In its latest stumble, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday removed a guideline — posted days earlier — that had originally confirmed the coronavirus can spread through the air and is contagious beyond 6 feet. The abrupt retraction caused concern among local health and infectious disease experts who have long contended that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can be transmitted via aerosols. The agency's surprising move further fueled worry that the CDC is operating under the influence of the federal government. "It doesn’t inspire the greatest confidence," said Michael Lin, associate professor of neurobiology and bioengineering at Stanford. "At the very least, it means they are a bit disorganized. At worst, it raises the possibility of political pressure altering what is on their website." On Monday afternoon, the CDC responded to the blowback and said it is updating its recommendations regarding airborne transmission, and "once this process has been completed, the update language will be posted." (The revised guidelines were not published as of Monday afternoon.) The turnabout was the latest example of the CDC wavering in its coronavirus guidance, following the agency's reversals on mask recommendations, reopening guidelines and testing for asymptomatic individuals. "There’s a… Read full this story
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