The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) raised eyebrows on Aug. 28 when it revised its COVID-19 testing guidance to suggest that testing is not necessarily a must for asymptomatic individuals who have been in close recent contact with a person confirmed as having a COVID-19 infection. The new guidance departs from not only medical consensus but the agency’s previous recommendations. The CDC’s New Testing Recommendation According to the new guidance, 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 that you get tested. Testing negative does not rule out the possibility of developing an infection from the close contact later, the CDC explains. But the does recommend that those with close contact self-monitor for symptoms and follow guidelines for testing of symptomatic individuals if they develop. What Is Going On? Previously, the CDC recommended that anybody with a “recent known or suspected exposure” to the virus get tested regardless of whether they have […]