The University of Michigan professor, physician, and medical historian who coined the term “flatten the curve” relating to the coronavirus pandemic, Dr. Howard Markel, says he is “wary” of a return to the classroom in the fall.
He talks to WEMU's Lisa Barry and also says he thinks college football is a bad idea as well, based on the current path of the pandemic.
The Director for the Center for the History of Medicine at the University of Michigan, Dr. Howard Markel, says it’s yet to be seen if holding in-person classes in local schools and universities is a good idea in the fall. He says it’s a complicated decision to make and will depend on the rate of COVID cases in Michigan in the next few weeks but says he is "very wary" about returning to school for universities in the fall.
Markel says he also believes the thought to play college football during a pandemic is a “nightmare” scenario. Markel says, "I know football is very important to a lot of people, but it is entertainment. It is not the main function of a university."
Markel says there is no end in sight for the current pandemic, adding an effective and safe vaccine is the only way out. The Michigan medical historian says he’s confident that will happen but, at this point, can’t say when.
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— Lisa Barry is the host of All Things Considered on WEMU. You can contact Lisa at 734.487.3363, on Twitter @LisaWEMU, or email her at lbarryma@emich.edu
