Apprehensions about “false positives” being given by virology lab of Chest Diseases Hospital brewed today in Kashmir when a senior journalist who had been declared COVID19 positive there, tested negative at SKIMS virology lab.
A journalist was sampled for COVID19 on 6 June and the sample was sent to CD Hospital virology lab. The sample was reported positive on 7 June, along with hundreds of other samples that were also declared positive on the day from the lab. However, the journalist, doubting the test result, got a fresh sample tested at SKIMS Soura lab. To his surprise, the sample tested negative at this lab.
Prof Samia Rashid, principal GMC Srinagar, which has the administrative control of Chest Diseases Hospital said there were no doubts about the sample which she said “tested positive both times it was run at the virology lab of CD Hospital”.
“All the three genes (which are identified in testing) were positive,” she said adding that the viral load was low but in the range that qualifies as a positive case. “It should not be surprising that the sample tests negative after two days when the viral load could further reduce,” she said.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Pandurang K Pole said the same scenario had emerged “recently when a senior administrator tested positive and later negative”.
He said there was a “medical explanation” that the viral load was too low the second time around and was not picked by the lab. “Ideally, there is a timeframe for testing post infection. And if it is not done in that timeframe, there could be a negative report,” he said.
He, however, said that the administration “will seek facts of the case” from the GMC Srinagar.
The disparity in the reports of the two labs has given birth to fears that many people who may not be COVID19 positive were being “erroneously” declared so. These concerns were voiced to Greater Kashmir by many people including doctors over phone. Social media also saw many people expressing their concerns.
A doctor said that the lab could be contaminated and could be the reason for “hundreds of cases” being declared positive in the past two days there. He said that some people working at the lab tested positive recently but the entire staff was not tested. “They could be responsible for contamination of the samples,” he said.
However, Prof Rashid said that contamination of samples was not possible as the staff was fully protected with PPE. “We are testing our staff nevertheless,” she said.
Ex-CM Omar Abdullah tweeted about the disparity in test reports. “As if things were not bad enough, we can’t even trust authenticity of test results,” he wrote. He expressed worries about people who could not get their samples retested.