State officials rail against 'indefensible' changes to CDC testing guidance

The CDC this week said that people do not necessarily need to get tested for Covid-19 after coming in contact with people who have tested positive.

Its previous guidance advised that they get tested. Most public health contact tracing efforts, such as New York's, include as an important component testing for those who are believed to have been exposed to infected persons.  

"Shame on the people in the CDC," said Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo. "These will be indefensible actions in the light of history. Indefensible. What possible rationale is there to say, 'You're in close contact with a Covid positive person and you don't need a test.' What plausible rationale?"

Cuomo called the change part of President Trump's "reelection strategy." 

"They don't want publicity that there is a Covid problem," Cuomo said. "Because the president's politics are that Covid isn't a problem, we're past Covid and it's all about the economy."

State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker said: "This is indefensible from a public health point of view and I have to say it makes absolutely no sense and I've spoken to the scientists at the CDC and they say it's political." 

The move has drawn criticism from many other health experts. 

Here is what the CDC's guidance said prior to Monday, according to an archive of the page via web.archive.org: 

"Testing is recommended for all close contacts of persons with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Because of the potential for asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic transmission, it is important that contacts of individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection be quickly identified and tested."

This week, the guidance was changed to: 

"If you have been in close contact (within 6 feet) of a person with a Covid-19 infection for at least 15 minutes but do not have symptoms ... you do not necessarily need a test unless you are a vulnerable individual or your health care provider or state or local public health officials recommend you take one."

Cuomo criticized the move as being related to President Trump's oft-repeated claim that the reason the United States has many cases is because it has many tests. 

"I've spoken to health experts from around the globe. None of them will say that this makes any sense from a health point of view," the governor said. "The only plausible rationale is they want fewer people taking tests because, as the president has said, 'if we don't take tests you won't know that people are Covid-positive and the number of Covid-positive people will come down.'

"That is his policy of 'deny the problem.' ... It totally violates public health standards and rationale and just fosters his failed policy of denial.

"He now has CDC carrying forward his political agenda and it is frightening and it is alarming."