Becton Dickinson is investigating reports from nursing homes regarding false positive results from its rapid COVID-19 test, the Wall Street Journal reports.
It notes that the US Department of Health and Human Services announced in July that it would ship machines and some testing kits from Becton Dickinson and Quidel to about 14,000 nursing homes around the country. Both firms struggled to keep up with the demand for rapid testing.
According to the Journal, about a dozen nursing homes have reported a significant number of false positives from Becton Dickinson. It notes that false positives are concerning in a nursing home scenario as people who test positive would be moved to an area set aside for infected patients could lead that person to then contract the virus when they hadn't already.
"We need more assurances on these before we use them again," Tim Mallad, chief executive of Forefront Living, which operates Dallas' Presbyterian Village North, which experienced 11 false positives, tells it.
A Becton Dickinson spokesperson tells the Journal it is investigating the situation.