Biden to spotlight CDC officials shunned by Trump

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Biden to spotlight CDC officials shunned by Trump
By ALICE MIRANDA OLLSTEIN and ADAM CANCRYN
11/23/2020 04:30 AM EST

President-elect Joe Biden is putting scientists in charge and back on the stage to restore trust in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The plans include immediately reviving regular media briefings and giving a central role to long-sidelined career officials including Nancy Messonnier, the public health official who first warned of the “severe” impact of the Covid-19 back in February.

The goal, said Biden’s advisers, is to send a tightly coordinated message that, nearly a year into the coronavirus crisis, the federal government is prioritizing science over politics in driving its pandemic response.

As the virus rages across the country, schools are shutting down again — or remain shuttered — even though they haven't turned out to be the super-spreader sites experts feared. At the same time, many bars and restaurants remain open for business. POLITICO's Nirvi Shah explains how the situation is reigniting a heated debate over pandemic priorities. Plus, the CDC recommends travelers get tested before and after international flights.

“You need the right people messaging,” said Vin Gupta, a professor at the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation who served as an adviser to the Biden team. “None of this is hard conceptually — it’s about how you say it, and it’s about believability and authenticity.”

Messonnier, who is the CDC’s respiratory disease chief, and Anne Schuchat, who is the CDC’s principal deputy director, are among the government scientists whose warnings about the severity of the coronavirus ran afoul of President Donald Trump’s efforts to downplay the virus in its early months, infuriating senior White House officials. Both are expected to play large — and especially visible — roles in formulating the new administration’s policies.

“People like Anne Schuchat and Nancy Messonnier, I really hope are elevated in the discussion moving forward and empowered to communicate with the public,” said Celine Gounder, who sits on Biden’s Covid-19 advisory board.

more...

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/23/biden-cdc-officials-spotlight-trump-438843

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