ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — St. Louis County is building a team of experts that will work with the health department "to review and draft policies that allow the county to remain at the forefront of fighting the coronavirus," according to a press release.
The team includes Rob Gatter, a professor of health management and policy at St. Louis University and Jason Purnell, an associate professor at Washington University’s Brown School.
“This is an unprecedented moment in modern public health,” said Gatter, who has written about pandemics and quarantine.
Since there is no vaccine, Gatter encouraged the community to practice quarantine, isolation and social distancing, the release said.
Purnell’s research focuses on "how socioeconomic and sociocultural factors influence health behaviors and health outcomes and on mobilizing community action to address the social determinants of health," the release said.
“We are facing a critical challenge and it is time for people to contribute in any way they can,” Purnell said. “A lot of my career has been about the health and well-being of the St. Louis community. This Technical Specialists Team is directly in line with not only what I care about professionally, but personally. This is my community.”
St. Louis County Executive Sam Page said he is continuing to assemble the team.
“Our community is filled with tremendous talent. With the coronavirus, we must tap into that talent,” Page said.
