CDC Reverses Testing Guidance for COVID-19

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

CDC reverses course on testing asymptomatic people for COVID-19, again

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday changed its guidance again after an outcry from public health officials, saying asymptomatic people who have come in contact with Covid-19 should be tested. The updated guidance aligns more closely with previous recommendations.

"If you have been in close contact, such as within 6 feet of a person with documented SARS-CoV-2 infection for at least 15 minutes and do not have symptoms, you need a test," ...

 

Do you agree with the CDC's reversal?

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Specializes in school nurse.
2 hours ago, sirI said:

 

Do you agree with the CDC's reversal?

Considering the rationale for the first reversal, yes.

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Depends on the goal.

If the goal is getting a good understanding of where the disease is, and who transmits it in what situations, than the more testing the better.  I believe that is what countries who have gotten a good handle on this have done.

OTOH, if the goal is to manipulate numbers for political gain, this might be a bad strategy.

Keep your eye on the goal.

 

 

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Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.
On 9/18/2020 at 3:55 PM, sirI said:

CDC reverses course on testing asymptomatic people for COVID-19, again

Do you agree with the CDC's reversal?

If nobody is tested then our numbers will go to zero and we win!

All but the dimmest bulbs in the lay public have the basic understanding that the virus still exists, spreads, and kills whether or not people get tested (save for perhaps the people that are trying to treat themselves with bleach or intravenous sunlight). There are rationales why the CDC might want to reduce asymptomatic testing, however this does not appear to be why the recommendation was changed in the first place. 

Clinically, I have frustration that for some of our patients, they are seeing turnaround times of more than 10 days, but I still do not feel those tests are futile, as they provide public health data that is of vital importance.

 

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