On Wednesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) made an abrupt change in federal guidance on COVID-19 testing.
Now, a federal health official who is part of the process told CNN that the change was due to pressure from the top officials of the Trump administration.
The official, who is also a key member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, said, “It’s coming from the top down.”
The federal official was not part of the meeting when the new CDC guidance was discussed.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), said he was not part of the discussion during the meeting when new guidelines were discussed as he was in surgery.
“I was under general anesthesia in the operating room and was not part of any discussion or deliberation regarding the new testing recommendations,” Dr. Fauci, who is also the key member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, told CNN.
He added, “I am concerned about the interpretation of these recommendations and worried it will give people the incorrect assumption that asymptomatic spread is not of great concern. In fact, it is.”
The newly updated guidance raises the bar on who should get tested, recommending that people with no symptoms probably do not need it even if they have been in close contact with an infected person.
Previously, the CDC suggested viral testing for people with recent or suspected exposure even if they have no symptoms.
On Wednesday, CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield that changes to the testing guidance was made after “updated recommendations” from the task force.
“These updated guidelines, coordinated in conjunction with the White House Coronavirus Task Force, received appropriate attention, consultation and input from task force experts,” Dr. Redfield told CNN.
He continued, “We are placing an emphasis on testing individuals with symptomatic illness, individuals with significant exposure, vulnerable populations including nursing homes or long term care facilities, critical infrastructure workers, healthcare workers, and first responders, or those individuals who may be asymptomatic when prioritized by medical and public health officials.”
Assistant Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Dr. Brett Giroir said, “This guidance has been updated to reflect current evidence and best public health practices, and to further emphasize using CDC-approved prevention strategies to protect yourself, your family, and the most vulnerable of all ages.”
He added, “This was discussed at the last task force meeting and approved, I think that was Thursday of last week. We posted this on Monday morning.”
Dr. Giroir said multiple authors were involved in the CDC’s updated guidelines, adding that he, Dr. Fauci, Dr. Deborah Birx, and Dr. Stephen Hahn, FDA Commissioner, worked on the updated guidance. The focus was to do more “appropriate” testing, not “less” testing, and said, “it cannot be interpreted that we are inhibiting local public health,” added Dr. Giroir.
