CHICAGO (CBS) A COVID-19 test forced one woman into quarantine for weeks, and she lost her job. <\/p>\n
But then she learned she never had the virus. The test was wrong.<\/p>\n
CBS 2 Investigator Dave Savini reported Wednesday night on false COVID-19 test results and what went wrong. The health care worker, who did not want to be identified, wanted to tell her story to warn others about what happened to her.<\/p>\n
So I had never been around any form of disease that hasnt had a cure before, said the woman. I have been in the medical field for quite some time.<\/p>\n
She worked as a medical receptionist, wore a mask and gloves, and took all the precautions. Then one day, she started to cough and was concerned.<\/p>\n
Like scores of other health care workers, she decided to play it safe and get tested for COVID-19. <\/p>\n
She went for a free test at the Friend Health Center near 58th Street and Western Avenue in Chicago. Her samples were then shipped to a lab at Lurie Childrens Hospital. <\/p>\n
Two days later, she got the result.<\/p>\n
My primary physician called me. He told me I was positive, she said. I was in shock. <\/p>\n
She called her family and her employer, and her worries intensified. Images she has seen while working, and all over the news, started to replay repeatedly in her head.<\/p>\n
I thought of the ventilator, and I started to get my affairs in order, she said. I thought about the patients in the hospital how they cant see their loved ones. And I felt I would be one of them, and God knows Im praying for them.<\/p>\n
She did what she was supposed to do and quarantined, which meant she also stopped going to work.<\/p>\n
I was scared and I stayed in the house, she said, and I followed the instructions. You have to stay in quarantine for 14 days.<\/p>\n
Then after 14 days of isolation, she sought her doctors approval to return to work. She missed a few more days of work waiting to get cleared.<\/p>\n
And then she lost her job.<\/p>\n
Then came another bombshell. <\/p>\n
She got a letter from the lab at Lurie Childrens Hospital. It said she was never really COVID-19 positive it was all a big mistake. <\/p>\n
The woman read part of the letter: We have learned that you received a false positive result. You did not have COVID-19.<\/p>\n
The CBS 2 Investigators were told by a hospital official that they noticed an unusual pattern developing. So they retested the samples in question and found there was an equipment problem.<\/p>\n
That is when they learned people who were told they were positive for COVID-19 were really negative. <\/p>\n
I was devastated, said the health care worker about the impact of this bad test. <\/p>\n
She says the hospital representative who called her would not tell her exactly how many others also spent weeks in quarantine for no reason.<\/p>\n
Lurie Childrens also would not release to CBS 2 the number of false test results, only saying it was several.<\/p>\n
We are sorry for the inconvenience, the health care worker said as she expressed her frustration that it took a month to get the accurate result. Thats all, thats all like a pat on the hand, Were sorry.'<\/p>\n
A representative of Lurie Childrens Hospital told the CBS 2 Investigators they reported the false findings to the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH).<\/p>\n
Our CBS 2 Investigators reached out to the IDPH to find out how many false positives they have received from all labs statewide. The IDPH has not yet responded.<\/p>\n
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Here is the original post: <\/p>\n
Health Care Worker Tests Positive For COVID-19, Quarantines, And Loses Job Only To Find Out Test Was Wrong - CBS Chicago<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" CHICAGO (CBS) A COVID-19 test forced one woman into quarantine for weeks, and she lost her job. But then she learned she never had the virus. The test was wrong Continue reading