“A sudden change in federal guidelines on coronavirus testing came this week as a result of pressure from the upper ranks of the Trump administration, a federal health official close to the process tells CNN, and a key White House coronavirus task force member was not part of the meeting when the new guidelines were discussed.”
“‘It’s coming from the top down,’ the official said of the new directive from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
“White House coronavirus task force member Dr. Anthony Fauci said he was in surgery and not part of the discussion during the August 20 task force meeting when updated guidelines were discussed.”
“‘I was under general anesthesia in the operating room and was not part of any discussion or deliberation regarding the new testing recommendations,’ Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.”
“‘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,’ he said.”
“The new guidelines raise the bar on who should get tested, advising that some people without symptoms probably don’t need it — even if they’ve been in close contact with an infected person…” Read the full article here.
Source: CDC was pressured ‘from the top down’ to change coronavirus testing guidance, official says – By Nick Valencia, Sara Murray and Kristen Holmes, August 26, 2020. CNN.
