Ohio governor tests negative for coronavirus a second time

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said Saturday that he had tested negative for the coronavirus, days after a rollercoaster day when he tested positive in the morning and negative at night. The reason for the discrepancy from the tests administered Thursday is still not clear.

DeWine and his wife, Fran DeWine, both tested negative in a polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, test administered and run by Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, according to a press release. Medical professionals consider PCR tests to be highly accurate.

DeWine first tested positive for the coronavirus when he was tested ahead of meeting President Trump, as per the current protocol. That test was a rapid antigen test, CBS Cleveland affiliate WOIO reports.

Instead of greeting Mr. Trump at the tarmac, DeWine went back to Columbus and took a PCR test at a lab. The PCR tests taken Thursday were negative for the governor, first lady and staff members, and were run on lab machines twice with results coming in negative both times, according to WOIO.

DeWine was one of the first Republican governors to implement strict lockdown regulations in March, including postponing the state’s March 17 primary, and he was the first governor to close schools statewide.