Claim Review: The CDC Planned Quarantine Camps Nationwide

The article by Jeffrey A. Tucker claims that the CDC planned to establish nationwide quarantine camps for high-risk individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. This claim is based on a document titled 'Interim Operational Considerations for Implementing the Shielding Approach to Prevent COVID-19 Infections in Humanitarian Settings.' Let's break down the claim and examine its validity.

Firstly, it's important to note that the document in question was not a plan for nationwide quarantine camps, but rather a theoretical consideration for humanitarian settings, such as refugee camps or displaced populations. The document clearly states that 'This approach has never been documented and has raised questions and concerns among humanitarian partners who support response activities in these settings.' This indicates that the approach was not a concrete plan, but rather a consideration of potential strategies in extreme settings.

Secondly, the document does not suggest forced isolation or 'concentration camps' as the article implies. The 'shielding approach' discussed in the document is a strategy to reduce the number of severe COVID-19 cases by limiting contact between high-risk and low-risk individuals. This is a common public health strategy known as 'cocooning,' which has been used in previous outbreaks to protect vulnerable individuals.

The article also claims that the document was 'completely official' and 'survived on the CDC’s public site with little to no public notice or controversy.' While it's true that the document was published on the CDC's website, it's important to note that the CDC regularly publishes interim guidance and considerations for various scenarios. The lack of public notice or controversy is likely due to the fact that the document was not a policy announcement or a plan for nationwide implementation.

The article also suggests that the document was part of a larger scheme for pathogenic control prior to vaccination. However, the document was published in July 2020, when vaccines were not yet available, and public health measures were the primary means of controlling the spread of COVID-19.

In conclusion, the claim that the CDC planned to establish nationwide quarantine camps is largely misleading. The document in question was a theoretical consideration for humanitarian settings and was never implemented. The 'shielding approach' discussed in the document is a common public health strategy and was not a plan for forced isolation or 'concentration camps.'

References:

• Interim Operational Considerations for Implementing the Shielding Approach to Prevent COVID-19 Infections in Humanitarian Settings , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Cocooning as a strategy to protect vulnerable populations from COVID-19 , National Center for Biotechnology Information