CDC changes testing recommendations

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention previously recommended testing any American known to have spent at least 15 minutes within 6 feet of a person who had the coronavirus. The agency changed its guidelines Monday to say asymptomatic people “do not necessarily need a test” unless other officials recommend it or you are a vulnerable individual. Adm. Brett Giroir, assistant secretary for health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the former director of COVID-19 testing, said on Wednesday the move was “trying to get appropriate testing, not less testing.”

How did scientists and doctors react? Some experts across the country questioned the move. “An individual has a high probability of getting the virus from close contact with someone that has had the virus; why would he/she not be recommended to get tested?” Dr. Ravina Kullar, a California infectious disease expert, told Fox News.

Dig deeper: Read Charissa Koh’s report in Compassion on the surprising rarity of coronavirus among the U.S. homeless population.