Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic hit back in March there have been changing ideas and guidance about getting tested for coronavirus, wearing a face mask, and social distancing. When testing sites first opened up, you had to have symptoms of COVID-19 to get a test, then testing sites started taking people who were exposed to people who tested positive for coronavirus, then it was if you were exposed to a person who had symptoms, then it was everyone get tested because there could be asymptomatic people who could be spreading the disease without knowing it.

Last month, the CDC abruptly changed their guidelines about who should get tested and said that if you didn't feel sick, even if you were exposed to someone who had tested positive, you didn't need to get a test. That had a lot of doctors and local governments scrambling because they couldn't understand why the nation's public health agency suddenly changed their guidelines. Many felt it was a political move to slow testing down.

On Friday, September 18, the CDC just as abruptly changed course again and went back to their guideline of anyone who has been in close contact with an infected person should get tested. CDC officials didn't say why they had made the change in August and didn't say why they now feel that anyone who has been
within 6 feet of a person with a documented positive COVID-19 test for at least 15 minutes should get a test.

So now the CDC says you need to get a coronavirus test if:

1. You have been within 6 feet of a person for at least 15 minutes with a documented COVID-19 infection and do not have symptoms.

In other words, get a test even if you don't have symptoms and you've been exposed. It's quick, it's easy, there are free tests all over town. I've done it, it's uncomfortable but it's 10 seconds. You can do it.

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