Dr. Anthony Fauci "has some concern" about the government's recent decision to limit how many people are tested for the coronavirus.
A spokesperson for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, of which Fauci is the director, told NBC News that Fauci briefly saw the new guidelines before they were put in place, but did not realize their significance until later.
Fauci remembers "quickly reviewing a version of the guidelines" that were sent around to various officials, the spokesperson said. "At the time he was not struck by the potential implications of this particular change in the version he reviewed.
"Now reading them carefully, he has some concern that the revised guidelines could be interpreted as lessening the importance of asymptomatic spread of virus in the community.
"If people who come into close and prolonged contact with a documented case of COVID-19 become infected and are asymptomatic and are not tested and given results in a timely fashion, then asymptomatic spread to others could occur."
Fauci was in surgery to remove a polyp from his vocal cords when the new policy was put in place last week. The change, which was implemented by the Centers for Disease Control, says that people who have been in contact with a conformed COVID-19 patient but do not have any symptoms do not necessarily need to be tested for the virus.
Health experts and lawmakers have criticized the move, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calling it "scary and dangerous."
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