Mississippi State Medical Association (MSMA) Board Chair Dr. Jennifer Bryan agrees with Governor Tate Reeves on reopening the economy, however, she still wants people to pay attention to the numbers and take necessary precautions.
“Our governor, I believe, is doing a wonderful job with moving us forward, listening to the medical experts, as well as our economic experts,” Bryan said. “We’re anxiously awaiting the numbers for what happens as we increase our movement.”
As of today, everything from retail businesses to restaurants to gyms are open all across Mississippi, yet the numbers are not necessarily improving.
On Friday, the state saw its largest one-day rise with 404 reported cases. This past weekend brought along another 411 cases, while today’s number confirmed 173 new cases.
With the fluctuating numbers and no definitive flattening of the curve, Bryan discourages Mississippians from having “foolish optimism.”
“The virus is here, and it’s going to do what it does until we get a therapeutic that works or a very good vaccine,” Bryan said. “While we have got a lot of hope, I want people to have real hope, but we don’t want to have foolish optimism either…Foolish optimism is not good. We do want to support the economy, but this virus is more lethal and more contagious than the flu.”
Bryan also emphasized the importance of protecting not only yourself but others when out in public.
“We still need to practice that physical distancing and wear the facemasks,” Bryan said. “We just need to come together on this and be smart.”
To watch the full interview with Dr. Jennifer Bryan on today’s episode of The Gallo Show, check out the video below.
