A 93-year-old coronavirus patient from an infamous nursing home in Be'er Sheva is in serious condition in the hospital despite testing negative for the pathogen at least 12 times.
The woman was a resident of Mishan assisted facility in in the southern city, where at least 14 people died after contracting COVID-19. She was among the first residents who tested positive for the virus less than a month ago and appeared to have fully recovered.
Doctors at Wolfson Medical Center in Holon, where she had been first hospitalized on March 30, said the conducted at least 12 coronavirus tests before releasing her form the hospital.
The hospital added she had not suffered from any symptoms associated with the virus during her first stay. "The patient was tested 14 times, on various occasions at three different labs, out of which 12 came back negative," Wolfson Medical Center said.
"Coronavirus tests in Israel and around the world do not produce complete and definitive results, so all samples are tested for a second time before results are released," said the hospital. "In this case, the patient was released after two consecutive negative tests, in line with the Ministry of Health's recovery diagnosis criteria."
However, upon her return to the nursing home last week, she developed high fever and was taken to Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva, where she once again tested positive for COVID-19.
Her daughter-in-law, Anna, questioned the validity of the treatment she received. "We don't know what was her condition upon the [initial] release since she was hospitalized three hours later,' she said.
"How could she be released in such a condition? The social worker at the nursing home told us she is fine and even was happy to be back. Two hours later, they told me she's in a serious condition in Soroka," she added.
"All night we were worried they would call us and say she has passed away."
Following the incident, the Mishan network of senior living facilities demanded from the Health Ministry to stop the release of all its residents currently hospitalized with COVID-19, until there is more evidence on the accuracy of the current tests.
They also demanded that the Health Ministry publishes a proper protocol of treatment of residents who have contracted the pathogen and were released from the hospital.
Mishan is a target of a class action lawsuit is currently being prepared by the relatives of the victims who contracted coronavirus at he assisted living facility.