Posted on 08/26/2020 7:44:58 AM PDT by yesthatjallen
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention quietly changed its guidance on Monday to now say that asymptomatic people do not need to be tested for coronavirus, even if they have been in close contact with an infected person.
The agency made the move by updating its website but did not make any public announcement or explain the reasoning behind the major revision.
The guidance now states: “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.”
That is a stark change from the previous CDC guidance, which emphasized the importance of testing people who were in close contact with infected people. “Testing is recommended for all close contacts of persons with SARS-CoV-2 infection,” the previous guidance said. “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.”
The move drew widespread criticism and confusion from public health experts, who said that testing to identify asymptomatic people with the virus is important and that the change could undermine contact tracing, a core strategy to slow the spread of the virus.
“Without explanation, the @CDCGov made remarkable and troubling changes to their guidelines on coronavirus testing this week,” tweeted Carl Bergstrom, a professor of biology at the University of Washington.
SNIP
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
I have been thinking that they have been using the term “asymptomatic” incorrectly, and that they should be using the term “pre-symptomatic” instead. It seems I am now starting to see them use both, but the media hasn’t quite caught on. No surprise there.
That’s understandable.
If asymptomatic’s don’t need test, then don’t need to wear mask, don’t need vaccine!
the “We’re all gonna die” pearl clutchers here on FR.
Yes, they have an almost religious faith in the deadliness of the virus, but how many of them are in those higher risk groups? I think quite a lot of them.
It’s so true the horse being out of the barn. I just wish it weren’t like this. Even good friends are distrusting people that they’ve always trusted before. It’s just sad.
Yep. Science is based on inductive reasoning. It is rarely metaphysical certitude.
How long do you think you should wash your hands for?
I read the new CDC guidelines to say:
Don’t get tested. Wait until you are so sick you need to be hospitalized.
“Asymptomatic” traditionally means you are infected but have no symptoms.
Without a test, how can you tell if you are healthy or infected with no symptoms?
I’m not getting tested or traced unless I am sick enough to go to the hospital and they force me to.
"Experts" may have access to research data but in the end they make decisions based on personal biases and opinions.
Muzzle it, peasant!
Re: “It is nearly impossible to tell how many people had a virus that never made them sick.”
After 73.5 million COVID tests in the USA, I am thinking it should be quite simple to calculate the number of asymptomatic infections - especially since the PCR test still detects COVID RNA months after it has become inactive.
My local Blood Donation Center is testing for COVID antibodies, too.
Muzzle wearing is dehumanizing.
That is der master plan.
Heh.
I as going to say I thought CDC was the experts. Not that I really thought that, just sayin'.
So big news in the state of Maine is "60 cases of COVID traced to a wedding reception in Millinocket."
Separate report is that entire state has a total of eight (8) people currently hospitalized with COVID (not necessarily because of), out of 452 cases.
And we are still required to wear masks and restrict activity, social distance, and all the other control freak garbage.
There are young people who have been scarred for life over this. Fear of dying is powerful, and of course the government abuses every trust ever given to it.
If this is the most dangerous and infectious and deadly virus ever in all history of mankind then why do we need testing??
And that is exactly what a vaccinated person is. So why would we no longer have to
Without a test, how can you tell if you are healthy or infected with no symptoms?
Why do you need to know? What other pathogens do you regularly go get tested for if you are healthy or asymptomatic? Do you regularly go get tested for the flu during flu season just so you know? Measles? Strep? C. Diff? MRSA? Hepatitis? Tetanus? AIDS? RSV? Strep Pneumo? Legionella? etc.etc....
“What kind is study would determine that an asymptomatic can still transmit the virus?”
It takes time and lots of $$, but what you do is:
1. Find an asymptomatic but “positive!” dude.
2. Follow him around for days, and test everyone he comes in contact with, multiple times. Long after the contact, keep testing. Everyone.
Here is one: 455 contacts, how many became infected?
ZERO.
Material and methods: 455 contacts who were exposed to the asymptomatic COVID-19 virus carrier became the subjects of our research. They were divided into three groups: 35 patients, 196 family members and 224 hospital staffs. We extracted their epidemiological information, clinical records, auxiliary examination results and therapeutic schedules.
Results: The median contact time for patients was four days and that for family members was five days. Cardiovascular disease accounted for 25% among original diseases of patients. Apart from hospital staffs, both patients and family members were isolated medically. During the quarantine, seven patients plus one family member appeared new respiratory symptoms, where fever was the most common one. The blood counts in most contacts were within a normal range. All CT images showed no sign of COVID-19 infection. No severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections was detected in 455 contacts by nucleic acid test.
Conclusion: In summary, all the 455 contacts were excluded from SARS-CoV-2 infection and we conclude that the infectivity of some asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 carriers might be weak. “
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32513410/
Pre-symptomatic can sometimes transmit 2 days before first symptom. But asymptomatic transmission is a myth. Rare enough to ignore.
Look for the talking points to shift from “number of people infected” to “percentage of people that test positive”.
I think several of the reopening plans use percentage of positives as a metric. Also hides that pesky “herd immunity” thing.
Thank you very much!!!
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