Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/heal...ion-failures-covid-tarnished-agency-rcna46425
How the CDC’s communication failures during Covid tarnished the agency
Frustrations still run high at the CDC, but staffers remain hopeful that the agency will regain its credibility with the public.
Oct. 1, 2022, 5:29 AM EDT
By Erika Edwards
In the early days of Covid, staffers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sought to give Americans guidance about maintaining some semblance of normalcy during a once-in-a-century pandemic that had upended daily life.
One recommendation? Play basketball with your friends — online.
There was one big problem: The nation’s top public health professionals failed to consult their very colleagues who’d be responsible for communicating this advice to the public.
“We have to have a seat at the table sooner, so we can raise our hand and say, ‘Hey guys, I’m sorry, but playing basketball virtually with your friends is probably not a great recommendation,’” a CDC staffer told NBC News before adding: “That’s pretty stupid.”
Another staffer echoed the frustration. “There were a number of people inside the agency that were sometimes perplexed at whether what we were recommending was really practical.”...
How the CDC’s communication failures during Covid tarnished the agency
Frustrations still run high at the CDC, but staffers remain hopeful that the agency will regain its credibility with the public.
Oct. 1, 2022, 5:29 AM EDT
By Erika Edwards
In the early days of Covid, staffers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sought to give Americans guidance about maintaining some semblance of normalcy during a once-in-a-century pandemic that had upended daily life.
One recommendation? Play basketball with your friends — online.
There was one big problem: The nation’s top public health professionals failed to consult their very colleagues who’d be responsible for communicating this advice to the public.
“We have to have a seat at the table sooner, so we can raise our hand and say, ‘Hey guys, I’m sorry, but playing basketball virtually with your friends is probably not a great recommendation,’” a CDC staffer told NBC News before adding: “That’s pretty stupid.”
Another staffer echoed the frustration. “There were a number of people inside the agency that were sometimes perplexed at whether what we were recommending was really practical.”...
