FALSE-POSITIVE COVID-19 TESTS A REAL POSSIBILITY

BioTest Laboratories, an Ottawa based medical testing company has disclosed a significant likelihood of false-positives in recent COVID-19 testing. As a result, the lab has decided to reject all 94 tests that were positive, which included 22 specimens from the Peterborough, Hiawatha and Curve Lake area.

Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, Medical Officer of Health at Peterborough Public Health (PPH) stated that testing of the 22 of 27 cases in question occurred from April 22 to 29 and will require additional testing to determine their validity.

PPH will continue working alongside Public Health Ontario and seek its guidance and support to ensure that COVID-19 reporting standards are current during this pandemic. PPH has already contacted all individuals in question and explained the significance of the error, encouraging them to get retested.

For more information, please visit:

https://www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca/lab-error-could-have-resulted-in-falsepositive- covid-19-results/

or contact Brittany Cadence, Communications Manager at PPH.