ASM Statement in Response to Change in CDC COVID-19 Testing Guidelines
During a national public health emergency, it is vital that we lead with science and with the best data available. Our continued response to and successful recovery from the COVID-19 crisis depends on adherence to sound scientific and public health guidance from the experts and evidence-based clinical decision-making. Policy decisions also must be made in a way that is transparent and engages experts in open dialogue.
The abrupt for asymptomatic individuals is not consistent with what we understand to date about the virus and the wide range of individual responses to infection, and it was made without transparency to understand the merits of the decision. As such, we call on CDC to reverse this policy at this critical juncture in our attempts to get the virus under control, and to proceed in a way that the public health community and the public they serve can have confidence in the guidelines being promulgated.
We recognize that persistent testing shortages and scarcity of ancillary supplies have driven decisions to ration and prioritize testing in some areas of the country. ASM has repeatedly called on Congress and the Administration to address these shortages so that every individual who needs a test can get a test.
The abrupt for asymptomatic individuals is not consistent with what we understand to date about the virus and the wide range of individual responses to infection, and it was made without transparency to understand the merits of the decision. As such, we call on CDC to reverse this policy at this critical juncture in our attempts to get the virus under control, and to proceed in a way that the public health community and the public they serve can have confidence in the guidelines being promulgated.
We recognize that persistent testing shortages and scarcity of ancillary supplies have driven decisions to ration and prioritize testing in some areas of the country. ASM has repeatedly called on Congress and the Administration to address these shortages so that every individual who needs a test can get a test.
°®¶¹´«Ã½ is one of the largest professional societies dedicated to the life sciences and is composed of 30,000 scientists and health practitioners. ASM's mission is to promote and advance the microbial sciences.
ASM advances the microbial sciences through conferences, publications, certifications and educational opportunities. It enhances laboratory capacity around the globe through training and resources. It provides a network for scientists in academia, industry and clinical settings. Additionally, ASM promotes a deeper understanding of the microbial sciences to diverse audiences.
ASM advances the microbial sciences through conferences, publications, certifications and educational opportunities. It enhances laboratory capacity around the globe through training and resources. It provides a network for scientists in academia, industry and clinical settings. Additionally, ASM promotes a deeper understanding of the microbial sciences to diverse audiences.
