Calls for review after error in Covid-19 test result text messages

File photo of a person using their phone. Picture: Luciana Guerra/PA Wire

There are calls for a review after a technology error caused problems with Covid-19 test results last week.

Some patients got text messages saying they had tested negative but the details of when their tests took place were inaccurate.

One woman was told to continue to self-isolate until the issue was sorted, and could not return to work.

The HSE says there was a short-term issue with the automated texting of negative results for two days last week.

Sinn Féin TD Louise O'Reilly, who is part of the Dáil's Covid-19 committee, says the glitch is unacceptable.

"As people return to work and we're told there's going to be rapid testing up and down the country, we need to be sure that those tests are accurate and that where there is a glitch,  it is identified quickly, it is dealt with and the people themselves are informed of an issue, rather than people having to get in touch with the HSE about that," she said.

Meanwhile, it is reported the government's new medium-term plan to deal with Covid-19 will aim to get Ireland into a 'status blue' period where the virus is suppressed.

The Irish Times reports the plan, agreed at a Cabinet sub-committee yesterday, will see colour-coded statuses given to areas depending on its levels of coronavirus.

Infectious diseases consultant Eoghan de Barra supports the proposed 'red list'.

"It's talking about what we as a country have as a goal," he said.

"If it's elimination and it's certainly mitigation or reducing the numbers in this country to an absolute minimum, that's a reasonable approach for a country to take, to say this is an area with lots of ongoing community transmission. 

Just allowing unfettered access from that area to our jurisdiction with limited controls wouldn't be a good idea.

However, a blue status will only come into effect when vaccinations or treatments are available.

The president of the Royal College of Physicians Ireland, Professor Mary Horgan has said that a multi sectoral approach will be the way forward with localised lockdowns.

Public health authorities will have to link in with businesses and the local community rather than “broad brush strokes” on a country or county basis, she told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland.

Testing needs to be rapid and agile to determine where clusters of the virus are, she added. 

“Testing is absolutely fundamental to control the virus, end to end, from testing to contact tracing. Testing needs to be rapid, to be agile, for rapid containment.” 

If there are delays there is an onus on the HSE to see how testing can be increased rapidly, she said.

Testing has to be as accessible and as easy as possible. “This is all about testing and containment.” 

Prof. Horgan added “we need to be hunters rather than the prey, we need to stay one step ahead of the virus.” 

There is now an opportunity to look at every stage of the process, to look at each element of the “food chain” and increase the rapidity of testing, she said.

The situation in the Midlands provides an opportunity to look at all the information gathered over the 14 days of the restriction, this will have “huge implications” for the people of the three counties.

“A multi sectoral approach will be the way forward.”

NPHET will discuss the recent spike in the midlands, and the clusters in meat factories at a meeting later today.

It is also likely it will discuss the government's plans to ban non-essential travel from countries with high rates of the virus.