Beth Prusaczyk
, instructor at the Institute for Informatics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
The COVID-19 pandemic certainly looks different in rural Missouri compared to urban areas of the state. As such, the response in rural areas must also be different.
I grew up in rural southern Illinois and my family still lives there. Now I’m faculty at Washington University in St. Louis, where I study how to disseminate health information to rural areas. I can appreciate why strict public health practices, such as closing businesses and mandatory stay-at-home orders, may feel like overkill to rural Missourians. It probably feels like that time in school when the whole class got recess taken away because of one student’s actions.
I also understand that this is why Missouri leaders — from elected officials such as Governor Parson to community business and religious leaders — may be hesitant to enact strict measures across seemingly unaffected areas. However, it is the duty of these leaders to, in times of crisis, lead.
Read the full piece in the Springfield News-Leader.