The American Nurses Association (ANA) reacts with a strong position statement about the CDC’s testing update. US nurses are concerned about the recent changes to the CDC’s Covid-19 guidelines, which now recommend individuals whom have been in in close contact with a Covid-positive person but do not have symptoms… no longer require testing, unless they are symptomatic.
The ANA maintains that it testing asymptomatic individuals who came into contact with infected individuals is essential data needed for the process important public health decision-making. A recent JAMA article (Aug 2020) indicated that many individuals (30-40%) with SARS-CoV-2 infection remained asymptomatic for a prolonged period, despite having viral loads similar to symptomatic patients. This means that asymptomatic people can transmit the virus.
The ANA contends that the new CDC guidance does not align with the needs of the public health crisis and therefore thwarts everyone’s efforts to provide safe patient care and protect health care professionals and the communities they serve. They further emphasize that trust and transparency are key principles that the public expects of health care professionals, public health officials, and government agencies. The ANA urges the CDC to provide an evidence informed rationale for the change in guidelines and absent that, to maintain its original guidance.
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Written by Jenn Landers and edited by Dr. Justin Groode | Patient Advocate Alliance LLC
