Do I need to be tested for COVID-19 if I am vaccinated? Credit: AP Illustration / Peter Hamlin
Do I need to be tested for COVID-19 if I am vaccinated?
No, you can skip routine testing, with a few exceptions.
The latest guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that there is no need to test or quarantine if you are completely vaccinated, even if you have been exposed to someone who was ill. An exception is if you develop symptoms of COVID-19 such as fever, cough, and fatigue.
The updated guide reflects recent studies showing that vaccinated people have very little risk of serious illness. Even if you have an infection, you are less likely to pass it on to others and your symptoms are likely to be milder.
As a result, the CDC says vaccinated people can also be excluded from routine job screening, even though many companies do not follow the vaccination status of employees. Screening is still recommended for people who work or live there shelters for the homeless or prisons, due to the increased risk of outbreaks.
Relaxed guidelines also do not apply to doctors, nurses and others health workers, whose employees may still require proof. Orientation may vary by country.
U.S. citizens returning from abroad must also submit a negative COVID-19 test before embarking on their flights home, regardless of their vaccination status. Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 should still isolate for 10 days, according to the CDC.
As vaccinations increase, many experts expect the CDC to further relax testing guidelines, even for people vaccinated with symptoms. Many common colds and viruses can cause COVID-19-like symptoms, according to experts, which could lead to a wave of unnecessary testing in the fall.
“As we run to open backups, a whole variety of infections that we don’t usually do test because they will cause these same symptoms, “said Dr. Rebecca Wurtz of the University of Minnesota.” You have to wash your hands and stay home from work, but you don’t have to finish the test. ”
© 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Citation: Do I need to be tested for COVID-19 if I am vaccinated? (June 3, 2021), retrieved June 3, 2021 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-06-covid-im-vaccinated.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair treatment for private study or research purposes, no part may be reproduced without written permission. Content is provided for informational purposes only.
