I would imagine that the conversation Switzer had with Alter a few months ago included questions on cohort.
And remember, the NHHS pulled the studies for them to work out the reason for differing results. Well, now you get the full explanation on the CDC site. They were studying a different kind of depression. It's the switcheroo. "Look there's Mikovits." Patient looks, "where?" And the CDC quickly changes CFS definition. "Oh, I was mistaken," says CDC. "Anyway, as I was saying, we have been studying CFS and this is what we determined...."
My little role playing script is scary to me because the reasoning of CDC is logical. It is believable. You can take the same facts and make them fit their theory just as well as others. Thing is, when all the people with XMRV are put in another category, their theories will seem even more likely, having eliminated all those virus folks who were "misdiagnosed."
The key, though, is for reporters to bring up the past, the days of clusters and inability of CDC to detect it, no matter what you want to call it. And, key is for future studies that look into whether their CFS patients have it is for them to use words "chronic fatigue syndrome" assuming they show high rate.
I have always thought that most people are not malicious. But, most are selfish. And they will con themselves and others into thinking their actions and words are of noblest intentions. Especially is this seen in institutions. Take politics. People start off wanting to make a positive difference. They tend to start in towns, districts, state, and then up to federal. But along the way, they become disconnected from citizens they serve. And they get their motives mixed up. They support or reject a bill, but is it because they want to be re-elected, keep their job, or is it because they think it serves the citizens best? Or is it because they want their party to win the next election? They might convince themselves that their motives are noble, but they may con themselves and thus con others.
Of course, same can be said of those of us on the other side of the CFS isle.
Tina