Woman caught up in COVID text bungle ‘mortified’

A woman caught up in St Vincent’s Hospital’s botched COVID text debacle says she is “mortified” she has passed the virus onto her young niece and nephew.

Stephanie Colonna is among 400 people who were wrongly sent a text message on Christmas night telling them they were COVID negative, when they were positive.

St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney apologised on Sunday, saying the situation was believed to have been caused by human error.

Ms Colonna said she had symptoms on Monday and Tuesday but was turned away from testing clinics because they were at capacity and closing due to the heat.

“I went on Wednesday, got tested, isolated,” she told Nine’s Today program on Monday.

“I live with little kids and more members in my house, and I got the negative result Christmas Day.

“I was already isolating, because I’m a close contact, and then Boxing Day I got the positive result.

“I was just mortified. Like, to get two different results, you don’t know what to feel.”

Ms Colonna said she was yet to hear from NSW Health after receiving the message she had tested positive.

“Honestly, (I’m) very scared and nervous that I’ve infected my niece and nephew who are one and three,” she added.

“That’s what scares me and worries me, because if they are positive, I’m the one to blame, because I’ve infected them now.”

In a statement on Sunday, St Vincent’s Hospital said an emergency response team was investigating the cause of the mistake.

“SydPath last night incorrectly messaged more than 400 people, advising them they had tested negative to COVID,” the hospital said.

“These people had tested positive to COVID.

“As soon as we became aware of the issue this morning, SydPath immediately commenced a process to contact impacted people.

“We sincerely apologise to all those impacted,” the hospital continued.

SydPath medical director Professor Anthony Dodds blamed the mistake on the large volumes of tests.

“Owing to the very large volume of tests that we’ve been contending with at SydPath, last night, we incorrectly messaged 400 patients who had been swabbed at our centres from December 22nd and December 23rd, advising them they had tested negative to COVID,” Professor Dodds told reporters on Sunday.

“These people in fact had tested positive to COVID.

“As soon as we became aware of this issue this morning, SydPath immediately commenced the process to contact these impacted individuals.

“We sincerely apologise for the mistake that has been made.”