Connecticut State Lab Finds 90 False Positives Out Of 144 Coronavirus Tests Administered In Mid-June

90 people in the state of Connecticut were found to actually have been negative for coronavirus after receiving positive tests, MSN reported on Tuesday.

The state’s Department of Public Health said that its state laboratory found a “flaw” in one of its testing systems and that 90 of 144 people who were tested for the virus between June 15 and June 17 received false positive tests. 161 specimens were collected and a total of 91 of those showed false positives. 

Many of those who received the false tests were nursing home residents.

The state said that it reported the flaw to the test manufacturer and the FDA. It has taken “immediate steps” to make sure patients have been notified – hopefully more than just forwarding them a copy of this article. 

Even more alarming, the State Department of Health said the flawed numbers came “from a widely-used laboratory testing platform that the state laboratory started using on June 15.”

Acting Commissioner Deidre S. Gifford said: “We have notified the healthcare facilities for everyone who received a false positive test result from our state laboratory. Accurate and timely testing for the novel coronavirus is one of the pillars supporting effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Adjustments have been made to ensure the accuracy of future tests, she said. Additionally, she said all positive tests will be further reviewed by “multiple laboratory scientists” and retested using another method. 

We wonder how many other states are administering tests from the same “widely-used” platform…