Antigen test results are still not included in the total number of Covid-19 cases for some states – not even as probable cases, as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends.
Five states – California, Colorado, Maryland, Missouri and Nevada – publicly report only cases confirmed with PCR testing in their online statements, according to CNN’s analysis of health department dashboards in all 50 states.
Some states only report polymerase chain reaction test results in their Covid-19 case numbers and exclude antigen test results, as antigen testing is generally considered less accurate. But as antigen testing grows in the United States, this exclusion could lead to potential miscalculations.
“Antigen tests are relatively inexpensive and most can be used at the point of concern. Most of the currently authorized tests return the results in about 15 minutes,” said the US Food and Drug Administration, but also notes that it is generally less sensitive. than other types of tests.
In California, For example, CNN was told that antigen Covid-19 test results should be reported to local health departments and to the California Department of Public Health. But publicly reported Covid-19 test data only reflects the results of diagnostic tests that detect the genetic material of the coronavirus, such as PCR – polymerase chain reaction tests.
CNN requested antigen testing data from the state department of public health, but was informed in an email that “antigen test results are not currently publicly reported statewide.”
In the four remaining states, the data they each shared with CNN represents approximately 10,000 positive Covid-19 antigen test results reported over just a small sample of days in January.
If included in the reported cases, according to CNN’s analysis, those positive antigen test results would increase Covid-19 cases reported by those states by 5% to 50% over that time.
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