NPR

As The Coronavirus Crisis Heats Up, Why Aren't We Hearing From The CDC?

Usually in U.S. health emergencies — HIV, vaping and more — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is key to shaping policy and explaining it. That's changing to our detriment, leaders say.

At a time when the nation is desperate for authoritative information about the coronavirus pandemic, the country's foremost agency for fighting infectious disease outbreaks has gone conspicuously silent.

"I want to assure Americans that we have a team of public health experts," President Trump said at Tuesday evening's coronavirus task force briefing — a bit of reassurance that probably would not have been necessary if that briefing had included anyone from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC normally takes the lead in outbreaks, ranging from the 2009 flu pandemic to Ebola to the lung injuries caused by vaping. Its recent absence from the national stage has led to fears that the agency's objective, science-based approach is being ignored, especially as President Trump signals that he hopes to

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