Even as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause new cases and deaths, states across the country are relaxing restrictions. A growing atmosphere of frustration among two camps has come to characterize the response to the novel coronavirus. On the one hand, there are messages like those from the White House, where the Trump administration insists the worst is behind us.
On the other hand, you have messaging like that from the CDC, urging caution and projecting massive numbers of deaths should lockdown efforts end early. This tension has also extended to the COVID-19 task force. Task force coordinator Dr. Debbie Birx has grown frustrated with the CDC’s testing and reporting, according to sources in Washington. Conflict between Birx and CDC head Dr. Robert Redfield has escalated in recent weeks regarding how the CDC is obtaining their case numbers.
There is a massive conflict in the US regarding the value of public health in opposition to the value of resuming normal life. While the novel coronavirus continues to cause new deaths and cases, economists argue the nation’s economy can’t take any more stress. With unemployment reaching levels higher than the Great Depression, the country is in a crisis point.
However, the CDC is unmoved by economic arguments. Instead, they are concerned primarily with preserving public health and avoiding unnecessary COVID-19 deaths. Dr. Redfield apologized to the Trump administration earlier this week due to a leak. A CDC document outlining reopening guidelines was leaked to the press. The document contained in-depth guidelines on what states would need in order to safely reopen.
However, the White House dismissed the document and chose not to use its recommendations. According to Trump, the CDC’s guidelines were overly prescriptive. He feared that a response that moved at a national level wouldn’t account for regional case numbers.
It could as long as eighteen months before a vaccine for COVID-19 is available. In the meantime, robust testing and tracing could be the solution. The kind of testing needed isn’t what you could get from an online doctor appointment, though. Instead, full coronavirus testing and subsequent tracing of the contacts of confirmed cases could help stop spikes before they start.
Dr. Birx has argued that the CDC isn’t able to do this effectively. They are unable to track symptoms in real time, according to those close to the agency. Instead, they rely on some outdated technology, such as fax machines, which can lead to a major lag in their reporting. As the pandemic drags on, tensions between the CDC and the White House are almost certain to stay high.
