New York refuses to follow CDC's new coronavirus guidelines: what does Trump have to do with it

The Governor of New York State said the new regulations are the exact opposite of the previous ones. He is convinced: either the employees of the agency are not competent, or The CDC is Trump's “political tool”. The edition writes in detail about this CNBC.

New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo said on August 26 that the state will not follow new federal coronavirus testing guidelines. He also encouraged others to follow suit.

Cuomo made such a statement after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) changed their guidelines for testing for COVID-19. The agency no longer recommends testing for people without symptoms, even if they have been in close contact with someone who has the virus

"Shame on the CDC workers," Cuomo said, calling the change "unjustified."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention previously recommended taking the test to anyone who has recently had contact with a carrier of the virus, even if the patients were asymptomatic. In the previous guideline, “the possibility of asymptomatic transmission” was stated as the reason for testing everyone. Numerous studies have shown that people without symptoms can carry and spread the virus - even days before symptoms appear, or even without them.

A new guideline, released on August 24, says people without symptoms who have been in close contact with an infected person for at least 15 minutes "don't have to get tested." The guidelines still recommend taking the test to those who have had close contact with the carrier of the virus for at least 15 minutes.

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“We will not follow the CDC guidance. I consider this to be political propaganda. I would caution private companies against following the CDC guidelines. I think this is completely unjustified. This is the exact opposite of what the CDC said earlier, Cuomo said during a conference call with reporters. "So either the CDC admits a mistake in their first position, or it's just political games."

On Wednesday, August 26, California's governor joined Cuomo's statement in criticizing the new CDC leadership. “This will not be California policy,” he tweeted.

Cuomo also criticized the CDC for failing to alert Americans to the threat before the coronavirus arrived in the United States and began spreading rapidly in parts of the country, including the Tri-State Area. “They either lied to the American people or they are incompetent because they did not track the virus in China. And they didn't track the virus as it left China and headed for Europe, Cuomo said. - The CDC either completely let it through or they were ordered not to talk about it. This only proves, again, political control over what a public health organization should be. "

Cuomo went on to argue that the testing guidelines were changed "because they don't want publicity about the problem." “Because the president’s policy is that COVID is not a problem,” Cuomo said. - It's all about the economy, and it does a great job. We will focus on economics. And that's his re-election strategy. So he is using the CDC for his election campaign. "

A spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services, Michael Caputo (Michael Caputo), in turn, criticized the governor of New York. “Governor Cuomo has never followed federal guidelines before,” Caputo said. "Cuomo needs to understand that this guidance has been updated to emphasize clinical and community testing of people, including testing people without symptoms as directed by healthcare professionals."

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During a conference call on Wednesday, Deputy Health Administration Chief Brett Giroir, who leads the Trump administration's testing efforts, defended the CDC's policy change. He said the new leadership is giving more authority to local health officials and doctors. He also denied having any political interference or pressure from the Trump administration. “Let me tell you right away that the new guidelines are the decision of the CDC,” he said. He added that members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, including Dr. Anthony Fauci and CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield, have agreed on new rules.

Fauci later told CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta that he was "in the operating room and did not participate in any discussion or debate regarding the new testing guidelines." “There was no influence from either the president or the vice president,” Girouard said by phone. "It was a product made by scientists and medical professionals that was widely discussed in the working group and everyone approved it."

But the policy change has caused confusion and frustration among some epidemiologists and former health officials, including Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the CDC under President Barack Obama. He also joined Cuomo's statement, criticizing the changes.

Dr. Howard Zucker, New York State Health Commissioner, also called the change "unwarranted" and said it was "completely pointless." “I've talked to the CDC scientists and they say it's politics,” added Zucker.

As ForumDaily New York wrote earlier:

• Metrics in City and State of New York are among the lowest in all of America. Back in the spring, it was the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic.
• Nearly 1,5 million coronavirus antibody tests were recently performed in New York City. The data obtained helped to understand how deeply the virus has penetrated rich and poor areas and who is at risk in the event of a second wave of a pandemic.
• Experts compared the coronavirus to the Spanish flu that hit New York in 1918 and killed about 33 of its residents. Read about what these pandemics have in common. here.