Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Top National Security Adviser Tests Positive For Coronavirus
President Donald Trump's national security adviser, Robert O'Brien, has tested positive for Covid-19, according to an official familiar with what happened. O'Brien's diagnosis marks the highest-ranking Trump administration official known to have tested positive. It's unclear when O'Brien last met with Trump. Their last public appearance together was over two weeks ago during a visit to US Southern Command in Miami on July 10. (Collins, Liptak and Klein, 7/27)
Former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Tom Frieden on Sunday said the U.S. had been a 鈥渓aggard鈥 in addressing the coronavirus pandemic, specifically pointing to lack of centralized information. 鈥淚鈥檒l be frank, we are a laggard,鈥 Frieden said on 鈥淔ox News Sunday.鈥 鈥淲e are one of the top in the world in terms of the cumulative death rate unlike many other countries that have high death rates, ours is continuing to increase.鈥 (Budryk, 7/26)
America's top infectious disease expert聽Anthony Fauci on Friday defended some of his past recommendations聽on the coronavirus, arguing that science changes over time. Fauci's remarks about the pandemic and guidance on steps Americans should take to help limit infection have shifted since the beginning of the outbreak as experts learn more about聽COVID-19. But Fauci has faced criticism in recent weeks as President Trump, administration officials and Trump allies in the media attempt to deflect blame from the White House response to the pandemic. (Weixel, 7/24)