On Friday , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention struck down a old guidance that commend against the examination of asymptomatic people for the coronavirus that causes covid-19 , even if the person was exposed to the virus . The agency now recommends testing anyone who could have caught the infection from a close contact lens , symptoms or not , much as it did originally this year . The reversal followsrecent reportingby the New York Times indicating the early guidance was pushed through last month by Trump disposal officials without input from CDC faculty .
The CDC’snew languageis to the item . For those who know they ’ve come into recent stuffy contact with someone who has a documented transmission from the coronavirus SARS - CoV-2 — close touch meaning outlay at least 15 minutes 6 foot or closemouthed to the individual — the CDC now simply states : “ You need a test . ”
It survive on to recommend that all close contacts of people with a documented infection get tested , mark that “ because of the electric potential for asymptomatic and pre - symptomatic infection , it is significant that contact of individuals with SARS - CoV-2 transmission be quickly identified and tested . ”
The CDC headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.Image: Jessica McGowan (Getty Images)
The above is an entirely uncontroversial position that ’s been held by public health experts since the commencement of the pandemic — which is why outside scientist and expert were aghast when the CDCseemedto abruptly shift tack in previous August , with an updated guidance liberate on its web site that state asymptomatic citizenry did not “ necessarily ” penury testing .
It was n’t long after these changes were made that those like Tom Frieden , a former oral sex of the CDC , began speculating that the guidance was force upon the public health agency by gamy - ups in the Trump administration . Notably , President Trump has routinely dismissed the want for more examination during the pandemic , even call for examination to slow down .
https://gizmodo.com/in-baffling-reversal-cdc-now-says-you-dont-need-a-covi-1844853670
The CDC’s updated language on what to do if you have a likely exposure to the virus but no symptoms.Screenshot: Ed Cara
Federal officials at the Department of Health and Human Services , which oversees the CDC , were quick to dismiss the idea that the CDC was strong - armed into the conclusion . However , report quickly emerged that CDC officials felt squeeze to accept the changes . At one tip , Anthony Fauci — head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and leading member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force — revealed that final change to the language were made while he wasunder anesthesiafor a operation to hit pharynx polyps .
On Thursday , the NYTreportedthat the CDC was not only pressure to take on the changed guideline but that the changes were made without going through the CDC ’s standard scientific review process . The NYT also reported that scientist at the CDC strenuously object to the new guidelines but were told by senior staff in an email obtained by the NYT that : “ We do not have the power to make substantial edits . ”
The head of the CDC , Robert Redfield , tell the NYT in a statement following the article ’s publication yesterday that the guidelines were coordinated in co-occurrence with the White House Coronavirus Task Force and “ received appropriate attention , consultation and input from task force experts . ”
These in vogue change to the CDC ’s testing guidance arrived less than a solar day later .
This snafu is only the latest indication that much of the country ’s public health reception to covid-19 has been co - prefer by politically motivated government activity officials .
Just this calendar week , Politicoreportedthat HHS chief Alex Azar intervene with the FDA in previous August , revoking the means ’s ability to quality jibe sure types of tests for covid-19 and other conditions develop by outside labs . And the NYT alsobrokea history Friday showing emails from two Trump officials , notably Michael Caputo — the chief representative for HHS who has since gone on medical leave — dismissing the CDC ’s expertise , trying to prevent officials from intercommunicate in public , and in the main downplaying the pandemic ’s dangers .
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