[MandoMan]

Originally Posted by coffeebean

Th new guidelines do not make any sense to me, especially if you know you have been exposed to the virus. According to these new guidelines, a person who is asymptomatic will be denied a test even if they are aware they have been exposed to the virus. Can someone explain the rationale for this absurdity?

C.D.C. Now Says People Without Covid-19 Symptoms Do Not Need Testing - The New York Times

Sources in the CDC revealed on Wednesday that the Director of the C.D.C. was under heavy pressure from the White House to make this change. The hope is that a lot of the positive tests would never show up if people weren’t being tested. However, the problem is that asymptomatic positives can still spread it to those they live with, kiss, hug, talk with face to face, eat with, drive with, even if they aren’t coughing. Meanwhile, evidence shows that people who are positive are most contagious BEFORE they have any symptoms. So, if they can be detected when they DO have the disease but BEFORE they show any symptoms at all, it might be possible to get them to quarantine instead of dropping by The Villages to eat that home-cooked dinner with Grandma and Grandpa. Thus, early testing now may decrease case later and save your life.

From the article you linked to: “Models suggest that about half of transmission events can be traced back to individuals still in this so-called pre-symptomatic stage, before they start to feel ill — if they ever feel sick at all.”
Top U.S. Officials Told C.D.C. to Soften Coronavirus Testing Guidelines - The New York Times