- Courtesy of TCHD
- Katie seward
Tuscarawas County Health Commissioner Katie Seward is like many of her colleagues across the state and country. He has acted in the best interest of public health as he takes steps to educate residents and listens to their concerns about school restrictions as school begins again this fall. And, like many of his colleagues, he has faced a torrent of abuse and hatred for his decisions. Here, in an open letter sent to county facebook page This past weekend, he talks about his job and what he's been through.
Tuscarawas County Community,
I was initially drawn to the field of public health for its intention to use science to improve the health of populations. Public health is largely uncontroversial. Most people probably think of the Department of Public Health as a go-to place to get a septic permit or birth certificate. In the world of public health, there is a common saying: "When public health works, nothing happens."
One year after the COVID-19 pandemic and everything related to public health has changed. As a community, we are all exhausted. Many people have heard conflicting public health messages from a variety of sources, and we are ALL ready to end masks, social distancing, quarantines, and anything else to do with COVID-19. However, the COVID-19 virus is not done with us. While the death rate from infection may be low, COVID-19 has killed more Americans than all wars since World War I combined and has taken 260 people in our community.
Viruses, like the coronavirus, have the ability to reproduce over and over again as long as there are susceptible hosts or people. At each stage of spread, it becomes increasingly difficult to stop it.
As Tuscarawas County Health Commissioner, appointed under the statutes of Chapter 3709 of the Ohio Revised Code, I have legal, ethical and moral obligations to perform the duties assigned by the Board of Health under the Ohio Revised Code of the State. Unfortunately, despite working diligently to meet those obligations and always acting in good faith, I, like many of my colleagues in Ohio and the United States, have become an easy target for people's frustrations. There is a starkness in the way people behave with each other, with healthcare and public health workers, and with me, personally and professionally.
The COVID-19 response should never have turned into a red or blue problem. The COVID-19 virus has always been the enemy and the United States its target. We must unite against this enemy and allow science to be our leader.
I do not have a playbook for the decisions I have faced, but I have always acted ethically and with the best interests of the Tuscarawas County community in mind.
As our children return to school this fall, the stakes are higher than ever. We are now fighting a variant that is more contagious, affects children more often, and potentially has greater health consequences than previous strains. I have heard from many very passionate community members about different positions on the mandates of masks and vaccines in schools. I have been told to "do more" and have been pressured to "do less."
Let me be clear. The Health Department and I will continue to provide the most up-to-date recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and the Ohio Department of Health, current data, and any other pertinent information to school districts and the public so they can make the best decisions. for your students, staff and community. I have no authority over the mandates and / or recommendations for masks, vaccinations, and quarantine. However, I have duties and responsibilities that I am required to fulfill under the laws of the state of Ohio, such as isolating people infected with a contagious disease and quarantining people who are exposed to a contagious disease, if the state of Ohio consider that the disease may be in quarantine. . The guidelines issued by the Ohio Department of Health regarding "who" is considered a close contact must be followed, but were not personally established by our local Health Department or me.
After numerous discussions with our county school districts, many felt they did not have the proper authority to exclude students from school who had not been officially quarantined by the Health Commissioner. I was hoping to provide quarantine recommendations to contacts, but due to the difficult situation the schools were in, I found it necessary to issue orders for districts to have the necessary documentation for exclusion.
It should be noted that based on Ohio Department of Health guidelines, if schools have mask mandates (regardless of vaccination status), strategies to maximize physical distancing, and documented COVID-19 policies, the risk of transmission is generally considered low, And despite the positive cases of COVID-19, all classroom contacts without symptoms would be allowed to remain in the classroom and participate in extracurricular sports.
I understand and support the need to keep our children in the classroom. I appreciate and value the benefit of extracurricular activities. That is why I have communicated to the Superintendents the best practices and recommendations described above. School districts may decide to choose to implement these policies and that, in turn, would reduce the number of people who must be quarantined. I recognize that the implementation of social distancing and masking mandates may not be the best option for all districts, but it must be recognized that the lack of such measures results in the need to contact, track, and quarantine those identified as contacts. close.
The Health Department relies heavily on our partnership with each school district to complete this task and we are very grateful for the time and effort that this requires. Orders issued to students after a known exposure are the obligation of the Department of Health and a delegated responsibility of the Commissioner of Health as described in Chapter 3707.08 and 3707.16 of the Ohio Revised Code. Please understand that quarantining students is not an act of malice or retaliation against those who have chosen to remain unvaccinated or those who speak out against the mask or vaccine mandates. Those are the guidelines that I must follow. Simply put, it's my job.
For the past year, I have been threatened and harassed, my character has been taken down. My personal life has been analyzed, judged and ridiculed. I have been labeled "the most hated woman in Tuscarawas County."
Still, I love public health and I love Tuscarawas County. I came to the field of public health and the Tuscarawas community was committed to applying my knowledge and training to save lives. I appreciate the passion of many of our residents. I am NOT under any circumstances attempting to take away any personal freedom or your right to decide what is best for you and your family in any health matter, but I am required to follow the Ohio Revised Code.
As we continue to navigate these uncharted waters, I promise to continue to make good faith decisions and act responsibly within the scope of my duties as assigned by the laws of the State of Ohio.
With respect and sincerity,
Katie Seward, MPH, CHES, CTTS
Tuscarawas County Health Commissioner
