Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump Getting 'False' Information From Atlas, Redfield Overheard Saying
NBC News: Redfield Voices Alarm Over Influence Of Trump's New Coronavirus Task Force Adviser
The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has grown increasingly concerned that President Donald Trump, pushed by a new member of his coronavirus task force, is sharing incorrect information about the pandemic with the public. Dr. Robert Redfield, who leads the CDC, suggested in a conversation with a colleague Friday that Dr. Scott Atlas is arming Trump with misleading data about a range of issues, including questioning the efficacy of masks, whether young people are susceptible to the virus and the potential benefits of herd immunity. (Alba, 9/28)
CNN: Source: CDC Director Concerned Atlas Is Sharing Misleading Information With Trump
In a statement to CNN, a CDC spokesman did not deny the conversation took place: "NBC News is reporting one side of a private phone conversation by CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield that was overheard on a plane from Atlanta Hartsfield airport. Dr. Redfield was having a private discussion regarding a number of points he has made publicly about Covid-19." In a statement sent Monday afternoon, the CDC acknowledged Redfield and Atlas have "different positions" on some issues: "The article quotes Dr. Redfield as saying "Everything he says is false" but it cannot supply the context for that statement since only one side of the private conversation being eavesdropped on was heard. Positions on three issues, the value of wearing a mask, youth COVID-19 infections, and where we are currently with herd immunity, are the positions that Dr. Redfield has different positions on than Dr. Atlas. The doctors agree on many other issues." (Valencia and Fossum, 9/29)
Fox News: Trump Coronavirus Adviser Atlas Fires Back Against Redfield Criticisms, Says Advice Based On 'Current Science'
Special Adviser to President Trump Dr. Scott Atlas fired back at criticisms leveled against him and his role on the Coronavirus Task Force on Monday, defending his record and expertise while maintaining that his advice to the president is based on the "current science." Atlas, in an interview with Fox News, said he has received a number of personal attacks and attempts to “delegitimize” him, specifically referring to a recent comment from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield. (Singman, 9/28)
Reuters: New Adviser Giving Trump Bad Information On Virus, Top U.S. Officials Say
Two senior U.S. public health experts have raised concerns that White House adviser Scott Atlas is providing misleading or incorrect information on the coronavirus pandemic to President Donald Trump, according to media reports on Monday. The top U.S. infectious diseases expert, Anthony Fauci, told CNN on Monday he was concerned that information given by Atlas - a late addition to the White House coronavirus task force - was “really taken either out of context or actually incorrect.” (9/28)
MarketWatch: Fauci Calls Out Fox News, But Says Real ‘Bad Guy’ Is Coronavirus, Not Those With Opposing Views
Dr. Anthony Fauci criticized Fox News and attempted to downplay differences with White House coronavirus task force colleague Dr. Scott Atlas on Monday, saying the real enemy remains COVID-19. Speaking Monday night during an interview on CNN, the nation’s foremost expert on infectious diseases said the spread of misinformation is detrimental to the nation’s public health effort. (Murphy, 9/28)
Also —
NBC News: Covid Cases Climbing Again In U.S. While Fauci Warns 'We're Not In A Good Place'
Covid-19 cases are on the rise again across the United States as more and more states have loosened restrictions put into place to slow the spread of the killer virus, NBC News figures showed Monday. On Friday, the U.S. logged 55,759 cases — the largest single day total in a month. And the troubling development comes as the global death toll from the virus passed 1 million with the U.S. continuing to account for over a fifth of those fatalities. (Siemaszko, 9/28)
Fox News: Fauci Calls Florida Lift On Restaurant Restrictions ‘Very Concerning’
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, on Monday called Florida's recent decision to ease restaurant restrictions “very concerning.” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Friday that restaurants were allowed to immediately reopen at full capacity, and his executive order would block cities and counties from ordering restaurants to close unless they could justify a closure for economic or health reasons. (Rivas, 9/28)
