09/20/2020: Lab Update: New Clarification on Guidelines for Testing for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)
Audience: Clinical Laboratory Professionals
Level: Laboratory Update
On Friday, September 18, 2020, CDC revised its guidance on testing for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) because of the significance of asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic transmission. The revised guidance reinforces the need to test asymptomatic persons, including those who have been in close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19. See CDC’s Overview of Testing for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Web page.
Additional CDC resources:
- Interim Guidance for Rapid Antigen Testing for SARS-Cov-2
- Considerations for Use of SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Testing in Nursing Homes
- Frequently Asked Questions about Coronavirus for Laboratories
- Clinical Laboratory COVID-19 Response Calls
- CDC’s Laboratory Outreach Communication System (LOCS)
- COVID-19 Information for Laboratories
- CDC COVID-19 website
- Register for CDC Health Alert Network (HAN) notifications, including updates about COVID-19. Enter your email address, search for HAN, and sign up.
For more information, visit the Clinical Laboratory COVID-19 Response Call website.
For questions, please contact us at LOCS@cdc.gov.
Thank you,
The Laboratory Outreach Communication System
Laboratory Outreach Communication System | Division of Laboratory Systems (DLS)
Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services (CSELS)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)