Health Authorities Conclude "3 Suspected Patients in Gwangju and Chungnam Are 'False Positives'"

"Possibility Due to Pollution and Others"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] The quarantine authorities have reached a final conclusion that three suspected patients who initially tested positive for the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) but later tested negative are 'false positives.'

The Central Disease Control Headquarters (CDCH) announced on the 14th, "After reviewing the cases of three suspected COVID-19 patients recently reported in Gwangju and Nonsan, Chungnam, together with the Korean Society for Laboratory Medicine, we have determined that all are highly likely to be 'false positives.'

According to the CDCH, all three suspected cases tested negative in upper respiratory tract specimens (the upper part of the airway), but showed positive reactions only in sputum specimens. The CDCH explained that such results are uncommon in newly infected patients.

The CDCH stated, "The three tests were conducted at the same entrusted institution, at the same time (using the same test plate), and showed positive results," adding, "there is a possibility of false positives caused by contamination."

Earlier in Gwangju, two students?a first-year male student at Yudeok Middle School and a second-year female student at Daekwang Girls' High School?tested positive in COVID-19 diagnostic tests, but subsequent tests returned negative results, causing confusion.

Both students exhibited symptoms such as sore throat and cough and underwent their first test through a private institution on the 11th, which resulted in a 'positive' diagnosis. However, after the initial test, specimens were collected by the public health center and a university hospital, and in the fourth tests conducted by the city health and environment research institute and the university hospital, all results were negative.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.