Health & Fitness
Worcester Medical Chief Criticizes New CDC Coronavirus Guidance
Dr. Michael Hirsh said the CDC's more relaxed testing guidelines are "false recommendations."
WORCESTER, MA — The Centers for Disease Control this week issued new guidance on who should get tested for coronavirus, advising that asymptomatic people with recent contact may not need to get tested.
In a series of tweets, Worcester's medical chief Dr. Michael Hirsh said that the new guidance runs counter to local efforts to test as many people as possible to stop the spread of the pandemic.
The new guidance "flies in the face of the evidence that contact tracing and testing of these close contacts has helped squelch the spread of the virus in MA, NY, NJ, CT and other states," Hirsh tweeted.
Find out what's happening in Worcesterfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Before this week, the CDC had advised anyone who came in contact with a coronavirus-infected person to get tested. The new guidance reads:
"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."
Find out what's happening in Worcesterfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The change came under pressure from the White House, according to reports. Dr. Anthony Fauci has said he was in surgery when the new CDC guidance was handed down.
"Dr. Fauci says he was having surgery when CDC testing changes were approved," Hirsh said in a second tweet. "This explains a lot. Dr. Fauci did not approve of these false recommendations by the CDC. Other people at the CDC caved 2 the pressure. Can we please leave the recs 2 him?"
Massachusetts has initiated the Stop the Spread free testing program, and Worcester is one of a handful of sites:
AFC Urgent Care, 117 Stafford St.
Monday to Friday, noon to 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Call (508) 755-4010 or visit the AFC Urgent Care website for an appointment
AIDS Project Worcester, Worcester Tech High School, 1 Skyline Drive
Sunday, 1o a.m. to 2 p.m.; Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 2 to 7 p.m.; Tuesday, Thursday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Appointment only, call (508) 847-0623
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