May 01, 2020

Ricketts says TestNebraska COVID-19 tests will be verified

Posted May 01, 2020 12:17 AM

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts is expressing confidence in the new coronavirus tests that the state purchased through a no-bid contract with a small Utah startup firm after a local newspaper raised questions about the accuracy of the company’s results.

Ricketts says state officials will work to ensure that the tests administered through the TestNebraska program are accurate to avoid giving a false negative result to people who have coronavirus symptoms.

His comments came in response to questions rising from a Salt Lake Tribune story.

The newspaper reported that 2% of symptomatic patients in a Utah program run by the same company tested positive for the coronavirus, compared to 5% who tested positive at other Utah sites.