Dr. Anthony Fauci recently stated that the CDC may adopt a new recommendation for Americans who want to be isolated after five days. This would occur as COVID-19 tests are running low and the threat of a coronavirus outbreak is increasing. This revelation comes a week after CDC reduced the recommended quarantine and isolation period for COVID-19 positive individuals. The time limit was reduced from ten to five days. For five more days, the individuals should wear masks when they are out in public.
Fauci said that people are becoming concerned about whether or not to test people at the time. Fauci spoke on Sunday’s “Face the Nation” with CNN’s Dana Bash. “I believe that it’s a reasonable thing for me to do. The CDC will soon have more clarity on that matter, as it has obviously generated a lot of questions at the five-day mark: Should you or shouldn’t you be testing people?
The CDC has not yet recommended that Americans with COVID-19, who is in isolation, be tested. However, testing shortages are already affecting the country.
As the demand for the omicron variant soared during the holidays, Americans waited in long lines at testing stations. According to the White House, Americans will have to wait several weeks before they receive their promised at-home testing kits.
Fauci acknowledged that there had been “some concern” about whether people were being tested during the five-day period. He told George Stephanopoulos that it was something Fauci is now considering.
Fauci stated that “the CDC is well aware there’s been some pushback regarding that.” “Reviewing it again, it may be possible in that that testing could be part of that. The CDC will likely share more information about this in the coming days.
Fauci’s comments Sunday were also in direct contradiction to what Dr. Rochelle Walensky, CDC director, stated earlier this week to CNN when she was asked why they don’t recommend testing after isolation.
Walensky stated Wednesday that they chose not to use the rapid test for isolation because they don’t know the results of the rapid tests and whether they can predict if they will be transmissible at the end. They have not been approved by the FDA for this use. We don’t know how they do ….. So we said, “Well if you get a quick test at five days and it’s negative then we weren’t convinced you weren’t still transmissible.”
Arkansas Governor is one of the critics of the constantly-changing CDC guidance. Asa Hutchinson.
The Republican stated that he believes there is confusion because there is only one set of rules for healthcare workers. You have one set for healthcare workers, and one for people in general. There’s so much information. I would love to see some harmonization. It is necessary to make it easier for the public.
