NEW: The loss of credibility in CDC has sent morale to all-time low. “The worst is the silence,” one scientist said. “You can’t explain what’s going on, correct mistakes, clarify things quickly before they spin up and out of control.” Me + @joelachenbachwapo.st/30hUXkC
@JoelAchenbach 1/ Career staff at CDC remain proud of the expertise, talent and professionalism that the agency can bring to bear in a crisis. But they see the agency’s situation clearly.
@JoelAchenbach 2/The CDC has endured false accusations and interference by Trump administration political appointees, leading to loss of institutional credibility at a time when the nation desperately needs to know whom to trust.
@JoelAchenbach 3/ CDC Director Robert Redfield has been publicly criticized by President Trump + his now-favored pandemic adviser, Scott Atlas, who has said pandemic fears are overblown.
@JoelAchenbach 4/ A CDC epidemiologist on the political interference in the agency: "I never would have expected the level of political interference we're seeing now. It's so sad."
@JoelAchenbach 5/ Within CDC, some say problems could be reversed with a different director. Some experts like @doritmi say CDC leadership should be a board like Federal Reserve.
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NEW: Italy says number of coronavirus cases spiked from three to 132 in matter of days, making it the largest outbreak outside of Asia. washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pac…
@Carolynyjohnson@thewanreport@JoelAchenbach "I think we should assume that this virus is very soon going to be spreading in communities here [in the U.S.], if it isn't already," said Jennifer Nuzzo, epidemiologist and senior scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. 2/x
@JoelAchenbach@LennyMBernstein@ShibaniMahtani "It was like the worst nightmare," said one senior U.S. official involved in the decision. "Quite frankly, the alternative could have been pulling grandma out in the pouring rain, and that would have been bad, too." 2/x
@JoelAchenbach@LennyMBernstein@ShibaniMahtani While U.S. officials argued about what they should do with those 14 infected passengers, they and more than 300 others sat on buses waiting for hours. "We just couldn't understand why were sitting there, loaded, and not going anywhere," said Vana Mendizabal, a Fla. resident. 3/x
NEW: As coronavirus cases soar in China, the dilemma facing this Texas maker of surgical masks exposes major weaknesses in global supply chain of critical protective gear (PPE) needed to keep health workers safe--abroad and in U.S. Me and @rachsiegwapo.st/37um10z
@rachsieg Mike Bowen's U.S. mask manufacturer is struggling to meet demand. But instead of celebrating the boom, he is indignant. He's been predicting this kind of public health crisis and there wouldn't be enough manufacturers--many companies rely on Chinese manufacturers. 2/x
@rachsieg Consider this: there is no global, centralized plan for fast-tracking production of masks, gowns, goggles, gloves--personal protective equipment (PPE). There is no streamlined process for knowing who has how much stuff. 3/x
NEW: How the coronavirus spread so quickly in China. One key misstep: Early on, Chinese authorities only looked for ppl with pneumonia, missing those with milder illness. Possible reason why the virus spread farther and faster. w @gerryshih@emilyrauhalawapo.st/2SfQHgK
@gerryshih@emilyrauhala Despite progress in public health since SARS, Chinese public health system is overburdened. Beijng's bureaucratic culture also prizes political stability over all else. 2/
@gerryshih@emilyrauhala Chinese authorities detained eight doctors in Wuhan who were accused of spreading "rumors" about SARS-like cases. 3/
NEW: Key unknowns abt the coronavirus will determine how successful China's efforts are in limiting the outbreak's toll. Qs: how lethal it may be, how contagious, + whether it can be spread by people who are infected but show no symptoms. @lennymbernsteinwapo.st/2uJDDIo
@LennyMBernstein "It is very striking how quickly the numbers are going up," said Trish Perl, an expert at UT Southwestern Medical Center. "Do I think I'm concerned about the rapidity of it? Yes. Do I think it may be difficult to control? Yes. But in the context of many unknowns." 2/
@LennyMBernstein Is the staggering increase in coronavirus cases--now nearly 6,000 cases and 132 deaths--because the virus is circulating more widely or are the Chinese doing a better job of surveillance and testing? Or both? 3/
NEW: Washington state man is first U.S. case of Wuhan coronavirus. He is in stable condition and reached out proactively to provider when he fell ill. CDC has also expanded airport screening to 5 airports: LAX, SFO, JFK, Atlanta and O'Hare. Our story. washingtonpost.com/health/2020/01…
U.S. patient is in his 30s. Officials have screened about 1,200 travelers from Wuhan and so far have not found anyone thru that screening and no one referred to hospital. But additional cases are expected. 1/
The Washington state man arrived in Seattle Jan. 15, before airport screening started. He had not visited the animal market where outbreak emerged. Nor did he have contact with any sick people in Wuhan. Raises questions about how he got sick. 2/