[Goose]

Just from the article it seems it was a PCR test, but hard to say for certain. And a false positive for those should be nearly impossible without some gross error in the process.

Certainly contamination or an error in sample labels could explain it. I would expect that PCR tests done on a "small scale" may have more problems with these types of problems than those done in larger labs. Possibly less experienced technicians and possibly no negative control. The big labs have both a negative and positive control in each run, but I am not sure a "one off" always would.

[Goose]

Just from the article it seems it was a PCR test, but hard to say for certain. And a false positive for those should be nearly impossible without some gross error in the process.

Certainly contamination or an error in sample labels could explain it. I would expect that PCR tests done on a "small scale" may have more problems with these types of problems than those done in larger labs. Possibly less experienced technicians and possibly no negative control. The big labs have both a negative and positive control in each run, but I am not sure a "one off" always would.