Not all coronavirus health guidelines published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during the Trump administration were based on the best scientific evidence or even primarily by the agency’s staff, according to a review commissioned by the new CDC director.
The review sought to ensure that the current and primary CDC guide to COVID-19 contains the most up-to-date information and is “evidence-based and policy-free,” according to a March 10 CDC Director Rochelle Walensky’s summary.
“I am focused on advancing the CDC, with science, transparency and clarity at the forefront,” Walensky said in a statement Monday. “It is imperative that the American people trust the CDC. Otherwise, preventable diseases and injuries can occur – and, tragically, lives can and will be lost. ”
Alex Wong through Getty Images President Donald Trump is then seen speaking at a news conference in February 2020. An analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that not all of the department’s coronavirus guidelines issued during the Trump administration were primarily authored by the agency.
The review concluded that some of the CDC guidelines were not primarily created by federal health agency staff, that they provided considerations rather than direct evidence-based recommendations, and that some information was outdated or lacking in evolving scientific understanding.
The review specified three documents that were misleading as CDC documents on its website.
One of the documents, “The Importance of Reopening American Schools This Fall,” was posted on the CDC website in July and quietly removed in October. His removal followed reports that White House officials pressed the CDC incessantly to reduce the risk of sending children back to school.
“The opening of schools creates an opportunity to invest in the education, well-being and future of one of America’s greatest assets – our children – while taking all precautions to protect students, teachers, staff and all their families,” reads the article. . Its author is not listed.
Chip Somodevilla through Getty Images CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, who was appointed by President Joe Biden, ordered a review of the agency’s coronavirus health guide, which was released during the Trump administration.
Another document, “Test overview for SARS-VOC-2”, was posted in August and replaced in September. A third document, “Opening America Again,” was released in April via a link posted on the CDC website and was removed in February during the CDC review.
Earlier it was reported that White House officials in the Trump administration pressured the CDC to change its COVID-19 information in a way that would reflect well on then-President Donald Trump. Efforts by Trump staff to delay or completely stop the publication of CDC reports have also been reported.
Olivia Troye, who was an adviser to Vice President Mike Pence for two years before resigning in August last year, said she was repeatedly asked by Pence’s chief of staff, Marc Short, to put pressure on the CDC. to produce more reports showing a decline in COVID -19 cases among young people.
After resigning, she told The New York Times that she regretted being “complicit” in such efforts.
“You have an impact on people’s lives, regardless of the political agenda. I exchange votes for life and I have a serious problem with that, “she said.
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