U.S. reverses COVID-19 testing guidance again: exposed without symptoms need tests

[rooster59]

U.S. reverses COVID-19 testing guidance again: exposed without symptoms need tests

By Carl O'Donnell and Manas Mishra

 

FILE PHOTO: A general view of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, September 30, 2014. REUTERS/Tami Chappell

 

(Reuters) - The Trump administration reversed guidance Friday on COVID-19 testing for a second time, urging those exposed to people with the virus to get tested even if they are not displaying symptoms.

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sparked widespread outcry among state public health officials and experts in late August when it said that people who do not have symptoms may not need to get tested.

 

Before Aug. 24, the CDC had encouraged testing for all those who were exposed. Friday's guidance update effectively returns the CDC's testing guidance to what it said before it was altered in late August.

 

Reuters reported that a majority of U.S. states rejected the CDC's Aug. 24 guidance in an extraordinary rebuke of the nation's top agency for disease prevention.

 

The change was made on a page https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/testing-overview.html aimed at health workers.

 

“The return to a science-based approach to testing guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is good news for public health and for our united fight against this pandemic," Thomas File, president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, said in a statement.

 

Some state officials last month said they thought the administration's choice to play down the importance of testing reflected a desire by Republican President Donald Trump to cut the tally of new cases.

 

Trump, who is running for re-election on Nov. 3, told a rally in June testing is a "double-edged" sword because it leads to more cases being discovered, causing the United States to appear worse off than it would otherwise. He added that he urged officials to "slow the testing down, please." A White House official at the time told Reuters that the remark was a joke.

 

Trump administration officials denied that the move was political and told Reuters that it reflected "current evidence and best public health practices."

 

(Reporting by Carl O'Donnell; editing by Peter Henderson and Jonathan Oatis)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-09-19

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[Dumbastheycome]

And  yet the US  is  so critical of the WHO  !

 

[Stargeezr]

I just hear the lying Trump say that Canadians want the border open.  What a complete lie.  Only when the USA  gets serious and get the virus under control  then the border may get open.  The toxic Americans can stay in their country for now.

Geezer

[Emdog]

Please refrain from saying "US" when more accurate would be "Trump administration". Thank you

[Bluespunk]

On 9/19/2020 at 3:14 AM, rooster59 said:

Reuters reported that a majority of U.S. states rejected the CDC's Aug. 24 guidance in an extraordinary rebuke of the nation's top agency for disease prevention.

It is good to see the states recognise and reject trump’s attempts to manipulate the advice given by bodies such as the cdc.
 

Bravo cdc on returning to the fold of sanity and science based advice. 

Edited September 20, 2020 by Bluespunk

[Stargeezr]

The way the some Americans are still not taking the virus seriously, maybe 500

thousand death will happen  by Christmas.  Is  this  the  legacy that Trump

wants? Will it take 1 million deaths  for people to finally  get serious?

I  hope some people get their votes in early, the way they are still dying in

that country.

Geezer

[Stargeezr]

1 minute ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

The way the some Americans are still not taking the virus seriously, maybe 500

thousand deaths will happen  by Christmas.  Is  this  the  legacy that Trump

wants? Will it take 1 million deaths  for people to finally  get serious?

I  hope some people get their votes in early, the way they are still dying in

that country.

Geezer

 

[Rimmer]

Conspiracy troll post has been removed

[Tug]

1 hour ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

 

 

1 hour ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

The way the some Americans are still not taking the virus seriously, maybe 500

thousand death will happen  by Christmas.  Is  this  the  legacy that Trump

wants? Will it take 1 million deaths  for people to finally  get serious?

I  hope some people get their votes in early, the way they are still dying in

that country.

Geezer

To me it’s unbelievable they would be so reckless to continue to hold thease super spreader rallies we have passed 200,000 deaths in 7 months on trumps watch it hasent taken him long to wreck the country it truly beggers belief 

[Venom]

21 hours ago, Rimmer said:

Conspiracy troll post has been removed

Thanks for keeping us safe, Rimmer.