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CDC was pressured 'from the top down' to change coronavirus testing guidance, official says
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Wed, 2020-08-26 13:53 — mike kraft
CNN)A sudden change in federal guidelines on coronavirus testing came this week as a result of pressure from the upper ranks of the Trump administration, a federal health official close to the process tells CNN.
"It's coming from the top down," the official said of the new directive from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The new guidelines raise the bar on who should get tested, advising that some people without symptoms probably don't need it -- even if they've been in close contact with an infected person.
Previously, the CDC said viral testing was appropriate for people with recent or suspected exposure, even if they were asymptomatic. ...
In a statement to CNN, HHS Assistant Secretary Brett Giroir said: "This Guidance has been updated to reflect current evidence and best public health practices, and to further emphasize using CDC-approved prevention strategies to protect yourself, your family, and the most vulnerable of all ages."...
Dr. Carlos del Rio, an infectious disease specialist and associate dean of Emory University School of Medicine, said on CNN Newsroom on Wednesday that the CDC has not provided evidence to explain the changes.
"I mean, the evidence that I'm aware of as of today is that close to 40% of the cases of the infections are asymptomatic and asymptomatic people transmit the infection," Del Rio said.
"So, not testing -- I mean, if you have been in contact with somebody for a few minutes, that's okay. But if you have been in contact for 50 minutes and that people doesn't have a mask, I think you need to be tested regardless if you have symptoms or not. We know especially young people going into the house and then transmit inside the household. So, the guidelines baffle me and I really don't understand them." ...
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Trump administration defends 'inexplicable' changes to coronavir
WASHINGTON — A top Trump administration official defended new guidelines that say people without symptoms do not need a coronavirus test, a development that has been widely criticized as unproductive since the guidance was issued on Tuesday.
Adm. Brett Giroir, the assistant U.S. secretary for health, rejected reports that the guidance — which also discards an earlier recommendation that “all close contacts” of a person infected with COVID-19 be tested — was made because of political pressure. President Trump has repeatedly claimed that the United States proportionally has more cases than other nations because of a significantly greater testing capacity.
“All the docs signed off on this,” Giroir told reporters on a Wednesday morning call intended to counter negative coverage of the new guideline. He said he had worked on the guidance with Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
However, Giroir declined to respond to questions about what role, if any, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, played in formulating the amended guidance....(EDITORS NOTE: Dr. Fauci said today that he was undergoing surgery for a polyp on his vocal cords at the time and did noit take part in the discussions.)
The new guidance says that as long as a person is not showing symptoms, even close contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 is not sufficient reason to get a test. “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," the new guidance says.