In an about-face reportedly prompted by the Trump administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week quietly narrowed its guidelines for Covid-19 testing — upending previous recommendations that all people exposed to the virus should get tested, whether they have symptoms or not.
Later in the week, CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield walked back the guidelines somewhat in a media statement, saying, “Everyone who needs a Covid-19 test, can get a test. Everyone who wants a test does not necessarily need a test; the key is to engage the needed public health community in the decision with the appropriate follow-up action.”
The new recommendations, which were still on the CDC site late Thursday, said people who aren’t showing symptoms don’t necessarily need to be tested, even if they have been within 6 feet of someone known to have Covid-19.
When the new guidance emerged, Democratic governors in at least five states — California, Kentucky, New York, North Carolina and Washington state — promptly rejected it, as did multiple national medical experts.
[Bob Snyder, who heads the Flagler County Health Department, put it this way in an interview Friday: “A lot of public health officials have been surprised by the CDC change in saying that asymptomatic individuals don’t need to get tested, they just need to follow the protocol. If you are in close contact [with a positive case] you need to stay home for 14 days and only get tested if you’re symptomatic. Considering that 40 to 50 percent of cases are asymptomatic, it doesn’t quite make sense to us.” Snyder is skeptical of that approach. “They’re kind of betting on the farm that so and so who is a close contact will indeed stay home for 14 days as opposed to get tested to confirm that they were positive so we could do contact tracing on you.”]
But at least one state health official agreed with the CDC. In Alabama, state health officer Dr. Scott Harris explained in a local Fox News affiliate interview that the CDC’s new guidelines were in line with the state’s own policies.
“In fact, that [is] what we’ve been saying all along. Some of that is related to our capacity for testing. We just can’t test everyone,” he said in the WBRC news report. “The main reason is that if you’re in close contact, our advice to you is that you need to go home for 14 days and stay away from people.”
Scientific evidence shows that at least half of all transmissions of Covid-19 come from people who do not exhibit symptoms. National medical experts say people who think they may have been exposed should get a test.
According to the CDC’s new recommendations, “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.”
Likewise, the CDC guidelines say that testing isn’t necessarily needed even “if you are in a high Covid-19 transmission area and have attended a public or private gathering of more than 10 people (without widespread mask wearing or physical distancing).”
Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo slammed the new guidelines.
“I’ve spoken to health experts from around the globe,” Cuomo said. “None of them will say that this makes any sense from a health point of view. The only plausible rationale is they want fewer people taking tests because, as the president has said, if we don’t take tests you won’t know that people are Covid-positive and the number of Covid-positive people will come down,” according to a transcript of his statement.
Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear reportedly called the CDC guidance “reckless” and “inexplicable,” vowing that “in Kentucky we’re going to continue to do the right thing,” according to the Louisville Courier-Journal.
Dr. Susan R. Bailey, president of the American Medical Association, wrote in an Aug. 26 statement: “Months into this pandemic, we know Covid-19 is spread by asymptomatic people. Suggesting that people without symptoms, who have known exposure to Covid-positive individuals, do not need testing is a recipe for community spread and more spikes in coronavirus.
“When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updates a guidance the agency should provide a rationale for the change. We urge CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services to release the scientific justification for this change in testing guidelines.”
–Christine Vestal, Stateline
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Parkey says
okay to make sure the U,S. Is Covid free every one must be checked at the same time on the same day and again in 14 days or less? T
Tell me how that works!
Fredrick says
According to the CDC, and we are all told to follow their guidance, at least when convenient, 6% of the approx 180k deaths reported as Covid deaths are actually just Covid deaths without underlying conditions. Interesting……. I wonder if someone where to do the analysis, calculating the number the same way, how that would compare to H1N1 and the seasonal flu (things that we have vaccines for). Maybe FlaglerLive and its staff of 600 can do some investigative reporting. Curious minds want to know.
Science says
Please ask a physician to explain this to you. When a patient dies and has comorbidities say hypertension, and they become Covid positive, develop pneumonia which destroys their lungs and blood clots which Covid also causes and ends up dying. The death certificate is required to state all of this. The hypertension did not kill the patient so it is listed but not as a cause of death. Cause of death: pneumonia Caused by Covid, pulmonary embolism, (also caused by Covid). Neither of these two deadly diagnoses would have occurred without the Covid. Get it? Mr Jones would still be walking around, going to work, taking his antihypertensive meds and barring any future diagnosis, live to see his grandkids get married.
