Failing to Report COVID-19 Results Could Bring the Wrong Kind of Attention—and Scrutiny from the State

A couple of weeks ago, we told you about a New York Times article that revealed compliance with guidelines on reporting COVID-19 test results in a timely manner is not as strong as it should be. While the public health implications of that are obvious, be aware that there could be serious consequences for any entity that fails to meet its reporting obligations, as well. The Connecticut Department of Public Health is investigating an urgent care company whose reported results do not match up to the volume of tests they’ve been administering. This likely leaves some asymptomatic but sick patients going about their business, possibly infecting others. In addition, undercounting the total number of cases obscures various municipalities’ ability to manage their resources and set the appropriate alert level. While the state has declined to predict when the investigation would be complete—and what, if any, consequences could fall on the company—the DPH says it is working with the company to get a better read on how many patients’ results are still unreported. Do yourself and your community a favor by ensuring you’re reporting results at the same rate you’re testing.