SC health officials have not reported tens of thousands of negative covid-19 test results.

WYFF-TV in Greenville discovered this oversight or omission by the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control.

The WYFF-TV investigators reported their findings were based on DHEC records and information from labs that report results.

Missing positive or negative test results would impact the “percent positive” DHEC reports on a daily basis, WYFF said.

DHEC responds

The Chronicle asked DHEC for its side of the story.

Laura Renwick said DHEC is looking into test reporting procedures to correct any issues that may have resulted in incomplete information.

“To remove any ambiguity about reporting, DHEC updated its List of Reportable Conditions to explicitly specify that all test results – including both positives and negatives – should be reported within 24 hours.

“During the first few weeks of March when covid-19 was detected in South Carolina, private labs weren’t required to report negative results. However, by March 26, DHEC communicated with private labs that they needed to begin providing negative results to the agency,” she said

WYFF-TV said the percent positive indicates the percentage of overall tests done that yield a positive result.

That figure is also issued weekly to help determine community spread.

It is a metric SC school districts use to decide how many children will attend in-person classes.

Reality distorted

Missing negative tests – or uninfected people – would drive the percent positive higher. It distorts reality, hides the truth and frightens the community.

WYFF requested lab data from DHEC July 16. It was compiled and provided more than a month later. The records show DHEC collected positive and negative results from at least 219 labs and health organizations.

The records show 97 of the labs reporting test results have a positive result rate higher than 50%.