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U.S. NEWS Saturday 19 September 2020

CDC drops controversial testing advice that caused backlash

By MIKE STOBBE officials in the handling of
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. potential illness clusters.
health officials on Friday Adriane Casalotti, of the
dropped a controversial National Association of
piece of coronavirus guid- County and City Health
ance and said anyone Officials, said the now-
who has been in close con- deleted guidance caused
tact with an infected per- confusion among the pub-
son should get tested. lic. She said local health
The Centers for Disease officials spent a lot time
Control and Prevention es- answering questions about
sentially returned to its pre- whether people should get
vious testing guidance, get- testing, "as opposed to ac-
ting rid of language posted tually doing the testing."
last month that said people Dr. Richard Besser, chief
didn't need to get tested executive of the Robert
if they didn't feel sick. That Wood Johnson Foundation,
change had set off a rash said he believes the August
of criticism from health ex- change was made to give
perts who couldn't fathom "wiggle room" to governors
why the nation's top public who did not want to in-
health agency would say crease testing.
such a thing amid the pan- In this Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020 file photo, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Direc- The whole episode is dis-
demic. tor Dr. Robert Redfield pauses while speaking at a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing turbing, because it makes
It was "not consistent with on a "Review of Coronavirus Response Efforts" on Capitol Hill in Washington. it harder for the public to
the basic principles of con- Associated Press understand why the CDC
trolling an epidemic,"said is making recommenda-
Dr. Silvia Chiang, a pedi- gust, and some outside ob- The New York Times, citing did little to clarify why the tions and whether that
atric infectious diseases servers speculated it was internal federal documents change was deemed advice can be trusted,
expert at Brown Univer- forced on the CDC by po- and unnamed sources, on necessary. The main intent added Besser, who previ-
sity who applauded the litical appointees within the Thursday reported that the seemed to be to assure ously spent 13 years at CDC
change announced Friday. Trump administration. guidance was placed on state health officials that and was acting director at
The CDC now says anyone At the time, administration the CDC's website over the they could continue to rec- the beginning of a 2009 flu
who has been within 6 feet officials said the language objections of agency sci- ommend that all close con- pandemic.
of an infected person for at originated at the CDC but entists. tacts be tested if they felt The CDC and Food and
least 15 minutes should get the decision came out Public health experts have that was wisest, despite the Drug Administration have
a test. In a statement, the of meetings of the White noted that testing the con- website language that said to be seen as reliable sourc-
agency called the chang- House coronavirus task tacts of infected people is it was not necessary. es of science information
es a "clarification" that force. Dr. Brett Giroir, an a core element of efforts to During a U.S. Senate hear- as the administration gears
was needed "due to the assistant secretary at the keep outbreaks in check, ing on Wednesday, Red- up for a national coronavi-
significance of asymptom- Department of Health and and that a large percent- field continued to defend rus vaccination campaign,
atic and pre-symptomatic Human Services, said many age of those infected with the language that was Besser said.
transmission." federal leaders outside the the coronavirus exhibit no dropped Friday. He said "If we can't believe that,
Agency officials declined agency were involved in COVID-19 symptoms. the August changes had then even if there is a safe
additional comment. "lots of editing, lots of input." The CDC's chief, Dr. Robert been "misinterpreted" and and effective vaccine, a
Health officials were eva- He said it was difficult to at- Redfield, issued a state- were part of an effort to significant portion of the
sive about why they had tribute the final language ment shortly after the increase engagement by population will not want to
made the change in Au- to any one source. controversy erupted that doctors and local health get it," he said.q

Firefighter dies battling wildfire sparked by gender reveal

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. The name of the firefighter ment beyond details in the
(AP) — A firefighter died was being withheld until statement.
battling a wildfire in Cali- family members are no- California's Department of
fornia that officials said was tified. The cause of the Forestry and Fire Protec-
sparked by a device used death was under investiga- tion, or Cal Fire, said ear-
to reveal a baby's gender. tion. lier this month that the fire
The death happened Thurs- "Our deepest sympathies was ignited Sept. 5 when
day in the San Bernardino are with the family, friends a couple, their young chil-
National Forest as crews and fellow firefighters dur- dren and someone there
battled the El Dorado Fire, ing this time," Forest Service to record video staged the
the U.S. Forest Service said spokesperson Zach Behrens baby gender reveal at El
in a statement. said in the statement. Dorado Ranch Park at the
The fire erupted earlier this No other information was foot of the San Bernardino
month from a smoke-gen- released about the fire- Mountains.
erating pyrotechnic device fighter, the agency the The device was set off in a
used by a couple to reveal firefighter worked for or field and quickly ignited dry
their baby's gender, the the circumstances of the grass. The couple frantically A firefighter puts out a hot spot along Highway 38 northwest of
California Department of firefighter's death. Behrens tried to use bottled water Forrest Falls, Calif., as the El Dorado Fire continues to burn Thurs-
day afternoon, Sept. 10, 2020.
Forestry and Fire Protection, said in a telephone inter- to extinguish the flames Associated Press
or Cal Fire, said. view he could not com- and called 911. q