FORT DODGE, Iowa - An infectious disease physician from Fort Dodge is highly critical of Governor Kim Reynolds decision to reopen 77 counties to businesses such as restaurants and gyms.
Dr. Megan Srinivas told WHO-TV that it's not possible to exercise social distancing that Governor Reynolds has called for, while going to bars and restaurants. “Telling people it’s OK to reopen, it’s OK to mingle, it’s OK to go back out to the restaurants and bars, but at the same time saying, ‘but you really should follow social distancing guidelines,’ is really a paradox and contradicting itself because you can’t do both, reasonably."
Dr. Srinivas says people could go to businesses not knowing they're infected because symptoms don't develop for 14 days.
“What we’re going to see is the result of people getting infected now from reopening everything, from coming in contact with infected people, that those infections aren’t going to really bloom for another three to five weeks down the line," Dr. Srinivas told WHO-TV. "So, the decisions we make today dictate which lives are lost three to five weeks from now."
Dr. Srinivas brought up a study from University of Iowa researchers that said a second wave of COVID-19 infections is likely if social distancing policies are reduced. That study concluded that "prevention measures should remain in place. Without such measures being continued, a second wave of infections is likely."
Governor Reynolds has said the University of Iowa study is just one of numerous sources the state's using to determine COVID-19 restrictions.
Dr. Srinivas also thinks Governor Reynolds is mischaracterizing the increase in COVID-19 cases as a result of more testing being done. She says the ratio of positive tests is at 17 percent to 18 percent and rising, meaning a larger percentage of people being tested have the virus.
She also told WHO-TV that Iowa needs to be testing more than 4,700 people a day for COVID-19 in order to know how the virus is penetrating the state. Currently., the state is testing 2,000 per day.