Beaufort Co. Sheriff urges others to get tested for COVID after own false positive, he says
Beaufort County Sheriff P.J. Tanner said his experience with COVID-19 has been a “roller coaster ride,” since taking an antigen test on Dec. 29, 2020.
The result showed he tested positive.
Tanner said he had no symptoms of the virus but went into quarantine.
Ten days later, Tanner took an antibody test, while still displaying no symptoms.
The result, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says takes 1-3 weeks after a positive test to show accurately, indicated there were no antibodies for coronavirus in his system.
In an interview, the Sheriff sought to explain his experience with the virus so his constituents can learn from him and the agency he runs.
“People need to take the opportunity to be tested and not be discouraged by the test results,” Tanner said. “Let your body be your guide.”
Law enforcement agencies across the country have gone public with information after their chief or sheriff tested positive for COVID-19, including Richland County, S.C., as well as larger cities such as Phoenix, Miami, Charlotte, Detroit and Austin.
In Bluffton, police officials refused to answer any questions about Chief Stephenie Price who, elected officials later confirmed tested positive for the virus this month.
Sheriff Tanner’s situation, however, is different because he and his physician believe his Dec. 29 positive test was a false positive.
“The important thing for people to do is to be very conscious of the CDC guidelines as they’re updated,” he said.
The guidelines state that, if a person continues to have no symptoms after testing positive, they “can be with others after 10 days have passed.”
Tanner said he returned to work after 10 days.
The antigen test he took gives a quicker result but is less accurate, and it has more potential for a false positive result.
Tanner isn’t out in public as much as his deputies.
Law enforcement officers are active in the community, responding to calls and putting themselves at risk during the pandemic in ways not required of other professions.
At the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, 18 staff members have tested positive since the beginning of the pandemic, said Maj. Bob Bromage with the agency. Thirteen are sworn deputies.
Of the entire agency, 120 “have received or are scheduled to receive the vaccine,” Bromage said. The bulk of that number have received it.
The leader of the nearly 350-person law enforcement agency warns against complacency.
“There may be light at the end of the tunnel, but we’re not at the end of the tunnel yet,” Tanner said. “We have to keep our guard up.”
This story was originally published January 25, 2021 at 4:25 AM.