Jimbo99 says
Wake me up when they decide to end this preoccupation of madness and paranoia of dying as the end of the human race ? I think we’ll know when the pandemic ends in early Nov 2020 when election results are finalized. That’ll be the same date that racism & everything else that has been miserable about 2020 ends too.
Distractions says
Who believes that a person who is dumb enough to attend a large gathering of people and without masks, is going to run home and hang a do not disturb sign on their front door and hide in the back room from the rest of their family and world for 14 days when they’re asymptomatic?
I’ll bet you the orange imposter in DC got his evil doers together and threatened the powers that be at the CDC with disruptions in their funding or worse, if they didn’t say don’t get tested if not symptomatic. Even though the bulk of the spreaders are usually asymptomatic. He doesn’t care about you or anybody. He cares about getting re-elected so he can finish his destruction of this country. So, if not testing makes it look like there are less cases, he can brag about what a great job he’s done fighting Covid. Only a brainwashed cult member believes Trump is anything but a stupid, racist, unfit, lying, certifiable mental case who needs to be arrested. Trump for Prison 2020.
Evicted in Flagler says
I agrew with you 100%! It kills me to still see his name in my neighbors yards!! I see nothing good the Orange One has done! He buys everything and has not had to actually work for a living! I wonder if he will buy this election too?
really says
There is no rationale. Its the dimwit on The Hills idea love by lies die by lies
Trailer Bob says
Sure, like unless EVERYONE gets tested, we’re gonna know who has/carries the virus?
Many people do not have any symptoms, yet still are “infected”.
We should, infact, make legal mandates for wearing mask in the suggested situations, have restrictions on the populace, including the beaches, large gatherings, rallies populated by those who take NO precautions at all.
Maybe even eradicate the large groups of people burning down our cities. Why no consideration of the effects THEY have on the populace? Are their looting parties exempt? I think so. It is filmed and live for all to see. Tick tock…tick tock, tick tock…
Joe says
I agree! These bad actors and vigilantes are coming to places of peaceful protests just to start trouble! Some are even open carrying , others are insinuating riots , trying to make the protesters look bad. Stop the Trump supporters from killing innocent lives in the streets of our United States!
Sherry says
Make NO mistake. . . this is all about trump wanting to make the Covid case numbers look better before the election! The CDC is in the trump administration and what WAS more of an “independent” organization has received tremendous pressure to yield to trump’s desire to WIN at all costs.
Therefore at a time when the medical experts tell us we should be expanding testing and implement contact tracing to SAVE LIVES and ILLNESSES and possible long termed physical damage, trump is FORCING LESS TESTING!!!! Face it. . . our health and lives are completely expendable in “fascist” trumpville!!!!
Evicted in Flagler says
Have you ever felt like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered? Our government has NOT handled the Covid pandemic correctly from the start! We have millions of families waiting to be evicted into the streets, people dying from Covid and Trump does not care! Our own Governor opened Florida back up and did this to us because he was scared of backlash! Does he not realize he has blood on his bands too??? I agree with the statements from others regarding testing. I have wanted to be tested but it is impossible! God forbid you do not have a doctor to issue a testing order! There are so many people here in Flagler who should be tested!! What about daycare workers not wearing masks around children nor the children wearing masks??? Now we open schools? Sure, why not? According to Trump children barely get Covid. Try telling that to the children’s parents who have perished from Covid! We need more testing!!! We need help!! So many people without jobs, so many lies to make Covid numbers lower!! I don’t see a good ending in sight until we get rid of these uneducated puppet masters!!! I am a Flagler resident foe over 20 years. I lost my job in April. I am being evicted because I only receive $434 every 2 weeks and cannot pay all of my rent foe the month. I cannot find a home because my credit has now dropped due to my finances. I am about to be on the street with 2 children. When I hear our so called President out playing golf, my blood boils!!! I have tried to get help, it is very limited but so many Flagler businesses were bailed out! Well if it wasnt for the little peons, you wouldnt need your business! I am sick of all the plights of 2020! Flagler needs to so more to help families in need and more testing sites! Still even if I were positive it would not change the fact I will be on the street with my children in a few days. I cant even quarantine.
Fredrick says
Hmmm… we are hiring and cant find applicants…. Maybe you are not looking hard enough for employment.
Agkistrodon says
And if you are found positive we should banish you right? Some of you tolerant people are sick in the head, yet you try to quote science. SAD. Maybe we should round up all the HIV positive people too right?………