Positive COVID Antigen Tests Not Recorded As Confirmed Cases By State

As news broke this weekend of 23 new COVID cases at the OSU Pi Beta Phi sorority, the school, nor state, recorded the new cases publicly.

Read: OSU Officials Say 23 Sorority Members Test Positive For COVID-19

Stillwater Mayor Will Joyce said at a city council meeting Monday night, that’s because the sorority used an antigen test. 

Currently, the state recognizes antigen tests as “probable cases,” not confirmed cases.

“I don't know. I would love for you to ask the state department of health why that's the case,” Mayor Joyce said. 

Health officials with the Oklahoma State Health Department and Immy Labs told News 9 there are a variety of reasons for the different categories.

First there are two widely used tests, PCR (Polymerase chain reaction) and antigen tests.

PCR testing detects the virus's genetic material, while antigen tests detect specific proteins on the surface of the virus.

PCR tests are currently what's accepted by the state when identifying confirmed cases, as it is considered the gold standard for testing nationally as well as in Oklahoma.

While antigen testing received emergency approval from the Food and Drug Administration, results are not publicly reported by OSDH.

They are instead provided to the Center for Disease Control.

Both PCR tests and antigen tests come in the form on nasal swabs and are relatively the same cost, according to health experts.

While antigen tests typically produce rapid results, PCR testing can take a few days.

Antigen tests are less reliable and are accurate about 80% of the time, according to Immy Labs in Norman.

OSDH said the percent varies depending on what type of antigen test the consumer is using.

While positive antigen results are almost always accurate, a patient is more likely to get a false negative using an antigen test.

That means someone could be positive, but the test won't show it.

OSU and state health officials said regardless of the PCR or antigen test used, they are monitoring positive cases through follow-ups and contact tracing.

"It is really at this point, more of a data recognition issue than how that person is dealt with from a positivity standpoint," said Joyce.

OSDH urges those who have tested positive with an antigen test to be retested using a PCR test.

Until a person with an antigen result is retested, the state health department files them in a separate category called "Probable Cases" and will only become a "Confirmed Case" once the patient receives a positive PCR test.

Though, initially if someone only has access to antigen testing, they should take advantage of what is available. 

According to the CDC, Oklahoma has reported 3,948 probable cases and over 49,000 confirmed cases.

If a person who tests positive from an antigen test, but is never re-screened with a PCR test, their case will stay locked in the probable case totals at the CDC and cannot be cleared.

"We are not concealing that data. It is publicly available. It is just not what we are putting out on our website because of the lack of clarity that existed previously,” said Interim State Epidemiologist Jared Taylor.

OSU confirmed Phi Beta Phi's numbers have not been added to the state totals.

Taylor said the state is currently reviewing their reporting policies and could soon add probable cases to what they share with Oklahomans.