Cambridge man undergoes new CDC-guided testing for COVID-19, test returns negative

A man in Cambridge told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS he had not traveled to another country and had not been exposed to anyone affected by COVID-19.

However, he was tested by a physician for the disease under new guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The man, whose identity KSTP agreed to protect, said his test results came back negative, but his physician told him he was going to test for the COVID-19 disease because the CDC had released new guidelines.

"I was kind of shocked because I had not traveled out of the country," the man said. "But I want to be sure. When the COVID-19 tests came back negative, I was glad I went through all of it."

He told KSTP he suffered severe flu-like symptoms the first week of March and was tested for influenza and pneumonia at a clinic in Cambridge over the weekend.

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A spokesperson with the Minnesota Department of Health said the CDC had made some changes in its guidance for clinicians.

"The CDC on March 4 changed their guidance for evaluating and reporting persons under investigation for COVID-19, which included guidance on who should be tested and when. Subsequently, on March 5 MDH sent a notice to health care providers in the state that provided links to new guidance for evaluating, testing and reporting COVID-19 in Minnesota," MDH said in a statement. "In that guidance, we said that clinicians should use their judgment to determine if a patient has signs and symptoms compatible with COVID-19 and whether the patient should be tested…but clinicians are strongly encouraged to test for other respiratory illness before testing for SARS-CoV."

So far, MDH said there had been 82 people tested for COVID-19. Two of those tests have returned positive.