How a 'false' positive Covid test shattered this Kerala cricketer's dream to play again

Sachin hoped to use the recently concluded KCA Club Championship as an opportunity to try and catch the attention of the selectors. Credit: PTI File Photo

An alleged false positive Covid-19 report hampered the dream of a 31-year-old Kerala cricketer to return to the field after a break of nearly five years due to a major injury.

Sachin Mohan, who last played in the state team in 2016, was planning a return before the new domestic season. But he claims that a false positive Covid-19 report robbed him of his comeback, according to a report by The New Indian Express.

The Thiruvananthapuram native had hoped to use the recently concluded Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) Club Championship as an opportunity to try and catch the attention of the selectors.

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The KCA created a bio-bubble to hold the T20 tournament and the players and staff needed to be vaccinated and required negative RT-PCR test results to participate in the Championship.

In his first test at Thiruvananthapuram's DDRC Lab on August 25, Sachin tested negative. The tournament was then pushed by a few days due to rain and Mohan had to take another test on August 30, which was positive.

"After the first test, I was very careful and tried to take all possible precautions. It was hard to understand where I got the virus from. But I went into quarantine because I didn't want to put my family or anyone else at risk. At that point, I didn't suspect anything," Sachin told The New Indian Express.

"I waited a few days and got myself tested again at NIMS lab this time. And my result was negative. I checked again and the result was negative. I'm trying to understand how one can be tested negative just four days after being positive," he said, questioning the accuracy of the tests.

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The main reasons for false positive results are laboratory error and off-target reaction (that is, the test cross-reacting with something that’s not SARS-CoV-2).

Laboratory errors include clerical error, testing the wrong sample, cross-contamination from someone else’s positive sample, or problems with the reagents used (such as chemicals, enzymes and dyes). Someone who has had Covid-19 and recovered might also show a false positive result, according to a report.