> To summarise, false-positive COVID-19 swab test results might be increasingly likely in the current epidemiological climate in the UK, with substantial consequences at the personal, health system, and societal levels.

Some examples from the article:

  - Unnecessary treatment cancellation or postponement
  - Potential exposure to infection following a wrong pathway in hospital settings as an in-patient
  - Financial losses related to self-isolation, income losses, and cancelled travel
  - Psychological damage due to misdiagnosis or fear of infecting others, isolation, or stigmatisation
  - Misspent funding (often originating from taxpayers) and human resources for test and trace
  - Funding replacements in the workplace
  - Increased depression and domestic violence
  - Misdirection of policies regarding lockdowns and school closures