Jan 2, 2022 - Health

Fauci: CDC considering COVID test requirement as part of isolation recommendation

Yacob Reyes

NIAID director Anthony Fauci on Sunday said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is gauging whether to include a negative COVID test as part of its updated guidance after receiving criticism for not doing so initially.

Why it matters: Fauci's remarks on CNN's "State of the Union" come just a week after the CDC shortened its recommended isolation time for people who test positive for COVID-19 from 10 days to five days if they're asymptomatic.

The latest guidance received significant pushback from some health professionals for not requiring a negative COVID test ahead of leaving isolation, according to AP.
Fauci reiterated that testing before leaving isolation is a "reasonable thing to do," adding that "the CDC soon will be coming out with more clarification."

What they're saying: "There has been some concern about why we don’t ask people at that five-day period to get tested," Fauci said in an appearance on ABC's "Meet the Press."

"Looking at it again, there may be an option in that, that testing could be a part of that, and I think we’re going to be hearing more about that in the next day or so from the CDC," he added.
"We are definitely in the middle of a very severe surge and uptick in cases. The acceleration of cases that we’ve seen is unprecedented, gone well beyond anything we’ve seen before."

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Fauci: CDC considering COVID test requirement as part of isolation recommendation

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