https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53357742
"There's a lot of misinformation all over the web about the
seriousness of this outbreak," says Dr Aileen Marty, a Florida
International University infectious disease expert who has been working
with state officials on the pandemic response. She says this is partly
why Florida is now among the worst-hit regions.
"Since we don't have a consistent message in our state, let alone our country, there's even more confusion."
The Republican governor has also downplayed the severity of Florida's
outbreak by pointing to the increase in testing and younger Floridians
being infected - particularly those aged 25 to 34 - as well as a lower
death rate.
"Generally, deaths follow about two weeks behind when
we get the positive tests," Dr Marty explains. She pushes back against
the notion that America is doing well with deaths from this virus,
saying even looking at just the raw data shows the nationwide rate -
around 5.6% - is concerning.
"That's considering the fact that
we're better at it now than we were," she adds. "We're getting people in
beds sooner, moving people to ICUs sooner."
Testing, despite
delays in getting results, has also aided mitigation. Medication is
helping, though Florida has run out of the Remdesivir antiviral drug and
is awaiting new shipments.
"I just don't understand people who say our death rate is great," Dr Marty says.
The median age of infections in Miami-Dade County, the state's most
populous region, is 40. In Tallahassee, the median recently hit a low of
25 years old.
