Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
Public Health Laboratories, LA County Department of Public Health, Downey, California, USA.
J Clin Microbiol. 2020 Dec 17;59(1). doi: 10.1128/JCM.02563-20.
On 24 August 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its website to highlight that asymptomatic individuals, even those with exposure to a COVID-19-positive contact, do not necessarily need to be tested unless they have medical conditions associated with increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19. The CDC subsequently updated its guidance on 19 September 2020 to support testing of asymptomatic persons, including close contacts of persons with documented SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this editorial, the American Society for Microbiology Clinical and Public Health Microbiology Committee's Subcommittee on Laboratory Practices comments on testing of asymptomatic individuals relative to current medical knowledge of the virus and mitigation measures. Specific points are provided concerning such testing when undertaking contact tracing and routine surveillance. Limitations to consider when testing asymptomatic persons are covered, including the need to prioritize testing of contacts of positive COVID-19 cases. We urge the CDC to consult with primary stakeholders of COVID-19 testing when making such impactful changes in testing guidance.
2020 年 8 月 24 日，疾病控制与预防中心（CDC）更新了其网站，重点强调无症状个体，即使他们接触过 COVID-19 阳性接触者，也不一定需要进行检测，除非他们有与 COVID-19 重症相关的医疗条件。CDC 随后在 2020 年 9 月 19 日更新了其指导意见，以支持对无症状者进行检测，包括与有记录的 SARS-CoV-2 感染的人有密切接触的人。在这篇社论中，美国微生物学会临床和公共卫生微生物学委员会实验室实践小组委员会就当前对病毒的医学认识和缓解措施对无症状个体进行检测发表评论。针对接触者追踪和常规监测时的此类检测提供了具体要点。还讨论了检测无症状个体时需要考虑的局限性，包括需要优先对 COVID-19 阳性病例的接触者进行检测。我们敦促 CDC 在进行如此有影响力的检测指导意见更改时，与 COVID-19 检测的主要利益相关者进行磋商。
