Patients of Jersey Shore lab should get re-tested for COVID, FBI says after raid

This article originally appeared on NBC10.

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A day after federal agents raided a coronavirus testing site at the Jersey Shore, patients have questions about their results.

NBC10 confirmed FBI agents stormed into the Infinity Diagnostic Laboratory in Ventnor Thursday, though the agency wouldn’t say why. But on Friday, the agency released a statement urging patients who were tested there to retest “as soon as possible.”

Brian Strahl said he didn’t trust the results after he paid for all his employees to receive a finger-prick blood test at Infinity.

“I’m wondering if the tests were real or not,” he told NBC10.

After hearing about the lab, he had his employees re-tested at a local urgent care.

“I think giving fake inaccurate tests just makes a bad situation 10 times worse,” he said. “Because you’re putting … people at risk, and you’re also giving people a false sense of security. I think it’s horrible.”

A sign in the window at Infinity Thursday advertised antibody and active virus testing, calling it “rapid 10-minute testing.” That sign was taken down Friday and there was no answer to a knock at the door.

Infinity also did not return multiple calls for comment by our deadline. Calls to the owner and another person affiliated with the lab went unanswered.

Another person tested at the site questioned the form of payment.

“I thought it was a little weird that they didn’t accept credit cards, that I had to pay cash or Venmo,” said Jodie Kirsch, a New York City resident who was tested at Infinity’s Ventnor location.

Types of tests, explained

The FBI’s statement mentioned finger prick blood tests, which detect antibodies for the coronavirus — and are different from the standard nasal swab and saliva tests commonly used to diagnose a case.

The body produces antibodies to fight off viruses, so if they show up on a test, they’re evidence that a patient fought the disease. But antibody tests can’t detect if you are positive or negative at the moment.

“Only a test that uses a nasal swab or saliva should be used to diagnose active cases of COVID-19,” the FBI wrote in the news statement.

This video from the FDA explains the differences between the tests.

The FBI asks anyone who was recently tested with a finger prick blood test at the site to contact them at NK-Victim-Assistance@FBI.gov.

“Your response is voluntary but would be useful in a federal investigation,” the agency said, noting that some may be contacted and asked to provide more information.