Dr. Rochelle Walensky explains why CDC doesn’t require testing at the end of quarantine

“So we would have isolated people for a very long time if we relied on PCR,” says Walensky.

Walensky also addressed news Tuesday from the FDA that, according to early data, rapid antigen tests may be less sensitive when it comes to omicron variation.

“We know that the most sensitive test you can do is a PCR test,” says Walensky. “So if you have symptoms and you have a negative antigen test, we’re asking you to get a PCR test to make sure those symptoms aren’t caused by COVID.”

Walensky said the rapid tests work “quite well,” especially in places where people are being tested regularly, like at schools.

They may not perform as well as the delta variant, says Walensky, but “we still encourage their use”.

US County CDC COVID-19 transmission

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