CDC Director Robert Redfield has walked back New Testing Guidelines

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The director of CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Dr. Robert Redfield has walked back new testing guidelines released by his agency. It came after a sparked backlash among some of the nation’s top health experts. Dr. Redfield issued a statement that testing may be considered for all close contacts of confirmed or probable Covid-19 patients. He added that everyone who needs a Covid-19 test can get a test. The new testing CDC guidelines remained upon the agency’s website on Thursday morning in spite of the statement. An official informed the New York Times that Dr. Redfield issued the statement to clarify the new policy. Redfield said, “Testing is meant to drive actions and achieve specific public health objectives”.

Dr. Redfield added, “Everyone who needs a Covid-19 test, can get a test. 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 statement came after the CDC revised its testing guidelines earlier this week, stating only those who had coronavirus symptoms should get tested. Dr. Redfield said the new guidelines were made in collaboration with the White House coronavirus task force. But, reports have indicated the CDC potentially felt pressure from the Trump administration to alter testing recommendations. Dr. Anthony Fauci said he was under anesthesia when the decision was made to alter CDC guidelines about testing.

Dr. Anthony said, “I was under general anesthesia in the operating room and was not part of any discussion or deliberation regarding the new testing recommendations. 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”. This concern wasn’t just verbalized by Dr. Facui, but also other top doctors and health experts across the US. The New York Times reported that the chief scientific officer of the Association of American Medical College, Dr. Ross McKinney Jr. called the new guidelines as irresponsible and go against the best interests of the American people and are a step backward in fighting the pandemic.