UNDER PRESSURE

Trump Official Told CDC to Change Report on COVID-19 and Kids, Says Report

It’s just the latest reported example of the Trump administration interfering with the CDC’s scientific research.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in early September changed a scientific report on the coronavirus and how it affects children days after a Trump administration official requested similar changes, Politico reports. The request, which was sent by then-public-affairs official Paul Alexander, came as President Donald Trump was publicly pushing for school reopenings in early September. Alexander said the report shouldn’t describe teenagers aged 18 and older as “pediatric” patients or conflate the risks of COVID-19 to young children and older adolescents. The final version of the CDC’s report contained changes in line with those requested by Alexander, though similar changes were also been suggested by civil servants, according to Politico. Last week, it was reported that White House coronavirus coordinator Deborah Birx pressed the CDC to adjust guidance on reopening schools.