Someone is saying it was political pressure from the top:The CDC does not explain why the change. The easy answer is political pressure to reduce numbers. But can anyone come up with some other explanation as to why we do not want people who have had contact to be tested?
CDC was pressured 'from the top down' to change coronavirus testing guidance, official says
CDC was pressured 'from the top down' to change coronavirus testing guidance, official says
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, and a key White House coronavirus task force member was not part of the meeting when the...
www.cnn.com
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.
CDC would not comment on questions about its own policy change. A CDC spokesperson referred all questions to the Department of Health and Human Services.