[Exports_project_office] COVID testing plans - considering false positive

[David Siegel]

Hi Heidi,

Thanx for the note. We will add it to the list of queries to talk about on the Thursday project office call. 

Dave

> On Feb 16, 2021, at 11:29 AM, Heidi M. Sosik <hsosik at whoi.edu> wrote:
> 
> Dave, Ivona, and Ken,
> 
> I want to check in about what you may be considering in terms of handling the possibility of false positive COVID PCR test results during pre-cruise testing.
> 
> I have now been Chief Scientist on three UNOLS cruises during the period of COVID protocols for isolation and testing. In two of those three cruises, we have had a person receive a positive PCR test result, when all other evidence suggests it was a false positive (no symptoms, negative test results before and after the positive).
> 
> Since for EXPORTS / OTZ we will have dozens of people each getting tested 3, 4, or more times, we are considering 100s of tests in aggregate. This means there is a very real likelihood of one or more false positive, even if the overall false positive rate for these tests is fairly low.
> 
> Will there be a pre-approved process to handle this situation? If a person is immediately re-tested negative once or twice, will that be sufficient to allow them and others in their ambit to sail?
> 
> Best wishes,
> 
> Heidi
> 
> -- 
> Heidi M. Sosik
> Biology Department, MS 32
> Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
> Woods Hole, MA  02543-1049
> phone: 508-289-2311  fax: 508-457-2134
> hsosik at whoi.edu  http://www.whoi.edu/sites/hsosik/
>