CDC reverses controversial coronavirus guidance that said people without symptoms may not need a test

The Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention on Friday reversed controversial coronavirus testing steerage that mentioned individuals who had been uncovered to an contaminated individual however weren’t displaying any signs did “not essentially want a check.”

The new guidance says that individuals with out signs who’ve been in shut contact with an contaminated individual “want a check.”

“Please seek the advice of together with your healthcare supplier or public well being official. Testing is beneficial for all shut contacts of individuals with SARS-CoV-2 an infection,” the brand new steerage says. “Due to the potential for asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic transmission, it will be important that contacts of people with SARS-CoV-2 an infection be rapidly recognized and examined.”

Quite a few research have proven that individuals can carry and unfold the virus with out displaying signs — each within the presymptomatic stage and in instances the place they by no means develop signs. Public well being specialists and officers on the World Well being Group have repeatedly emphasised the significance of testing individuals who haven’t got signs to be able to minimize off chains off transmission. 

Many public well being specialists criticized the CDC’s change in testing steerage in August for showing to downplay the importance of testing individuals who haven’t got signs however who may be spreading the virus. 

The CDC known as the change in steerage a “clarification” and famous the “the necessity to check asymptomatic individuals.”

Representatives from the Division of Well being and Human Providers, which the CDC falls below, referred CNBC’s request for remark to the CDC.

CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield told lawmakers earlier this week that the company was planning on updating the steerage this week. 

“Pending check outcomes, you must self-quarantine/isolate at residence and keep separated from family members to the extent attainable and use a separate bed room and loo, if obtainable,” the brand new steerage says.

The up to date steerage additionally says that individuals who haven’t got signs and who haven’t been uncovered to an contaminated individual “don’t want a check except beneficial or required by your healthcare supplier or public well being official.” The earlier steerage definitively mentioned that such individuals don’t have to be examined.

That is breaking information. Please verify again for updates.