In the wake of a federal report that warned of false negative results, the use of Curative COVID-19 PCR tests is being discontinued at Los Angeles County-supported pop-up testing sites, the Department of Health Services said in a statement Sunday.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an alert that Curative's tests could provide false negative results.
Mayor Eric Garcetti defended the tests on Thursday, prior to the county's announcement.
According to the county, Curative provided a limited number of tests at pop-up testing sites beginning in mid-December, accounting for 10% of LA County's tests administered during the time frame.
The department warned that all tests have a risk of false negative results and urged residents who test negative to continue to self-isolate for 14 days after exposure or 10 days after the onset of symptoms.
"There is no reliable way to detect early infection, meaning that infection often spreads before symptoms develop," the county said in the statement. "Nevertheless, PCR tests, including the Curative test, remain better at detecting disease than other tests, including rapid tests."
