JUST IN: Ohio Gov. DeWine Tests Negative For Covid-19 After Positive Diagnosis Earlier in the Day
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) may not have Covid-19 after all.
After testing positive early Thursday morning, DeWine announced he tested negative in a second test, along with Ohio First Lady Fran DeWine and several other staff members on his team.
I tested negative in second test that I took today for COVID-19. First Lady Fran DeWine and staff members have also all tested negative for COVID-19. Thanks to all for the well wishes.
— Mike DeWine (@MikeDeWine) August 7, 2020
DeWine was expected to greet President Donald Trump when he arrived to Ohio on Thursday. His initial test was part of the regular protocol of when officials come in contact with the president. During a press conference in the afternoon, DeWine called the positive test “a big surprise to me and certainly a big surprise to our family.”
The governor did not have symptoms, he said, but does have asthma. DeWine said he received “not nice texts” about masks not being effective related to his first positive test — DeWine has been an advocate for mask-wearing along with other precautions.
On Thursday morning, DeWine was administered an antigen test, a newer form of detection for Covid-19. Following his surprising diagnosis, the governor took a PCR test that looks for genetic material specific for the virus. DeWine’s office said the test was run twice: both times brought back negative results.
“We do not have much experience with antigen tests here in Ohio,” DeWine’s office wrote in a tweet. “We will be working with the manufacturer to have a better understanding of how the discrepancy between these two tests could have occurred.”
We do not have much experience with antigen tests here in Ohio. We will be working with the manufacturer to have a better understanding of how the discrepancy between these two tests could have occurred.
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) August 7, 2020
