Commentary: CDC is a national treasure; it must be reformed
By Saad B. Omer / Special To The Washington Post
As the Covid-19 pandemic ravages communities, the federal agency responsible for outbreak control, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is conspicuously absent from leading the U.S. response. There’s now a cottage industry of plans for opening up America in the midst of the pandemic. But any plan that will keep us safe in the long run will have to include reforming the CDC.
The men and women at the CDC are some of the most well-trained and dedicated civil servants in the country. But even those of us who have been cheerleaders for the CDC’s role in keeping America and the world safe recognize the need for fixing this venerable institution.
It is reasonable to ask why the CDC was unable to quickly develop and scale up testing for SARS-CoV-2. Why was there no backup plan? How come SARS-CoV-2 circulation in many parts of the United States remained undetected by the CDC’s early warning systems for at least several weeks after January? Why did the CDC not take the lead in developing, or at least systematically collating, projection models for the pandemic’s spread, which would have decreased confusion among decision-makers and the public?
If we want to avoid asking similar questions again the next time a new virus appears, the CDC needs some changes.
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