Local Doctors Explain Why CDC Says Some Might Not Need COVID-19 Test

The CDC raised some eyebrows after it made changes to its website.

One of its pages now says not everyone needs a COVID-19 test.

Testing has been a cornerstone in the fight against the coronavirus, and while the CDC now prominently notes on their website not everyone needs a test, local doctors say that’s been a guideline from almost the start of the pandemic.

However, there are situations where a test might not be necessary for close contacts of a positive case.

“If someone has been identified as a close contact to a confirmed case of COVID infection they do not necessarily need to get a test unless perhaps they’re a vulnerable individual, or if they spoke with their healthcare provider and they recommend they get one,” said Dr. Josh Meyerson, Medical Director of the Health Department of Northwest Michigan.

That’s because sometimes those cases are easy to identify.

“If we have a household contact who has a confirmed positive case in their household and then that person becomes ill with classic COVID symptoms we don’t need them to be tested, we know they have COVID, it’s pretty safe to assume that and we count them as a probable case,” said Dr. Jennifer Morse, Medical Director, for the Central Michigan, Mid-Michigan District and DHD #10.

Doctors also say even if a close contact tests negative early in their quarantine period, it won’t shorten that quarantine.

“A negative test does not mean they can’t get it develop an infection from that close contact at a later time. Someone who’s a close contact is generally quarantined for 14 days and getting a negative test result doesn’t shorten that period of quarantine,” said Dr. Meyerson.