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Public Health graduates join fight against spread of COVID-19

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, multiple alumni of Liberty University’s undergraduate and graduate programs in public health are using their knowledge gained about the spread of infectious diseases and viruses to actively fight real-life cases in the United States and around the world.

Shelby Todd works for Samaritan’s Purse to track COVID-19 cases among employees in Italy, as well as the overall cases in each country for risk analysis

Shelby Todd (’19), a graduate of Liberty’s residential Master of Public Health program, is currently serving with Samaritan’s Purse on its Incident Management team that is part of a medical response to those affected by COVID-19 in Italy. Todd has been tasked with helping record and analyze data regarding Samaritan’s Purse employees who may have been exposed to COVID-19, as well as tracking the number of cases of the virus in each country to create a risk map for the organization.

“My studies in public health have provided me with strong, fundamental knowledge pertaining to health education and disease monitoring that have helped me to be able to provide insight to co-workers regarding health recommendations for staff,” Todd said from Samaritan’s Purse headquarters in Boone, N.C. “Specifically, my epidemiology courses have equipped me with the skills I need to effectively gather case-specific data and run reports.”

Before the COVID-19 crisis, Todd served as an apprentice to the organization’s International Field staff. Samaritan’s Purse remains a close partner of Liberty, particularly through LU Send Now, Liberty’s disaster relief initiative, and connecting students with internships.

Justin Hammerberg (’17), who earned his Bachelor of Science in Public Health-Health Promotion, is currently working in Washington, D.C. with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in the Bureau for Global Health, where he liaises with external partners like the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and others to implement international health programs.

Justin Hammerberg works for USAID, partnering with UN organizations to contain COVID-19.

“COVID-19 is a global challenge, so it’s important to form strong partnerships with similar international actors. It’s also important that the pandemic response does not hinder existing life-saving programs for other infectious diseases,” Hammerberg said. “I like that my work has real-world impact, keeps me on the cutting edge of global health, and has allowed me to travel internationally.”

As an environmental specialist in Florida when the virus outbreak occurred, Shiloh Reeves (’16) was assigned to set up a COVID-19 hotline in Sarasota County to direct potentially affected people to the proper resources, including testing, and other divisions of the Florida Department of Health. Reeves explained that many of the people he speaks with in the call center, especially those with mild symptoms, are seeking testing rather than treatment, and he encourages them to instead remain isolated at home and speak with a doctor.

“A lot of people have the bad symptoms of fever, headaches, and a really bad cough, and all they want to do is get tested rather than see a doctor and be treated,” Reeves said. “We don’t have enough tests for everyone who would like it; we have enough for those who actually need it. About 15 percent of those infected really need the test kit, and we have enough for those people.”

Shiloh Reeves works on the COVID-19 hotline in Sarasota County, directing patients to the proper resources and divisions of Florida’s health department.

All three graduates said their Liberty education prepared them for the positions they are in now, citing courses like Principles of Epidemiology & Biostatistics and Health Promotion Methods in Global Settings as teaching them vital skills they have used in today’s COVID-19 period.

“Just about every class I took at Liberty has affected and improved my ability to answer the calls and lead them in the right direction,” Reeves said. “Public Health at Liberty gave me a framework in order to understand the way that health affects large groups of people, especially with infectious diseases and how it spreads.”

“Ultimately, public health is about serving others selflessly, a principle I’ve transferred to my career.  The (Liberty) community taught me not only how to be proficient in public health, but why,” Hammerberg added.

They agreed that the best advice for avoiding infection and keeping oneself and loved ones safe continues to be the practice of quality hygiene, social distancing, and remembering that even those who feel healthy or are in a low-risk demographic can still spread the virus.

In addition to the residential public health degree programs, Liberty also offers an online Master of Public Health.

Several public health graduates have gone on to become doctors and nurses on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Liberty family continues to keep them in their prayers.

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