CDC reverses itself and says guidelines it posted on coronavirus airborne transmission were wrong 09/22/2020

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/09/21/cdc-covid-aerosols-airborne-guidelines/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made an edit to its website explaining how the coronavirus spreads and removed some recently added language saying it was “possible” that it can spread via airborne transmission. This has been the third major revision to CDC information published since May. 

Jay Butler, the CDC’s deputy director for infectious disease said that the Friday adjustment was posted in error. “Unfortunately an early draft of a revision went up without any technical review,” he said. The edited Web page has since removed all references to airborne spread, except for a disclaimer that recommends based on this mode of transmission are under review. “We are returning to the earlier version and revisiting that process,” Butler said. “It was a failure of process at CDC.”

Experts who reviewed the CDC’s Friday post had said the language change had the power to shift policy and public behaviour. Some suggested it should drive a major rethinking of public policy — particularly at a time when students in many areas are returning to indoor classrooms.