You're thinking of this, but the explanation isn't probably what you want:
Q people are focusing on this part:
In preparation for this change, CDC recommends clinical laboratories and testing sites that have been using the CDC 2019-nCoV RT-PCR assay select and begin their transition to another FDA-authorized COVID-19 test. CDC encourages laboratories to consider adoption of a multiplexed method that can facilitate detection and differentiation of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses. Such assays can facilitate continued testing for both influenza and SARS-CoV-2 and can save both time and resources as we head into influenza season. Laboratories and testing sites should validate and verify their selected assay within their facility before beginning clinical testing.
What Q people think this means is, "Oops, our test couldn't tell the difference between COVID and the flu! Our bad!"
What it actually says is this:
"Our test could find COVID just fine. However, there are better tests out now called multiplex tests that can detect both COVID and the flu. We want you to use those tests now, and we're retiring this test that could only detect COVID, and not the flu."
They are not saying the original test got confused between these viruses. But if someone had the flu, then used this test, it would just come back as negative for COVID. The new test would say, "negative for COVID, but positive for the flu."
That's what's happened. It's been widely misinterpreted
Here's smarter people than me explaining it (finally) so that I no longer have to type out everything myself.
It's not a recall. It's a retirement of one test in favor of a better, upgraded test that can see more problems in a single test than the old one.
You're thinking of this, but the explanation isn't probably what you want:
Q people are focusing on this part:
In preparation for this change, CDC recommends clinical laboratories and testing sites that have been using the CDC 2019-nCoV RT-PCR assay select and begin their transition to another FDA-authorized COVID-19 test. CDC encourages laboratories to consider adoption of a multiplexed method that can facilitate detection and differentiation of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses. Such assays can facilitate continued testing for both influenza and SARS-CoV-2 and can save both time and resources as we head into influenza season. Laboratories and testing sites should validate and verify their selected assay within their facility before beginning clinical testing.
What Q people think this means is, "Oops, our test couldn't tell the difference between COVID and the flu! Our bad!"
What it actually says is this:
"Our test could find COVID just fine. However, there are better tests out now called multiplex tests that can detect both COVID and the flu. We want you to use those tests now, and we're retiring this test that could only detect COVID, and not the flu."
They are not saying the original test got confused between these viruses. But if someone had the flu, then used this test, it would just come back as negative for COVID. The new test would say, "negative for COVID, but positive for the flu."
That's what's happened. It's been widely misinterpreted
Here's smarter people than me explaining it (finally) so that I no longer have to type out everything myself.