Dozens of COVID19 labs in Florida have been reporting 100% positive tests!
“WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The positivity rate of COVID-19 tests is a key metric for understanding how the virus is spreading, and how prevalent infections are in the community.
The Florida Department of Health reports the positivity rate of coronavirus tests each day — which is supposed to show the number of positive tests compared to the number of total tests.
This week, the accuracy of the state’s positivity reporting has come into question.
A review of state data shows many small, private labs have been reporting only their positive results to the state — skewing the positivity rate higher.
Even after this issue came to light earlier this week, several dozen labs are still reporting 100% positivity rates, according to a review of Friday’s DOH data.
“Today alone there are 98 labs reporting positive results, accounting for 355 positive tests,” said Jon Taylor, a PhD student at Florida Atlantic University.
“It should be concerning,” he said. “We are basing decisions off of the positivity rate, and we need to know why some labs are reporting 100 percent positive tests.”
Taylor has been working with FAU Finance Professor Dr. Rebel Cole on their own COVID tracker.
“We will provide a deeper dive into the metrics,” said Dr. Cole.”
Comments: These newspaper columns appeared on July 16th as media reports of a serious spike in cases in Florida was reported. One newspaper showed a line of cars going through a drive-through testing site, showing that it is likely many more people are being tested now. However, reports that some labs are giving 100% positive tests when another hospital says their positive rate is 18%. What is true? The tests are either not accurate, as we have mentioned already and/or the labs are manufacturing the results and / or just not reporting any negative results. Either way, the numbers upon which policy is being made, resources allocated and lives disrupted are being skewed. Private labs need to be investigated asap.