The Infectious Diseases Society of America on Thursday created a four-tier system to determine whether patients should be tested for coronavirus.
Under the recommendations, critically ill patients with unexplained symptoms, immunicompromised patients with COVID-19 symptoms and those vital to the response to the pandemic should be tested for the virus first. Long-term care patients are in the second tier along with non-ICU patients.
Individuals with diabetes, COPD and congestive heart failure, among other co-morbidities are in the third tier for testing. Others monitored by health authorities are in the final tier.
ISDA acknowledged that more Americans likely have COVID-19 than those who have tested positive.
"The current prevalence of COVID-19 disease in the United States, as quantified by positive test results, remains low," the society wrote.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this month expanded coronavirus testing.
