Thread by @DrEricDing

BREAKING—Reports of a highly contagious new variant in the United States are based on speculative statements made by Dr. Deborah Birx and are inaccurate, according to several government officials. CDC was dismayed and tried to stop her, but failed #COVID19
nytimes.com/2021/01/08/hea…

2) “erroneous report originated at a meeting where Dr. Birx presented graphs of the escalating cases in the country. She suggested to other members of the task force that a new, more transmissible variant originating in the U.S. might explain the surge”

3) “Her hypothesis made it into a weekly report sent to state governors. “This fall/winter surge has been at nearly twice the rate of rise of cases as the spring and summer surges...”

4) “This acceleration suggests there may be a USA variant that has evolved here, in addition to the UK variant that is already spreading in our communities and may be 50% more transmissible,” the report read. “Aggressive mitigation must be used to match a more aggressive virus.”

5) “Dismayed, officials at the C.D.C. tried to have the speculative statements removed, but were unsuccessful.

C.D.C. officials did not agree with her assessment and asked to remove it but were told no, according to one frustrated C.D.C. official.