Trump’s surgeon general criticizes CDC guidance

Former Surgeon General Jerome Adams advised against following recent COVID-19 guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) asserting that asymptomatic people infected with the virus could end their quarantine after just five days.

Adams said such people should get a test that shows they are negative for COVID-19 before ending their isolation.

“I love the CDC. Grew up wanting to work there and have been one of their most ardent defenders. I never dreamed the day would come when I would advise people NOT to follow their guidance,” Adams said in a tweet on Tuesday. “They wouldn’t even follow it for their own family.”

I love the CDC. Grew up wanting to work there and have been one of their most ardent defenders. 

I never dreamed the day would come when I would advise people NOT to follow their guidance. Breaks my ❤️

But ask any of them. They wouldn’t even follow it for their own family. https://t.co/qm1yD4U7pR

— Jerome Adams (@JeromeAdamsMD) December 28, 2021

“Regardless of what CDC says, you really should try to obtain an antigen test,” Adams added in another tweet. “There’s not a scientist or doctor I’ve met yet who wouldn’t do this for themselves/ their family.”

The surgeon general’s remarks come after the CDC reduced its recommended isolation period from 10 days to five days for people infected with COVID-19 who are asymptomatic. The CDC added that people should continue masking around others for five days longer after leaving isolation.

The agency said that the decision was rooted in science that indicated the majority of virus transmission occurs earlier in the illness’s course.

But Anthony Fauci, the Biden administration’s chief medical adviser, suggested the decision was for purposes of getting people back to work. 

“The reason is that with the sheer volume of new cases that we are having and that we expect to continue with omicron, one of the things we want to be careful of is we don’t have so many people out,” Fauci said on CNN, adding that he thought the decision was a good choice. 

“If you are asymptomatic and you are infected, we want to get people back to the jobs, especially those with essential jobs,” he added.

This story was updated at 8:30 a.m. Dec. 29.