PCR tests of 'highest standard' says Manx Care

Thu, 09 Dec 2021

Manx Care says its PCR Covid testing process at Noble's Hospital is of the highest clinical standards.

A number of people have reported testing negative for coronavirus at the Grandstand - that's despite testing positive on lateral flow devices and PCR testing from private labs.

In a statement, the health body said: "In the Isle of Man, lateral flow devices are returning a positive predictive rate of about 90% (where people test positive for Covid-19 on a lateral flow device and subsequently return a positive PCR test too). Since PCR tests may not be 100% sensitive, it means there will inevitably be rare occasions when an LFD shows positive and a PCR shows negative."

Since the start of the pandemic in March last year, the lab has performed approximately 140,000 PCR tests.