The CDC recently updated its COVID-19 testing guidelines for nursing home residents and personnel. The updates include:
Reorganized recommendations to address:
- Viral testing of healthcare personnel (HCP)
- Viral testing of residents
- Viral testing in response to an outbreak
Changed “baseline” testing to “initial” testing, although these terms are interchangeable
Added the following recommendations:
- Testing the same individual more than once in a 24-hour period is not recommended.
- Clinicians are encouraged to consider testing symptomatic residents for other causes of respiratory illness, for example influenza, in addition to testing for SARS-CoV-2.