Testing is a critical component of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and local public health plays an important role in conducting, collecting, and analyzing testing data, as well as supporting community and healthcare partners in their administration of tests for SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19. Antigen tests are one tool in this arsenal and are available as point-of-care diagnostics, with a rapid turnaround time. Antigen tests can be useful in the swift implementation of infection prevention and control strategies and federal officials have distributed these rapid, point of care tests to thousands of nursing homes across the country. As local public health departments continue surveillance efforts and outbreak response for COVID-19, understanding the utility of antigen tests and how they can be effectively employed, particularly in nursing homes, is crucial.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have developed Considerations for Use of SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Testing in Nursing Homes and an FAQ that provide valuable information on this topic.
NACCHO invites you to join a webinar on Friday, October 30 from 2-3PM ET to review the information in these resources and address questions from local health departments. This call is open to all members of local health departments as well as other community partners who are interested in this topic. Attendance is capped at 500, so please register early.
The goals of the webinar are to:
- Discuss current CDC guidance on antigen testing in nursing homes
- Describe recommendations for use of antigen testing in nursing homes
- Describe testing recommendations for screening of asymptomatic persons
- Provide an opportunity to ask questions and engage in open discussion.
Guest Speakers:
- Sujan Reddy, MD MSc, Medical Officer, CDC Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion
Register to Participate:
- In order to join the call, please REGISTER HERE (only registered participants will be able to join). You can submit questions ahead of time by sending them to [email protected] with subject line: “Webinar: Antigen Testing for SARS-CoV-2 ”