ANA Responds to Updated CDC Testing Guidelines on Asymptomatic COVID-19 Individuals

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Shannon McClendon

301-628-5391
shannon.mcclendon@ana.org

Keziah Proctor

301-628-5197
keziah.proctor@ana.org

SILVER SPRING, MD – The American Nurses Association (ANA) is concerned about the recent changes to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 guidelines that recommends individuals whom “have been in in close contact (within 6 feet) of a person with a COVID 19 infection for at least 15 minutes but do not have symptoms...do not necessarily need a test” unless they are symptomatic. We maintain that it is essential that scientific findings and data be used as evidence in health care decision making, practice interventions and policy. A recent JAMA article (Aug 2020) indicated that many individuals (30-40%) with SARS-CoV-2 infection remained asymptomatic for a prolonged period, and viral load was similar to that in symptomatic patients.  

Trust and transparency are key principles and the public’s expectations of nurses, physicians, health care workers, public health officials and government agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  Providing new guidance that does not align with the needs of the public health emergency thwarts our efforts with providing safe patient care, protecting nurses, health care professionals and the communities we serve. We urge the CDC to provide an evidence informed rationale for the change in guidelines and absent that, to maintain its original guidance.