Thousands of people have been sent a text message telling them that their Covid test results were “invalid” due to a major problem in Victoria.
Thousands of people in Melbourne have been sent a text message saying that their Covid PCR test samples are “invalid”.
The message from Melbourne Pathology also tells symptomatic people to assume they’re positive.
“Your Covid sample is no longer suitable to be tested and no result can be provided. If currently symptomatic, assume you are positive and arrange rapid antigen or repeat PCR swab confirmation as appropriate,” the shock text reads.
A Victorian Department of Health spokesperson confirmed the text and said that the issue was due to a backlog.
“The department is working with pathology providers to address any temporary backlogs,” they said.
“We advise those people whose samples are no longer able to be processed to take a rapid antigen test if they have symptoms, or have otherwise been directed or recommended to undertake a test.”
If a PCR test is left too long in the lab it becomes less effective.
The Victorian government on Friday began including rapid antigen tests in the daily coronavirus tally, after launching an online portal for people to log their positive results.
The state recorded a mammoth 51,356 new cases and nine Covid deaths on Saturday after a week’s worth of rapid antigen tests were included in the daily figures.
As of Saturday morning, there were 731 infected people in Victorian hospitals, with 109 active in intensive care and 22 on ventilators.
Saturday’s total caseload was more than double Friday’s figures – and the highest one-day tally recorded by any state so far during the pandemic – but this is down to the inclusion of rapid tests.
“We don’t want Victorians to think that the daily transmission has doubled overnight,” Health Minister Martin Foley said.
“The reported figure has certainly significantly spiked based on that week’s worth of unreported figures that we now have captured in the system.
“However, we should not rule out that there are still undiagnosed cases out there in the wider community, particularly as access to rapid antigen tests grows each day as more supply that gradually comes online.”
Of the new cases, 26,428 were recorded via a rapid antigen test while 24,928 were recorded via a PCR test.
Originally published as ’Invalid’: Shock text sent to thousands of Victorians due to Covid-19 PCR test backlog.
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