State Department of Health maintains testing guidelines

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The Washington State Department of Health is continuing to recommend testing for COVID-19 for those who have been in close contact with confirmed cases even if they do not have symptoms, going against new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance that does not support asymptomatic tests.

The Department of Health announced Aug. 26 that its guidance on COVID-19 testing had not changed, maintaining that those who had close contact with a confirmed case get tested, alongside anyone who had disease symptoms. The announcement comes after the CDC changed its guidance Aug. 24 on its website, stating that those who had close contact with a case “do not necessarily need a test unless you are a vulnerable individual or your health care provider or State or local public health officials recommend you take one."

Alongside the testing recommendation, the state health department also reiterated that close contacts should self-quarantine for 14 days after the last exposure “even if they test negative for COVID-19, because it is possible for people who test negative to still be incubating the virus, and become contagious later,” the department stated in their announcement.

The department’s announcement also addressed the timing of testing, stating that a test too soon after exposure could lead to a negative result. Those who were exposed and develop symptoms were recommended to have a test that day or the next, but those exposed who do not develop symptoms should wait five to six days after exposure for a test.

Charissa Fotinos, the state’s testing leader and deputy director of the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA), stated that symptoms or coming into close contact with a case are things that could happen more than once, advising that individuals have a plan for the best way to get tested for them in place.

“It needs to be something that people have a plan for and are comfortable doing as needed for the next several months,” Fotinos said.



The state health department stated testing has become easier in recent months, advising individuals looking for a test to contact their usual healthcare provider or the county health department. The tests were free and did not require insurance if the individual was a close contact of a confirmed case or had symptoms, according to the announcement.

The department said Washington had “plenty of supplies” or testing, adding it was working with its partners to increase availability. 

“Testing is a key piece of our state’s disease control strategy because it helps us identify and control the spread of COVID-19,” Washington State Health Officer Kathy Lofy stated in the announcement. “Continued testing will keep us on the path toward containment and a return to a new normal sooner rather than later.”

Those with questions about COVID-19 in Washington state were directed to the health department’s call center at (800) 525-0127.