BEIJING, May 29 electrical problem: Why is the US Center for Disease Control continue to be marginalized under the epidemic?

　　Author: Lu Baixi

　　As the core agency in the US public health system, the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has made tremendous contributions to public health in the United States and the world over the past few decades. However, since the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, the department has successively encountered “strange phenomena” such as disregard of timely warnings, suppression of public warnings, and rejection of reasonable suggestions. Its status has been marginalized and dragged down the epidemic.

　　If one sentence answers the reason for this situation, it is that "intuition takes precedence over profession and politics overwhelms science."

　　The CDC first learned about the new coronary pneumonia as early as December 31 last year, and reported to the US Department of Health and Human Services the next day. However, the CDC's timely warning was ignored at the White House level, and Trump himself believed that the relevant report was "critically alarmist." Throughout January, the only substantial measure taken by the US government was a travel ban on China.

　　As the epidemic has become more complicated, the US government has gradually divided into two factions in response to the epidemic: one advocates health and life priority, and the other advocates economic and electoral priority. Obviously, Trump does not trust the advice of the team of experts represented by Anthony Fudge. He believes more in his instincts and prefers economic and electoral priorities.

　　During February, the expert team advocated the establishment of a national new coronavirus detection system, but this proposal was rejected because of the high cost; the expert team advocated the adoption of social isolation and other measures, but it was not adopted; CDC official Nancy Mesoniye that month In the second half of the year, he publicly warned that the epidemic needed serious precautions and triggered a stock market plunge. Trump was so angered. Since then, Mesoniye has never appeared in the White House press conference.

　　Taking the "national emergency" on March 13 as the boundary, the "play" of the White House is getting heavier. The daily press conference seems to be a personal political show. As various anti-scientific speeches continue to occupy an important position in the media, professional and rational voices are further diluted, and CDC status continues to be marginalized.

　　The Associated Press recently disclosed the CDC "Guide to Recovery" guide is another example of the White House deliberately marginalizing the CDC. On April 10, the CDC prepared ahead of time to write a more than 60-page "Implementation of Framework Guidelines for Restarting the United States" for the resumption of work in each state, and sent this guide to the White House. Since then, the CDC has repeatedly urged the White House for approval, but it has never been successful. Until April 30, the White House replied that the plan had been rejected.

　　On May 16, the internationally renowned medical journal "The Lancet" wrote in an article entitled "Rejuvenating the US CDC" that the US government ignored the warnings of health professionals and intervened CDC. The role of CDC is being minimized and become a nominal consultant.

　　And this article attracts the most attention from the outside world: "When January 2021 comes, Americans must let a president who understands that public health should not be guided by partisan politics into the White House." Although it clearly says "the next American president", it implicitly criticizes the incumbent president. Some commentators said that the actions of the current US government forced the "Lancet", which had never commented on politics before, also couldn't help but complain.

　　So, with such an important CDC, why should the current government marginalize it?

　　The reason is probably related to the ruling philosophy of the current US government. As a president on the side of the Republican Party, Trump upholds the concept of "small government and big society". Since taking office, the budget for public health has continued to decline. In fiscal 2020, CDC's budget is 8 billion US dollars. Even if inflation is excluded, this figure has dropped by 37% compared with ten years ago. In the budget for fiscal year 2021, this number will be further reduced.

　　Reduced budgets will inevitably lead to staff reductions and project suspensions, and projects that prevent the outbreak of global epidemics will also be affected. This also explains to a certain extent why the United States suffered from shortage of epidemic prevention materials, insufficient detection capabilities, and an incomplete national surveillance network.

　　The marginalization of CDC is actually a sign of the overall weakening of the US public health system. A new epidemic that swept across the United States has made this loophole in the American system appear to the American people in a cruel way. When intuition and politics prevail, professionalism and science can only languish. The "100,000+" death cases of the new crown in the United States are natural disasters and even human disasters. (Finish)