CDC Coronavirus Testing Guidelines Face More Criticism From Health Organizations

More criticism over the CDC’s change in guidelines on coronavirus testing has emerged this week with two health organizations calling for the Trump administration to “pull the revised guidance.” The change in testing guidelines by the CDC allows for asymptomatic people to forego coronavirus testing even if they come in contact with someone that has the virus.

In a letter, the National Association of County and City Health Officials and the Big Cities Health Coalition, which represent thousands of local public health departments, voiced their concern over the changes in testing to Dr. Robert Redfield, director for the CDC, and Admiral Brett P. Giroir, assistant secretary of health at the Department of Health and Human Services.

The two organizations said in the letter, “As public health professionals, we are troubled about the lack of evidence cited to inform this change. CDC’s own data suggest that perhaps as many as 40% of COVID-19 cases are attributable to asymptomatic transmission. Changing testing guidelines to suggest that close contacts to confirmed positives without symptoms do not need to be tested is inconsistent with the science and the data.”

Giroir defended the CDC’s changes in a briefing with reporters, saying that the changes were based on medical expert advice from Drs. Deborah Birx, who is coordinating the administration response to the pandemic, and Stephen Hahn, head of the Food and Drug Administration and would allow for more meaningful results that would not give people a false sense of security.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading expert on infectious diseases, said he was not present for the testing guideline discussion. He told CNN he is “concerned about the interpretation of these recommendations” and is “worried it will give people the incorrect assumption that asymptomatic spread is not of great concern” when “in fact, it is.”

Redfield looked to clarify the change late Thursday in a statement: "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 letter from the organizations, which was sent on Friday, said the changes to the testing guidelines will make local and state health officials “ability to respond to the pandemic even harder. This revision and its resulting impact is adding yet another obstacle for public health practitioners to effectively address the pandemic,” the letter said.