According to The Hill, there was no public announcement of the change in the guidelines and there has been no explanation of why this was done. But after reading the headlines – this journalist immediately had her suspicions that the Trump administration was somehow behind the change.
The guidance now states: “If you have been in close contact (within 6 feet) of a person with a COVID-19 infection for at least 15 minutes but do not have symptoms: You do not necessarily need a test unless you are a vulnerable individual or your health care provider or State or local public health officials recommend you take one.”
Now what the hell kind of CDC recommendation is this? We need to be doing MORE testing, not less. angie_rasmussen) August 24, 2020
Interestingly, when reporters attempted to ask someone at the CDC why the guidance was changed, it was the Department of Health and Human Services that jumped up to respond, according to ABC News.
In a statement, a spokesperson from HHS said that the new guidelines were updated to ensure testing is “used appropriately” and to “place an emphasis on testing individuals for post clinical and/or public health reasons,” including asymptomatic people.
“CDC recommends the decision to be tested should be one made in collaboration with public health officials or your health care provider based on individual circumstances and the status of community spread,” according to the HHS statement.
The CDC has lost all credibility by posting on their website that people without symptoms should not get tested for COVID and that those coming from hotspots should not quarantine. Just when I think this WH can’t stoop any lower, they do. GOPCorruptionOverCountry
— Narcisse Navarre (@khajj) August 26, 2020
Talk about speaking out of both sides of the mouth. First of all, this new “guidance” directly contradicts what CDC Director Robert Redfield said last month – “You don’t need symptoms to get tested.”
And the wording referring to asymptomatic individuals as “healthy people,” is a dead giveaway because it is used in social media posts protesting the use of masks, CNBC points out.
“In areas where there are limited number of new cases, State or local public health officials may request to test a small number of asymptomatic ‘healthy people,’ particularly from vulnerable populations,” the new guidance reads.
Trump has now done to coronavirus guidance to downplay importance of testing for asymptomatic people Marytny (@marytny) August 26, 2020
New guidance is senseless
The CDC’s move has drawn criticism from experts and created widespread confusion with state and local health departments. One of the biggest criticisms is that we need to continue testing to identify asymptomatic people with the virus in order to do contact-tracing to slow the virus.
The CDC is now saying that in the their pandemic planning scenarios, their “current best estimate” is that up to 50 percent of spread of the virus occurs before patients begin to experience symptoms. Well, that refers to asymptomatic people, doesn’t it?
“This makes no sense. People without symptoms account for up to 50 percent of transmission,” tweeted Dr. Leana Wen, a public health professor at George Washington University and former health commissioner of Baltimore, reports CNBC News. “We need MORE testing, not less.”
Check out this article from MarketWatch – Coronavirus update: Health experts express alarm at #CDC change in testing guidelines that exclude asymptomatic patients
markburgerenerg) August 26, 2020
Dr. Tom Frieden, the former director of the CDC under President Barack Obama, said on Twitter that the change is “probably indefensible” and was “likely imposed on CDC’s website.”
Will Humble, executive director of the Arizona Public Health Association and former director of the Arizona Department of Health Services, called the change “bizarre.”
“Testing contacts is a core part of contact tracing!” he said on Twitter. 50% of transmission happens before symptoms occur & you make this policy decision? The CDC brand is toast.”
I may be totally wrong in my saying this latest move by the CDC is politically motivated, just like the FDA mess was the other day. And now knowing the HHS has stuck its nose into the pot, I am almost positive this is another attempt to push Trump’s agenda on the pandemic response.
