The Problem With Trump Stripping The CDC Of COVID-19 Data Is Obvious, But Still Terrifying
On Wednesday, the Department of Health and Human Services shared that all further hospital data on coronavirus patients will be sent directly to the Trump administration starting July 16. The information previously went through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first, reports CNN.
According to the report, this decision is being touted as faster and more convenient, but health experts worry that the move could make data — such as infection rates and trends — less transparent. By presenting all information to the Trump administration to filter through the public, experts say that we are running the risk of putting a political spin on coronavirus cases, particularly at a time when White House representatives are urging for reopenings and downplaying the death toll in America.
News of the change reportedly came as a shock to the CDC, who were told that the information as it is currently filtered is too slow to process. “Today, the CDC still has at least a week lag in reporting hospital data,” Health and Human Services spokesperson, Michael R. Caputo told the New York Times. “America requires it in real time. The new, faster and complete data system is what our nation needs to defeat the coronavirus, and the CDC, an operating division of HHS, will certainly participate in this streamlined all-of-government response. They simply no longer control it.”
The CDC currently collects coronavirus data through its system, the National Healthcare Safety Network, which tracks COVID-19 by having medical professionals register their facilities and report new cases, deaths, hospital capacity, and other pertinent information. At the outset of the pandemic, this program expanded to meet demands and track hospital capacity and COVID-19-specific patient information.
The new system, which reportedly will be used to collect the same information, is managed by health data firm, TeleTracking. Like the National Healthcare Safety Network, the TeleTracking system will rely on daily push data, meaning that hospital employees must manually enter the information. One caveat is that if hospitals are already in the habit of reporting information at a state level first, they could obtain a written release to continue that process, giving the state the responsibility of reporting on a federal level.
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/problem-trump-stripping-cdc-covid-211922908.html
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My blood is absolutely boiling. I'm sure I need a blood pressure medication adjustment.
