CDC's shifting position

Timeline covering CDC's change of position from fomites & droplets to airborne and back

Feb 8th 2020

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January 2020

CDC tells hospitals C19 is airborne

[YAY]: Wise application of precautionary principle. Source PDF.

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October 26, 2020

New head of US CDC acknowledges aerosol nature of COVID-19

"...aerosols, I think, was another surprise. We thought we knew how respiratory viruses generally work. We thought it was going to be droplet, and it turns out, you know, a lot of aerosol." - Rochelle Walensky

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December 7, 2020

Ventilation guidelines document for the pandemic talks up airborne spread

YAY: Revised a few times since, a CDC document on ventilation talks up fresh air and filtration.

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December 30, 2022

"Wear a mask if you're in an area w/ high community transmission or if you choose  "

YAY: decent pack of advice for citizens.

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April 13, 2023

Improving Ventilation in Your Home advice that's OK

[YAY]: Article goes into fresh air and filtration

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June 8, 2023

Guidance: Surgical masks as good as N95 apparently

[BOO]: Obviously incorrect but promoted in a draft that's to be completed and pushed in November. Note that NBC News would later discus the impending disaster on Sept 16th

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August 24, 2023

Misdirection: Norovirus tweet to widen the confusion

[BOO]: Norovirus can spread via airborne routes too, but sure don't mention that and instead talk up droplets and dirty surfaces

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August 25, 2023

Check in: New CDC supremo Mandy Cohen MD sells dirty surfaces

[BOO]: Reading from from a teleprompter we're told it isn't primarily airborne, and that washing our hands will save us from infection (it won't)

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October 5, 2023

CDC director evades N95 question

[BOO]: @CDC's Mandy Cohen, is asked 'why no N95s for healthcare workers?' Cohen gives a word salad non-answer. Via @jesseintl tweet

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December 28, 2023

CDC talks up ventilation for holiday gatherings

[YAY]: Good job but a little late for Christmas

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March 1, 2024

CDC shortens isolation period

[BOO]: "You can go back to your normal activities if your symptoms are getting better overall (at least 24 hours) and you have not had a fever and are not using fever-reducing medication". At least the page talks up ventilation.

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March 23, 2024

CDC suggests Ventilation Can Reduce Exposure to Respiratory Viruses in Indoor Spaces

[YAY]: "Airborne" and "aerosol" are absent, but new CDC advice talks up fresh air ventilation and CO2 monitoring

 
CDC tells hospitals C19 is airborne
January 2020

CDC tells hospitals C19 is airborne

New head of US CDC acknowledges aerosol nature of COVID-19

Ventilation guidelines document for the pandemic talks up airborne spread

"Wear a mask if you're in an area w/ high community transmission or if you choose  "

Improving Ventilation in Your Home advice that's OK

Guidance: Surgical masks as good as N95 apparently

Misdirection: Norovirus tweet to widen the confusion

Check in: New CDC supremo Mandy Cohen MD sells dirty surfaces

CDC director evades N95 question

CDC talks up ventilation for holiday gatherings

CDC shortens isolation period

CDC suggests Ventilation Can Reduce Exposure to Respiratory Viruses in Indoor Spaces

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