Epidemiologist Dr. Camara Phyllis Jones says race is merely "the social interpretation of how we look." This social reality is important because different racial groups have different health outcomes.
"The pandemic illuminated inequities that have existed for generations and revealed for all of America a known, but often unaddressed, epidemic impacting public health: racism," Walensky said.
A year into the pandemic, the agency's staffers reflect on what it's been like to fight the biggest public health battle in their history and how they're working to rebuild public trust in science.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is extending an order preventing evictions. It was set to expire this week, which could have displaced staggering numbers of people from their homes.
Getting evicted during COVID can risk a person's health and doom their ability to find a home. The extension this week of a federal order preventing evictions could save many people from that fate.
"Just please hold on a little while longer," said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, warning of a possible fourth surge. U.S. coronavirus cases are up 10% over the previous week.
Monday on Political Rewind: As the legislative session winds down, efforts to change how Georgians vote move in two directions. Lawmakers have taken off the table the most restrict measures: ending no excuse absentee voting and eliminating Sunday early voting. But now, proposals that would likely give Republicans an edge in runoffs and special elections have emerged.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention is moving to extend an order aimed at preventing evictions during the pandemic. Housing groups say the order could prevent up to 1 million evictions.
The latest COVID-19 relief bill passed by Congress has upward of $27 billion for rental assistance to prevent evictions. With so many renters not paying, many landlords are struggling.
The CDC says hospitals saw a lot more emergency cases involving drug overdoses, as well as mental health crises and suicide attempts. Many emergency departments weren't ready.
Thursday on Political Rewind: Gov. Brian Kemp issued guidelines to expand eligibility for COVID-19 vaccinations to more than three million more Georgians. The move lowers the age threshold to 55 and covers those with a broad range of health conditions. Meanwhile, the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package is nearing President Joe Biden’s desk. Republicans argue the massive spending bill is swollen with spending that has little to do with coronavirus-related matters.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky says scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were "muzzled" and "diminished" by the Trump team, especially during the pandemic. She aims to fix that.
The group that suffered the largest drop in life expectancy was Black males — a decline of three years. Hispanic males also saw a large decrease, with a decline of 2.4 years.
Some landlords are evicting tenants despite an order from the CDC aimed at stemming the spread of COVID-19 by preventing evictions. That has led to calls to strengthen protections.
New research found that wearing a cloth mask over a medical mask significantly boosts protection against droplets that can transmit the virus. Knotting the ear loops of surgical masks also helps.
