Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
White House's Pandemic Messaging Hits Resistance
The Hill: Town Of Great Barrington, Mass., Comes Out Against Great Barrington Declaration
A small town in the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts has come out against a declaration made in its name by economists and scientists who advocate for a so-called “herd immunity” strategy to get through the coronavirus pandemic. The Great Barrington Declaration, released last week, urges against lockdowns and economic restrictions governments have used to wrestle the virus under control. (Wilson, 10/15)
The Wall Street Journal: A Demoralized CDC Grapples With White House Meddling And Its Own Mistakes
President Trump and his advisers have taken a more hands-on role than previously known in shaping Covid-19 recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, helping create a crisis of confidence in the nation’s top public-health agency. The changes the White House has sought—in many cases successfully—go beyond the agency’s public messaging. White House advisers have made line-by-line edits to official health guidance, altering language written by CDC scientists on church choirs, social distancing in bars and restaurants as well as internal summaries of public-health reports, according to interviews with current and former agency and administration officials and their emails. (Ballhaus, Armour and McKay, 10/15)
KHN and Politifact: No, The WHO Didn’t Change Its Lockdown Stance Or ‘Admit’ Trump Was Right
On Monday, President Donald Trump claimed that the World Health Organization (WHO) “admitted” he was correct that using lockdowns to control the spread of COVID-19 was more damaging than the illness. In a post on Twitter, Trump wrote: “The World Health Organization just admitted that I was right. Lockdowns are killing countries all over the world. The cure cannot be worse than the problem itself. Open up your states, Democrat governors. Open up New York. A long battle, but they finally did the right thing!” (Knight, 10/15)
In related news —
CNN: Chris Christie Says He Spent 7 Days In ICU Before Recovering From Covid
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Thursday he spent seven days in an intensive care unit before recovering from Covid-19 in a new statement that details the severity of his case and urges people to take the pandemic seriously. "Having had this virus, I can also assure those who have not had it of a few things. It is something to take very seriously," Christie said. (LeBlanc, 10/15)
The Hill: Trump Says He Is Tested 'A Lot,' But Not Daily, For Coronavirus
President Trump said Thursday that he is not tested every day for COVID-19 despite assurances from aides that he is regularly tested for the disease as questions persist about when he first contracted the coronavirus. "I’m tested, not every day, but I’m tested a lot," said Trump, who administration doctors have confirmed is no longer contagious after testing positive for COVID-19 earlier this month. (Samuels, 10/15)
