Rep. TJ Cox Signs on Letter Asking CDC to Speed Coronavirus Detection
Rep. TJ Cox (CA-21) has signed onto a letter asking the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to ensure local hospitals across the country have the tests and resources they need to detect and treat the coronavirus.
From the letter:
According to CDC, “the immediate health risk from 2019-nCoV to the general American public is considered low at this time.” However, given how rapidly this virus may spread, we agree with your assessment that local and state health jurisdictions must have the tools to detect and react to confirmed cases in real-time. We know that CDC is working to quickly distribute a rapid diagnostic test to state and local officials and urge CDC to do so as soon as possible, without compromising scientific validity. We further urge you to prioritize localities where cases have already been confirmed, so that additional cases may be detected in real-time.
“I want to do everything in my power to keep Americans safe. The CDC developed a rapid test for this new virus in just a week. That’s a modern miracle and it’s one more reminder that we must keep our medical research agencies funded,” said Rep. Cox. “Given the risks and unknowns of the coronavirus, and its potential to spread rapidly, I encourage the CDC to prioritize working to detect this disease in localities with confirmed cases such as California.”