Science should not be politicized. The public needs to trust scientific information to adhere to guidance, get vaccinated, and ultimately end the pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2. Yet the President and his politically appointed “yes men” have undermined science, public health, and the regulatory process for their own political purposes. These actions sew doubt and will leave deep-seated distrust of federal guidance for years to come, resulting in unnecessary deaths.
Before the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2, the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was heralded as the world’s premier public health agency. Other countries relied on research and assistance from the agency. But a slew of mistakes this year — including flawed testing kits, poor contact tracing, and mixed messages over mask-wearing, knocked the agency on its heels and contributed to the United States’ poor response to the outbreak of the novel virus.
Six months later, the CDC has tried to find its footing, but unfortunately, rather than building the agency back up, President Trump continues undermined it.
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