JUST POSTED:The NYT set out more than a month ago to confront a critical question raised by public health experts worldwide as the coronavirus pandemic spread across the US, killing more than 100,000: What Happened to the CDC? Today we publish that answer nytimes.com/2020/06/03/us/…
We reviewed thousands of pages of emails, interviewed more than 100 state/federal officials, public health experts & medical workers. CDC--an agency of 11,000 people-- refused to let ANYONE talk on the record. We pushed ahead. Interviewing certain CDC employees privately. 
Deconstructing why CDC didn't live up to expectations is vital for every American. Not meant as slight to dedicated staff at the agency. Let's start at the beginning. Here's an early email as the first known US case hits. Moment of opportunity & peril
The problems emerged from the start, as the CDC adopted an extremely narrow definition a PUI--a Person Under Investigation: only those who were very sick & coming from Wuhan or contact with a confirmed/suspected case. Almost no one else could get tested
Certain other nations, like Singapore, took a much different approach, allowing for testing of all patients with pneumonia and broader clinical discretion in requesting testing. Why? You don’t want to miss cases and have a pandemic inside your house. Here is Singapore's approach:
The CDC in February proposed an “early warning” system- a surveillance program in five cities: Seattle, NY, LA, Chicago and San Francisco. But emails show it was stalled by CDC/FDA protocol questions. Health officials left blind. READ ALL THESE EMAILS HERE documentcloud.org/documents/6933…
A CDC effort to screen airline passengers coming back from China also stumbled, as health departments nationwide were sent bad phone numbers, addresses and other flawed data on how to contact these people, who were supposed to be quarantined.
Local health departments grew frustrated as CDC would change guidance, often without quickly and clearly notifying them. Or push for events that made no sense: COVID Preparedness Session in June? In Person?
Other times different players at CDC would give states conflicting advice
The failure of the CDC’s coronavirus test kit--sent out to health departments nationwide--slowed the response effort considerably and provoked more confusion, even ridicule among state health departments.
The CDC also did not play its traditional role in offering clear, forward-leaning advice to key players, such as school officials, cancelling a briefing scheduled for 2,500 school superintendents after the school officials made clear they intended to ask tough questions.
This is just a start of the issues in this piece as we examined how the CDC struggled to confront the coronavirus. A lack of urgency and clear guidance, early testing mistakes, aging data systems & clashes with the White House. Read it all here
nytimes.com/2020/06/03/us/…
nytimes.com/2020/06/03/us/…
This story is by @EricLiptonNYT @abbygoodnough, @shearm, @mega2e, @apoorva_nyc, @bymarkwalker @sherifink. With editing by Rebecca Corbett and Rory Tolan.
Also, CLIFFS NOTES VERSION: Here’s a handy (shorter) guide to our examination of the CDC’s response to the virus. @shearm nytimes.com/2020/06/03/us/…
Realize there is a lot happening out there in the United States. But putting this all down seemed important. Why? This helps answer that question. It matters to everyone. Please give it a read.
