Second-string status of CDC
alarms former health official
A former head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expressed alarm yesterday that that agency is not "central to the response" of the coronavirus epidemic in the United States. He said he would feel "a lot safer" if the CDC was at the forefront of the virus battle, which he predicts will get much worse within the next 10 to 14 days.
"The CDC is the nation's leading protection agency," said Tom Frieden, CDC director in the Obama administration. "Fighting this without CDC central to the response has never been done with an infectious disease threat in the U.S. before and it's like fighting with one hand tied behind your back."
Frieden said he would feel "a lot safer" if he knew that the CDC "was at the table" and "at the podium" among the White House task force as it has an important role in combating the outbreak.
When asked how he thought the Trump administration was handling the epidemic, Frieden yesterday told Fox News, "This is not the time for grading, this is the time for all of us to work together."
Frieden said it takes about "five or six days" after initial infection before a person feels symptoms and about another week before possibly becoming "very sick."
"So the severe cases that we're seeing today are people who were infected 10-14 days ago. That means that for the next 10-14 days we're locked in to continue to see a big increase in cases in places like New York City," Frieden said. "That's why we're so worried about health care becoming overwhelmed and keeping health care workers as safe as possible."
The public health specialist said that the public health measure of chasing down an infected person's contacts in places like New York City "isn't going to work" because the virus has become so widespread, but urged the continuation of social distancing, staying home and washing hands, hoping that will eventually result in a "drive down of cases" in the weeks ahead.
Asked whether chloroquine, the anti-malaria drug that President Trump has spotlighted as a potential treatment for coronavirus, should be "deployed," Frieden responded by saying it should be studied before it's given to patients, but that "absolutely" chloroquine among other drugs should be looked into.
Frieden said there would be a surge in health care workers infected with Covid-19 and that the intensive care units will be "overwhelmed," telling Roberts that's what he is "most concerned about" in the coming week.
The foregoing information comes from Joseph A. Wulfsohn, a reporter for Fox News.
"The CDC is the nation's leading protection agency," said Tom Frieden, CDC director in the Obama administration. "Fighting this without CDC central to the response has never been done with an infectious disease threat in the U.S. before and it's like fighting with one hand tied behind your back."
Frieden said he would feel "a lot safer" if he knew that the CDC "was at the table" and "at the podium" among the White House task force as it has an important role in combating the outbreak.
When asked how he thought the Trump administration was handling the epidemic, Frieden yesterday told Fox News, "This is not the time for grading, this is the time for all of us to work together."
Frieden said it takes about "five or six days" after initial infection before a person feels symptoms and about another week before possibly becoming "very sick."
"So the severe cases that we're seeing today are people who were infected 10-14 days ago. That means that for the next 10-14 days we're locked in to continue to see a big increase in cases in places like New York City," Frieden said. "That's why we're so worried about health care becoming overwhelmed and keeping health care workers as safe as possible."
The public health specialist said that the public health measure of chasing down an infected person's contacts in places like New York City "isn't going to work" because the virus has become so widespread, but urged the continuation of social distancing, staying home and washing hands, hoping that will eventually result in a "drive down of cases" in the weeks ahead.
Asked whether chloroquine, the anti-malaria drug that President Trump has spotlighted as a potential treatment for coronavirus, should be "deployed," Frieden responded by saying it should be studied before it's given to patients, but that "absolutely" chloroquine among other drugs should be looked into.
Frieden said there would be a surge in health care workers infected with Covid-19 and that the intensive care units will be "overwhelmed," telling Roberts that's what he is "most concerned about" in the coming week.
The foregoing information comes from Joseph A. Wulfsohn, a reporter for Fox News.
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