CDC reverses controversial coronavirus testing guidelines amid expert backlash

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reversed its coronavirus testing guidance after it sparked backlash among prominent health experts.

Last month, the CDC altered its testing guidelines to state that people didn’t need to get tested if they came in contact with someone with Covid-19 if they were not displaying symptoms.

The move quickly sparked backlash among health experts because they thought it would discourage people from getting tested. About 40 per cent of coronavirus patients are asymptomatic, according to the CDC.

Now the new guidance says that people without symptoms who have been in close contact with an infected person “need a test.”