4/26/2022 - Contaminated Surveillance Testing Samples

To: The Campus Community

From: Jennifer Howes, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Wellness

Date: April 26, 2022

Re: Contaminated Surveillance Testing Samples

Due to a contamination in one of the plates used in the Caltech COVID Surveillance Lab (CCSL), an unusually high number of pooled samples were flagged as potential positive tests on Tuesday morning. Consistent with our practice for confirming if an individual is positive, all individuals flagged were contacted for confirmatory diagnostic testing by Student Wellness Services (SWS) and asked to isolate until their testing results could be confirmed.

With the help of the participants and Student Affairs employees, everyone received confirmatory diagnostic testing. Nearly all of those tests have now come back negative and the individuals have been released from isolation.

The source problem in the lab has been identified and remediated.

We thank all members in the surveillance program and everyone among the flagged group for their prompt response and participation in the Institute's testing program.