LeadingAge National has heard from two State Executives each reporting on a situation in one nursing home where the provider received an antigen testing machine from HHS, used it and got several positive tests.  In one case 8 residents were moved to a COVID unit.  In the other 5 staff tested positive.  In both cases, for different reasons, PCR tests were done on the people who tested positive – all were negative. 

These were false positive test results.  LeadingAge National let their contacts in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health know and they immediately reached out to BD who, in turn, responded immediately, and connected the BD point person to the state partners/nursing homes in question. Hopefully these are unique one-off stories but we need to watch this closely and take immediate steps to advise members if there are growing examples of false positive results in increasing numbers of nursing homes and to work with HHS for an emergency solution/communication. 

If you start having questionable results, asymptomatic positive tests or multiple negative tests in staff or residents who have symptoms, please let Laura Hofmann know immediately so this can be reported up to LeadingAge National for action.