The Trump administration agreed to change the coronavirus testing guidelines while Dr. Anthony Fauci was having surgery.
Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN that he was not included in the decision in any way because he was having surgery on his vocal cords.
“I was under general anesthesia in the operating room and was not part of any discussion or deliberation regarding the new testing recommendations,” Fauci said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced testing guidelines on Monday that said individuals who come in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 “do not necessarily need” to be tested if they have no symptoms and are not in a vulnerable demographic. Previous guidance urged everyone to get tested if they were in contact with an individual who had tested positive for the virus, even if they never presented symptoms.
The discussion to change the policy took place on Thursday, the same day that Fauci had his surgery, according to U.S. Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Dr. Brett Giroir. Giroir said that public health experts such as CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield were included in the discussion.
“The new guidelines are a CDC action. As always, guidelines received appropriate attention, consultation, and input from task force experts, and I mean the medical and scientific experts,” he said. “All the task force experts advise on coronavirus-related matters.”
Fauci said he is concerned that the policy change could send the wrong message to citizens.
“I am concerned about the interpretation of these recommendations and worried it will give people the incorrect assumption that asymptomatic spread is not of great concern. In fact, it is,” he said.
Fauci and President Trump have disagreed on many issues related to the pandemic.
