Tell VP Pence: We need more COVID-19 testing, not less
250+ organizations signed on to a letter to Vice President Pence, head of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, urging a reversal of the recent revisions in CDC guidelines around COVID testing. In mid-September, the CDC changed the recommendations.
August 28, 2020
Mike Pence, Vice President
White House Coronavirus Task Force
Office of the Vice President
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear Vice President Pence,
On behalf of the undersigned organizations, we write to express our serious concerns with the recent change to testing guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),[1] which diminishes the importance of testing asymptomatic individuals who were exposed to COVID-19. We believe the revision does not reflect the best available science and the best interest of the public’s health and has resulted in confusion among public health and medical professionals and the public. We ask the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to reverse the revision.
By CDC’s own estimation, about 40 percent of infections are asymptomatic,[2] meaning people who do not know they are infected are a significant source of transmission. Identifying individuals infected with COVID-19 – even if they are asymptomatic – is critical to support appropriate isolation and quarantine measures, and identification of contacts, to limit spread, and to provide the comprehensive view of community spread needed to inform effective public health responses. Testing of asymptomatic individuals may also be critical for certain high-risk workplaces, such as in nursing homes, and to support safe reopening of schools. By downplaying the importance of testing for asymptomatic individuals, especially those who have been exposed to the virus, these guidelines could precipitate further community spread. We are further concerned that changes to the testing guidelines could reduce insurance coverage for COVID-19 tests by incorrectly calling into question the medical appropriateness of testing on asymptomatic individuals.
In a moment when we are continuing to see COVID-19 surges in hot spots across the country and a desire to safely open schools and businesses, we need more testing, not less. The decision may delay the ability of communities to safely reopen and extend the social and economic toll of the pandemic on our communities. Given the shortages in testing supplies in personnel, we support prioritizing testing for symptomatic individuals. However, our goal as a nation should be to expand testing capacity to allow for testing of all recommended individuals,[3] including asymptomatic people who have been in close contact with an infected individual. The solution to testing shortages is not to limit the number of people who are tested but to expand the availability of tests.
The foundation of public confidence in the national response to COVID-19 must include the protection of the CDC’s widely recognized and respected independence and scientific integrity. As recently as July 22, CDC guidance clearly recommended testing for close contacts of individuals with COVID-19 and stressed the importance of identifying and quarantining contacts. The scientific basis for changes in recommendations must be clearly and transparently documented.
COVID-19 has killed over 170,000 Americans and has had a devastating toll on our economy and the welfare of our citizens. Only by continuing to do the hard work of containing the pandemic through robust and comprehensive testing can we succeed in ending it. We urge you to reconsider this revision.
Sincerely,
Adventist Health
Advocates for Better Children’s Diets
African American Health Alliance
AIDS Action Baltimore
AIDS Alabama
The AIDS Institute
AIDS United
Alabama Regional Medical Services
Alamut Pharmacognosy, LLC
All Youth Access, LLC
American Academy of Family Physicians
American Academy of HIV Medicine
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Academy of Pediatrics, Hawaii Chapter
American Association on Health and Disability
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
American Council on Exercise
American Heart Association
American Kidney Fund
American Lung Association
American Medical Women’s Association
American Physical Therapy Association
American Public Health Association
American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
American Society for Microbiology
American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM)
American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene
American Thoracic Society
Amida Care
Appalachian Agency for Senior Citizens
Arizona Council of Human Service Providers
Arthritis Foundation
Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum
Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology
Association of American Medical Colleges
Association of Public Health Laboratories
Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health
Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors
Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD)
AVAC
Avem Community Health Strategies
Babies, Birth and Breastfeeding
Berkeley Media Studies Group
Big Cities Health Coalition
Biophysical Society
Black Women’s Health Imperative
The Boulevard of Chicago
Brandywine Health Foundation
California Colorectal Cancer Coalition (C4)
California School Nurses Organization
CAMI Health
Campesinos Sin Fronteras
Care Under One Roof Consulting
Catholic Charities / MLLTCO Program
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Stockton
Catholic Health Association of the United States
Center for Advocacy for the Rights and Interests of the Elderly (CARIE)
Center for Health and Learning
The Center for Public Health and Justice
Central California Alliance for Health
Central Valley Health Policy Institute, Fresno State University
Ceres Community Project
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District
ChangeLab Solutions
Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy
Children’s Health Alliance of Wisconsin
Chronic Disease Coalition
Colorado Association of Local Public Health Officials
Colorado Public Health Association
Colorado School Medicaid Consortium
Community Health Care Association of New York State (CHCANYS)
Community Health Councils
Community Memorial Health System
Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists
DCT LiveWell
Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington
Dona Ana Wellness Institute
Dorchester County Health Department
Eau Claire City-County Health Department
El Cajon Collaborative
El Centro Comunal Latino
Endocrine Society
Enlace Chicago
Epidemiology Section of the American Public Health Association
Epilepsy Foundation
Essex Passaic Wellness Coalition
Exceptional Family Center
Families USA
Family Health Outcomes Project, Univ. of California, San Francisco
The Fenway Institute
The Foundation for Sustainable Communities
The Gerontological Society of America
Global Alliance for Behavioral Health and Social Justice
Global Liver Institute
Granny’s Haven
Greater Philadelphia Business Coalition on Health
Green Thumb A V Youth Program
Grey Medical Advocate, LLC
Hawaii Health & Harm Reduction Center
Health Foundation of South Florida
Health Promotion Council of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Inc.
