The CDC Update On COVID Testing

A few weeks ago CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) stated, that people who contact with coronavirus infected (being within six feet of a person with the coronavirus for at least 15 minutes) do not necessarily need the COVID testing, especially if they have no symptoms.

A flurry of accusations rained down on CDC after this released. First of all, now we know that infection can be asymptomatic, that means that person who was in close contact with patient can achieve COVID-19 infection without even knowing it.

Dr. Redfield, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the current Administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, try to explain: “Testing is meant to drive actions and achieve specific public health objectives. 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 $750 million COVID Testing deal with Abbott

This statement perfectly pitched to the new deal between Abbott Laboratories and The White House, buying 150 million rapid coronavirus tests. According to Abbott lab. test would be fast and cheap, to prevention infection proliferation.

The New York Times published “Democrats including the governors of California and New York as well as Speaker Nancy Pelosi have accused the C.D.C. of bowing to political pressure from President Trump, who wants to minimize the number of cases of infection. Administration officials say the guidelines were the product of a vigorous debate in the White House coronavirus task force.”

“What we need from the CDC is clear, specific, directive guidance,” said Dr. Leana Wen, a former health commissioner of Baltimore. “It shouldn’t be a Rorschach blot that we’re looking at, and everybody’s getting a different response by looking at the same guidance.”

At now The New York Times urge to three actions:

• State and local leaders should be emboldened to act independently of the federal government and do more COVID testing. Some governors and local public health officials, from both parties, are already doing so and are ignoring the CDC’s revisions.
• Insurance companies, city and state governments, and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services should recognize the economic and health benefits of testing prioritized, asymptomatic populations and provide reasonable reimbursement for these tests.
• While more widespread testing for the virus is an essential factor in pandemic control, we need to make it part of a broad program that helps prevent transmission — mask-wearing, hand-washing, quarantining and use of personal protective equipment.

Company PerkinElmer Will Allow For 150,000 Tests Per Day In California

Besides that, in California, the most populous state in US in addition to the more than 100,000 tests, with are using every day, company PerkinElmer, based in Massachusetts, will allow for 150,000 more tests per day, with a required turnaround of no more than two days, allowing public health officials to move quickly to identify outbreaks.

“This is exactly what the federal government should be doing,” Mr. Gavin Newsom the 40th governor of California, a member of the Democratic Party said. “If you had seen the federal government doing this, it would’ve saved taxpayers billions of dollars.”

Need to remember that CDC is only an advisory agency, not a regulatory one. That why states cannot follow their recommendation, but such discord “undermines confidence in public health directives”.