Gov Mike DeWine tested negative for COVID-19 Thursday evening hours after testing positive for the virus in a different version of a test.
The positive result came from a rapid test given as part of the protocol for those meeting and greeting President Trump, as DeWine was scheduled to do earlier today in Cleveland.
The negative result came from a more sensitive test which was administered by the Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State following the positive result.
"A PCR test was administered to the Governor and members of his staff this afternoon. The PCR test looks for the specific RNA for the SARS CoV-2 — in other words, the genetic material specific for the virus that causes COVID-19," DeWine's
office said in a statement. "The PCR test is known to be extremely sensitive, as well as specific, for the virus. The PCR tests for the Governor, First Lady, and staff were run twice. They came back negative the first time and came back negative when they were run on a second diagnostic platform."
"The test administered this morning to the Governor in Cleveland, as part of the protocol required to meet the President, was an antigen test. These tests represent a new technology to reduce the cost and improve the turnaround time for COVID-19 testing, but they are quite new. We do not have much experience with antigen tests here in Ohio. We will be working with the manufacturer to have a better understanding of how the discrepancy between these two tests could have occurred."
Gov. DeWine, Fran DeWine and the governor's staff will be tested again on Saturday out of an abundance of caution.
