The Ohio State University College of Public Health faculty and students have been critical to Ohio’s response to COVID-19, quickly working to offer their expertise in disease modeling and other essential areas since the crisis began to unfold in the United States in late winter.
College experts have informed decision-making by Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton (a 1996 graduate of our college) and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. That partnership has continued throughout the state’s COVID-19 containment strategy, which currently includes a plan for slowly and carefully reopening businesses shuttered by the pandemic.
“Public health is always aiming to empower communities, to step in and help but also to leave them with the knowledge and resources to sustain change. The work of public health is far from just academic — we are always driven to be boots on the ground,” said Dean Amy Fairchild, whose work in the past two months has included advising and collaborating with university leaders as they grapple with the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic.
“The speed with which we were able to react reflects the strength of relationships with our broader university community and with our health departments. And it also tells you something about how we see our mission. Our college didn’t just jump in quickly, but jumped in to help pull in expertise from across the university,” she said.
CPH faculty are working in several areas as the state relaxes social distancing measures. Among those efforts:
Continued modeling work to examine how different social distancing approaches might influence disease transmission.
Efforts in the community to support those Ohioans who are most vulnerable and most impacted by this pandemic, including those living in poverty and those who are experiencing domestic violence.
Work to bolster Ohio’s response in such a way that is least damaging to the economy.
CPH faculty involved include Amy Ferketich, Maria Gallo, Ayaz Hyder, Eben Kenah, Stanley Lemeshow, Bo Lu, Julianna Nemeth, Alison Norris, Grzegorz Rempala, Elisabeth Root, Eric Sieber, Joseph Tien, Abigail Norris Turner and Mark Weir. Weir is also a Sustainability Institute core faculty member.