Thread by @DrEricDing

LAB ERROR TRIGGERS OUTBREAK—False negative lab error results from PCR tests are being blamed for high #COVID19 rates across the West of England🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿—Record highs. Experts suspect people unwittingly infected others when they should have been isolating. 🧵
bbc.com/news/uk-englan…

2) 43,000 people were rongly told their Covid-19 test was negative due to errors at a private laboratory.
"The recent laboratory PCR testing issue that gave people false negative PCR test results will have led to people not self-isolating when infectious, which led to spread”

3) a woman and her family of six have all got Covid.
She said she felt let down by the system.
"My twins had positive lateral flow tests, so I took them and my oldest daughter, who was symptomatic, for PCR tests, all of which came back negative," she said.

4) "The PCR test is the gold standard test, so you take that at face value.
"We've seen elderly parents during that time and it has been very worrying. We've had a lot of people to contact to let them know we have tested positive now because of this."

5) 'Seeded more infection'
Professor Trudi Grant, director of public health for Somerset, said as well as the recent laboratory PCR issue, high case numbers were being put down to a combination of the opening up of society, with children back in school and more people mixing.

6) "We've got cases coming through now that have been re-tested because they were potentially a false negative— seeing impact of that.
"Because people, rightly so, got a negative PCR test, they have been out and mixing and gone to school, which will have seeded more infection.

7) UK govt has contacted all those where there was a possibility they may have still been infectious, to advise them to take another test.
If they took up the offer and it was positive, they would be added into the statistics for that day.

8) A spokesperson said investigations are ongoing at the Immensa laboratory in Wolverhampton.

TRAGIC. bbc.com/news/uk-englan…

9) The NHS Confederation said a sharp rise in cases meant measures including mandatory face coverings in crowded and enclosed spaces should be implemented.

Covid: Bring back rules amid rising cases, urge NHS chiefs bbc.co.uk/news/uk-589765…

10) that said, cases and positivity rising across England. For several weeks now. We can’t blame all on the tragic isolated lab error.

https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1451462083367866370

11) in the UK 🇬🇧— with cases rising fast, deaths are also forecasted to climb in the coming weeks. UK is definitely seeing a new wave potentially as winter approaching soon.

Figure by @DrWilliamKu

12) and cases rising and dominating in kids 10-19. But rising in UK across all age groups, especially middle age adults too. UK is definitely in a looming wave. This is gonna be bad again.