CDC mistakenly releases San Antonio patient who later tests positive for Coronavirus

SAN ANTONIO, Texas - The CDC has mistakenly released a patient from the Texas Center for Infectious Disease whose test later came back positive for COVID-19, says San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg. 

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The patient was part of the group that came back from Wuhan, China over two weeks ago via a State Department chartered flight. According to the CDC, the patient was asymptomatic and had met all of the CDC's criteria for release. Two tests, taken 24 hours apart, had tested negative for the virus and the CDC cleared the patient. However, a later test sample came back and was determined to be "weakly" positive for COVID-19. 

The announcement from the CDC states that the agency is retesting the individual. 

The patient has also been brought back into isolation according to the CDC but had come in contact with others during their release. CDC and local health officials are following up to trace any possible exposures within the community. 

In response to the CDC's announcement, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg has called the incident unacceptable. "The fact that the CDC has allowed the public to be exposed to a patient with a positive COVID-19 reading is unacceptable. We will hold the CDC accountable to providing complete transparency for the public. This situation is exactly why we have been asking for federal officials to accept the guidance of our medical community," Mayor Nirenberg said.

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In their statement, the CDC mentioned that the virus is still new and medical officials have more to learn about it. "It's important to remember that this a new virus and we are learning more about it every day. The cycle of infection with COVID-19 is not yet well understood, but the amount of virus is typically highest when the person is sickest. As the illness resolves, the amount of virus falls"