Health Promotion Strategies LLC
Health Resources in Action
Health Systems Consulting
HealthHIV
Healthy Schools Campaign
Healthy Weight Partnership Inc.
HearTHealth
Heartland Alliance
Hep Free Hawaii
Hill Nutrition Consulting LLC
HIV Dental Alliance
HIV Medicine Association
Hogg Foundation for Mental Health
Holy Cross Hospital
The Homeless Alliance, Inc.
HoneySuckle Lactation
Howard Brown Health
The Immunization Partnership
Immunize Colorado
Impetus – Let’s Get Started LLC
Infectious Diseases Society of America
InsightFormation, Inc.
Johnson County Public Health – Iowa
Just God Academy
L.A. Care Health Plan
Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center
Lakeshore Foundation
Lee County Health Department
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Linn County Public Health
Long Beach Gray Panthers
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
The Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health
Louisiana Public Health Institute
Macoupin County Public Health Department
Maine Public Health Association
March of Dimes
The Maryland Public Health Association
Mary Magdalene Community Service
Massachusetts Public Health Association
Mat-Su Health Foundation
Mended Hearts & Mended Little Hearts
Metropolitan Area Planning Council
Michigan Association of Local Public Health
MLE Consulting, LLC
Mono County Health Department
Morris Heights Health Center
MPHI
Muscular Dystrophy Association
NASTAD
National Association of County and City Health Officials
National Association of Local Boards of Health
National Association of State Offices of Minority Health
National Coalition for LGBT Health
National Coalition of STD Directors
National Families in Action
National Health Council
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
National Network of Public Health Institutes
National Nurse-Led Care Consortium
National Working Positive Coalition
Natividad Family Medicine Residency Program
Natural Health Options
Neighborhood Health Center of WNY
New Jersey Public Health Association
New York State Public Health Association
NMAC
North Carolina AIDS Action Network
Northern Michigan Community Health Innovation Region
The Nourished Principles, LLC
NOVA Scripts Central
Obesity Action Coalition
Obesity Medicine Association
The Obesity Society
OCHIN
Office & Professional Employees International Union
Oregon Public Health Association
Oregon Public Health Institute
OSDH
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at CSULB
Pacific Island Health Officers Association
Paras and Associates
Peggy Lillis Foundation
Pennsylvania Department of Health
Planned Parenthood
Prescribed RxN
Prevent Blindness
Prevention Access Campaign
Prevention Institute
Professional Data Analysts
Public Citizen
Public Health Foundation
Public Health Institute
Public Health Solutions
Rare Kids Network
Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness GWU
Region Nine Housing Corporation
Resolve to Save Lives, an initiative of Vital Strategies
Respiratory Health Association
San Fernando Community Hospital and San Fernando Community Health Center
San Francisco AIDS Foundation
San Francisco Bay Physicians for Social Responsibility
SANIPLAN
Schacht & Associates
Social Welfare Board of the County of Buchanan
Society for Children Orphaned By AIDS (SOCOBA)
The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America
Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Society of Behavioral Medicine
Society of State Leaders of Health and Physical Education
Southern AIDS Coalition
Tougaloo College/Delta HealthPartners
Town of Norwood, Public Health Department
Township of North Bergen, Health Department
Training Resources Network, Inc.
Trans Empowerment Project
Treatment Action Group
Trust for America’s Health
Two Sides of the Brain, LLC
UMASS Lowell – The New England Consortium (TNEC)
UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health
University of Washington Department of Global Health
Unrestricted Fit
Vermont Public Health Institute
Washington State Association of Local Public Health Officials
Washington State Department of Health
Washington State Public Health Association
WelCore Health, LLC
West Valley Neighborhoods Coalition
West Virginia Rural Health Association
Westport Weston Health District
Wisconsin Association of Local Health Departments and Boards
Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation
WKF Fund
[1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Overview of Testing for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). Aug 24, 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/testing-overview.html.
[2] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. COVID-19 Pandemic Planning Scenarios. July 10, 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/planning-scenarios.html
[3] Infectious Diseases Society of America Guidelines on the Diagnosis of COVID-19. May 6, 2020.
https://www.idsociety.org/practice-guideline/covid-19-guideline-diagnostics/
Work With Us
You change the world. We do the rest. Explore fiscal sponsorship at PHI.
Support Us
Together, we can accelerate our response to public health’s most critical issues.
Find Employment
Begin your career at the Public Health Institute.
