Labor Day Weekend And Coronavirus: Dr. Dave Hnida Explains Concerns Over Smaller Gatherings

DENVER (CBS4) - The Centers for Disease Control issued new guidance when it comes to testing for coronavirus. In guidance posted on its website without fanfare, the health agency said people who may have been exposed to COVID-19 but are asymptomic may not be need to be tested.

CBSN Denver asked CBS4 Medical Editor Dr. Dave Hnida about the new recommendations during the weekly segment "Q&A With Dr. Dave."

He called the new recommendations "surprising."

"It was literally posted overnight," he said, "and there was not really any explanation or further information for those of us in the medical community. It simply showed up."

Dr. Dave said it's opposite of how the medical community was operating and it questioned the CDC about the change.

"The problem is that the answers appeared to point toward orders or some recommendations coming from someplace higher than the CDC or admittedly, appears to be more of a politically driven type of guidance rather than medically driven type of change. That makes us a little bit uncomfortable because we do like to rely on science, rather than politics, when it comes to taking care of you."

Dr. Dave said the bottom line is despite the change in guidance, doctors are likely to recommend tests at the same rate and if you want a test, you should get one.

He also addressed the return of students to classrooms for in-person learning. Dr. Dave said the number of COVID-19 cases in children is on the rise around the nation.

"We have not seen a tremendous spike in Colorado," he said, "and that's a good thing." But he said the tough part is the fact children do not always get classic symptoms.

"What that means is the bar is set very low when it comes to sending your child to school. Obviously if they wind up having fever, chills, aches and cough, you would be concern because that would be classic COVID. But what do you do when you have a kid who's got sniffles and a cough? Those kids should not be in school."

Dr. Dave said testing is important in that case. He also said it's important to find out what is happening in your child's school.

And this week brings the unofficial end of summer with Labor Day weekend. We saw spikes in coronavirus cases after Memorial Day and the 4th of July holiday and Dr. Dave said that concern exists for this coming weekend as well.

He said even smaller groups getting together are concerning as well as those large gatherings we've seen.

"All it takes is one person in that group to have COVID and bang (it spreads)," he explained.

"We've been doing well so far, we continue to doing what we have been doing in terms of hygiene, distancing and masks."

"We cannot let our guard down as we go into a holiday weekend here, the advice is please keep up the good work. Let's have a safe and a health holiday."

We know new developments in the pandemic mean you have new questions. Dr. Dave joins us every Monday morning at 11 to answer those questions on CBSN Denver.