CDC was pressured 'from the top down' to change coronavirus testing guidance
A sudden change in federal guidelines on coronavirus testing came this week as a result of pressure from the upper ranks of the Trump administration, a federal health official close to the process tells CNN. "It's coming from the top down," the official said of the new directive from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The new guidelines raise the bar on who should get tested, advising that some people without symptoms probably don't need it -- even if they've been in close contact with an infected person.
Previously, the CDC said viral testing was appropriate for people with recent or suspected exposure, even if they were asymptomatic.
CDC would not comment on questions about its own policy change. A CDC spokesperson referred all questions to the Department of Health and Human Services.
The new directive also lines up with a trend in policy and rhetoric from the White House. President Donald Trump has repeatedly suggested the US should do less testing.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/26/politics/cdc-coronavirus-testing-guidance/index.html
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When they "updated" their recommendations for school re-openings and suddenly they were much less restrictive. This after they had previously issued guidelines that angered Trump and caused the Press Secretary to famously say they didn't want Science to get in the way.
As expected, my conservative friend started sending me all sorts of media reports saying that the CDC said schools should open. Despite what they had said weeks before. Of course he was critical of Democrats "politicizing" the issue. 
