Coronavirus: Huber Heights man gets COVID-19 test result -- but never took a test

HUBER HEIGHTS — A Huber Heights man said he received negative coronavirus test results in the mail, but never took a test.

He said he signed up online for the pop-up testing site at Rose Music Center at the Heights earlier this month, but then life got in the way and he did not take the test.

A few weeks later, he received a letter from Public Health – Dayton & Montgomery County detailing the negative test results.

“This to me just does not gain public confidence in the numbers that they’re putting out,” Jacob Thompson said.

Dan Suffoletto, with the health department, has an explanation. He said the county has tested 3,704 people at three pop-up testing sites.

“The people who did not show up for the test or complete the test, those names inadvertently may have been included with those who tested negative,” he said.

Since then, Suffoletto said the health department has adjusted its procedures to stop that from happening again. Plus, PHDMC is calling people who test positive, not mailing results.

Suffoletto also said Thompson’s test result would not be included in testing totals.

Montgomery County was not the only department with a mix-up.

Mercer County Health District officials posted on Facebook that someone who never took the test received a letter about positive results. Agency officials said the patient had COVID-19 symptoms, but refused the test so a doctor diagnosed a probable case. However, the person was sent a letter about a confirmed case.

Department officials said changes have been made to stop this sort of thing from happening. That person was never counted as a confirmed case, health department officials said.

Cox Media Group