DeKalb County Public Schools to host medical roundtable on COVID-19

The DeKalb County School District is gathering health professionals for a discussion this week with Superintendent Cheryl Watson-Harris.

The hourlong event with the district’s COVID-19 medical advisory community will include six health professionals:

• Calvin Patimeteeporn, epidemiologist, DeKalb County Board of Health
• Dr. Minzhi Xing, epidemiology and statistics program coordinator, DeKalb County Board of Health
• Andrew Gewirtz, professor, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University
• Dr. Veda Johnson, professor of pediatrics at Emory School of Medicine and executive director of the university’s PARTNERS for Equity in Child and Adolescent Health,
• Dr. Jennifer McQuiston, deputy director, Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Dr. Jennifer Shu, Children’s Medical Group
• Dr. Lynette Wilson-Phillips, community pediatrician, Decatur Pediatric Group and Kids’ Doc On Wheels

“This meeting is an opportunity to address public health concerns and allow the community to hear directly from our medical committee,” said a statement provided to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution by the district.

The event begins at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 22, and can be watched on the district’s family engagement Facebook page.

Earlier this week, state epidemiologist Dr. Cherie Drenzek said that about 60% of all COVID-19 outbreaks in Georgia now take place in K-12 schools. Children under age 12 aren’t eligible for vaccinations.

As of Sept. 9, the DeKalb County School District has recorded 2,523 COVID-19 cases among students and staff since the start of the school year last month. Masks are required to be worn in buildings and on buses.