health response should be based on the characteristics that particular virus. So, for COVID-19, one of the most important characteristics is that it's a horrible virus in older people and people with pre-existing conditions," Koren said. “We got to really protect the most vulnerable people.”  

He says another key message for COVID-19 going forward is vaccines work well at preventing severe illness, and a strong vaccine strategy should remain in place.

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