Alaska lab failed to report about 1,600 positive virus cases [View all]

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A lab in Alaska failed to report over 1,600 positive coronavirus tests to the state health department in the past month, according to a state official.

Dr. Louisa Castrodale, an epidemiologist with the state, said Friday that Beechtree Labs did not report 1,636 positive test results out of 13,169 tests conducted, most of which were done in the last two weeks. Beechtree is a new commercial lab based out of Anchorage.

The announcement is a sign that climbing daily case counts reported by the state reflect only a part of total cases, the Anchorage Daily News reported. Castrodale said that understaffing at clinics, labs and the state’s Department of Health and Social Services have also caused backlogs that have affected the entire coronavirus data system.

“It’s fair to say that the system is stretched,” Castrodale said.

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https://apnews.com/article/alaska-anchorage-coronavirus-pandemic-d6b0f344ce14ab8f4c6aeefb5f7a3fe9