Why was my specimen rejected?

Why was my specimen rejected?

Specimens can be rejected by the lab for a number of reasons. The reason a specific specimen was rejected can be viewed on the Agency Lab Results screen in Point and Click Mass Tester.  "Rejected" is not a result as much as a status. Specimens that are rejected do not go through the testing process. If you have questions about a specimen result (Positive, Negative, Invalid, Inconclusive) see this article: What do my results mean?

Rejection Reasons

Missing DOB or Patient Mislabeled
Clinical Laboratories Improvement Act and College of American Pathologists require that each specimen be labeled with two identifiers which, when matched, provide confirmation that the specimen was accessioned to the correct patient. For the SHIELD Illinois program, those two identifiers are the vial number and the patient's date of birth. If the date of birth does not match has been entered into the system, is illegible, or is missing from the vial, or there is another issue that prevents the 100% match, that specimen has to be rejected.

Quantity Out of Spec
There is a minimum quantity of saliva that must be deposited in the vial in order to perform the covidSHIELD test on the specimen. If the quantity is not adequate to perform the test, the specimen must be rejected.

Viscous or Discolored
The covidSHIELD test must be performed thin, watery, saliva. Specimens that are too viscous (thick, sticky consistency between solid and liquid; having a high viscosity) cannot be processed. Similarly, specimens which are discolored, bloody, or contain foreign matter cannot be processed.

Leaking/Leaked
Vials that leak cannot be processed as there is a risk of contamination. Leaky vials may also cause other specimens around them to be rejected as well due to contamination concerns. Properly tightening the vial lid, placing them in racks, and handling the containers with are steps you can take to prevent this issue from impacting your specimens.





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