New testing guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could fuel the spread the COVID-19 even as infections and deaths across the nation continue to climb.
The CDC previously urged that people exposed to COVID-19 get tested regardless of whether they showed symptoms of the virus. That meant testing of anyone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes.
But under revised guidelines quietly issued Monday, the CDC now recommends testing only if people exposed to COVID-19 show symptoms or if they’re medically vulnerable or work in the health care field.
The CDC did not explain the reason for the sudden change, but public health experts condemned it, warning that reduced testing could help spread the virus and fuel the pandemic.
This change is especially concerning, given that COVID-19 often is spread by the very people the CDC now recommends excluding from testing—individuals who are infected but not yet showing symptoms. Between the time they’re infected and start feeling sick, they risk transmitting the virus to countless others at work, school and other settings.
In addition, health experts worry about the transmission of the virus through individuals who contract COVID-19 but never show any symptoms. The CDC itself estimates that as many as 40 percent of people with the virus stay asymptomatic.
Since the pandemic struck, the Trump administration has struggled to meet demand for COVID-19 testing, and some fear that the real aim of the new guidelines is to cut public demand for tests.